Saturday, November 9, 2013

Welcome Back! 2014 Edition

Welcome to another edition of The Bracket Project. My first bracket projection won't be released until January 2014 but you can see the Bracket Matrix right now.

If you want to contribute to the matrix, please read this:

1. You need to set up a web site to place your bracket that will be consistent throughout the season. A blog will do. A web site will most definitely do. A bracket posted on a message board will not do. The link will change frequently and will get lost in various discussions, making it difficult for the average reader to find it. (Exception: A message board devoted exclusively to bracketology.) Also, you can't post it on Facebook or some other social networking site because not everyone can access it. However, in order to promote discussion, an email address or some comment platform must be provided so that readers can praise or criticize your bracket.

2. You have to tell me where your site is. I don't have a sixth sense when it comes to finding these things. I rely on you and readers like you to tell me what kind of sites to add to this page.

3. The NCAA sets up procedures and principles for building a bracket. Read them! A seriously flawed bracket won't be posted. However, if your seedings are out of the norm, I'll still most likely post it provided that the principles are followed and you have an explanation as to why you've built the bracket like you did. I reserve the right to not post a bracket with something like a winless team as a #1 seed.

4. Please date-stamp your bracket. Brackets of a certain age will be removed from the list, and if there's no date-stamp, obviously I can't tell when your bracket was updated.

5. To make it easier on me, please format your bracket so that at least half of it can be seen on the screen at any one time. You can make it even easier for me by publishing a seed list of your 68 teams. Brackets must have at least 48 seeded teams to be listed in the matrix. Sites that merely list teams with no seeding can be linked to the page but will not be added to the matrix. To be listed in the final matrix of the season, you must have all 68 seeded teams.

6. No new sites will be added to the 2014 page after March 1, 2014 unless you appear in the rankings page (linked to the side), in which case, you will be grandfathered in. In addition, no bracket will be accepted to the final matrix of the season after the beginning of the Selection Sunday show.

7. Link to my site! I've linked to yours!

8. I'm only one guy. If this could pay me what I get at my regular job, I'd update this site 24/7. That simply is not the case. If someone else can do this better, I'll gladly step aside, but from the looks of it, I'm the only (crazy) one. So if you don't see your site on here, an update hasn't been done for a while or I don't respond to you, I hope you'll understand why.
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The 2014 Bracket Matrix Links

All the links used in the 2014 Bracket Matrix are listed here. The window for new contributors to submit their sites has closed. Those who are listed on the rankings page can be grandfathered in.

Tiers are based on the Bracket Matrix rankings page.

Tier 1 (At least 3 years in the matrix; above average)

Tier 2 (2 years or less in the matrix; above average)


Tier 3 (At least 3 years in the matrix; below average)


Tier 4 (2 years or less in the matrix; below average)


Tier 5 (New to the matrix this year)

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

2014 Preseason Bracketology Links

It's too early for me to start creating a 2014 Bracket Matrix but for now, here's a running list of sites which have gotten an early start on next season by creating a pre-season bracket.

This blog post will no longer be updated. Look for a new post highlighting the 2014 sites soon. If I'm missing your site, drop me a line.

November 1 - The Amateur Bracketologist

October 30 - Kyle's Bracket Projections

October 28 - Dudes on Sports

October 27 - Explorertown Bracketologist

October 21 - Patrick Stevens on Syracuse.com (Daily Countdown)

October 18 - Bracket WAG

October 15 - March Madness 14

October 5 - Basketball Predictions

October 2 - Jason Wells' Bracketology

August ?? - GeauxHoops.com

May 28 - The Bracket Bracketology

May 15 - ESPN Bracketology - Joe Lunardi

May 9 - The Sports Bank/WalterFootball

April 18 - Busting Bracketologists - CJ

April 16 - The Catch and Shoot

April 11 - The D-World Society
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Monday, April 8, 2013

2014 NCAA Tournament Sites

The old page listed the tournament sites for the CBB season to come. Since that page doesn't exist anymore, here it is on the blog. After the list is a primer on where your team may be placed.

First Four (March 18 and 19)
University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio (Host: University of Dayton)

Rounds of 64 and 32 (March 20 and 22)
First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York (Host: MAAC)
BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Host: Marquette University)
Amway Center in Orlando, Florida (Host: Stetson University)
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington (Host: Washington State University)

Rounds of 64 and 32 (March 21 and 23)
PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina (Host: North Carolina State University)
AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas (Host: University of Texas-San Antonio)
Viejas Arena in San Diego, California (Host: San Diego State University)
Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri (Host: Missouri Valley Conference)

Regional Semifinals and Finals (March 27 and 29)
Honda Center in Anaheim, California (Host: Big West Conference)
FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee (Host: University of Memphis)

Regional Semifinals and Finals (March 28 and 30)
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana (Host: Horizon League and IUPUI)
Madison Square Garden in New York, New York (Host: St. John's University and Big East Conference)

Final Four and the National Championship (April 5 and 7)
Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Host: Big 12 Conference)

So here are some things to keep in mind when the NCAA basketball committee starts placing teams in the bracket (I wrote these as they came to me so it's not in any order of importance; Updated August 2013):
  • The top 4 teams on the NCAA seed list of 68 are the number one seeds and placed in the region closest to them. If two or more teams claim a particular region to be closest, the team ranked higher on the seed list gets to stay. In the Final Four, the "#1" region will be paired with the "#4" region while #2 is paired with #3.
  • Teams 5-16 on the seed list are then assigned to the closest region available in "true seed" order. At this point, you can calculate each region's relative strength by adding up the true seeds of the top 4 teams in each region.  Generally, the difference between the highest ranked region and lowest should be 5 or less but in 2012, the difference was 8, which tells us geography is playing a much larger role in the bracketing process.
  • At this point, teams 1-16 on the seed list are assigned in "true seed" order to the closest pod (round of 64/32) site as possible.  After that, everybody else is placed in the bracket.
  • Teams in the top 4 seed lines cannot be placed into a home crowd disadvantage in the round of 64 (it used to be the top 5 seed lines, but the NCAA changed it).
  • Host schools can't be placed in the sites where they're hosting. So this season, Marquette, Stetson, Wazzu, NC State, UTSA, SDSU, Memphis, IUPUI and St. John's won't be placed at their home sites if they make the tourney. However, schools in a conference that's hosting a pod or regional can be placed there.
  • Schools who played more than 3 times in a host facility (excluding postseason conference tournaments) also can't play there in the tournament. 
  • BYU doesn't play on Sunday so if they make the tournament, they will not be placed in Raleigh, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, Indianapolis or New York City.
  • First Four winners playing on Tuesday will funnel into a Thursday pod. If they play on Wednesday, the winners will go to a Friday pod. The committee will try to place these teams in a pod as close to Dayton as possible to minimize travel.
  • If possible, the committee will look back at the last two tournaments and make sure schools haven't been placed out of their geographic area an "inordinate number of times."  What's an inordinate number of times? I don't know. Can't be more than 4. 
Among the non-geography considerations:
  • The top 4 teams from each conference in the top 4 seed lines can't be placed in the same region.
  • No rematches between two conference teams until:
    • the round of 32 if the two conference teams met once in the regular season.
    • the round of 16 if the two conference teams met twice in the regular season.
    • the round of 8 if the two conference teams met three or more times in the regular season.
  • If possible, regular season rematches should be avoided in the First Four and the round of 64. In addition, rematches from the previous two tournaments should be avoided in the round of 64.
In order to work through all the principles, the committee has the option of moving a team up or down one seed line (even two under extraordinary circumstances) from its true seed line.

Everybody got that?

For more on how the NCAA committee builds the bracket, read the principles and procedures.
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Friday, March 22, 2013

Server Move

Now that the tournament has started and attention to this site has dropped, I've moved all my pages from the 50webs server to the bracketmatrix server.  Check the sidebar on the right for all the new links.
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Bracket Project Predictions - 2013

Here's my filled-out bracket this year.  I'm going with a Final 4 of Louisville, Gonzaga, Florida, and Indiana.  Louisville over Florida in the championship game.

http://bracketmatrix.com/PDFS/2013PREDICTION.pdf
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Sunday, March 17, 2013

FINAL SEED LIST - 2013

Read em and weep.

Here's today's seed list.

1 - Louisville, Indiana, Kansas, Gonzaga
2 - Duke, New Mexico, Georgetown, Miami (FL)
3 - Michigan State, Michigan, Florida, Ohio State
4 - Syracuse, Arizona, Wisconsin, Saint Louis
5 - Marquette, Kansas State, Virginia Commonwealth, UNLV
6 - Oklahoma State, Creighton, Pittsburgh, Memphis
7 - North Carolina, Colorado State, Notre Dame, UCLA
8 - Minnesota, Butler, Missouri, San Diego State
9 - Illinois, Cincinnati, North Carolina State, Oregon
10 - Wichita State, St. Mary's, Colorado, Iowa State
11 - Villanova, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Boise State
12 - Belmont, La Salle, Tennessee, California, Temple, Akron
13 - Bucknell, Valparaiso, Davidson, New Mexico State
14 - Northwestern State, South Dakota State, Iona, Harvard
15 - Florida Gulf Coast, Montana, Pacific, Albany
16 - Western Kentucky, James Madison, Long Island, Southern, North Carolina A&T, Liberty
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Saturday, March 16, 2013

Bracket - March 16

Here's today's seed list.

1 - Duke, Louisville, Indiana, Gonzaga
2 - Kansas, New Mexico, Georgetown, Florida
3 - Michigan State, Michigan, Miami (FL), Ohio State
4 - Syracuse, Arizona, Marquette, Kansas State
5 - Wisconsin, UNLV, Oklahoma State, Saint Louis
6 - Colorado State, Creighton, Virginia Commonwealth, Pittsburgh
7 - Notre Dame, Memphis, Butler, UCLA
8 - Minnesota, North Carolina, Missouri, San Diego State
9 - Illinois, Cincinnati, North Carolina State, Iowa State
10 - Wichita State, St. Mary's, Colorado, Oregon
11 - Villanova, Belmont, Oklahoma, Boise State
12 - Ole Miss, La Salle, Tennessee, California, Temple, Akron
13 - Bucknell, Valparaiso, Davidson, Stephen F. Austin
14 - New Mexico State, South Dakota State, Iona, Harvard
15 - Florida Gulf Coast, Montana, Pacific, Albany
16 - Western Kentucky, James Madison, Long Island, Southern, Morgan State, Liberty
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Friday, March 15, 2013

Bracket - March 15

Here's today's seed list.

1 - Duke, Louisville, Indiana, Gonzaga
2 - Kansas, New Mexico, Georgetown, Michigan State
3 - Florida, Michigan, Miami (FL), Ohio State
4 - Syracuse, Arizona, Marquette, Oklahoma State
5 - Wisconsin, UNLV, Kansas State, Saint Louis
6 - Colorado State, Creighton, Virginia Commonwealth, Pittsburgh
7 - Notre Dame, Memphis, Butler, UCLA
8 - Minnesota, North Carolina, Missouri, San Diego State
9 - Illinois, Cincinnati, North Carolina State, Iowa State
10 - Wichita State, St. Mary's, Colorado, Boise State
11 - Villanova, Temple, Oklahoma, Oregon
12 - Kentucky, La Salle, Tennessee, California, Belmont, Akron
13 - Bucknell, Valparaiso, Davidson, Stephen F. Austin
14 - New Mexico State, South Dakota State, Iona, Harvard
15 - Florida Gulf Coast, Montana, Long Beach State, Vermont
16 - Western Kentucky, James Madison, Long Island, Southern, Morgan State, Liberty
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Monday, March 11, 2013

Bracket - March 11

I might write something here about the bracket but the matrix comes first.

1 - Indiana, Louisville, Duke, Gonzaga
2 - Florida, Kansas, Michigan State, Georgetown
3 - Michigan, Ohio State, Miami (FL), New Mexico
4 - Syracuse, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Arizona
5 - Kansas State, Saint Louis, Colorado State, Pittsburgh
6 - Virginia Commonwealth, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Creighton
7 - Memphis, UNLV, Butler, Notre Dame
8 - North Carolina State, Missouri, Minnesota, UCLA
9 - San Diego State, St. Mary's, Wichita State, Illinois
10 - Belmont, Oregon, Oklahoma, Iowa State
11 - Boise State, Cincinnati, California, Villanova, Colorado
12 - Temple, Tennessee, Akron, La Salle, Kentucky
13 - Bucknell, Louisiana Tech, Valparaiso, Davidson
14 - Harvard, Iona, South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin
15 - Florida Gulf Coast, Montana, Long Beach State, Vermont
16 - Florida International, Northeastern, Long Island, Southern, Norfolk State, Liberty

Bracket: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/PDFS/031113.pdf
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Sunday, March 10, 2013

Matrix - March 10 AM

The site seems to be down so temporarily here's the matrix averages as of 10 AM today. All the links can be found here: http://bracketproject.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-2012-13-bracket-matrix-links.html

1 Duke ACC 1.00 76
1 Indiana Big Ten 1.11 76
1 Gonzaga West Coast 1.18 76
1 Kansas Big 12 1.30 76
2 Louisville Big East 1.58 76
2 Michigan Big Ten 2.20 76
2 Georgetown Big East 2.26 76
2 Florida SEC 2.63 76
3 Miami (FLA.) ACC 2.64 76
3 Michigan State Big Ten 2.64 76
3 New Mexico Mountain West 2.64 76
3 Marquette Big East 3.61 76
4 Ohio State Big Ten 3.67 76
4 Kansas State Big 12 3.82 76
4 Arizona Pacific-12 4.20 76
4 Syracuse Big East 4.42 76
5 Oklahoma State Big 12 4.71 76
5 Pittsburgh Big East 5.32 76
5 UNLV Mountain West 5.43 76
5 Wisconsin Big Ten 5.63 76
6 Saint Louis Atlantic 10 5.66 76
6 Virginia Commonwealth Atlantic 10 6.30 76
6 Butler Atlantic 10 6.46 76
6 Colorado State Mountain West 6.75 76
7 Notre Dame Big East 6.76 76
7 UCLA Pacific-12 7.00 76
7 North Carolina ACC 7.07 76
7 Memphis CUSA 7.55 76
8 North Carolina State ACC 7.74 76
8 Minnesota Big Ten 7.96 76
8 Missouri SEC 8.09 76
8 Oregon Pacific-12 8.38 76
9 Illinois Big Ten 8.43 76
9 Creighton Missouri Valley 8.63 76
9 San Diego State Mountain West 8.78 76
9 Oklahoma Big 12 9.16 76
10 Colorado Pacific-12 9.25 76
10 Cincinnati Big East 10.08 76
10 Wichita State Missouri Valley 10.19 75
10 California Pacific-12 10.25 75
11 St. Mary's (CA) West Coast 10.72 75
11 Iowa State Big 12 11.05 76
11 Villanova Big East 11.12 74
11 Temple Atlantic 10 11.22 74
12 Middle Tennessee Sun Belt 11.30 76
12 La Salle Atlantic 10 11.43 76
12 Belmont Ohio Valley 11.53 76
12 Boise State Mountain West 11.63 70
12 Kentucky SEC 11.76 50
12 Tennessee SEC 11.90 51
13 Louisiana Tech WAC 12.90 70
13 Akron MAC 12.93 71
13 Bucknell Patriot 12.99 76
13 Stephen F. Austin Southland 13.47 76
14 Valparaiso Horizon 13.77 74
14 Davidson Southern 13.86 76
14 South Dakota State Summit 14.00 69
14 Stony Brook America East 14.50 76
15 Harvard Ivy 14.61 46
15 Montana Big Sky 14.89 63
15 Florida Gulf Coast Atlantic Sun 15.16 31
15 Long Beach State Big West 15.24 72
16 Niagara Metro Atlantic 15.45 65
16 Northeastern Colonial 15.85 67
16 Norfolk State Mid-Eastern 15.97 64
16 Charleston Southern Big South 15.99 71
16 Southern SWAC 16.00 65
16 LIU-Brooklyn Northeast 16.00 21
FIRST FOUR OUT    
Virginia ACC 11.78 36
Mississippi SEC 11.92 13
Iowa Big Ten 12.33 6
Southern Miss CUSA 12.00 3
OTHERS    
Providence Big East 12.00 1
Alabama SEC 12.50 2
Denver WAC 13.00 7
Ohio MAC 13.60 5
Detroit Horizon 14.00 2
Weber State Big Sky 14.62 13
North Dakota State Summit 14.83 6
Princeton Ivy 14.77 30
Loyola-Maryland Metro Atlantic 15.00 6
Canisius Metro Atlantic 15.00 1
Iona Metro Atlantic 15.00 4
Pacific Big West 15.25 4
Robert Morris Northeast 15.65 51
Mercer Atlantic Sun 15.80 45
North Carolina Central Mid-Eastern 16.00 12
Delaware Colonial 16.00 6
High Point Big South 16.00 1
Gardner-Webb Big South 16.00 2
NC-Asheville Big South 16.00 2
George Mason Colonial 16.00 3
Mount St. Mary's Northeast 16.00 3
Western Illinois Summit 16.00 1
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