FINAL BRACKET

Selection Sunday is finally here.Here is our final bracket.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan St*, North Carolina

2 seeds: Missouri*, Kansas, Ohio St, Duke

3 seeds: Marquette, Baylor, Florida St*, Louisville*

4 seeds: Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgetown

5 seeds: Murray St.*, St. Mary's*, Indiana, New Mexico*

6 seeds: Cincinnati, Florida, Wichita St, Notre Dame

7 seeds: Creighton*, UNLV, Memphis*, Temple

8 seeds: Kansas St, Purdue, San Diego St, Iowa St

9 seeds: Gonzaga, St. Louis, Alabama, UConn

10 seeds: West Virginia, Harvard*, VCU*, Xavier

11 seeds: Virginia, Colorado St, Long Beach St*, Texas

12 seeds: South Florida, S. Miss, California/NC State, Drexel/Marshall

13 seeds: Davidson*, South Dakota St.*, Colorado*, St. Bonaventure*

14 seeds: Montana*, Belmont*, New Mexico St*, Ohio*

15 seeds: Loyola (Md.)*, Detroit*, Long Island-Brooklyn*, Lehigh*

16 seeds: Lamar*, Vermont*, Miss Valley St*/UNC Asheville*, W. Kentucky*/Norfolk St.*

3/11/11 Bracket

Selection Sunday is finally here.
I will update the bracket one more time Sunday afternoon before the selection show.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Kentucky, Syracuse, Michigan St, North Carolina

2 seeds: Ohio St, Missouri*, Kansas, Duke

3 seeds: Marquette, Baylor, Florida St*, Louisville*

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgetown, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Murray St.*, St. Mary's*, Florida, Indiana

6 seeds: Cincinnati, New Mexico*, Wichita St, Notre Dame

7 seeds: Creighton*, UNLV, Memphis*, Temple

8 seeds: Kansas St, Purdue, San Diego St, Iowa St

9 seeds: Gonzaga, St. Louis, Alabama, UConn

10 seeds: West Virginia, Virgina, VCU*, Xavier

11 seeds: Harvard*, Colorado St, Long Beach St*, California

12 seeds: South Florida, Texas, S. Miss, BYU/Iona

13 seeds: Seton Hall/Oral Roberts, Davidson*, South Dakota St.*, Colorado*

14 seeds: Montana*, Belmont*, New Mexico St*, Ohio*

15 seeds: Loyola (Md.)*, Detroit*, LIU-Brooklyn*, Lehigh*

16 seeds: Lamar*, Vermont*, Miss Valley St*/UNC Asheville*, W. Kentucky*/Norfolk St.*

Last Four In:   BYU, Iona, Seton Hall, Oral Roberts
First Four Out: Miami (FL), Drexel,  N.C. State, Marshall
Next Six Out: Miss. St, Northwestern, Ole Miss, Arizona, Tennessee, Nevada

3/10/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is only 1 day away.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on Sunday.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, Kansas

2 seeds: Ohio St, Michigan St, Missouri, Duke

3 seeds: Marquette, Michigan, Baylor, Wisconsin

4 seeds: Indiana, Georgetown, Florida St, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Murray St.*, St. Mary's*, Florida, Louisville

6 seeds: Cincinnati, New Mexico, Wichita St, Notre Dame

7 seeds: Creighton*, UNLV, Memphis*, Temple

8 seeds: Kansas St, Purdue, San Diego St, Iowa St

9 seeds: Gonzaga, St. Louis, Alabama, UConn,

10 seeds: West Virginia, Virgina, VCU*, California

11 seeds: Texas, Long Beach St, BYU, South Florida

12 seeds: Colorado St, S. Miss, Xavier, Drexel/Iona

13 seeds: Oral Roberts/Seton Hall, Davidson*, Harvard*, South Dakota St.*

14 seeds: Detroit*, Belmont*, New Mexico St, Akron

15 seeds: Loyola (Md.)*, Montana*, LIU-Brooklyn*, Lehigh*

16 seeds: Lamar*, Vermont*, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville*, W. Kentucky*/Norfolk St.*

Last Four In:   Drexel, Iona, Oral Roberts, Seton Hall
First Four Out: Miami (FL),  N.C. State, Miss. St, Marshall
Next Six Out:  Northwestern, Ole Miss,  Arizona, Tennessee, Oregon, Nevada

3/9/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is only 2 days away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina

Both Syracuse & Kentucky finished their seasons 30-1. Syracuse is a lock for the East Regional in Boston. Kentucky a lock for the South Regional in Atlanta.  Kansas continues to play their best basketball of the season and has won 8 straight.  North Carolina picked up a dominating road victory over Duke on Saturday.

2 seeds: Ohio St, Michigan St, Missouri, Duke

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Indiana

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Baylor, Florida St, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Temple, Murray St.*, St. Mary's*, Florida

6 seeds: Notre Dame, UNLV, Wichita St, Louisville

7 seeds: Creighton*, New Mexico, Notre Dame, Kansas St.

8 seeds: Cincinnati, Purdue, Memphis, San Diego St.

9 seeds: Gonzaga, St. Louis, Alabama, UConn

10 seeds: West Virginia, Virginia, VCU*, S. Miss.

11 seeds: Texas, Long Beach St, BYU, South Florida

12 seeds: California, Colorado St, Washington, Drexel/Xavier

13 seeds: Oral Roberts/Seton Hall, Davidson*, Harvard*, Nevada

14 seeds: South Dakota St*, Detroit*, Belmont*, Akron

15 seeds: Loyola (Md.)*, Montana*, LIU-Brooklyn* Texas Arlington

16 seeds: Lehigh*, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville*, W. Kentucky*/Norfolk St.

Last Four In:     Drexel, Xavier, Oral Roberts, Seton Hall
First Four Out:  Miami (FL), Iona, Tennessee, Miss. St.
Next Six Out:    Oregon, NC State, Northwestern, Dayton, Arizona, St. Joseph's

3/8/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is less than 1 week away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina

Both Syracuse & Kentucky finished their seasons 30-1. Syracuse is a lock for the East Regional in Boston. Kentucky a lock for the South Regional in Atlanta.  Kansas continues to play their best basketball of the season and has won 8 straight.  North Carolina picked up a dominating road victory over Duke on Saturday.

2 seeds: Ohio St, Michigan St, Missouri, Duke

Ohio St. picked up two hard fought road wins this week.  Beating both Northwestern & Michigan State in the final seconds.  Their win over Michigan State dramatically helps their resume, which also includes a November win over Duke.  Michigan St. dominated the first half against the Buckeyes but fell in the final moments 72-70.  The Spartans were also beaten at Indiana on Tuesday, but their RPI ranking of 3 will keep them in the mix for a #1 seed next Sunday if they can win the Big 10 tournament.  Missouri took care of business this week and beat Iowa St. at home 78-72.  The Tigers are the #2 seed in the Big 12 tournament and would like nothing more than a rubber match with rival Kansas.  Duke's very solid, but very unsual season continued Saturday night in another home loss, this time to North Carolina.  While Duke was 8-0 on the road in the ACC, they were only 5-3 at home. The Blue Devils must get more consistent play inside from the Plumlee brothers & Ryan Kelly, as they have become reliant on the three-point shot.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Indiana

Marquette had their five game winning streak snapped at Cincinnati on Tuesday, but bounced back with a solid 83-69 win over #12 Georgetown.  They enter the Big East tournament as the #2 seed, and receive a double-bye into the quarterfinals.  Georgetown handled #19 Notre Dame at home, but lost at Marquette Saturday. They enter the Big East tournament as the #5 seed, but if they capture at least two wins - they should be safe for a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Ironically, Ohio St's win over Michigan St. gave Michigan a share of the Big 10 regular season title.  A #2 seed in the NCAA tournament is not out of the question if the Wolverines beat Ohio St. & Michigan St. on their way to a Big 10 tournament title.  Same goes for Indiana who beat Michigan St. & Purdue last week. They enter the Big 10 tournament as the #5 seed, but if they run the table, a #2 seed for the NCAA tourney is a possibility.

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Baylor, Florida St, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Temple, Murray St.*, St. Mary's*, Florida

6 seeds: Notre Dame, UNLV, Wichita St, Iowa St.

7 seeds: Creighton*, New Mexico, Louisville, Kansas St.

8 seeds: Gonzaga, Purdue, Memphis, San Diego St.

9 seeds: Cincinnati, St. Louis, Alabama, West Virginia

10 seeds: Long Beach St, Virginia, VCU*, S. Miss.

11 seeds: UConn, BYU, Texas, Washington

12 seeds: California, South Florida, Colorado St, Northwestern/Drexel

13 seeds: Oral Roberts/Seton Hall, Davidson*, Harvard*, Nevada

14 seeds: South Dakota St*, Detroit*, Belmont*, Akron

15 seeds: Loyola (Md.)*, Montana*, LIU-Brooklyn* Texas Arlington

16 seeds: Lehigh*, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville*, W. Kentucky*/Norfolk St.

Last Four In:     Northwestern, Drexel, Oral Roberts, Seton Hall
First Four Out:  Miami (FL), Iona, Xavier, Tennessee
Next Six Out:    Miss. St, Oregon, NC State, Dayton, Arizona, St. Joseph's

3/7/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is less than 1 week away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina

Both Syracuse & Kentucky finished their seasons 30-1. Syracuse is a lock for the East Regional in Boston. Kentucky a lock for the South Regional in Atlanta.  Kansas continues to play their best basketball of the season and has won 8 straight.  North Carolina picked up a dominating road victory over Duke on Saturday.

2 seeds: Ohio St, Michigan St, Missouri, Duke

Ohio St. picked up two hard fought road wins this week.  Beating both Northwestern & Michigan State in the final seconds.  Their win over Michigan State dramatically helps their resume, which also includes a November win over Duke.  Michigan St. dominated the first half against the Buckeyes but fell in the final moments 72-70.  The Spartans were also beaten at Indiana on Tuesday, but their RPI ranking of 3 will keep them in the mix for a #1 seed next Sunday if they can win the Big 10 tournament.  Missouri took care of business this week and beat Iowa St. at home 78-72.  The Tigers are the #2 seed in the Big 12 tournament and would like nothing more than a rubber match with rival Kansas.  Duke's very solid, but very unsual season continued Saturday night in another home loss, this time to North Carolina.  While Duke was 8-0 on the road in the ACC, they were only 5-3 at home. The Blue Devils must get more consistent play inside from the Plumlee brothers & Ryan Kelly, as they have become reliant on the three-point shot.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Indiana

Marquette had their five game winning streak snapped at Cincinnati on Tuesday, but bounced back with a solid 83-69 win over #12 Georgetown.  They enter the Big East tournament as the #2 seed, and receive a double-bye into the quarterfinals.  Georgetown handled #19 Notre Dame at home, but lost at Marquette Saturday. They enter the Big East tournament as the #5 seed, but if they capture at least two wins - they should be safe for a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Ironically, Ohio St's win over Michigan St. gave Michigan a share of the Big 10 regular season title.  A #2 seed in the NCAA tournament is not out of the question if the Wolverines beat Ohio St. & Michigan St. on their way to a Big 10 tournament title.  Same goes for Indiana who beat Michigan St. & Purdue last week. They enter the Big 10 tournament as the #5 seed, but if they run the table, a #2 seed for the NCAA tourney is a possibility.

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Baylor, Florida St, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Temple, Murray St.*, St. Mary's*, Florida

6 seeds: Notre Dame, UNLV, Wichita St, Iowa St.

7 seeds: Creighton*, New Mexico, Louisville, Kansas St.

8 seeds: Gonzaga, Purdue, Memphis, San Diego St.

9 seeds: Cincinnati, St. Louis, Alabama, West Virginia

10 seeds: Long Beach St, Virginia, VCU*, S. Miss.

11 seeds: UConn, BYU, Texas, Washington

12 seeds: California, South Florida, Colorado St, Northwestern/Drexel

13 seeds: Seton Hall/Oral Roberts, Davidson*, Harvard*, Nevada

14 seeds: South Dakota St*, Detroit*, Belmont*, Akron

15 seeds: Loyola (Md.)*, Bucknell, Montana, Texas Arlington

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville*, Western Kentucky*/Long Island

Last Four In:     Northwestern, Drexel, Seton Hall, Oral Roberts
First Four Out:  Miami (FL), Iona, Xavier, Tennessee
Next Six Out:    Miss. St, Oregon, NC State, Dayton, Arizona, St. Joseph's

3/6/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is less than 1 week away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina

Both Syracuse & Kentucky finished their seasons 30-1. Syracuse is a lock for the East regional in Boston. Kentucky a lock for the South Regional in Atlanta.  Kansas continues to play their best basketball of the season and has won 8 straight.  North Carolina picked up a dominating road victory over Duke on Saturday.

2 seeds: Ohio St, Michigan St, Missouri, Duke

Ohio St. picked up two hard fought road wins this week.  Beating both Northwestern & Michigan State in the final seconds.  Their win over Michigan State dramatically helps their resume, which also includes a November win over Duke.  Michigan St. dominated the first half against the Buckeyes but fell in the final moments 72-70.  The Spartans were also beaten at Indiana on Tuesday, but their RPI ranking of 3 will keep them in the mix for a #1 seed next Sunday if they can win the Big 10 tournament.  Missouri took care of business this week and beat Iowa St. at home 78-72.  The Tigers are the #2 seed in the Big 12 tournament and would like nothing more than a rubber match with rival Kansas.  Duke's very solid, but very unsual season continued Saturday night in another home loss, this time to North Carolina.  While Duke was 8-0 on the road in the ACC, they were only 5-3 at home. The Blue Devils must get more consistent play inside from the Plumlee brothers & Ryan Kelly, as they have become reliant on the three-point shot.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Indiana

Marquette had their five game winning streak snapped at Cincinnati on Tuesday, but bounced back with a solid 83-69 win over #12 Georgetown.  They enter the Big East tournament as the #2 seed, and receive a double-bye into the quarterfinals.  Georgetown handled #19 Notre Dame at home, but lost at Marquette Saturday. They enter the Big East tournament as the #5 seed, but if they capture at least two wins - they should be safe for a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Ironically, Ohio St's win over Michigan St. gave Michigan a share of the Big 10 regular season title.  A #2 seed in the NCAA tournament is not out of the question if the Wolverines beat Ohio St. & Michigan St. on their way to a Big 10 tournament title.  Same goes for Indiana who beat Michigan St. & Purdue last week. They enter the Big 10 tournament as the #5 seed, but if they run the table, a #2 seed for the NCAA tourney is a possibility.

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Baylor, Florida St, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Temple, Murray St.*, St. Mary's*, Florida

6 seeds: Notre Dame, UNLV, Wichita St, Iowa St.

7 seeds: Creighton*, New Mexico, Louisville, Kansas St.

8 seeds: Gonzaga, Purdue, Memphis, San Diego St.

9 seeds: Cincinnati, St. Louis, Alabama, West Virginia

10 seeds: Long Beach St, Virginia, VCU*, S. Miss.

11 seeds: UConn, BYU, Texas, Washington

12 seeds: California, South Florida, Colorado St, Northwestern/Drexel

13 seeds: Seton Hall/Oral Roberts, Davidson*, Harvard, Nevada

14 seeds: South Dakota St, Valparaiso, Belmont*, Akron

15 seeds: Loyola (Md.)*, Bucknell, Montana, Texas Arlington

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville*, North Texas/Long Island

Last Four In:     Northwestern, Drexel, Seton Hall, Oral Roberts
First Four Out:  Miami (FL), Iona, Xavier, Tennessee
Next Six Out:    Miss. St, Oregon, NC State, Dayton, Arizona, St. Joseph's

3/5/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is only 1 week away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina

Both Syracuse & Kentucky finished their seasons 30-1. Syracuse is a lock for the East regional in Boston. Kentucky a lock for the South Regional in Atlanta.  Kansas continues to play their best basketball of the season and has won 8 straight.  North Carolina picked up a dominating road victory over Duke on Saturday.

2 seeds: Ohio St, Michigan St, Missouri, Duke

Ohio St. picked up two hard fought road wins this week.  Beating both Northwestern & Michigan State in the final seconds.  Their win over Michigan State dramatically helps their resume, which also includes a November win over Duke.  Michigan St. dominated the first half against the Buckeyes but fell in the final moments 72-70.  The Spartans were also beaten at Indiana on Tuesday, but their RPI ranking of 3 will keep them in the mix for a #1 seed next Sunday if they can win the Big 10 tournament.  Missouri took care of business this week and beat Iowa St. at home 78-72.  The Tigers are the #2 seed in the Big 12 tournament and would like nothing more than a rubber match with rival Kansas.  Duke's very solid, but very unsual season continued Saturday night in another home loss, this time to North Carolina.  While Duke was 8-0 on the road in the ACC, they were only 5-3 at home. The Blue Devils must get more consistent play inside from the Plumlee brothers & Ryan Kelly, as they have become reliant on the three-point shot.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Indiana

Marquette had their five game winning streak snapped at Cincinnati on Tuesday, but bounced back with a solid 83-69 win over #12 Georgetown.  They enter the Big East tournament as the #2 seed, and receive a double-bye into the quarterfinals.  Georgetown handled #19 Notre Dame at home, but lost at Marquette Saturday. They enter the Big East tournament as the #5 seed, but if they capture at least two wins - they should be safe for a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Ironically, Ohio St's win over Michigan St. gave Michigan a share of the Big 10 regular season title.  A #2 seed in the NCAA tournament is not out of the question if the Wolverines beat Ohio St. & Michigan St. on their way to a Big 10 tournament title.  Same goes for Indiana who beat Michigan St. & Purdue last week. They enter the Big 10 tournament as the #5 seed, but if they run the table, a #2 seed for the NCAA tourney is a possibility.

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Baylor, Florida St, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Temple, Murray St*, Wichita St, Florida

6 seeds: Notre Dame, UNLV, Louisville, Iowa St.

7 seeds: Creighton*, New Mexico, St. Marys, Kansas St.

8 seeds: Gonzaga, Purdue, Memphis, San Diego St.

9 seeds: Cincinnati, St. Louis, S. Miss, Washington

10 seeds: Long Beach St, West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia

11 seeds: UConn, BYU, Texas, Drexel

12 seeds: California, South Florida, Colorado St, Northwestern/Seton Hall

13 seeds: Miami (FL)/VCU, Oral Roberts, Davidson, Harvard

14 seeds: Valparaiso, Belmont*, Nevada, Fairfield

15 seeds: Denver, Bucknell, Montana, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville*, Texas Arlington/Long Island

Last Four In:     Northwestern, Seton Hall, Miami (FL), VCU
First Four Out:  Iona, Xavier, Tennessee, Oregon
Next Four Out:  NC State, Dayton, Miss. St, Arizona

3/4/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is only 1 week away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team has won their conference tournament.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina

Both Syracuse & Kentucky finished their seasons 30-1. Syracuse is a lock for the East regional in Boston. Kentucky a lock for the South Regional in Atlanta.  Kansas continues to play their best basketball of the season and has won 8 straight.  North Carolina picked up a dominating road victory over Duke on Saturday.

2 seeds: Ohio St, Michigan St, Missouri, Duke

Ohio St. picked up two hard fought road wins this week.  Beating both Northwestern & Michigan State in the final seconds.  Their win over Michigan State dramatically helps their resume, which also includes a November win over Duke.  Michigan St. dominated the first half against the Buckeyes but fell in the final moments 72-70.  The Spartans were also beaten at Indiana on Tuesday, but their RPI ranking of 3 will keep them in the mix for a #1 seed next Sunday if they can win the Big 10 tournament.  Missouri took care of business this week and beat Iowa St. at home 78-72.  The Tigers are the #2 seed in the Big 12 tournament and would like nothing more than a rubber match with rival Kansas.  Duke's very solid, but very unsual season continued Saturday night in another home loss, this time to North Carolina.  While Duke was 8-0 on the road in the ACC, they were only 5-3 at home. The Blue Devils must get more consistent play inside from the Plumlee brothers & Ryan Kelly, as they have become reliant on the three-point shot.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Indiana

Marquette had their five game winning streak snapped at Cincinnati on Tuesday, but bounced back with a solid 83-69 win over #12 Georgetown.  They enter the Big East tournament as the #2 seed, and receive a double-bye into the quarterfinals.  Georgetown handled #19 Notre Dame at home, but lost at Marquette Saturday. They enter the Big East tournament as the #5 seed, but if they capture at least two wins - they should be safe for a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Ironically, Ohio St's win over Michigan St. gave Michigan a share of the Big 10 regular season title.  A #2 seed in the NCAA tournament is not out of the question if the Wolverines beat Ohio St. & Michigan St. on their way to a Big 10 tournament title.  Same goes for Indiana who beat Michigan St. & Purdue last week. They enter the Big 10 tournament as the #5 seed, but if they run the table, a #2 seed for the NCAA tourney is a possibility.

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Baylor, Florida St, Vanderbilt

5 seeds: Temple, Murray St*, Wichita St, Florida

6 seeds: Notre Dame, UNLV, Louisville, Iowa St.

7 seeds: Creighton*, New Mexico, St. Marys, Kansas St.

8 seeds: Gonzaga, Purdue, Memphis, San Diego St.

9 seeds: Seton Hall, St. Louis, S. Miss, Washington

10 seeds: Long Beach St, West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia

11 seeds: Cincinnati, BYU, Texas, Drexel

12 seeds: California, South Florida, Colorado St, Northwestern/UConn

13 seeds: Miami (FL)/VCU, Oral Roberts, Davidson, Harvard

14 seeds: Valparaiso, Belmont*, Nevada, Fairfield

15 seeds: Denver, Bucknell, Montana, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville*, Texas Arlington/Long Island

Last Four In:     Northwestern, UConn, Miami (FL), VCU
First Four Out:  Iona, Xavier, Arizona, NC State
Next Four Out:  Oregon, Dayton, Miss. St, Tennessee

3/3/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is a little over 1 week away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team is new to the bracket.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan St.

Syracuse stands at an impressive 29-1 as they get ready to host #18 Louisville in their regular season finale. The Orange have already secured a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and will be placed in the Boston/East region. Kentucky is also 29-1 and travels to #13 Florida on Sunday. The Wildcats have locked up a #1 seed as well.  They will head to the Atlanta/Southeast region. Kansas beat Oklahoma St. on Monday night and clinched the outright Big 12 title. They finish up the regular season with a home game against Texas, who is the only team to beat the Jayhawks at home in the last four seasons. Michigan St. was beaten badly at #20 Indiana on Tuesday night, but can still clinch the outright Big 10 title with a win over Ohio St. on Sunday. While most brackets will push Michigan St. down to the #2 line, keep in mind that the committee will most likely reward the regular season champion - from the nation's best conference.  Also, the Spartans have played the second most difficult schedule in the nation this year.

2 seeds: Duke, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio St

Duke survived yet another home loss, by beating Virginia Tech in overtime on Saturday. Tuesday night they beat Wake Forest, now they come home to battle arch rival #6 UNC.  North Carolina took care of business at beating Maryland Wednesday, before traveling to Duke.  The ACC's crown will be on the line Saturday, and the winner will keep hopes alive for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Missouri lost two hard fought games last week to Kansas St. & Kansas, but showed that they will be a dangerous team come tournament time. The Tigers outlasted Iowa St on Wednesday and now travel to struggling Texas Tech.  Ohio St. picked up a hard fought win on the road at Northwestern. Now they travel to Michigan St. where a road win would give them a share of the Big 10 title and a likely #2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Baylor

Marquette lost at Cincinnati on Tuesday night but still has earned a impressive 13-4 Big East record. They host #12 Georgetown on Saturday, with the winner earning the #2 seed in the Big East tournament next week. Georgetown picked up a solid home win over Notre Dame on Monday night 59-41.  The win helped them keep pace for a #3 seed not only in the Big East tourney, but in the NCAA tournament as well.  Michigan lost their first home game of the season on Saturday to Purdue, but bounced back nicely with a solid road win at Illinois on Thursday. Saturday they visit Penn St. where a win would most likely lock up the #2 seed in Big 10 tournament.  Baylor faces Iowa St. on the road in their regular season finale.  This will be a key game for the Bears as they try to wrap up third place in the Big 12.  A loss would likely put Baylor on the #4 seed line for the big dance.

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Florida St.

5 seeds: Wichita St, Louisville, Florida, Temple

6 seeds: Notre Dame, UNLV, Murray St, San Diego St.

7 seeds: New Mexico, Gonzaga, St. Marys, Kansas St.

8 seeds: St. Louis, Purdue, Memphis, Iowa St

9 seeds: Seton Hall, Creighton, S. Miss, Washington

10 seeds: Long Beach St, West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia

11 seeds: California, BYU, Texas, Drexel

12 seeds: Cincinnati, South Florida, Colorado St. Northwestern/Arizona

13 seeds: Miami (FL)/Xavier*, Oral Roberts, Middle Tenn, Harvard

14 seeds: Valparaiso, Davidson, Iona, Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Montana*, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville, Texas Arlington/Wagner

Last Four In:     Northwestern, Arizona, Miami (FL), Xavier
First Four Out:  UConn, VCU,  St. Joseph's, Dayton
Next Four Out:  NC State, Miss. St, Oregon, Colorado

2/29/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is less than two weeks away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
* Indicates the team is new to the bracket.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan St.

Syracuse stands at an impressive 29-1 as they get ready to host #18 Louisville in their regular season finale. The Orange have already secured a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and will be placed in the Boston/East region. Kentucky enters the week 28-1 and hosts Georgia, then travels to #13 Florida. The Wildcats have locked up a #1 seed as well.  They will head to the Atlanta/Southeast region. Kansas beat Oklahoma St. on Monday night and clinched the outright Big 12 title. They finish up the regular season with a home game against Texas, who is the only team to beat the Jayhawks at home in the last four seasons. Michigan St. was beaten badly at #20 Indiana on Tuesday night, but can still clinch the outright Big 10 title with a win over Ohio St. on Sunday. While most brackets will push Michigan St. down to the #2 line, keep in mind that the committee will most likely reward the regular season champion - from the nation's best conference.  Also, the Spartans have played the second most difficult schedule in the nation this year.

2 seeds: Duke, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio St

Duke survived yet another home loss, by beating Virginia Tech in overtime on Saturday. Tuesday night they beat Wake Forest, now they come home to battle arch rival #6 UNC.  North Carolina has a home game against Maryland Wednesday, before traveling to Duke.  The ACC's crown will be on the line Saturday, and the winner will keep hopes alive for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.  Missouri lost two hard fought games last week to Kansas St. & Kansas, but showed that they will be a dangerous team come tournament time. They host Iowa St on Wednesday then travel to struggling Texas Tech.  Ohio St. has began to struggle, losing 3 of 5.  They must regroup quickly as this week they have trips to Northwestern, and Michigan St.  Buckeyes must split the pair or will likely be looking at a 3 seed come March 11.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Baylor

Marquette continues their impressive stretch, winning 12 of 13 games and are poised to jump Ohio St and reach the #2 seed line.  This week will test the Golden Eagles as they travel to bubble bound Cincinnati, then host #12 Georgetown. If Marquette can win at least 1 of those two games, they will be the #2 seed in the Big East tourney. Georgetown picked up a solid home win over Notre Dame on Monday night 59-41.  The win helped them keep pace for a #3 seed not only in the Big East tourney, but in the NCAA tournament as well.  Michigan lost their first home game of the season on Saturday to Purdue, and have two road games this week to close out their Big 10 schedule - at struggling Illinois & at Penn St. If Michigan wins both games, they will likely be the #2 seed in the Big 10 tournament next week.  Baylor faces Iowa St. on the road in their regular season finale.  This will be a key game for the Bears as they try to wrap up third place in the Big 12.  A loss would likely put Baylor on the #4 seed line for the big dance.

4 seeds: Wisconsin, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Florida St.

5 seeds: Wichita St, Louisville, Florida, Notre Dame

6 seeds: Temple, New Mexico, Murray St, San Diego St.

7 seeds: UNLV, Gonzaga, St. Marys, Kansas St.

8 seeds: St. Louis, Purdue, Memphis, Iowa St

9 seeds: Seton Hall, Creighton, S. Miss, Washington

10 seeds: Long Beach St, West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia

11 seeds: California, BYU, Texas, Drexel

12 seeds: Cincinnati, Miami (FL), St. Joseph's*, Northwestern/Arizona

13 seeds: South Florida/Colorado St*, Oral Roberts, Middle Tenn, Harvard

14 seeds: Valparaiso, Davidson, Iona, Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Montana*, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville, Texas Arlington/Wagner

Last Four In:     Northwestern, Arizona, South Florida, Colorado St.
First Four Out:  UConn, Xavier, Dayton, VCU
Next Four Out:  NC State, Miss. St, Oregon, Colorado

2/27/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is only two weeks away.
We will be updating the bracket daily during this stretch.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Michigan St, Kansas

Syracuse stands at an impressive 29-1 has the get ready to host #18 Louisville in their regular season finale. Kentucky enters the week 28-1 and hosts Georgia then travels to #13 Florida.  Michigan St. has already clinched at least a tie for the Big 10 title. The Spartans visit #20 Indiana Tuesday night, then hosts #11 Ohio St Sunday.  Kansas beat Oklahoma St. on Monday night and clinched the outright Big 12 title.  They finish up the regular season with a home game against Texas, who is the only team to beat them at home in the last four seasons.

2 seeds: Missouri, Duke, North Carolina, Ohio St

Missouri lost two hard fought games last week to Kansas St. & Kansas, but showed that they will be a dangerous team come tournament time. They host Iowa St on Wednesday then travel to a struggling Texas Tech.  Duke survived yet another home loss, by beating Virginia Tech in overtime on Saturday.  This week they travel to Wake Forest, then come home to battle #6 UNC.  North Carolina has a home game against Maryland Wednesday, before traveling to rival Duke.  The ACC's crown will be on the line Saturday, and the winner will keep hopes alive for a #1 seed in the tournament.  Ohio St. has began to struggle, losing 3 of 5.  They muste regroup quickly as this week they have trips to a hungry Northwestern, and Michigan St.  Buckeyes must split the pair or will likely be looking at a 3 seed come March 11.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Baylor

Marquette continues their impressive stretch, winning 12 of 13 games.  This week will test the Golden Eagles as they travel to bubble bound Cincinnati, then host #12 Georgetown. If Marquette can win at least 1 of two games, they will be the #2 seed in the Big East tourney. Georgetown picked up a solid home win over Notre Dame on Monday night 59-41.  The win helped them keep pace for a #3 seed not only in the Big East tourney, but in the NCAA tournament.

4 seeds: Florida St, Wisconsin, Florida, Notre Dame

5 seeds: Wichita St, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Indiana

6 seeds: Temple, New Mexico, Murray St, San Diego St.

7 seeds: UNLV, Gonzaga, St. Marys, Kansas St.

8 seeds: St. Louis, Purdue, Memphis, Iowa St

9 seeds: Seton Hall, Creighton, S. Miss,Washington

10 seeds: UConn, West Virginia, Virginia, Alabama

11 seeds: California, BYU, Long Beach St, Drexel

12 seeds: Cincinnati, Miami (FL), Texas, Xavier/Northwestern

13 seeds: Arizona/South Florida, Oral Roberts, Middle Tenn, Harvard

14 seeds: Valparaiso, Davidson, Iona, Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Weber St, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville, Texas Arlington/Wagner

Last Four In:  Xavier, Northwestern, Arizona, South Florida
First Four Out:  Colorado St, St. Joseph's, NC State, Dayton
Next Four Out: UCF, VCU, Oregon, George Mason

2/20/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is only three weeks away.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.

Our bracket features:
"Why They're In" analysis - Last 4 teams in: S. Florida, Arizona, Miami, St. Joseph's
"Why They're Out" analysis - First 4 teams out: NC State, Alabama, UConn, Colorado St.
(Let us know what you think of our blog via comments)

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan St.

Syracuse had another impressive week, winning two road games at Louisville and at Rutgers. This week they host upstart South Florida, then travel to a desperate UConn team on Saturday. At 27-1 Syracuse is a lock for a 1 seed come Selection Sunday. Kentucky, also a lock for a 1 seed, enters a challenging stretch in their schedule.  Tuesday they travel to Miss. St who is need of a marquee win.  Then on Saturday Vanderbilt comes to town.  Looming is a March 4 trip to Florida. Even though the league is just about wrapped up, look for Kentucky to pick up a loss or two before the end of the regular season. If Missouri is to win the Big 12 and receive a top seed come Selection Sunday, this week will be the week the heavy lifting was done. Up first on Tuesday, Missouri looks for payback against Kansas St. who beat them by 16 earlier in the year on the road.  Then the border war game with a Kansas team looking for revenge.  Kansas is a perfect 15-0 at home this year, and with Missouri moving to the SEC next year, this game carries with it a lot of bragging rights. Michigan St. had another superb week and sits alone atop the Big 10 standings after beating Wisconsin and Purdue this past week. This week will be the calm before the storm for the Spartans.  They travel to Minnesota to face a reeling Gophers team, then host Nebraska.  On the horizon, a trip to Indiana and a visit from Ohio St.

2 seeds: Kansas, Ohio St, Duke, North Carolina

Kansas collected a very solid road win at Kansas St. and beat up on a struggling Texas Tech team last week.  This week they have somewhat of a trap game visit to Texas A&M Wednesday, before the huge showdown with Missouri.  Missouri typically plays a four guard lineup, while Kansas has two of the best big men in the country in Thomas Robinson and improved Jeff Withey. The key to this matchup will be Kansas' patience in feeding the ball inside.  Since their first matchup when Missouri held Withey scoreless, he has averaged an outstanding 18ppg. Ohio St. picked up a road split last week, beating Minnesota, but losing to rival Michigan 66-61. Ohio St. has struggled recently from 3-point range and were 3-16 for 18% against Michigan Saturday. The Buckeyes need to get more touches inside with All American Jared Sullinger, and rely less on perimeter shooting.  Ohio St. has two home games this week Illinois & Wisconsin. Duke overcame a 20 point deficeit in the second half to beat N.C. State on Thursday night and dismantled an undermatched Boston College team Sunday.  This Thursday Duke travels to Florida St in a huge ACC battle. Both teams enter the game with a 10-2 conference record, and the winner will be in the driver's seat. North Carolina picked up two wins last week beating bubble bound Miami and Clemson. This week UNC has two tough road games against two bubble teams in need of signature victories - NC State & Virginia.  UNC has struggled on the road at times this year, and may very well end up with a split this week.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Michigan, Florida St.

4 seeds: Florida, Notre Dame, Baylor, Wisconsin

5 seeds: Louisville, Wichita St, Vanderbilt, Temple

6 seeds: Indiana, New Mexico, Murray St, San Diego St.

7 seeds: UNLV, Gonzaga, St. Marys, St. Louis

8 seeds: West Virgina, S. Miss, Seton Hall, Kansas St.

9 seeds: Iowa St, Harvard, California, Creighton

10 seeds: BYU, Memphis, Purdue, Virginia

11 seeds: Washington, Cincinnati, Texas, Long Beach St

12 seeds: Northwestern, Xavier, Miss. St, South Florida/Arizona

13 seeds: Miami (FL)/St. Joseph's, Oral Roberts, Middle Tenn, Drexel

14 seeds: Cleveland St, Davidson, Iona, Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Weber St, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville, Texas Arlington/Wagner


Last Four In:  South Florida, Arizona, Miami (FL), St. Joseph's

Why They're In:
South Florida beat Pittsburgh Sunday night get their 10th Big East win of the year.  In a year when so many major conference bubble teams will finish 9-9, the Bulls have a realistic shot at 11-7 or 12-8.  That win total will likely be enough for their first NCAA tournament selection since 1992.  Arizona has three remaining games against inferior competition and will finish the year 13-5 in the Pac12 and 22-9 overall.  A win or two in the conference tournament will be crucial for a team that made the elite 8 last year.  Miami (FL) continues to sit squarely on the bubble after missing out on a chance last week at home to UNC.  This week they travel to Maryland in a must win game, then host Florida St.  NC State, Virginia and Miami are all 7-5 in the ACC.  Whichever team can break away and finish 4th in the league will be a lock.  St. Joseph's has a very sneaky good profile.  The question remains whether the Atlantic 10 conference will be strong enough to get 4 teams in the tournament.  They sit behind Temple, St. Louis & Xavier in the pecking order. Saturday they host Temple in what is essentially a win or go home game for the Hawks.

First Four Out:  N.C. State, Alabama, UConn, Colorado St.

Why They're Out:
N.C. State blew a 20 point lead on the road at Duke on Thursday and followed that up with an uninspired effort at home vs. Florida St.  They must regroup quickly because all can be made well if they can beat UNC at home on Tuesday. Alabama is in a free-fall.  At 6-6 in the SEC there is no margin for error left.  They have a solid computer profile with an RPI of 38, but have lost 6 of their last 9 games. Thursday's game at Arkansas may determine their fate.  While most of the media has given up on UConn, history tells us that a team with an RPI of 21 this late in the year has a very good shot to get in the tournament.  UConn sits at 6-8 in the Big East so they are going to have to win 3 of 4 to get to the magical .500 mark.  On Monday they travel to Villanova and Saturday they host #2 Syracuse.  Colorado St. is another team with an outstanding RPI ranking of 36, but their resume is mostly a fraud.  Their lone top 75 RPI win was a home win against San Diego St.  The committee will need more than that for a selection. The Rams will have a chance to prove their worth as they get a visit from red hot New Mexico on Tuesday night.  Saturday they travel to San Diego St.  A split is a must.

Next Four Out: VCU, LSU, Dayton, George Mason

2/18/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is a little over three weeks away.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.

Our bracket features:
"Why They're In" analysis - Last 4 teams in: Alabama, UConn, Xavier, Miami
"Why They're Out" analysis - First 4 teams out: Illinois, S. Florida, Arizona, St. Joes
Also, we break down each team with a 1 through 4 seed.
(Let us know what you think of our blog via comments)

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan St.

Syracuse had an impressive road win Monday night at Louisville, even though they made one field goal outside of the key.  An amazing statistic which shows how dominant they can be defensively. Sunday the Orange visit Rutgers, a place they typically struggle.  Kentucky had a dominant win over Florida and a gut check road win at Vanderbilt Saturday.  They have only one game this week, home to Ole Miss - remember John Callipari has never lost at home during his time at Kentucky.  Missouri got revenge on Oklahoma St this week, and travels to Texas A&M on Saturday. Michigan St. had one of the impressive wins of the season, holding Ohio St to 26% shooting in Columbus last week.  Wednesday night they dominated a solid Wisconsin team.  Tom Izzo is doing what he always does, preparing his team for a run in March.

2 seeds: Ohio St,  Kansas, Duke, North Carolina

Ohio State bounced back from their Michigan St. loss with a solid road win at Minnesota.  Saturday night they face rival Michigan. The Wolverines lack size inside, so Sullinger staying out of foul trouble could be the deciding factor.  Also, keep an eye on a great matchup of point guards - OSU's Aaron Craft (defensively) & Michigan's Trey Burke (offensively)  Kansas pulled out a hard fought win over state rival Kansas St. on Monday.  Saturday the Jayhawks have what amounts to a home scrimmage against a struggling Texas Tech team. Duke overcame a 20 point deficeit in the second half to beat N.C. State.  Duke has made a habit of great comebacks recently, including one at North Carolina, but one aspect lacking in Duke's overall play is their lack of interior defense. They rank only 81st in the country in total reboudning, and alarming stat for a possible Final Four threat.  North Carolina leads the nation in points per game (83.5) and rebounding (46), but is only 56th in field goal percentage at 46%.  Their lack of quality shooting from the perimeter is cause for concern when they play perimeter teams such as Duke.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Baylor, UNLV

Marquette has won 9 of 10 games, and stands at 10-3 in the Big East.  They travel to a very desperate UConn team on Saturday, a win their would set the Golden Eagles up for at least an impressive 13-5 conference record.  Georgetown suffered a hard fought loss in OT at Syracuse Wednesday, but definitely won't be penalized for their loss.  They face St. Johns and Providence this week, before embarking on a tough season closing stretch.  Baylor has a great record (21-4) and a great RPI (7), but they have missed out on signature wins losing both games to Kansas & Missouri.  They face two likely tournament teams in Iowa St & Kansas St - both at home this week.  UNLV picked up a crucial road win at San Diego St on Saturday.  They are a team that is very quietly 22-4 and has solid wins over North Carolina, Illinois, Cal, Nevada, New Mexico & SDSU.  A always difficult visit to The Pitt (@ New Mexico) awaits them on Saturday.

4 seeds: Louisville, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame

Louisville has won 8 of their last 10 games and came up one point short vs. Syracuse on Monday.  Michigan picked up a solid win over Illinois on Sunday, and now prepares for a huge Saturday night showdown with Ohio St.  Michigan has not lost at home all year and with a win would climb to second place in the Big 10.  Wisconsin was dominated by Michigan St. on Wednesday, but have a chance to get back on track against struggling Penn St. on Sunday.  A very favorable schedule the rest of the way will have Wisconsin no worse than a four seed come Selection Sunday. Notre Dame continues to be one of the hottest teams in the country, and the fact that they weren't ranked last week shows how flawed the polls really are.  In the last four weeks they have beaten: Syracuse, Seton Hall, Marquette & West Virginia.  Early season struggles are forgiven after that stretch.

5 seeds: Florida St, Indiana,Vanderbilt, Florida

6 seeds: Temple, San Diego St, New Mexico, Wichita St.

7 seeds: Gonzaga, St. Marys, S. Miss, Memphis

8 seeds: West Virgina, Virginia, St. Louis, Murray St.

9 seeds: Seton Hall, Miss. St, Iowa St, BYU

10 seeds: California, Harvard, Purdue, N.C. State

11 seeds: Texas, Creighton, Washington, Kansas St.

12 seeds: Northwestern, Cincinnati, Alabama/UConn, Xavier/Miami (FL)

13 seeds: Middle Tenn, VCU, Long Beach St, Oral Roberts

14 seeds: Cleveland St, Davidson, Loyola (MD), Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Weber St, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville, Texas Arlington/Wagner


Last Four In:  Alabama, UConn, Xavier, Miami (FL)

Why they are in:
Alabama sat three of its best players for disciplinary reasons in a losses @ LSU and Florida but they should be back soon to provide much needed help.  The Tide are in the bracket because of their solid wins agains Wichita St, Purdue, VCU & Arkansas, as well as a strong RPI of 39.  UConn is another team with a very strong RPI 21, which is something weighed heavily by the selection committee.  Their 6-7 Big East conference record has them squarely on the bubble, but their wins over Fla. St, Arkansas, Harvard, South Florida, Seton Hall, West Virginia & Notre Dame are too good to keep out of the bracket.  Xavier sits at 7-4 in the A-10, but has a manageable closing stretch.  They have a lot of work still left to do, but their resume does contain solid wins over Vanderbilt, Purdue & Cincinnati.  Miami (FL) will continue to hang its hat on their huge road win against Duke.  Their RPI of 45 positions them nicely, as long as they can finish 9-7 in the ACC.  They missed on a big chance to solidify a spot when they lost to North Carolina at home Wednesday night.

First Four Out:  Illinois, South Florida, Arizona, St. Joseph's

Why they are out:
Illinois is 5-8 in the Big 10 and will need to scrap out at least 9-9 to have a shot.  They have a decent  RPI of 56 and a wins over Mich. St & Ohio St, but ultimately will need to get to .500 in the league to get in. South Florida is 1-6 against top 50 RPI teams, and with this lack of quality wins they will need to get to 11-7 in the Big East and hope that is good enough. Arizona is playing their best basketball of the year, winning five in a row, including a big road win at conference leader Cal.  If they get to 12-6 or 13-5 in the Pac12, the committee will most likely vote them in.  This is a team that has a very good chance to be playing in Dayton at the First Four.  St. Joseph's is a team that is quietly putting together a solid year.  An RPI of 50 and wins over Creighton & Dayton will keep them on the bubble.  Their Feb. 25 home date with Temple will likely decide their tournament fate.

Next Four Out: Minnesota, Ole Miss, Dayton, Colorado St

2/13/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is four weeks away.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.

Our bracket features:
"Why They're In" analysis for the Last 4 teams in: Alabama, UConn, Xavier, Miami
"Why They're Out" analysis for the Last 4 teams out: Northwestern, South Florida, Arkansas, Colorado St
Also, we break down each team with a 1 through 4 seed.
(Let us know what you think of our blog via comments)

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan St.

Syracuse had another very impressive week beating rival Georgetown in an overtime thriller, then handling UConn at home on Saturday before over 33,430 fans.  They now face a red-hot Louisville team on the road Monday night. Sunday the Orange visit Rutgers, a place they typically struggle.  Kentucky had a dominant win over Florida and a gut check road win at Vanderbilt Saturday.  They have only one game this week, home to Ole Miss - remember John Callipari has never lost at home during his time at Kentucky.  Missouri survived a road trap game at Oklahoma on Monday and buried Baylor over the weekend.  Their route of Baylor was suprising considering 3 of Missouri's last 4 wins have been by 3 points or less.  Michigan St. had one of the impressive wins of the season, holding Ohio St to 26% shooting in Columbus.  They ended the Buckeyes 39 games home win streak, but they must re-focus quickly with Wisconsin coming to town on Thursday. 

2 seeds: Ohio St,  Kansas, Duke, North Carolina

Ohio State lost their first home game since Feb 17, 2010 nearly two years ago.  They were only 2-15 (13%)  from 3pt range against Michigan St, and shoot a below average of 33% from 3pt range for the year.  While Jared Sullinger gets the headlines, their tournament fate will be determined by the outside shooting of William Buford & Deshaun Thomas.  Kansas rebounded nicely from last weeks tough loss at Missouri, and beat Baylor on the road, then dominated Ok. St.  Monday night they visit the Octagon of Doom (@ K-State) in what should be an all out battle. Duke overcame a 12 point deficeit with just under three minutes to go at North Carolina on Wednesday.  Austin Rivers' buzzer beater three-pointer moved Duke into a tie for the ACC lead, and a very manageable schedule the rest of the way has Duke back at the 2 seed line.  North Carolina leads the nation in points per game (83.5) and rebounding (46), but is only 56th in field goal percentage at 46%.  Their lack of quality shooting from the perimeter is cause for concern when they play perimeter teams such as Duke.

3 seeds: Marquette, Georgetown, Baylor, UNLV

Marquette has won 9 of 10 games, and stands at 10-3 in the Big East.  They travel to a very desperate UConn team on Saturday, a win their would set the Golden Eagles up for at least an impressive 13-5 conference record.  Georgetown suffered a hard fought loss in OT at Syracuse Wednesday, but definitely won't be penalized for their loss.  They face St. Johns and Providence this week, before embarking on a tough season closing stretch.  Baylor has a great record (21-4) and a great RPI (7), but they have missed out on signature wins losing both games to Kansas & Missouri.  They face two likely tournament teams in Iowa St & Kansas St - both at home this week.  UNLV picked up a crucial road win at San Diego St on Saturday.  They are a team that is very quietly 22-4 and has solid wins over North Carolina, Illinois, Cal, Nevada, New Mexico & SDSU.  A always difficult visit to The Pitt (@ New Mexico) awaits them on Saturday.


4 seeds: Louisville, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame

Louisville enters Monday's big matchup against #2 Syracuse winning 8 of their last 9 games.  The Cardinals have beat Syracuse their last four trips to Louisville.  The Orange must beware.  Michigan picked up a solid win over Illinois on Sunday, and now prepares for a huge Saturday night showdown with Ohio St.  Michigan has not lost at home all year and with a win would climb to second place in the Big 10.  Wisconsin outlasted Minnesota in OT on the road last week, and now prepares for a tough battle in against Michigan St. Thursday. At 8-4 in the Big 10, if Wisconsin has any hope to win the league, they must beat the Spartans.  Notre Dame continues to be one of the hottest teams in the country, and the fact that they weren't ranked last week shows how flawed the polls really are.  In the last four weeks they have beaten: Syracuse, Seton Hall, Marquette & West Virginia.  Early season struggles are forgiven after that stretch.

5 seeds: Florida St, Indiana, Vanderbilt, Florida

6 seeds: Temple, San Diego St, Iowa St, Wichita St.

7 seeds: Gonzaga, St. Marys, S. Miss, Memphis

8 seeds: Miss. St, Virginia, California, Murray St.

9 seeds: St. Louis, N.C. State, New Mexico, Kansas St

10 seeds: BYU, Harvard, Seton Hall, West Virginia

11 seeds: Purdue, Creighton, Washington, Illinois

12 seeds: Texas, Minnesota, Alabama/UConn, Xavier/Miami (FL)

13 seeds: Middle Tenn, VCU, Long Beach St, Oral Roberts

14 seeds: Cleveland St, Davidson, Loyola (MD), Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Weber St, Akron

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Miss Valley St/UNC Asheville, Texas Arlington/Wagner


Last Four In: Alabama, UConn, Xavier, Miami (FL)

Why they are in:
Alabama sat three of its best players for disciplinary reasons in a loss @ LSU, but they should be back for their big matchup with Florida on Tuesday.  The Tide are in the bracket because of their solid wins agains Wichita St, Purdue, VCU & Arkansas, as well as a strong RPI of 32.  UConn is another team with a very strong RPI 21, which is something weighed heavily by the selection committee.  Their 5-7 Big East conference record has them squarely on the bubble, but their wins over Fla. St, Arkansas, Harvard, South Florida, Seton Hall, West Virginia & Notre Dame are too good to keep out of the bracket.  Xavier sits at 7-4 in the A-10, but has a manageable closing stretch.  They have a lot of work still left to do, but their resume does contain solid wins over Vanderbilt, Purdue & Cincinnati.  Miami (FL) will continue to hang its hat on their huge road win against Duke.  Their RPI of 37 positions them nicely, as long as they can finish 9-7 in the ACC.  They have a big opportunity to solidify their spot in the dance when UNC comes to town Wednesday.

First Four Out: Northwestern, South Florida, Arkansas, Colorado St

Why they are out:
Northwestern is 5-7 in the Big 10 and will need to scrap out at least 9-9 to have a shot.  They have a strong RPI of 37 and a win over Mich. St, but ultimately will need to get to .500 in the league to get in. South Florida is 1-6 against top 50 RPI teams, and with this lack of quality wins they will need to get to 11-7 in the Big East and hope that is good enough. Arkansas has solid home wins over Miss. St, Michigan, & Vanderbilt, but has been absolutely brutal on the road.  They currently don't have any road wins, including losses at LSU & Georgia.  Upcoming road trips to Tenn & Auburn are now must wins. Colorado St. has a very good RPI of 30, but only truly has one win over a tournament team - San Diego St.  They will be a tough call for the committee, because they will likely finish fourth in the eight team Mountain West.  With home games against Wyoming, New Mexico & UNLV remaining, the Rams control their own destiny.

Next Four Out: Cincinnati, St. Joseph's, Wyoming, Arizona

2/6/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is five weeks away.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11.
New to the blog this week: "Why They're In" analysis for the Last 4 teams in: NC State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh & St. Joseph's.  As usual, we break down each team with a 1 through 4 seed.

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Ohio St, Missouri

Syracuse crushed St. Johns at Madison Square Garden on Saturday in a warm-up for two big home games against Georgetown & UConn this week.  Kentucky continues to dominate lower-tier SEC teams, but their schedule gets considerably tougher as Florida comes to Rupp, and the Cats travel to Vandy Saturday.  Upset pick of the week: Look for Vandy to pull off the upset.  Ohio St. picked up a very solid road win at Wisconsin on Saturday, a place where they hadn't won since 2000.  Missouri beat Kansas in an emotional thriller on Saturday night, but better not look past Oklahoma in Norman on Monday.

2 seeds: North Carolina, Kansas, Michigan St, Baylor

North Carolina picked up two road wins against Wake & Maryland last week.  This week they welcome Duke & Virginia to Chapel Hill. Kansas battled Missouri down to the wire Saturday night, but does not have time to sulk because they face Baylor on the road Wednesday. Michigan St. improved to 7-3 in the Big 10, and will travel to Ohio St. on Saturday night in a huge conference battle. Baylor quietly picked up two road wins this week at Texas A&M and Ok. St.  Next week will go a long way to determine their seeding as they welcome Kansas to town, then travel to Missouri.

3 seeds: Duke, Florida, UNLV, Florida St

While it may seem odd, Duke is simply not deserving of anything better than a 3 seed. They haven't beat a team in the top 35 of the RPI since the first week of December and historically teams that earn 1 & 2 seeds in March don't lose at home twice during conference play very often.  Florida has won 7 in a row, but will now face the meat of their SEC schedule, starting with a trip to Kentucky on Tuesday. UNLV lost at the buzzer to Wyoming on Saturday, but will get a chance to bounce back when San Diego St comes to town this week.  As I've said before, their neutral court win over North Carolina will keep them in the hunt for a very impressive seed.  Florida St. is one of the hottest teams in the country winning 7 in a row, beating North Carolina & Duke.  This week they travel to BC, then face the suddenly on the bubble Miami (FL) team.

4 seeds: St. Mary's, Marquette, Wisconsin, Vanderbilt

St. Mary's is 11-0 in an underrated West Coast Conference.  The Gaels will really have a chance to improve their seeding with a game at Gonzaga on Feb. 9 and a Bracketbusters trip to undefeated Murray St on Feb 18. Marquette was taken behind the wood shed by a hot Notre Dame team on Saturday, but still has an 8-3 Big East record, and a very manageable schedule the rest of the way. Wisconsin continues to be very stingy on defense, but is really struggling offensively of late. The Badgers are shooting only 22% from three point land in their last three games - not a good sign for a team that relies heavily on perimeter shooting.  Vanderbilt had a two loss week, but will have a chance to bounce back when they welcome Kentucky to town Saturday night.  This will be the type of game that can affect their seeding by 2-3 spots come March.

5 seeds: Creighton, Georgetown, Michigan, Murray St.

6 seeds: West Virginia, Indiana, Notre Dame, San Diego St

7 seeds: Iowa St, Wichita St, Temple, Miss. St

8 seeds: Louisville, Virginia, Harvard, Washington

9 seeds: Kansas St, Illinois, UConn, Alabama

10 seeds: California, Gonzaga, S. Miss, New Mexico

11 seeds: Memphis, Colorado St, Purdue, BYU

12 seeds: Oral Roberts, Minnesota, St. Louis, Davidson

13 seeds: NC State/Ole Miss, Pittsburgh/St. Joseph's, Middle Tenn, VCU

14 seeds: Cleveland St, Iona, Long Beach St, Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Weber St, Ohio

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Vermont, Southern Univ/Coastal Carolina, Lamar/Wagner


Last Four In: NC State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, St. Joseph's

Why they are in:
NC State has wins over fellow bubble teams Texas & Miami (FL) which have them in for now, but they have plenty of work to do.  Ole Miss also has wins over bubble teams Miami (FL), Arkansas & Miss. St, but will need to get a marquee win down the stretch to remain in the field.  Pittsburgh is probably the toughest team in the country to seed.  They started out 0-7 in the Big East, but then star point guard Tray Woodall returned from injury and Pitt has beat WVU & Georgetown in the past week.  With Woodall in the lineup the Panthers are 9-2 and a tournament team.  St. Joseph's has a very solid RPI of 45 & SOS of 28, which includes wins over Creighton, Dayton, Villanova & Drexel

First Four Out: Miami (FL), Wyoming, Xavier, Arkansas

Next Four Out: Northwestern, Seton Hall, UMass, Texas,

1/30/12 Bracket

Selection Sunday is six weeks away.
Here is the latest projection of what the field will be on March 11 -
(Not what the field would be if season ended today.)

Be sure to check out all the brackets in the Bracket Matrix: http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Ohio St, Duke

Syracuse bounced back from its first loss of the season with two good wins against Cincinnati & West Virginia. Kentucky picked up two road wins against lower tier SEC teams in Georgia & LSU. Ohio St. picked up a solid home win against rival Michigan. Duke outlasted Maryland on the road and held off a pesky St. Johns team on Saturday.

2 seeds: North Carolina, Kansas, Michigan St, Missouri

North Carolina beat NC State at home and routed Ga. tech on the road. Kansas who always struggles at Iowa St was the latest top team to see a court storming in person. Michigan St. quietly continues to improve and remains dominant at home in a strong Big 10 conference. Missouri fell on the road to Okla. St, but still can hang their hat on huge road win at Baylor last week.

3 seeds: UNLV, Florida, Baylor, Vanderbilt

UNLV continues to lead a underrated Mountain West Conference and their win over North Carolina in November will be huge for them come March. Florida is beginning to mesh and picked up a quality win over Miss. St on Saturday. Baylor rebounded from a tough last week to beat bubble bound Texas and Oklahoma this week. Vanderbilt continues to improve and schedule sets up nicely for at least third place in the SEC.

4 seeds: St. Mary's, Michigan, Marquette, Wisconsin

St. Mary's leads a deep West Coast Conference, their showdown at Gonzaga on Feb 9 will go a long way to determine their seed. Michigan showed toughness in Columbus Sunday, but will need to find a third scorer behind Hardway & Burke. Marquette has quietly climbed to second place after winning six in a row, but have a difficult closing schedule. Wisconsin has rebounded from a rough 0-3 conference start and has won 6 in a row.

5 seeds: Creighton, Florida St, West Virgina, Gonzaga

6 seeds: Murray St, UConn, San Diego St, Georgetown

7 seeds: Indiana, Virginia, Illinois, Miss. St

8 seeds: Louisville, Wichita St, Temple, California

9 seeds: Harvard, Kansas St, Purdue, Alabama

10 seeds: Washington, Iowa St, S. Miss, New Mexico

11 seeds: Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Colorado St, Minnesota

12 seeds: Oral Roberts, Dayton, Memphis, Davidson

13 seeds: NC State/Xavier, BYU/St. Louis, Middle Tenn, VCU

14 seeds: Cleveland St, Iona, Long Beach St, Nevada

15 seeds: Belmont, Bucknell, Weber St, Ohio

16 seeds: Norfolk St, Stony Brook, Southern Univ/Coastal Carolina, Lamar/Wagner



Last Four In: NC State, Xavier, BYU, St. Louis


First Four Out: Seton Hall, Texas, Oregon, Arkansas


Next Four Out: UMass, Stanford, S. Florida, Colorado

The First Bracket

1/22/2012

As March approaches, it's time to reveal my first bracket projection.
Note: This is a projection of how the teams will finish.
Each week I will also provide a breakdown of the top 12 teams in the bracket.

1 seeds: Syracuse, Kentucky, Ohio State, Kansas

Syracuse suffered their first loss at Notre Dame Saturday but their top 5 strength of schedule (SOS) still makes them the overall 1 seed. Kentucky held serve at home this week beating Arkansas and a pesky Alabama team. Ohio St finally found some rythm on the road beating Nebraska. Kansas had a big week dominating Baylor at home then holding off Texas in Austin.

2 seeds: Duke, Missouri, North Carolina, Michigan St.

Duke suffered its first home loss since 2009, but its strong SOS and RPI will keep it no lower than a 2 seed come tournament time. Missouri pulled off one of the nation's most impressive wins of the year by beating Baylor on the road. UNC rebounded from their blow-out loss at Florida St, with a win over the always on the bubble Virgina Tech Hokies. Michigan St lost a hard fought game at Michigan, but handly beat Purdue at home on Saturday.

3 seeds: Georgetown, Florida, Baylor, West Virginia

Georgetown shot only 29% from the field against Rutgers but still got the win. Florida is beginning to look like the second best team in the SEC with its balanced scoring. Baylor played two top 8 teams this week and lost both. West Virginia's big overtime win over Cincinnati and favorable schedule down the stretch gives them the last 3 seed.

4 seeds: Michigan, Vanderbilt, UNLV, UCONN

5 seeds: St. Marys, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Marquette

6 seeds: Creighton, Kansas St, San Diego St, Indiana

7 seeds: Alabama, Illinois, Louisville, Florida St

8 seeds: Purdue, Temple, Seton Hall, New Mexico

9 seeds: Texas, Cincinnati, Xavier, Stanford

10 seeds: Harvard, Virginia, Dayton, Davidson

11 seeds: Wichita St, Cleveland St, Iowa St, Miss. St

12 seeds: Minnesota, Oral Roberts, Marshall, California,

13 seeds: BYU, VCU, Oregon/Southern Miss, Northern Iowa/St. Louis

14 seeds: Nevada, Long Beach St, Ohio, Iona

15 seeds: Weber St, Belmont, Wagner, Bucknell

16 seeds: Texas Southern, Norfolk St, Stony Brook, Lamar, Denver, Coastal Carolina


Last Four IN: Oregon, Southern Miss, Northern Iowa, St. Louis

Last Four OUT: Notre Dame, NC State, Arkansas, Memphis


Be sure to check out my blog for updates and analysis later this week!