ClutchPoints’ Bracketology: Kansas emerges as a contender amid more Darryn Peterson drama

It’s officially February! The final full month of the college basketball regular season is in full swing, which means we’re getting closer and closer to Selection Sunday and filling out a bracket.

The field is starting to level out a bit after some red-hot starts to the year for some surprising teams, and some of the traditional blue-bloods are starting to find their rhythm. Nebraska, the feel-good story of the first three months of the year, is taking some lumps in the Big Ten gauntlet. On the other side of things, Kansas and Florida are getting hot at the right time.

The Jayhawks made a big-time statement on Saturday, navigating even more Darryn Peterson cramping drama to hold on for a win over a very good BYU team. The next day, Florida blew out Alabama and Todd Golden took some parting shots at Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide following the victory.

Were those victories enough to move the Jayhawks and the Gators up in this week’s Bracketology?

Bold = Automatic Qualifier

Note – Now that conference play is in full swing, the AQ for each conference is given to the team in first place in the conference standings as of the morning of Monday, Feb. 2.

West Region

1. Arizona
16. Bethune-Cookman/UMBC

8. Iowa
9. SMU

5. Saint Louis
12. Liberty

4. Virginia
13. Stephen F. Austin

6. Louisville
11. USC/Texas

3. Michigan State
14. Wright State

7. UCF
10. Miami (OH)

2. Gonzaga
15. Troy

Midwest Region

1. Michigan
16. Long Island

8. Utah State
9. Georgia

5. North Carolina
12. Yale

4. Kansas
13. Utah Valley

6. Clemson
11. New Mexico

3. Nebraska
14. East Tennessee State

7. Kentucky
10. Indiana

2. Iowa State
15. Portland State

East Region

1. UConn
16. UT Martin

8. Auburn
9. NC State

5. Texas Tech
12. Belmont

4. Florida
13. High Point

6. St. John’s
11. Ohio State/Virginia Tech

3. Vanderbilt
14. North Dakota State

7. Villanova
10. St. Mary’s

2. Illinois
15. Austin Peay

South Region

1. Duke
16. Merrimack/Maryland Eastern Shore

8. Texas A&M
9. Wisconsin

5. Tennessee
12. Tulsa

4. BYU
13. UNC Wilmington

6. Alabama
11. UCLA

3. Purdue
14. UC Irvine

7. Arkansas
10. Miami (FL)

2. Houston
15. Navy

Bubble Watch

Last Four Byes: Indiana, Miami (FL), New Mexico, UCLA

Last Four In: Ohio State, USC, Texas, Virginia Tech

First Four Out: Seton Hall, Missouri, California, Santa Clara

Next Four Out: San Diego State, George Mason, TCU, Stanford

Multi-bid leagues

Big Ten – 11

SEC – 10

ACC – 9

Big 12 – 7

Big East – 3

Mountain West – 2

WCC – 2

Games of the Week

Monday, Feb. 2 – Kansas at Texas Tech

Tuesday, Feb. 3 – Miami (OH) at Buffalo

Wednesday, Feb. 4 – UCF at Houston

Friday, Feb. 6 – UConn at St. John’s

Saturday, Feb. 7 – Duke at North Carolina

Saturday, Feb. 7 – Illinois at Michigan State

Saturday, Feb. 7 – Florida at Texas A&M

Saturday, Feb. 7 – Tennessee at Kentucky

Saturday, Feb. 7 – Houston at BYU

Sunday, Feb. 8 – Michigan at Ohio State

Biggest storylines to watch

The bubble is starting to develop, and it’s looking like a pretty soft one at the moment. For now, we have a nine-loss Texas team in the field that sits only four games above .500, albeit with some quality wins. The state of the bubble has also allowed for some more wiggle room for teams like USC, Miami and UCLA, while also giving some credence to mid-majors like San Diego State and Santa Clara that usually wouldn’t have strong at-large cases.

Kelvin Sampson’s Houston team has been flying a bit under the radar since back in the non-conference, when the Cougars were a staple at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Houston split an epic season series with Texas Tech in January, but outside of that one loss to the Red Raiders Sampson has his team playing some very good ball. If Houston can sweep a very challenging week ahead, against UCF and BYU, the buzz surrounding a No. 1 seed for this Cougars team will start to grow.

Kansas continues to make do with Darryn Peterson or without him, and it will have to do so once again in a stiff road test against Texas Tech on Monday night. The Jayhawks are inching closer to a No. 3 seed, and a win in Lubbock might be enough to give them the nod.

Saturday will be one of the more telling days of the season around the country. North Carolina has been up-and-down in ACC play, struggling especially away from Chapel Hill. Can the Tar Heels keep up with Duke, firmly entrenched as a No. 1 seed for the moment, in front of their home fans? Elsewhere, Illinois has a chance to really make a case for a top seed with a win against Michigan State in East Lansing, While Texas A&M has a golden opportunity to back up its standing as the SEC’s auto-bid with a home game against Florida.

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