As January winds down, fans begin to lock in as college basketball takes center stage in American sports, leading up to the NCAA Tournament.
It’s that time of year again to start analyzing (and overreacting to) bracket projections. Most fans are familiar with the usual "experts" who offer their takes on which teams should be in or out of the field. Those voices include Joe Lunardi (ESPN analyst and inventor of "bracketology"), Jerry Palm (CBS Sports), and Mike DeCourcy (FOX Sports), some of the most notable specialists in the industry.
What many college basketball fans may not be aware of is Bracket Matrix, a website that aggregates predictions from nearly 100 active online "bracketologists" into one highly accurate bracket. The site also lets you view the individual projections of each expert, not just the combined consensus. If you’re a college basketball or March Madness nerd, this is one of the coolest websites you'll ever find on the internet.
Today, we’ll take a look at where the Jayhawks currently stand according to Bracket Matrix, along with projections from some of the most notable analysts.
Bracket Matrix
The “ultra-accurate” bracket currently lists Kansas as a 5 seed and the No. 18 team overall, one spot behind Texas Tech and sixth in the Big 12.
ESPN (Joe Lunardi)
Lunardi currently projects the Jayhawks as a No. 5 seed and the 19th team overall, moving Arkansas ahead of Kansas after the Razorbacks’ dominant win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.
CBS Sports (Jerry Palm)
Palm follows suit, listing Kansas as a No. 5 seed and the 18th team overall, placing them in the West region.
FOX Sports (Mike DeCourcy)
Like many other experts, DeCourcy rates KU as a No. 5 seed and the 18th team overall, slotting them in the Midwest region, which is where they’ll hope to land come Selection Sunday.
When analyzing Bracket Matrix, it’s clear that Kansas most commonly projects as a 5 seed, with a few experts placing them as high as a No. 4.
The Jayhawks will have plenty of opportunities to boost their résumé and improve their seed with upcoming games vs. BYU, at Texas Tech, at Iowa State, Arizona (home and away), vs. Houston, and the Big 12 Tournament.
Obviously, there are still many games to be played, and anything can happen between now and Selection Sunday (53 days away), but the bracket is starting to take shape in a more defined way each day.
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