(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

Just 72 hours ago in this space, we posited that Tennessee had taken over the final No. 1 seed from Arizona. Then on Saturday, the Volunteers lost at home to Kentucky. Arizona lost at USC. And North Carolina beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. So now what?

While it’s not Blind Resume Challenge time, take a look at these three with the names gone and decide which one deserves the No. 4 overall seed (numbers as of Sunday night).

That is … so close. Team A is Arizona, Team B is Tennessee and Team C is UNC. Missing from the chart is Arizona’s Quad 3 loss at Oregon State — the other two contenders don’t have a setback outside the first two quads. Throw in the Wildcats’ losses to Stanford and USC, and that convinces us that it’s going to be the Volunteers or Tar Heels on the top line. But which one?

It’s so tight that North Carolina’s nonconference home win over Tennessee might serve as the de facto tiebreaker….

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

Bracket Watch HQ is also home to a 5-year-old, who has recently discovered a new favorite song. Which means we’ve been forced to listen to it on an endless Spotify loop:

Yes, for those of you without children or an aversion to cartoons, that’s Reel 2 Real’s relentlessly dumb but inescapably catchy 1993 hit “I Like to Move It,” remade for the “Madagascar” movie franchise. You’re welcome for the earworm.

It also reminds us that things are always changing and growing in unexpected ways. Take the NCAA Tournament, for example (segue alert!). Dana O’Neil reported this week that tournament expansion remains a very likely outcome, but the field would only grow by a modest four to eight teams. Perhaps we’ve reached the acceptance stage of our grief, but we can move forward with a few more play-in games if that’s what it takes to keep the barbarians at the gate.

It’s also time for teams to make their moves in our latest mock bracket, now just nine days from Selection Sunday. Conference tournaments have begun, and the power conferences get going with their postseasons next…

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

In 1986, religious scholar James P. Carse published an influential book called “Finite and Infinite Games.” Finite games, in Carse’s definition, are those that have defined rules and declare winners and losers. The infinite game, on the other hand, is that which “changes rules, plays with boundaries and exists solely for the purpose of continuing the game.” The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson wrote an insightful piece in 2022 about how Major League Baseball’s pursuit of solving the finite game through analytics damaged the infinite game — i.e., creating an enjoyable experience for fans to watch.

There is no game quite as finite as the NCAA Tournament, where the hopes and dreams of a school and its fans can be crushed in a single-elimination, 40-minute contest. But as we await another incredible tournament here on the first day of March (huzzah!), we have to wonder: Who is looking out for the infinite game?

In a recent interview with ESPN, NCAA president Charlie Baker indicated that he’s open to the idea of expanding the tournament if it’s “done with care and…

(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)

Charles McClelland’s first vote as a member of the men’s NCAA Tournament selection committee was whether to cancel the 2020 event because of COVID-19. In his second year on the committee, much of his time was spent discussing protocols to play the tournament without fans in the Indiana bubble.

So now that McClelland is the 2024 selection committee chairman and has to lead the group in sorting out a chaotic season, he can put things in perspective.

“Debating bubble teams is so much better than saying, ‘If somebody catches COVID, will we allow that team to participate or not?’” said McClelland, who is also the SWAC commissioner. “We’re actually talking basketball now, which is what we all enjoy.”

The committee convened last week and talked a lot of basketball before releasing its initial top 16 seeds. “The only problem,” McClelland joked, “is that the teams then went out and played games.”

Nine of the top 16, including the No. 1 and No. 2 overall seeds Purdue and UConn, have lost since the reveal. But that’s the 2023-24 season in a nutshell. While the committee…

The 2023-2024 women’s college basketball season has arrived. Naturally, there are a billion and one questions on everyone’s minds. To save time, I’ve narrowed the list down to 12 and highlighted some of the most prevailing topics heading into the season. So, settle in and get ready for the tipoff.

It’s going to be a fun season.

1. What is LSU’s biggest hurdle to a repeat title?

Winning back-to-back championships isn’t easy. Only UConn, Tennessee and USC have accomplished this feat. But LSU has the talent and coaching prowess to get it done. With a stacked roster of Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow, Hailey Van Lith, Sa’Myah Smith, Kateri Poole, top freshman Mikaylah Williams and more, the Tigers have one of the most complete teams in college basketball. The only question is chemistry. Morrow (DePaul) and Van Lith (Louisville) led their previous teams in scoring and usage percentage before transferring. With one ball to go around, touches and scoring opportunities will be limited. It can take time and patience for new pieces to come together on the court.

2. Were injuries the only thing holding Texas back last season?

Starting the season without Rori Harmon was a big blow. Losing Aaliyah Moore nine games in wasn’t ideal, either. Texas muddled through…

The best thing about fall isn’t the comfy sweatshirts, foliage or even football. It’s the return of women’s college basketball. It’s been roughly six months since the women’s Final Four and LSU’s dominant win over Iowa for the championship. We’ve missed the competition, the deep-seeded rivalries, the upsets, the spectacular individual performances, and of course, the trash-talk. But before the ball officially tips next week, The Athletic is listing the top 25 most intriguing players for the upcoming season.

We already know the sport is rife with talent. But diverse player personalities, storylines, team dynamics and backgrounds add to the intrigue. Though this list is entirely subjective, it’s not a recap or ranking of the best college players. We already know who the top players are. Let’s discuss what makes these players so intriguing, instead. It’s composed of players who are in unique situations on their respective teams, have transferred to another program, recovered from a previous injury, are breakout candidates, or returned as a graduate student or fifth-year season because of the extra COVID-19 eligibility year.

Owusu averaged 14.6 points, five assists and 4.2 rebounds during her three seasons at Maryland. She transferred to Virginia Tech for her…

Filling out the women’s NCAA Tournament bracket is fun, sure. But with betting lines included, the stakes are raised and it’s a whole other ballgame — even if you’re sure of the winner, you can still pick against the spread. Last year, I had a hard time finding lines for the women’s tournament. This year, the information was much more available. I took all info into account — stats, schedules, personnel matchups, strengths and weaknesses — as I began the arduous task of analyzing each pick and selecting game winners. (And I reminded myself, more than once, not to overthink it.)

If you’re unfamiliar with betting numbers, the general idea is you subtract whatever the number is from the score, and that should make it even. So “South Florida -1.5” means the Hurricanes should win by two against Marquette. The .5 allows you to pick a side, so there are no ties. In short, the team with the “-” number next to it is giving the other team that much of a lead in this figurative world. If “PK” is listed, it means the teams are rated even strength and it’s a straight win or loss pick.

My picks for the first round are based against the spread, not straight-up winners. Check back, as I’ll have subsequent picks for every round of the tournament.

Friday

No. 9…