The Miami Hurricanes are currently an eight seed in the latest NCAA Tournament bracket projections by the Bracket Matrix. The Bracket Matrix is a composite site of over 100 NCAA Tournament Bracket projections.
Miami rose from a tenth seed the last time we checked in on the Matrix. The wins over Virginia and Duke have almost cemented a bid for the Hurricanes.
The recent loss to Virginia Tech might knock the Hurricanes down one on the seed line. There is not much of a difference between and eighth and ninth seed. They play each other in the first round.
Many followers of college basketball would argue that being a tenth seed is better that slotting in the eighth or ninth spot. The winner of an 8-9 game in every instance since 1985 has played the top seed in the second round.
For the first time in multiple weeks, the Hurricanes are in the tournament on every projected bracket by all the sites listed by the Matrix. Miami is listed as high as a sixth seed and a low as a 12th.
The Hurricanes will have some opportunities to move up with the regular season finale on Saturday at Florida State and in the ACC Tournament next week.
The wins last week drastically improved the Hurricanes profile. They are now a respectable 3-5 against teams in the top 25 in the RPI. Their other win came at home against North Carolina in January.
All of the sites are updated at least through February 25. It doesn’t say if it was updated before the game against Duke concluded.
Florida State is projected as a four seed by the Matrix, but is apt to be higher. They play at Duke tonight in a critical game in the ACC. The game will greatly impact seeding in the ACC Tournament as well as the NCAA Tournament.
Through the Phog
The Seminoles still have a chance at a share of the ACC championship. If FSU defeats Duke and then Miami on Saturday and the Blue Devils win at North Carolina Saturday, UNC and the ‘Noles will tie for the ACC regular season title.
It would be Florida State’s first regular season conference championship since they won the old Metro Conference in 1989. Florida has only four basketball conference titles in its history. None of those conferences currently exist.
The loss to Virginia Tech dropped Miami into a three way tie for sixth place in the ACC. A Duke loss to Florida State would make it a four way for fifth. FSU, Louisville and Notre Dame are all currently 11-5 and tied for second in the conference. The Hokies and Cavaliers split their two meetings this season.
Miami finished 3-2 against Duke, UVA and Va Tech. They split with the Hokies and Blue Devils and won their only match-up this season with the Cavaliers.
The difference between finishing fifth through seventh and eighth is getting playing a team that had to play a day earlier. The bottom six teams in the ACC Standings, or the teams that finish tenth through 15th play on day one.
Next: Miami Hurricanes Done in by VATech Seventh Leading Scorer
Teams that finish fifth through ninth receive byes. The eighth and ninth place teams play on day two with the teams that finish fifth through seventh playing the winner of a game from day one. Miami could be in danger of falling to eighth with a very difficult trip to Florida State to end the regular season.