Protecting Top 8, Picking Hosts and Putting Together a Bracket -Episode 105

After another terrific week of the 2024-2025 Division III men’s basketball season it’s time to check in on the developing picture as the NCAA Tournament draws nearer. It’s hard to believe just three weeks remain until the national tournament and there is a lot of important jockeying for position yet to play out.

With the help of the D3 Datacast computer running simulations to play out the final weeks 1,000 times, we take a look at the race for the top eight protected seeds, the top 16 seed that will put themselves in position to host opening weekend pods, and how the bubble picture is taking shape, especially within the context of results from this past week.

As an added bonus, Matt takes the top projected seeds and shows how the top eight are likely to be placed in the bracket and how the rest of top 16 could be slotted and selected for hosting opportunities. New bracketing principles in place for this year make those top eight seed particularly important so be sure to understand what “protection” these teams will receive.

We also look back at how we did against our week 14 picks slate and make our decisions on a new five-game slate for week 15 picks, then wrap up with a check in with our viewers in the mailbag.

Note: This episode had been available in early access through Patreon. Head to our Patreon page for more information on how you can support us and gain early access to future episodes.

Protecting Top 8, Picking Hosts and Putting Together a Bracket -Episode 105

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