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01/14/2025
Georgia center Somto Cyril (6) dunks against Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison (10) during the first half in a NCAA men’s basketball game at Stegeman Coliseum, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Athens, Ga. Georgia defeated Kentucky 82-69. (Jason Getz / AJC/Tribune Content Agency)
Georgia center Somto Cyril (6) dunks against Kentucky forward Brandon Garrison (10) during the first half in a NCAA men’s basketball game at Stegeman Coliseum, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Athens, Ga. Georgia defeated Kentucky 82-69. (Jason Getz / AJC/Tribune Content Agency)

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Bracketology: Colin McMahon’s bracket projection (Jan. 14)

The bubble is as close as ever with another important week ahead

Another eventful week of college basketball is in the books, meaning we’ve got another edition of my bracket projections.

Last week, we saw some teams continue to shine, namely pretty much the entire SEC, while others have continued their free fall, namely Cincinnati and UCLA.

We saw some upsets like USC beating Illinois and some thrillers such as when Kentucky held on at Mississippi State, but almost every game of late has had some sort of implication on how my bracket looks now.

The SEC continues to dominate the field, now up to 13 teams which would shatter the previous record of 11, though the Big Ten still has hope of breaking it as Iowa jumped into the field after Penn State’s exit.

The bubble is as close as ever, with teams near the cutline losing left and right, with talented teams like Indiana and Arkansas currently in despite recent losses.

With another important week of hoops ahead, expect even more changes when I post my next projection next week.

The Bracket
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Graphic by Colin McMahon
First Four (Dayton)
Midwest: 11 Indiana vs. 11 Missouri
East: 11 Texas vs. 11 UCF
South: 16 Long Island vs. 16 Merrimack
Midwest: 16 Morehead State vs. 16 Southern
Bubble Watch
Last Four Byes: Iowa, San Diego State, Arkansas, Texas Tech
Last Four In: Missouri, Texas, UCF, Indiana
First Four Out: Vanderbilt, St. Mary’s, Cincinnati, Arizona State
Next Four Out: New Mexico, Penn State, Creighton, Villanova
Multi-Bid Conferences
SEC: 13
Big Ten:12
Big 12: 8
ACC: 5
Big East: 3
Mountain West: 2




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