Bracketology Projections See BYU Opening NCAA Tournament Run In SLC
Mar 5, 2024, 12:28 PM
PROVO, Utah – Bracketology forecasts for the 2024 NCAA Tournament continue to trend upward for BYU basketball
After an undefeated week that included a win at nationally-ranked Kansas, BYU is viewed as a 5-seed by many of the bracketologists.
BYU has room to climb the seed lines with a road game at No. 6 Iowa State in Ames on Wednesday night. Then, there are potential Quad 1/Quad 2 matchups in the Big 12 Conference Tournament in Kansas City next week.
The latest bracketology forecasts have a common theme for BYU in the 2024 NCAA Tournament: a spot in Salt Lake City at the Delta Center.
BYU can only appear in four cities hosting the tournament’s first and second rounds. That’s Omaha, Nebraska; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Salt Lake City.
BYU’s last appearance in Salt Lake City in the NCAA Tournament was in 1991. Before that, it was 1971.
ESPN/Joe Lunardi: 5-seed vs. Grand Canyon in Salt Lake City
Lead Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has BYU holding steady as a 5-seed in Salt Lake City against projected WAC auto-bid Grand Canyon. Lunardi had this same setup last Friday before BYU’s win over TCU.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 5, 2024
Opposite of BYU in their quadrant is 4-seed Illinois and 13-seed Samford.
CBS: 5-seed vs. Grand Canyon in Salt Lake City
It’s been quite the climb for BYU in Jerry Palm’s Bracketology on CBS Sports. Before the win at Kansas, Palm had BYU as a 7-seed. After a pair of victories in the Big 12 gauntlet, Palm has the same forecast as Lunardi now.
BYU is a 5-seed against Grand Canyon inside the Delta Center.
Palm’s opposing side on the quadrant is tougher than Lunardi’s forecast, with Auburn from the SEC holding down the 4-seed.
TeamRankings: 4-seed
The TeamRankings forecast has BYU as the lowest-rated 4-seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with a 99% chance of receiving a bid in the field of 68.
Haslam Metrics: 4-seed
The Haslam Metrics have been high on BYU the entire season. They remain high on BYU, having the Cougars as a 4-seed in their Bracketology.
Heat Check CBB: 5-seed vs. Grand Canyon
Another bracketology projection that has BYU taking on Grand Canyon. The Lopes are 26-4 this season, with three players averaging 13 points or more per game.
Heat Cheat CBB had BYU listed in the South region of their bracket, which isn’t possible for the Cougars. The only regions BYU can be slotted in are the West and East regions.
FOX Sports: 5-seed vs. Princeton
The latest bracket forecast from @tsnmike 🔮
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/6tJ2ww1rBa
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 5, 2024
BYU has never faced an Ivy League team in the NCAA Tournament. Princeton took down Arizona last season as a 15-seed.
Blogging The Bracket: 5-seed vs. Appalachian State in Salt Lake City
Another projection for BYU in Salt Lake City. SB Nation’s Blogging The Bracket has BYU taking on the projected Sun Belt auto-bid Appalachian State. The Mountaineers are 26-5 this season.
NCAA.com: 5-seed vs. South Florida
🔮 NEW BRACKET PREDICTION 🔮@TheAndyKatz provides his first bracket prediction of March 👀
🗞️: https://t.co/Dpti2Tsrq6 pic.twitter.com/JPFGBTV1Wl
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 5, 2024
College Basketball reporter Andy Katz placed BYU against nationally-ranked USF in a 5-12 game. On the other side of the quadrant is 4-seed Alabama. A potential BYU-Alabama NCAA Tournament game could rewrite the NCAA Tournament record books for most points scored in a tournament game.
Looking at where BYU’s opponents land in Bracketology
Nine of BYU’s opponents on the 2023-24 schedule land in the composite compiled by the Bracket Matrix. Here’s where those teams land entering the weekend.
- Houston – 1-seed
- Iowa State – 2-seed (Up from 3-seed last week)
- Kansas – 3-seed (Down from 2-seed last week)
- Baylor – 3-seed
- San Diego State – 4-seed
- Texas Tech – 7-seed
- Texas – 8-seed (Up from 9-seed last week)
- Oklahoma – 9-seed (Down from 8-seed last week)
- TCU – 9-seed (Down from 8-seed last week)
- Utah – First Four Out
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
