Bracketology Report: there is no pleasing you, Mr. Lunardi

Wisconsin basketball has won four straight games while playing great basketball, and yet it still appears that no strides have been made in terms of seeding this March. Sure, there is plenty of time to make a jump further up, but it seems that its going to take a serious run from Wisconsin to move them off an eight line. There is no pleasing you Mr. Lunardi.

In the latest Bracketololgy release, the Badgers currently sit in the same spot they did last week. In this projection they are slated in the South Region (Omaha) where they would take on the Arizona State Sun Devils in round one, with the winner taking on the Baylor Bears who recently fell from the tournament’s top spot after their loss to newly top ranked Kansas.

It’s apparent that the Badgers will likely be an 8-seed, best case scenario a 7-seed. However, even in those spots there are more favorable match ups than others. I think right now if you are a seven or eight seed the team you want to see in the second round might be... Duke? Yes, of the top eight overall seeds, the Blue Devils appear to be the weakest right now along with the west coast teams like San Diego State and Gonzaga who recently suffered their first and second losses, respectively.

So, while the Badgers likely have their line set, changes to where and who they take on can help in a big way as they look to make a run. A win on Thursday at No. 19 ranked Michigan could really help. Here are some other reports for the latest release.

Big Ten Buzz

The Big Ten started to take shape for a whole two or three days before Penn State fell off, Michigan State tumbled, and Iowa stubbed its toe. Now, things are no clearer than before. Leading the way in the Big Ten and the seeding is of course Maryland who comes in as 2-seed. After that comes 4-seed Penn State, 5-seed Michigan and Michigan State, 6-seed Ohio State (?? still don’t get this one), and Iowa. Then once again comes the cluster of with Wisconsin and Illinois sitting as 8-seeds, and Rutgers sitting on the 9-line. Rounding out the conference is a new face in Indiana as a 10-seed.

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Story line to Watch

This may be a little biased, but I think the story line to watch in college basketball over this final stretch is who comes out on top in the Big Ten. Maryland has a nice two game lead and should win the conference, but who finishes second or gives them a run is anyone’s guess. There are six teams that could finish in that number two spot, which is unlike anything you see in other conferences around the country. Additionally, all these teams have games against one another so the final stretch here will be incredible to watch.

Region I’d most like to watch?

I think you have to go with the Albany region in this latest release. In one cluster you have Ohio State taking on Northern Iowa, and the winner of that likely taking on Seton Hall. In the other, you have a fascinating first round game between Arizona and East Tennessee State who sits second in the mid major rankings currently. The winner of that would likely take on Villanova, but their opponent of Colgate would be no slouch either. Second round games between Ohio State/Seton Hall and Villanova/ETSU or Arizona would be great to watch.

Worst Possible Final Four?

Duke, Oregon, Kentucky, Louisville.... meh, and very plausible. Only thing that will help that is my Louisville future bet.

Best Possible Final Four?

Personally, I think there are two great teams right now and they’ve played twice. Baylor and Kansas will likely play again in the title game, and possibly in the Final Four. I’m all in on rounds three and four. In the other two spots I’d like to see Seton Hall make a run, and Florida State out of the ACC due to their great defensive play.