Franketology: January 9, 2026

I don’t have anything to write here. So let’s talk briefly about AutoBids. I have a few that might raise eye brows, and are definitely out of step with the BracketMatrix consensus. I base my autobid recipients on the predictive metrics average. Why? Because you’re trying to predict who is going to win a conference tournament on a neutral floor. The team with the best predictive metrics will have the highest odds of winning the conference tournament. So this gives me teams like Akron, who has significantly better metrics than undefeated MAC-mate Miami (OH). It gives me Hawaii—yes Hawaii!—instead of Big West darling UC San Diego. It gives me Wright State over Oakland in the Horizon and Arkansas St. over Troy in the Fun Belt and Norfolk St. over Howard in MEAC. Of course there’s still plenty of consensus, with the following auto-bids in 1-bid leagues aligning between Franketology and BracketMatrix.com: Tulsa (AAC), Vermont (AE), Lipscomb (ASun), Northern Colorado (Big Sky), High Point (Big South), Hofstra (CAA), Liberty (CUSA), Yale (Ivy), Quinnipiac (MAAC), Belmont (MVC), LIU (NEC), UT-Martin (OVC), Colgate (Patriot), SoCon (ETSU), McNeese (Southland), St. Thomas (MN) (Summit), Grambling (SWAC), and Utah Valley (WAC).

So that’s auto bids. On to the reason you’re al here:

SEED LIST

1. Michigan

2. Arizona

3. Iowa St.

4. Vanderbilt

5. UConn

6. Purdue

7. Gonzaga

8. Duke

9. Nebraska

10. Houston

11. BYU

12. Michigan St.

13. Illinois

14. Kansas

15. Virginia

16. Texas Tech

17. Alabama

18. Louisville

19. Arkansas

20. Utah St.

21. Tennessee

22. North Carolina

23. Florida

24. Clemson

25. SMU

26. Villanova

27. Saint Mary's (CA)

28. Indiana

29. Iowa

30. UCF

31. Seton Hall

32. St. John's

33. Saint Louis

34. Miami (FL)

35. Auburn

36. Oklahoma St.

37. Southern California

38. Texas A&M

39. Kentucky

40. Georgia

41. Stanford

42. Missouri

43. Ohio St.

44. California

45. Virginia Tech

46. Tulsa

47. McNeese St.

48. Belmont

49. Yale

50. Akron

51. Hofstra

52. Liberty

53. Utah Valley

54. High Point

55. Hawai'i

56. Arkansas St.

57. St. Thomas (MN)

58. Quinnipiac

59. Northern Colo.

60. ETSU

61. Wright St.

62. Lipscomb

63. UT Martin

64. Colgate

65. LIU

66. Vermont

67. Grambling

68. Norfolk St.

    First Four Out

69. TCU

70. NC St.

71. UCLA

72. Creighton

    Next Four Out

73. New Mexico

74. Baylor

75. Wisconsin

76. Butler