March is here. Madness awaits. The next ten days will be filled with hope, excitement, and anxiety as teams and fans await their 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket on Selection Sunday. Between now and then, we still have several things to sort out. Here’s what we know: Kansas, fresh off yet another Big 12 title, sits atop the bracket, followed closely by Villanova. Both the Jayhawks and Wildcats look fairly entrenched on the top line. The other two spots remain in play. Will Gonzaga hold on? Will a Pac-12 team make a jump to the one line? Can North Carolina survive the ACC tournament and keep its perch in the South?
Each of those story lines should be fun to watch. And we haven’t even talked about the bubble. Illinois, Wake Forest, and Kansas State all helped themselves Wednesday. USC and California are trying to hold on and state their case. Xavier continues to struggle, its NCAA outlook now unclear. Next week’s conference tournaments loom large for final seeding and selection. If a few bid stealers emerge, hold on.
UPDATED: March 2, 2017
Note: Now that conference tournaments have begun, teams in ALL CAPS will represent automatic bids as they are earned.
Regarding bracketing principles, can read them for yourself at www.ncaa.com. For example: teams from the same conference may now meet before a Regional final, even if fewer than eight teams are selected. The goal is to keep as many teams as possible on their actual seed line.
FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS - Dayton (First Round)
- Wake Forest vs. USC | Midwest Region
- Illinois vs. Seton Hall | East Region
- MT. ST. MARY’S vs. NC-CENTRAL | East Region
- UC-IRVINE vs. NEW ORLEANS | Midwest Region
BRACKET PROJECTION ...
MIDWEST - Kansas City | EAST - New York | |
Tulsa | Buffalo | |
1) Kansas | 1) Villanova | |
16) New Orleans / UC-Irvine | 16) NC Central / Mount St. Mary’s | |
8) South Carolina | 8) Miami | |
9) Michigan State | 9) Arkansas | |
Orlando | Buffalo | |
5) Cincinnati | 5) Minnesota | |
12) UT-Arlington | 12) UNC-Wilmington | |
4) Florida State | 4) Virginia | |
13) Vermont | 13) Monmouth | |
Milwaukee | Indianapolis | |
6) Iowa State | 6) SMU | |
11) Wake Forest / USC | 11) Seton Hall / Illinois | |
3) Butler | 3) Louisville | |
14) Belmont | 14) Akron | |
Salt Lake City | Tulsa | |
7) Virginia Tech | 7) Maryland | |
10) Wichita State | 10) VCU | |
2) Arizona | 2) Baylor | |
15) South Dakota | 15) Florida Gulf Coast | |
WEST - San Jose | SOUTH - Memphis | |
Salt Lake City | Greenville | |
1) Gonzaga | 1) North Carolina | |
16) North Dakota | 16) Texas Southern | |
8) Northwestern | 8) Dayton | |
9) Marquette | 9) Michigan | |
Orlando | Milwaukee | |
5) Notre Dame | 5) West Virginia | |
12) Nevada | 12) Illinois State | |
4) Florida | 4) Purdue | |
13) Princeton | 13) Valparaiso | |
Greenville | Indianapolis | |
6) Wisconsin | 6) Saint Mary’s | |
11) Xavier | 11) Syracuse | |
3) Duke | 3) Kentucky | |
14) East Tennessee State | 14) Winthrop | |
Sacramento | Sacramento | |
7) Creighton | 7) Oklahoma State | |
10) Mid Tennessee State | 10) Providence | |
2) Oregon | 2) UCLA | |
15) CSU-Bakersfield | 15) Bucknell |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Kansas is the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Villanova, North Carolina, and Gonzaga.
Last Four Byes (at large): Wichita State, Providence, Syracuse, Xavier
Last Four IN (at large): Seton Hall, USC, Wake Forest, Illinois
First Four OUT (at large): Kansas State, Rhode Island, California, Georgia Tech
Next four teams OUT (at large): Vanderbilt, Georgia, Houston, Iowa
Breakdown by Conference ...
ACC (10): NORTH CAROLINA, Louisville, Duke, Florida State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Miami-FL, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Wake Forest
Big 10 (8): PURDUE, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maryland, Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois
Big East (7): VILLANOVA, Butler, Creighton, Marquette, Providence, Xavier, Seton Hall
Big 12 (5): KANSAS, Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma State
Pac 12 (4): OREGON, Arizona, UCLA, USC
SEC (4): FLORIDA, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas
Atlantic 10 (2): DAYTON, VCU
American (2): SMU, Cincinnati
West Coast (2): GONZAGA, Saint Mary’s
Missouri Valley (2): ILLINOIS STATE, Wichita State
Mountain West (1): NEVADA
ONE BID LEAGUES: Monmouth (MAAC), Middle Tennessee State (C-USA), UT-Arlington (SBELT), Princeton (IVY), North Dakota (BSKY), Valparaiso (HORIZON), New Orleans (SLND), East Tennessee State (STHN), UC-Irvine (BWEST), Akron (MAC), Florida Gulf Coast (ASUN), Belmont (OVC), UNC-Wilmington (CAA), Winthrop (BSO), NC-Central (MEAC), North Dakota State (SUM), CSU-Bakersfield (WAC), Vermont (AEAST), Bucknell (PAT), Mount St. Mary’s (NEC), Texas-Southern (SWAC)