Bracket Watch: Rivalry Week is here to shake things up

By Stewart Mandel
Published

Kansas and Kansas State got Rivalry Week off to a fun start Monday night. Duke-North Carolina, Purdue-Indiana and Michigan State-Michigan are still to come.

But for bracket purposes, two of the week’s most interesting matchups will take place in the state of California.

On Thursday, Oregon visits UCLA in a key Pac-12 contest. The Ducks (21-3) rose up to a No. 2 seed here following their impressive rout of Arizona. UCLA (21-3), for all its hype, is just a No. 4 seed due to the fact it boasts just two RPI Top 50 wins all season. Beating Oregon would be a big resume-builder.

On Saturday, undefeated Gonzaga (24-0) visits archrival Saint Mary’s (21-2) in what may be the only game left the ‘Zags have a realistic chance of losing. If Gonzaga makes it to Selection Sunday undefeated, there’s no question it will remain a No. 1 seed. One loss, however, could be enough to put that in question given the ‘Zags’ weak schedule strength relative to the other contenders.

A reminder: 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 Texas Southern*/New Orleans*
8 Iowa State
9 Clemson
4 UCLA at Sacramento
13 Princeton*
5 Duke
12 Vermont*
6 Saint Mary's at Buffalo
11 Wake Forest/Michigan
3 West Virginia
14 Monmouth*
7 Xavier at Orlando
10 Indiana
2 Florida State
15 UNC Asheville*




































































































































































WEST REGION (SAN JOSE)
Seed Team Location
1 Gonzaga* at Salt Lake City
16 Weber State*
8 USC
9 Oklahoma State
4 Purdue at Milwaukee
13 Boise State*
5 Florida
12 Belmont*
6 Maryland at Greenville, S.C.
11 Tennessee
3 Virginia
14 Akron*
7 Virginia Tech at Sacramento
10 Kansas State
2 Oregon*
15 North Dakota State*




































































































































































MIDWEST REGION (KANSAS CITY)
Seed Team Location
1 Kansas* at Tulsa
16 NC Central*
8 Marquette
9 Michigan State
4 Cincinnati* at Orlando
13 New Mexico State*
5 Creighton
12 UNC Wilmington*
6 Notre Dame at Indianapolis
11 Seton Hall/Miami
3 Kentucky
14 Valparaiso*
7 Minnesota at Indianapolis
10 VCU
2 Louisville
15 Florida Gulf Coast*




































































































































































SOUTH REGION (MEMPHIS)
Seed Team Location
1 Baylor at Tulsa
16 UC Davis*/Mount St. Mary's*
8 SMU
9 Dayton*
4 Butler at Milwaukee
13 Bucknell*
5 Wisconsin*
12 Middle Tennessee*
6 South Carolina* at Salt Lake City
11 Wichita State*
3 Arizona
14 Furman*
7 Northwestern at Greenville, S.C.
10 TCU
2 North Carolina*
15 Arkansas State*



LAST FOUR IN: Michigan, Wake Forest, Seton Hall, Miami

FIRST FOUR OUT: Syracuse, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Cal

NEXT FOUR OUT: Illinois State, Ohio State, Georgetown, Texas Tech

MULTIPLE BID CONFERENCES: ACC (10), Big Ten (8), Big 12 (7), Big East (6), SEC (4), Pac-12 (4), A-10 (2), American (2), WCC (2)