The top teams in the country suffered an unusual number of shocks last week, kicking off a wild second half of the 2023–24 collegiate
basketball season. These outcomes completely upended the AP Top 25 Poll and, in some ways, changed the initial predictions for the
NCAA Tournament that will take place this spring.
The standings of the top 25 college basketball programs have changed significantly this week compared to the start of the season, with
five of the top six teams from last week’s rankings losing to unranked opponents and 16 of the top 25 teams overall suffering at least
one loss. Jerry Palm, the CBS Sports bracketologist, updated his predictions for the NCAA Tournament to take into account the
changes at the top of the standings.
After choosing 68 teams and projecting their probable seed lines and placing them in head-to-head matches, Palm updated his March
Madness bracket projections. Purdue secured the top overall seed, with UConn, Kansas, and Houston all vying for the position.
On the bubble, the Pac-12 and ACC are both heavily represented. Colorado has the best chance of receiving a tournament bid based on
NET rankings, since it is ranked No. 48, better than the other “first four out.” Virginia comes in last in the NET, at number 63. As
conference play approaches its peak, teams on the outside looking in have a plethora of possibilities to enhance their resumes.
Washington State stunned Arizona by taking advantage of one such opportunity.
There’s little denying that Kansas flourishes in the welcoming surroundings of Allen Fieldhouse. A good illustration of that is their two
victories in Lawrence to start conference play against highly regarded Big 12 opponents (TCU and Oklahoma). The Jayhawks’
weakness of the season has been their performance away from home, as they were stunningly defeated 65-60 at UCF on Wednesday.
Even though they were ahead of the Knights by as much as 16 points, they faltered in a defeat that may have a significant impact on
their conference’s bottom-dweller seeding at the conclusion of the season.
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