363 Madness’ College Basketball Relevancy Spectrum - Week 4

 363 Madness’  College Basketball Relevancy Spectrum

Tier 1 - National Championship Contenders

If March Madness were to take place now, these teams would be the favorites. (this is not a projection of the top teams by the end of the season).

1. Purdue | Beat Gonzaga, Tennessee, and Marquette

2. Marquette | Beat UCLA, Kansas. Lost to Purdue

3. Arizona | Beat UT Arlington, Michigan State

4. UConn | Beat Texas, Manhattan

Tier 2 - Final Four Contenders

These teams still exist in the upper echelon of college basketball, but are still 1 step away from competing for a national championship.

5. Kansas | Beat Chaminade, Tennessee. Lost to Marquette

6. Houston | Beat Montana

7. Gonzaga | Beat Syracuse, UCLA. Lost to Purdue

8. Duke | Beat La Salle, Southern Indiana

Tier 3 - Elite

These teams could potentially reach tiers 1 or 2, but currently lack major fundamental experience, depth, or consistency to get there. 

9. Baylor | Beat Oregon State, Florida

10. UCLA | Beat Chaminade. Lost to Marquette, Gonzaga

11. FAU | Beat Butler, Texas A&M, and Virginia Tech

12. Miami | DNP

13. Tennessee | Beat Syracuse. Lost to Purdue, Kansas

14. Kentucky | Beat Saint Joseph’s, Marshall

15. Villanova | Beat Texas Tech, North Carolina, and Memphis

Tier 4 - Ranked

These teams deserve to be ranked in a traditional ranking system, but need to show a bit more in order to move up tiers. This tier may overflow beyond 25, because there may be multiple teams deserving of a spot here.

16. Colorado State | Beat Boston College, Creighton

17. North Carolina | Beat Northern Iowa, Arkansas. Lost to Villanova

18. Creighton | Beat Loyola Chicago, lost to Colorado State

19. BYU | Beat Arizona State, NC State

20. Mississippi State | Beat Nicholls

21. Illinois | Beat Western Illinois

22. Oklahoma | Beat Iowa, USC

23. Texas A&M | Beat Penn State, Lost to FAU

24. James Madison | Beat Southern Illinois, Fresno State

25. Auburn | Beat Alabama A&M

Tier 5 - Tournament Teams

These teams could be considered to be ranked teams, but do not yet have the resumes to back themselves up. However, all would likely make the tournament if it were to begin today.

26. Ohio State | Beat Alabama, Santa Clara

27. Memphis | Beat Michigan, Arkansas. Lost to Villanova

28. Alabama | Beat Oregon, lost to Ohio State

29. Michigan State | Lost to Arizona

30. Texas | Beat Louisville, Wyoming. Lost to UConn

31. Colorado | Beat Richmond, Iona. Lost to Florida State

32. USC | Beat Seton Hall, lost to Oklahoma

33. Wisconsin | Beat Virginia, SMU

34. TCU | Beat Alcorn State

35. Providence | Beat Lehigh

36. San Diego State | Beat Cal

37. Virginia | Beat West Virginia, lost to Wisconsin

38. Florida | Beat Pitt, lost to Baylor

39. Arkansas | Beat Stanford, Lost to Memphis, North Carolina

Tier 6 - Upper Bubble

These teams have a real good chance to make the tournament, but aren’t exactly comfortable. They’re one good win or bad loss away from moving up to Tier 5 or down to Tier 7.

40. Liberty | Beat Maryland-Eastern Shore

41. Clemson | Beat Alcorn State

42. Princeton | Beat ODU, Northeastern

43. Pitt | Beat Oregon St, Lost to Florida

44. Bradley | Beat Tulane, UTEP, and Vermont

45. South Carolina | DNP

46. Nebraska | Beat Duquesne, CSU Fullerton

47. Kansas State | Beat Central Arkansas

48. Nevada | DNP

Tier 7 - Lower Bubble

These teams are just on the wrong side of the bubble. A big win could push them into the tournament, but a bad loss would pull them further out.

49. Xavier | Beat Bryant

50. Florida State | Beat UNLV, Colorado

51. Texas Tech | Beat Northern Iowa, Michigan. Lost to Villanova

52. Indiana | Beat Louisville

53. Saint Mary’s | Beat Davidson

54. Ole Miss | Beat Temple

55. Cincinnati | Beat Georgia Tech

56. Northwestern | DNP

57. Wichita State | Beat Saint Louis, Norfolk State

58. NC State | Beat Vanderbilt, lost to BYU

59. Tulane | Lost to Bradley, beat Cal

60. Dayton | Beat Youngstown State

Tier 8 - On the Outside Looking In

These teams are relevant, but just barely. They need a couple of really solid wins to push themselves back into the bubble.

61. Syracuse | Beat Chaminade, lost to Tennessee, Gonzaga

62. Virginia Tech | Beat Boise State, Iowa State. Lost to BYU

63. St. John’s | Beat Holy Cross

64. Santa Clara | Beat Mississippi Valley State, Oregon. Lost to Ohio State

65. UAB | Beat MTSU, Furman

66. Oregon | Beat Florida A&M, lost to Santa Clara, Alabama

67. Butler | Beat Penn State, Boise State. Lost to FAU

68. Michigan | Beat Stanford, lost to Memphis, Texas Tech

69. LSU | Beat North Florida

70. Ole Miss | Beat Temple

71. Georgia | Beat Winthrop

72. Utah | DNP

73. Wake Forest | Beat Charleston Southern

74. New Mexico | Beat Toledo, Rice, and Pepperdine

75. North Texas | Beat Angelo State

76. SMU | Beat West Virginia, lost to Wisconsin

77. Iowa | Beat Seton Hall, lost to Oklahoma

78. Rutgers | DNP

79. Seton Hall | Lost to USC, Iowa

80. Missouri | Beat SC State, Loyola-Maryland

81. Grand Canyon | Beat North Dakota State

82. Utah State | Beat Akron

83. George Mason | Beat South Dakota State, East Carolina

84. Duquesne | Lost to Nebraska

85. UC Irvine | Beat Pepperdine, Toledo, and Rice

86. UCF | Beat Charlotte, Stetson

87. Minnesota | Beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff

88. Drake | Beat Akron, Texas Southern. Lost to SF Austin

89. UNC Wilmington | Beat Murray State, FGCU. Lost to Appalachian State

90. Louisiana Tech | Beat Southern Utah, McNeese, and Dillard