NCAA Bracket Prediction - 26 Jan

The #1 seeds all remained the same for another week, but Michigan State replaced Oregon on the #2 line as the Ducks fell to a #4 slot. Texas, Ohio State, and UCF moved into the bracket, knocking out SMU, Nebraska, and North Texas, the first two of which remain in the hunt. Here is my full current bracket, with rising teams in green, falling teams in red, conference leaders in bold, and new teams in italics:

	SOUTH			EAST
1	Auburn		1	Alabama
16	American/Long Island		16	Omaha/Morehead St
8	Creighton		8	UCLA
9	West Virginia		9	UConn
5	Ole Miss		5	Louisville
12	Arkansas State		12	McNeese
4	Illinois		4	Wisconsin
13	Samford		13	Yale
6	Arizona		6	St. John’s
11	UC Irvine		11	Oklahoma
3	Texas A&M		3	Kansas
14	Cleveland State		14	Jacksonville
7	Missouri		7	Clemson
10	San Diego St/N Carolina		10	Texas
2	Michigan State		2	Marquette
15	UNC Asheville		15	Norfolk State
	MIDWEST			WEST
1	Iowa State		1	Duke
16	Marist		16	Southern
8	Gonzaga		8	Baylor
9	Vanderbilt		9	Saint Mary’s
5	Michigan		5	Mississippi State
12	VCU		12	Bradley
4	Kentucky		4	Oregon
13	UTEP		13	Akron
6	Texas Tech		6	Memphis
11	Georgia		11	Ohio State/UCF
3	Purdue		3	Houston
14	Utah Valley		14	Northern Colorado
7	Maryland		7	Utah State
10	New Mexico		10	Pittsburgh
2	Florida		2	Tennessee
15	William & Mary		15	Bryant

Last Four Byes

Texas

Georgia

Oklahoma

Pittsburgh

Last Four In

San Diego State

North Carolina

Ohio State

UCF

First Four Out

SMU

BYU

Indiana

Nebraska

Next Four Out

Arizona State

Xavier

Drake

Wake Forest

Teams by Conference

SEC - 13

Big 10 - 9

Big 12 - 8

ACC - 5

Big East - 4

MWC - 3

WCC - 2

NBA MVP Rankings - 25 Jan

Nikola Jokic is having an historic season, averaging a triple-double, including career-highs in multiple categories after winning 3 MVP awards in the past 4 seasons, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is leading the league's best team with amazing numbers of his own. It's essentially a 2-man race for MVP, though Giannis might have an argument to be included as well, but I'm still listing my top 10 candidates, with previous ranking in parentheses and career-high averages in bold:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

30.2 Pts (#3), 13.4 Reb (#3), 10.1 Ast (#2), 1.9 Stl (#4), 0.7 Blk, .564 FG% (#14), .479 3P% (#2), .814 FT%

2 (3) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

32.0 Pts (#1), 5.3 Reb, 6.1 Ast (#20), 2.0 Stl (#2), 1.1 Blk, .529 FG%, .348 3P%, .904 FT% (#6)

3 (2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

31.3 Pts (#2), 12.0 Reb (#5), 6.0 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#14), .603 FG% (#8), .154 3P%, .584 FT%

4 (8) Darius Garland - PG - CLE

21.3 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 6.7 Ast (#11), 1.1 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .497 FG%, .428 3P% (#14), .875 FT%

5 (4) Trae Young - PG - ATL

22.9 Pts, 3.3 Reb, 11.7 Ast (#1), 1.3 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .401 FG%, .346 3P%, .860 FT%

6 (5) Karl-Anthony Towns - C - NYK

25.1 Pts (#14), 13.9 Reb (#2), 3.5 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .545 FG% (#20), .433 3P% (#10), .836 FT%

7 (6) Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK

26.0 Pts (#9), 3.0 Reb, 7.3 Ast (#9), 0.9 Stl, 0.0 Blk, .486 FG%, .391 3P%, .817 FT%

8 (7) Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

27.2 Pts (#5), 9.1 Reb (#19), 5.5 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .457 FG%, .354 3P%, .792 FT%

9 (NR) LeBron James - SF - LAL

23.6 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 8.9 Ast (#4), 0.9 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .511 FG%, .394 3P%, .765 FT%

10 (9) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

25.6 Pts (#11), 11.8 Reb (#6), 3.5 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 2.2 Blk (#3), .523 FG%, .315 3P%, .786 FT%

Honorable Mention: Cade Cunningham - PG - DET; Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS; Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE; Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC; Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

All-Time Player Rank Updates

Anthony Davis has passed Rajon Rondo to move up to #50

Kyrie Irving has passed Chauncey Billups to move up to #58

Draymond Green has passed George McGinnis to move up to #62

Joel Embiid has passed Tracy McGrady, Tim Hardaway, and Chris Webber to move up to #77

Jimmy Butler has passed Terry Porter and Dikembe Mutombo to move up to #82

Jayson Tatum has passed Gus Williams, Dennis Rodman, Tom Heinsohn, Jrue Holiday, and John Wall to move up to #90

Jrue Holiday has passed Dennis Rodman and Tom Heinsohn to move up to #92

Mike Conley has passed Walter Davis to move up to #100

NCAA Football Rankings - Final

With Ohio State's win over Notre Dame last night, the Buckeyes wrapped up the #1 spot to end the season, a spot that they held for almost the entire regular season, dropping only when Alabama destroyed LSU, and when the Buckeyes were upset by Michigan. Penn State and Oregon joined them in the top 5, giving the Big 10 three in the top 5, and 4 in the top 10. Here are my full final rankings:

						Proj
Rank	LW	Team	Rating	W	L	W	L
1	2	Ohio State	-24.33	14	2	14	2
2	1	Notre Dame	-21.36	14	2	14	2
3	3	Texas	-18.8	13	3	13	3
4	10	Penn State	-18.49	13	3	13	3
5	4	Oregon	-17.8	13	1	13	1
6	5	Ole Miss	-17.59	10	3	10	3
7	12	Indiana	-16.28	11	2	11	2
8	7	Georgia	-15.38	11	3	11	3
9	6	Alabama	-15.29	9	4	9	4
10	8	Miami	-14.88	10	3	10	3
11	11	South Carolina	-14.55	9	4	9	4
12	9	SMU	-14.02	11	3	11	3
13	13	Louisville	-13.09	9	4	9	4
14	19	BYU	-12.73	11	2	11	2
15	15	Tennessee	-12.01	10	3	10	3
16	21	LSU	-11.83	9	4	9	4
17	14	Clemson	-11.64	10	4	10	4
18	18	Arizona State	-11.62	11	3	11	3
19	24	USC	-11.46	7	6	7	6
20	23	Iowa	-10.84	8	5	8	5
21	31	Minnesota	-10.68	8	5	8	5
22	17	Boise State	-10.59	12	2	12	2
23	22	Texas A&M	-10.38	8	5	8	5
24	16	Virginia Tech	-10.33	6	7	6	7
25	30	Florida	-10.28	8	5	8	5
26	26	Iowa State	-9.811	11	3	11	3
27	20	Colorado	-9.381	9	4	9	4
28	25	Kansas State	-9.302	9	4	9	4
29	37	Illinois	-8.698	10	3	10	3
30	33	Missouri	-8.515	10	3	10	3
31	28	Baylor	-8.351	8	5	8	5
32	32	UNLV	-8.313	11	3	11	3
33	42	Michigan	-8.232	8	5	8	5
34	36	Nebraska	-8.12	7	6	7	6
35	27	Army	-7.847	12	2	12	2
36	34	Kansas	-7.752	5	7	5	7
37	38	TCU	-7.695	9	4	9	4
38	29	Tulane	-7.439	9	5	9	5
39	43	Navy	-7.123	10	3	10	3
40	39	Syracuse	-6.615	10	3	10	3
41	40	Vanderbilt	-6.306	7	6	7	6
42	41	Oklahoma	-5.757	6	7	6	7
43	35	Georgia Tech	-5.696	7	6	7	6
44	46	Arkansas	-5.421	7	6	7	6
45	52	Washington	-5.379	6	7	6	7
46	44	Marshall	-5.247	10	3	10	3
47	49	Rutgers	-5.244	7	6	7	6
48	47	Ohio	-4.978	11	3	11	3
49	45	Boston College	-4.288	7	6	7	6
50	50	Memphis	-4.236	11	2	11	2
51	51	Auburn	-3.677	5	7	5	7
52	55	Utah	-3.391	5	7	5	7
53	56	Cincinnati	-3.298	5	7	5	7
54	63	Wisconsin	-3.147	5	7	5	7
55	54	James Madison	-3.111	9	4	9	4
56	48	Duke	-2.797	9	4	9	4
57	61	UCF	-2.73	4	8	4	8
58	53	Pittsburgh	-2.654	7	6	7	6
59	58	Texas State	-2.561	8	5	8	5
60	67	UCLA	-2.273	5	7	5	7
61	62	Kentucky	-2.205	4	8	4	8
62	72	Miami (OH)	-2.204	9	5	9	5
63	57	Texas Tech	-2.186	8	5	8	5
64	69	Northern Illinois	-1.627	8	5	8	5
65	60	California	-1.592	6	7	6	7
66	64	Bowling Green	-1.462	7	6	7	6
67	68	South Alabama	-1.024	7	6	7	6
68	59	Louisiana	-0.799	10	4	10	4
69	65	North Carolina	-0.281	6	7	6	7
70	66	Washington St	-0.189	8	5	8	5
71	73	West Virginia	-0.141	6	7	6	7
72	77	Connecticut	-0.062	9	4	9	4
73	71	Old Dominion	-0.056	5	7	5	7
74	70	Georgia Southern	0.2247	8	5	8	5
75	78	Toledo	0.2699	8	5	8	5
76	80	UT San Antonio	1.0471	7	6	7	6
77	76	Jacksonville State	1.052	9	5	9	5
78	74	NC State	1.4644	6	7	6	7
79	75	Virginia	1.5342	5	7	5	7
80	90	Buffalo	1.7098	9	4	9	4
81	82	Maryland	1.7261	4	8	4	8
82	84	Michigan St	1.9398	5	7	5	7
83	81	East Carolina	2.1836	8	5	8	5
84	79	South Florida	2.6485	7	6	7	6
85	83	Houston	2.6753	4	8	4	8
86	91	Mississippi St	3.3314	2	10	2	10
87	99	Northwestern	3.3392	4	8	4	8
88	92	Sam Houston	3.4324	10	3	10	3
89	96	West Michigan	3.5575	6	7	6	7
90	85	West Kentucky	3.7495	8	6	8	6
91	88	Fresno State	3.857	6	7	6	7
92	95	North Texas	3.8985	6	7	6	7
93	94	Oklahoma State	4.0688	3	9	3	9
94	89	Stanford	4.1473	3	9	3	9
95	87	Wake Forest	4.2193	4	8	4	8
96	97	San Jose State	4.962	7	6	7	6
97	86	Colorado State	5.2269	8	5	8	5
98	100	Appalachian St	5.2704	5	6	5	6
99	102	Arizona	5.5204	4	8	4	8
100	98	Liberty	5.844	8	4	8	4
101	101	Florida State	5.9073	2	10	2	10
102	93	Coastal Carolina	6.1653	6	7	6	7
103	103	Oregon State	6.8458	5	7	5	7
104	104	Troy	6.8981	4	8	4	8
105	106	Rice	6.97	4	8	4	8
106	107	Louisiana Monroe	7.5115	5	7	5	7
107	105	Nevada	7.5351	3	10	3	10
108	111	Akron	7.6559	4	8	4	8
109	110	Eastern Michigan	7.6984	5	7	5	7
110	108	Hawaii	7.9831	5	7	5	7
111	114	Arkansas State	8.2061	8	5	8	5
112	115	Purdue	8.3737	1	11	1	11
113	109	Air Force	8.8988	5	7	5	7
114	112	Utah State	9.0151	4	8	4	8
115	113	UAB	9.1531	3	9	3	9
116	117	Charlotte	9.8906	5	7	5	7
117	116	Louisiana Tech	10.035	5	8	5	8
118	118	Florida Intl	10.101	4	8	4	8
119	119	Georgia State	10.543	3	9	3	9
120	121	Ball State	10.57	3	9	3	9
121	120	Wyoming	10.861	3	9	3	9
122	124	Central Michigan	10.88	4	8	4	8
123	123	Florida Atlantic	11.013	3	9	3	9
124	122	New Mexico	11.606	5	7	5	7
125	126	UMass	12.706	2	10	2	10
126	125	San Diego State	13.259	3	9	3	9
127	127	Temple	13.856	3	9	3	9
128	128	UTEP	16.997	3	9	3	9
129	130	Tulsa	18.944	3	9	3	9
130	129	New Mexico St	18.977	3	9	3	9
131	131	Mid Tennessee	20.118	3	9	3	9
132	132	Southern Miss	20.156	1	11	1	11
133	133	Kennesaw State	20.706	2	10	2	10
134	134	Kent State	21.157	0	12	0	12