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BTN analyst projects NCAA Tournament bracket, has nine from B1G, five from ACC in field
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It’s 2020. It’s the new year. March Madness is just a couple months away.
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With that, college basketball analysts are already looking ahead to what the field of 64 (expanded to 68) could look like. As of Monday, Jan. 6, here’s what Michael DeCourcy — a college basketball writer at Sporting News and studio analyst at BTN believes:
🚨 BRACKETOLOGY TIME 🚨@KUHoops, @ZagMBB, @AuburnMBB and @DukeMBB land the top spots in @tsnmike's first bracket of the year! pic.twitter.com/QvLgYQ7a1N
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 6, 2020
According to DeCourcy, nine Big Ten teams would make the tournament. Nine! Next best? The Big East with seven. Other power five conferences like the ACC — more known for basketball by many — would get five teams in.
Does this speak to the power of the Big Ten? Or, is it more about the depth?
According to DeCoury, no B1G teams would be a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. There would be two (Ohio State and Michigan State) that would get No. 3 seeds, while Penn State would earn a No. 4 and both Maryland and Michigan would be No. 5 seeds.
Again, perhaps the Big Ten doesn’t have an almighty power that nobody can stop (it appears as though there are no college basketball teams like that this season), but the B1G is likely the deepest conference in the country. That makes for a great January-March.
That makes for a great Big Ten Tournament in early March. And eventually, it should make for a great NCAA Tournament, too.
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.