Bracket Watch: UCLA still hasn't done enough to be a No. 1 seed

By Stewart Mandel
Published

UCLA is 19-1, ranked third in the AP poll and harboring legit national title aspirations. But as of today, the numbers wouldn’t support the Bruins landing one of the four No. 1 seeds. Most notably, they boast just one RPI Top 50 win, albeit a big one at Kentucky.

But Steve Alford’s team gets another shot at a showcase win Saturday against 17-2 Arizona. The Wildcats are 6-0 in the Pac-12, tied for first in the league with Oregon. It’s a chance for UCLA to build its resume, but even more so, for Arizona — which I currently have as a No. 5 seed — to start shooting up the bracket.

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













































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































LAST FOUR IN: Seton Hall, Miami, VCU, Georgia

FIRST FOUR OUT: Marquette, Rhode Island, NC State, Wake Forest

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

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