North Carolina takes to the court in Brooklyn with its eye on the No. 1 seed in the South Region. As we advance on Selection Sunday, Kansas and Villanova look like locks for the top line, and Gonzaga did what it had to do by winning the West Coast Conference tournament.
Elsewhere, the waiting begins for Syracuse and Wake Forest, who exited the ACC tournament yesterday. The Orange, in particular, have taken us into unchartered territory in terms of at-large selection. They may yet end up in the final bracket, but it could well depend upon what happens today and Friday.
UPDATED: March 9, 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)
- Illinois State vs. Wake Forest | South Region
- Kansas State vs. Xavier | Midwest Region
- SOUTH DAKOTA ST vs. New Orleans | Midwest Region
- MOUNT ST. MARY’S vs. NC Central | East Region
BRACKET PROJECTION ...
| MIDWEST - Kansas City | EAST - New York | |
| Tulsa | Buffalo | |
| 1) Kansas | 1) Villanova | |
| 16) SO DAKOTA ST / New Orleans | 16) MT ST. MARY’S / NC Central | |
| 8) Michigan | 8) Miami | |
| 9) Arkansas | 9) Northwestern | |
| Milwaukee | Orlando | |
| 5) Notre Dame | 5) West Virginia | |
| 12) UT-Arlington | 12) UNC-WILMINGTON | |
| 4) Butler | 4) Florida | |
| 13) Princeton | 13) Vermont | |
| Greenville | Salt Lake City | |
| 6) Wisconsin | 6) Iowa State | |
| 11) Kansas State / Xavier | 11) Vanderbilt | |
| 3) Duke | 3) Arizona | |
| 14) Akron | 14) IONA | |
| Sacramento | Indianapolis | |
| 7) Saint Mary’s | 7) Creighton | |
| 10) WICHITA STATE | 10) VCU | |
| 2) UCLA | 2) Louisville | |
| 15) UC-Irvine | 15) NORTHERN KENTUCKY | |
| WEST - San Jose | SOUTH - Memphis | |
| Salt Lake City | Greenville | |
| 1) GONZAGA | 1) North Carolina | |
| 16) North Dakota | 16) JACKSONVILLE STATE | |
| 8) South Carolina | 8) Dayton | |
| 9) Michigan State | 9) Marquette | |
| Buffalo | Milwaukee | |
| 5) Minnesota | 5) Cincinnati | |
| 12) Nevada | 12) Wake Forest / Illinois State | |
| 4) Virginia | 4) Purdue | |
| 13) BUCKNELL | 13) EAST TENNESSEE ST | |
| Orlando | Tulsa | |
| 6) SMU | 6) Maryland | |
| 11) Mid Tennessee State | 11) USC | |
| 3) Florida State | 3) Baylor | |
| 14) WINTHROP | 14) FLA GULF COAST | |
| Sacramento | Indianapolis | |
| 7) Oklahoma State | 7) Virginia Tech | |
| 10) Seton Hall | 10) Providence | |
| 2) Oregon | 2) Kentucky | |
| 15) CSU-Bakersfield | 15) Texas-Southern |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Kansas is the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Villanova, North Carolina, and Gonzaga.
Last Four Byes (at large): Providence, Seton Hall, USC, Vanderbilt
Last Four IN (at large): Xavier, Wake Forest, Kansas State, Illinois State
First Four OUT (at large): Syracuse, Rhode Island, Iowa, Illinois
Next four teams OUT (at large): California, Houston, Georgia, Ole Miss
Breakdown by Conference ...
ACC (9): NORTH CAROLINA, Louisville, Duke, Florida State, Virginia, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Miami-FL, Wake Forest
Big 10 (7): PURDUE, Minnesota, Maryland, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State
Big East (7): VILLANOVA, Butler, Creighton, Marquette, Providence, Seton Hall, Xavier
Big 12 (6): KANSAS, Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State
SEC (5): FLORIDA, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arkansas, Vanderbilt
Pac 12 (4): OREGON, Arizona, UCLA, USC
Atlantic 10 (2): DAYTON, VCU
American (2): SMU, Cincinnati
West Coast (2): GONZAGA, Saint Mary’s
Missouri Valley (2): WICHITA STATE, Illinois State
Mountain West (1): NEVADA
ONE BID LEAGUES: IONA (MAAC), Middle Tennessee State (C-USA), UT-Arlington (SBELT), Princeton (IVY), North Dakota (BSKY), NORTHERN KENTUCKY (HORIZON), New Orleans (SLND), EAST TENNESSEE STATE (STHN), UC-Irvine (BWEST), Akron (MAC), FLORIDA GULF COAST (ASUN), JACKSONVILLE STATE (OVC), UNC-WILMINGTON (CAA), WINTHROP (BSO), NC-Central (MEAC), SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (SUM), CSU-Bakersfield (WAC), Vermont (AEAST), BUCKNELL (PAT), MOUNT ST. MARY’S (NEC), Texas-Southern (SWAC)