Bracketology: Chaos after weekend upsets

The month of February sure arrived in dramatic fashion. We had a long list of dramatic games with surprising outcomes on Saturday, none more surprising (or dramatic!) than Arkansas’ 89-79 win at Kentucky. It was a triumphant return to Lexington for John Calipari, to say the least, and yet another reminder that when it comes to college basketball, we should always expect the unexpected.

That will become increasingly true as we count down our way to the most thrilling and dramatic event in all of sports — the NCAA Tournament. Because we want you to enjoy March Madness to the fullest, we want to make it even easier for you to enjoy all of our Hoops HQ content. Starting today we are offering a 68 percent discount — one percent for every team that will be in the bracket — for an annual subscription. Just $19.19 for a full year of everything Hoops HQ has to offer. That includes our continued commitment to covering the women’s game (and tournament) as well as recently added features like our Bubble Watch and Bracketology (which you will find on the site today courtesy of our own bracket expert Brad Wachtel) as well as analytical betting content from our new Betting Editor, Justin Perri. (For an opening appetizer of Futures bets, check out this column Justin wrote last week.)

The very best time of the year is officially at hand and Hoops HQ will be there to cover every dribble. If you're not yet a subscriber, I hope you'll take advantage of the huge sale and join us today. Thanks for your continued support of our new (and growing!) venture. I hope you have a dramatic and thrilling Monday! —Seth

Bracketology 2025: Men's NCAA Tournament Projections

By Brad Wachtel

The first weekend in February turned out to be completely insane as twelve teams ranked in the AP Top 25 lost. As a result, we saw many projected seeds skyrocket while others plummeted. There appears to be a revolving door around that fourth overall No. 1 seed, but one thing is for certain: Auburn, Duke and Alabama are the clear three best teams in the country.

Here is my first Bracketology for Hoops HQ. Remember, this is NOT what I would do, but rather what I believe the selection committee will do based on years and years of analyzing previous brackets and data. Selection Sunday is less than six weeks away and I’m looking forward to all of the movement that will take place in my projections from now until then.

Between the Lines

🏀 At the top of this morning's email we debuted our Bracketology column. It's one of 2 pieces per week that new HHQ contributor Brad Wacthel will be writing as we head towards Selection Sunday. The other? Bubble Watch — a deep-dive on the teams on the fringes of the field of 68.

🏀 As you know by know, John Calipari returned to Kentucky as his Arkansas team took on the Wildcats. Seth Davis argued that the Kentucky faithful should greet him with applause and appreciation. Instead, they booed. But Cal had the last laugh, as his Hogs won.

🏀 In case you missed it... HHQ's Alex Squadron's feature on John Fanta was our most-read article of the past week: John Fanta is Popping Off. The 29-year-old broadcaster is relatable, engaging and everywhere, calling games for FOX, NBC and CBS Sports Network, writitng for Fox Sports, doing video breakdowns and interviews for the Big East, and hosting podcasts for The Field of 68.

Iowa State @ Kansas: Both of these Big 12 powerhouses suffered brutal losses over the weekend. The Cyclones saw their 29-game home winning streak snapped by Kansas State, despite entering the contest as 14.5-point favorites. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks blew their biggest lead in program history against Baylor, losing 81-70 after leading by 21 points late in the first half. Which team will get back on track Monday night? 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.