Bracket Watch: Projecting the 68-team NCAA Tournament field

Beginning with this edition, I’ll be posting my latest mock bracket every Tuesday and Friday through the rest of the regular season.

The competition for the four No. 1 seeds could be very interesting this season. Villanova is the runaway No. 1 overall team, but my No. 2 and 3 teams, Baylor and Kansas, hold very similar resumes. Kentucky is right there with them.

Many might rightfully argue for current AP top four teams UCLA and Gonzaga (the latter still undefeated) for the top line. I’d note that Florida State arguably has a better resume than both. Creighton could make a case as well.

Selection Sunday is March 12, and the tourney begins March 14. The Final Four is April 1-3 in Phoenix.

* — Denotes projected conference champion, automatic berth

This edition's bracket is East vs. West champions and Midwest vs. South champions in the national semifinals, based on the order of my No. 1 seeds.










BRACKET WATCH


































































































































































EAST REGION (NEW YORK)
Seed Team Location
1 Villanova* at Buffalo
16 Mount St. Mary's*/Morgan State*
8 Maryland*
9 TCU
4 Virginia at Greenville, SC
13 Princeton*
5 Cincinnati*
12 Vermont*
6 Xavier at Greenville, SC
11 UNC Wilmington*
3 North Carolina
14 Bucknell*
7 Virginia Tech at Sacramento
10 Illinois
2 UCLA
15 UNC Asheville*




































































































































































WEST REGION (SAN JOSE)
Seed Team Location
1 Kentucky* at Indianapolis
16 North Dakota State*
8 USC
9 Indiana
4 Notre Dame* at Orlando
13 Akron*
5 Arizona*
12 Nevada*
6 Wisconsin at Buffalo
11 Miami/Seton Hall
3 West Virginia
14 New Mexico State*
7 SMU at Sacramento
10 VCU
2 Gonzaga*
15 Weber State*




































































































































































MIDWEST REGION (KANSAS CITY)
Seed Team Location
1 Kansas* at Tulsa
16 Texas Southern*/New Orleans*
8 Northwestern
9 Pittsburgh
4 Oregon at Salt Lake City
13 Valparaiso*
5 Minnesota
12 Chattanooga*
6 Saint Mary's at Indianapolis
11 Arkansas/Marquette
3 Louisville
14 Richmond*
7 Clemson at Milwaukee
10 Michigan
2 Creighton
15 Belmont*




































































































































































SOUTH REGION (MEMPHIS)
Seed Team Location
1 Baylor at Tulsa
16 UC Irvine*
8 Michigan State
9 Dayton
4 Florida at Salt Lake City
13 Monmouth*
5 Duke
12 Middle Tennessee*
6 Purdue at Milwaukee
11 Illinois State*
3 Butler
14 Florida Gulf Coast*
7 South Carolina at Orlando
10 Iowa State
2 Florida State
15 Georgia Southern*



LAST FOUR IN: Arkansas, Seton Hall, Miami, Marquette

FIRST FOUR OUT: Georgia, Rhode Island, Texas Tech, Houston

NEXT FOUR OUT: Cal, Wichita State, Kansas State, NC State

MULTIPLE BID CONFERENCES: ACC (10), Big Ten (9), Big East (6), Big 12 (5), Pac-12 (4), SEC (4), A-10 (3), American (2), WCC (2)