Bracketology: What Seed Might OSU Earn on Selection Sunday?

Selection Sunday is just hours away. On this fateful eve of college hoops’ Christmas Day, Oklahoma State obviously can’t improve its seeding after being ousted from the Big 12 Tournament in its first game. But there is plenty of late seed-shifting taking place with bid stealers and automatic bids being dealt, and while it seems OSU’s fate is likely settled among most bracketologists as we head into tomorrow, you never know where the dust might settle. Bracketologists are usually fairly accurate in seeding, but don’t always line up with the selection committee’s seeding.

Let’s take a look at where the various media outlets currently have the Cowboys.

ESPN: 8-Seed in the South Region

Joe Lunardi has continued to drop the Cowboys over the past two weeks, and after dropping consecutive games to end the regular season and a loss to Iowa State this week, he has them as an 8-seed — a spot below where he had them a week ago, and two spots below where he had them two weeks ago.

In the South Region in Lunardi’s bracket, OSU would face No. 9 seed Arkansas — but would be in the same region as No. 1 seed North Carolina if they were to win the opening round game. The good news? The 1-seeds don’t appear to be set in stone just yet, with Duke, Oregon, or Gonzaga potentially able to slide in the backdoor after UNC lost to the Blue Devils on Friday.

CBS Sports: 10-seed in the South Region

CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm isn’t sold on OSU going as a single-digit seed. In fact, he has OSU as a 10-seed in the South Region, dropping them from the 9 spot just a week ago. Interestingly, Palm projects they would play No. 7 seed Virginia — the team with the No. 1 ranked defense in adjusted efficiency according to KenPom. The Cavaliers play a brutal, yet effective, packline defensef. They force you to play from outside, and their final scores look more like Big 12 football finals than NCAA basketball scores. They’ve knocked off North Carolina and Louisville, two teams projected as top 3 seeds, this season.

USA Today: 10-seed in the West Region

Shelby Mast has the Cowboys as a 10-seed, but unlike other bracketologists, Mast projects the Cowboys will be out west and will play 7-seed Dayton. (TALK ABOUT A FANTASTIC MATCHUP!)

Dayton, the A-10 No. 1 seed, was upset by Davidson this week. And while they’ve dominated the league this season, playing a mid-major in the first round, at least on paper, seems to be favorable. The better news, should Mast’s projection hold true, is that a win would match OSU up with No. 2 seed Gonzaga in the round of 32.

YES. ALL OF THIS.

Fox Sports: 9-seed in the South Region

Back to the 9-seed for OSU, according to Stewart Mandel. And in the South Region with No. 1 seed North Carolina faced up against No. 8 seed Seton Hall.

My take on a potential matchup in same region with North Carolina as a 1-seed: I don’t think the Tar Heels wind up as a top seed. Villanova, Kansas, Gonzaga … and Oregon are my picks to land top seeds. But that’s assuming the Ducks take care of Arizona in the Pac-12 final tonight. Should that happen, it will make for some seismic shifting in the final hours.