INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 16: A University of Michigan flag is seen on the court prior to the 2014 Big Ten Men's Championship between the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 16, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)It’s still early, but this is setting up to be one of the craziest college basketball seasons in a very long time. Duke, Michigan State and Kentucky have all held the No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 at different times this season. But all three teams have subsequently lost it after obtaining it.
This past week of college hoops was as good as it gets as plenty of teams battled it out in Thanksgiving week tournaments. The Battle 4 Atlantis stole the show as the three-day tournament included four ranked teams (North Carolina, Gonzaga, Seton Hall and Oregon). But it wasn’t a ranked team that went home as tournament champions.
The previously unranked Michigan Wolverines emerged victorious, taking down Iowa State, North Carolina and Gonzaga. The Wolverines’ impressive play finally earned them the respect they deserve. Michigan jumped up to No. 4 in the latest AP Top 25, the largest jump in the poll’s history.
With another week of college basketball in the books, ESPN’s Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi has updated the latest NCAA Tournament projections.
Here’s Lunardi’s latest top four seed lines, via ESPN:
East Region (New York City):
- Virginia
- Ohio State
- Auburn
- Arizona
Midwest Region (Indianapolis):
- Louisville
- Michigan State
- Kentucky
- Baylor
South Region (Houston):
- Kansas
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Florida State
West Region (Los Angeles):
- Michigan
- Duke
- Gonzaga
- Oregon
All four projected regions include intriguing potential matchups. The projected West Region is absolutely stacked with Duke, Gonzaga and the hottest team in the country as of late – Michigan.
These seed lines are bound to change as the season progresses. But the projections certainly provide some early season excitement as conference play has yet to begin.
[ESPN]
