Marquette Basketball’s Bracketology Outlook: February 21, 2017

Marquette turned in a dominating performance on Saturday, no two ways about it. They had a week off after their disappointing loss to Georgetown sent them spiraling down towards (and also past) the cut line in last week’s bracketology check.

Let’s see how things are doing ahead of Tuesday night’s contest against St. John’s. Will we see an improvement, or will the bracket wizards think that Marquette merely put a hurting on an already wounded Xavier squad?

ESPN (2/20/17): Joe Lunardi wasn’t particularly impressed by the win over Xavier, keeping the Golden Eagles as one of the last four teams in the field and as an 11 seed. They get a meeting with Georgia Tech in Dayton, and if they win that, a first round game against #6 Saint Mary’s in Indianapolis. That sets up for an interesting second round game, with #3 Kentucky or #14 Valparaiso, and as we all know, the Wildcats have lost five of the last seven meeting with the Golden Eagles, including losses in three straight NCAA tournament games. Lunardi has five more Big East teams in the field: #1 Villanova, #4 Butler, #6 Creighton, #7 Xavier, and #12 Seton Hall, who would be joining MU in Dayton. Providence occupies the final spot in the “Next Four Out” department.

CBS (2/19/17): As was the case last week, Marquette is not in Jerry Palm’s bracket. The Big East gets six teams without Marquette, though: #1 Villanova, #4 Butler, #5 Creighton, #7 Xavier, #10 Seton Hall, and #11 Providence, with the Friars getting a trip to Dayton. First Four Out: Georgia Tech, Mississippi, Wichita State, and Syracuse. Palm thinks those teams are all better than Marquette.

SB Nation (2/21/17): Chris Dobbertean is much more enthusiastic about Marquette than Jerry Palm is, slotting the Golden Eagles two spots clear of a trip to Dayton. That has them as a #10 seed facing #7 South Carolina in the first round out in Sacramento. The winner advances to a game against either #2 Oregon or #15 Furman out of the SoCon. There are SEVEN Big East teams in this bracket with #1 Villanova, #4 Butler, #5 Creighton, #7 Xavier, #11 Seton Hall, and #11 Providence, with the Friars headed to the First Four but the Pirates dodging it.

Sports Illustrated (2/20/17): Michael Beller matches Joe Lunardi’s matchup for Marquette in the first round, but he has it with different seeding. The Golden Eagles are a #10 seed according to SI, facing the #7 seeded Gaels. That would set up for a second round matchup with the winner of #2 Arizona and #15 North Dakota State. MU is joined in the field by #1 Villanova, #4 Butler, #6 Creighton, #7 Xavier, and #12 Seton Hall, who are headed to the First Four. Providence snagged a slot in Beller’s First Four Out.

Fox Sports (2/21/17): Technically speaking, Marquette has fallen backwards in Stewart Mandel’s updated bracket. However, the last time we checked in, Mandel’s update was from before MU’s loss to Georgetown, so this new bracket is taking into account that game AND the win over Xavier. As such, the Golden Eagles are a #10 seed here, facing #7 Oklahoma State in the first round. A win could end up giving us a game against our old friends Louisville in Indianapolis, who are the #2 seed in the Midwest Region, although #15 seed North Dakota would have something to say about that.

NBC Sports/College Basketball Talk (2/20/17): Stop me if you’ve head this before: Marquette gets a First Four spot against Georgia Tech in Dave Ommen’s newest bracket. That puts them into the South Region as a #11 seed, and a win over the Yellow Jackets would give MU a game against #6 seed SMU in Orlando. Two wins would set up a game against the winner of #3 Florida or #14 UNC-Asheville, which might be slightly awkward for Andrew Rowsey. Joining MU from the Big East is #1 Villanova, #4 Butler, #5 Creighton, #8 Xavier, and #11 Seton Hall, and Ommen has the Pirates slotted above Marquette on his overall seed list.

Bracket Matrix (2/20/17): As of Monday evening, everyone’s favorite aggregator has the Golden Eagles as an 11 seed, and the very last team that gets a full spot into the field and thus avoiding Dayton. The Matrix is just a seed list, so an 11 seed would set up a game against one of the #6 seeds: Notre Dame, Maryland, SMU, and Saint Mary’s. Including the Golden Eagles, there are six Big East teams in the field for the moment, including #1 Villanova, #4 Butler, #5 Creighton, #7 Xavier, and #11 Seton Hall. The Pirates are one spot below Marquette on the list, making them the best team headed off to Dayton. Providence and Georgetown are both in the Next Four Out department, although they’re appearing on fewer than 15 of the 111 brackets that are included.