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KenPom Bracketology: 1/20

The computer numbers don't see Georgetown as a very good team, so Xavier's seed takes a beating in this week's edition of KenPom Bracketology.

I'm not going to sugar coat it for you gang, losing to Georgetown wasn't good for Xavier in the Pomeroy rankings. Dropping a home game against a team clinging to the bubble isn't a good look for anyone, and it certainly isn't for a team with three-weekend aspirations. Xavier slid in the bracket; the only question is how far. Here's the s-curve:

The KenPom s-curve 1/20
1 VILLANOVA IOWA OKLAHOMA West Virginia
2 Purdue Virginia North Carolina LOUISVILLE
3 TEXAS A&M Kansas Michigan St. Maryland
4 SAINT MARY'S ARIZONA Xavier Miami FL
5 Iowa St. VALPARAISO Duke Baylor
6 Oregon Indiana WICHITA ST. USC
7 Notre Dame Florida Michigan CONNECTICUT
8 Cincinnati VCU Kentucky Vanderbilt
9 Florida St. Butler California Syracuse
10 Evansville South Carolina Gonzaga Creighton
11 MONMOUTH Seton Hall Dayton Georgetown
12 Colorado Kansas St. Providence Pittsburgh
12 ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK STONY BROOK
13 HAWAII UNLV WILLIAM & MARY YALE
14 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN CHATTANOOGA AKRON SOUTH DAKOTA ST.
15 CAL ST. BAKERSFIELD BELMONT WEBER ST. UAB
16 TEXAS SOUTHERN NAVY UNC ASHEVILLE NORTH FLORIDA
16 WAGNER NORFOLK ST.
First 4 out Arkansas Texas Tech Texas Tulsa
Next 4 out Saint Joseph's Oklahoma St. Clemson BYU

Here's what that looks like in a bracket:

KenPom 1-20

It's not good, but it's also not a nightmare. The most important thing it is is January. Somebody told me last night that this was the end of Xavier's hopes for a one seed, as though a two-loss team from a power conference couldn't possibly make its way back onto the top line. There is a lot of basketball left to be played; at this point in time last year, Xavier was 12-6 and about to lose to Providence. If you would have offered me 16-2 at that point, I would have taken it. There's no reason to think that Xavier can't right the ship and get back to a 1 or 2 fairly quickly.

It's also important to keep in mind that human systems (i.e., the selection committee) aren't going to see this as nearly as bad a loss as the KenPom did. Xavier will still be a 2 or a high three in most bracketologies, and that's where they'd be if the season ended today. Last night's result will end up being a much bigger part of Georgetown's seeding in March than it will be of Xavier's.