Final Bracket Breakdown

FINAL PROJECTION

No. 1: Kentucky, Syracuse, North Carolina, Michigan State

No. 2: Kansas, Missouri, Ohio State, Duke

No. 3: Baylor, Marquette, Michigan, Louisville

No. 4: Vanderbilt, Florida State, Georgetown, Indiana

No. 5: Wisconsin, Wichita State, New Mexico, Temple

No. 6: San Diego State, Murray State, Florida, Memphis

No. 7: Cincinnati, Creighton, UNLV, Saint Mary’s

No. 8: Gonzaga, Notre Dame, Iowa State, Kansas State

No. 9: Purdue, Connecticut, Alabama, Saint Louis

No. 10: Harvard, Southern Miss, Colorado State, West Virginia

No. 11: Virginia, Texas, Xavier, VCU

No. 12: California, Long Beach State, Seton Hall, BYU, Drexel, Marshall

No. 13: Colorado, St. Bonaventure, Ohio, South Dakota State

No. 14: New Mexico State, Belmont, Davidson, Montana

No. 15: Loyola (Md.), LIU-Brooklyn, Lehigh, Detroit

No. 16: UNC-Asheville, Lamar, Norfolk State, Vermont, Mississippi Valley State, Western Kentucky

Breakdown by Conference

• ACC (4): North Carolina, Duke, Florida State, Virginia
• Big East (9): Syracuse, Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Connecticut, West Virginia, Seton Hall
• Big Ten (6): Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue
• Big 12 (6): Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas
• Pac-12 (2): Colorado, California
• SEC (4): Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Alabama
• Atlantic-10 (4): Temple, Saint Louis, Xavier, St. Bonaventure
• Colonial (2): VCU, Drexel
• Conference USA (3): Memphis, Southern Miss, Marshall
• Missouri Valley (2): Wichita State, Creighton
• Mountain West (4): New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Colorado State
• West Coast (3): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, BYU

One-Bid Conferences (19): America East (Vermont), Atlantic Sun (Belmont), Big Sky (Montana), Big South (UNC-Asheville), Big West (Long Beach State), Horizon (Detroit), Ivy (Harvard), MAC (Ohio), MAAC (Loyola MD), MEAC (Norfolk State), Northeast (LIU-Brooklyn), Ohio Valley (Murray State), Patriot (Lehigh), Southern (Davidson), Southland (Lamar), Summit (South Dakota State), Sun Belt (Western Kentucky), SWAC (Mississippi Valley State), WAC (New Mexico State)

• Last Four In: Seton Hall, BYU, Drexel, Marshall
• Last Four Out: NC State, South Florida, Mississippi State, Iona
• Next Four Out: Miami (Fl.), Washington, Dayton, Northwestern

Road to Selection Sunday

Happy Selection Sunday, folks. The most important date of the college basketball season is upon us. With fewer than six hours left until the NCAA Tournament is revealed, the Field of 68 is almost filled. If St. Bonaventure wins the Atlantic 10 tournament title later today, bubble teams across the nation will become even more nervous than they already are. The last two or three days of the major conference tournaments have made the teams going to the Big Dance up in the air, especially the last handful of spots.

Here's my breakdown of the tournament:

• ACC (3): North Carolina, Duke, Florida State
• Big East (7): Syracuse, Marquette, Louisville, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Connecticut
• Big Ten (6): Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue
• Big 12 (5): Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State
• Pac-10 (1): Colorado
• SEC (4): Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Alabama
• Atlantic-10 (3): Temple, Saint Louis, Xavier
• Conference-USA (1): Memphis
• Missouri Valley (2): Wichita State, Creighton
• Mountain West (3): New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV
• West Coast (2): Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga

Automatic bids from one-bid leagues: 20

That adds up to 57 teams, leaving 11 spots still open.

The teams likely to receive bids are:

• Southern Miss
• West Virginia
• Colorado State
• Virginia
• Texas

Therefore, the teams in the mix for those final six bids are:

• Miami (Fl.)
• North Carolina State
• South Florida
• Seton Hall
• Northwestern
• California
• Mississippi State
• BYU
• Drexel
• Washington
• Arizona
• Iona
• Marshall
• Dayton
• Oral Roberts

Who gets in? Check out my complete projected bracket at 5:00 PM to find out.

Ranking the bubble teams

AS OF MARCH 9, 2012 AT 6:10 P.M.

With so much bubble action in the past 48 hours, it’s time to reassess the situation at the cutline. Heading into the evening games on Friday, here is how we see the bubble situation.

Teams ahead of the bubble: Kansas State, Connecticut, Saint Louis, Virginia, Southern Miss

Teams not included until they lose: California, Long Beach State

• 1. Colorado State
• 2. West Virginia
• 3. Texas
• 4. BYU
• 5. Miami (Fl.)
• 6. Xavier
• 7. South Florida
• 8. Seton Hall
• 9. Drexel
• 10. North Carolina State

OUT – FOR NOW

• 11. Dayton
• 12. Mississippi State
• 13. Tennessee
• 14. Iona
• 15. Washington
• 16. Northwestern
• 17. Oral Roberts
• 18. Ole Miss
• 19. Oregon
• 20. Saint Joseph’s
• 21. Middle Tennessee
• 22. Arizona

Bracket Breakdown

AS OF MARCH 5, 2012

No. 1: Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas, North Carolina

No. 2: Duke, Michigan State, Ohio State, Missouri

No. 3: Marquette, Michigan, Baylor, Indiana

No. 4: Georgetown, Wisconsin, Temple, Wichita State

No. 5: UNLV, Murray State, Florida State, Creighton

No. 6: Vanderbilt, Louisville, Florida, Gonzaga

No. 7: San Diego State, Memphis, Notre Dame, New Mexico

No. 8: Saint Mary’s, Iowa State, Kansas State, Purdue

No. 9: Southern Miss, Saint Louis, Cincinnati, Alabama

No. 10: Virginia, Connecticut, West Virginia, California

No. 11: Mississippi State, Colorado State, Harvard, Seton Hall

No. 12: Xavier, Washington, Long Beach State, Northwestern, South Florida

No. 13: Miami (Fl.), VCU, Drexel, Oral Roberts, Nevada

No. 14: Belmont, Akron, Akron, Davidson, Denver

No. 15: Loyola (Maryland), Valparaiso, Bucknell, Montana

No. 16: LIU-Brooklyn, UT-Arlington, UNC-Asheville, Stony Brook, Mississippi Valley State, Savannah State

Breakdown by Conference

• ACC (5): North Carolina, Duke, Florida State, Virginia, Miami (Fl.)
• Big East (10): Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Connecticut, West Virginia, Seton Hall, South Florida
• Big Ten (7): Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue, Northwestern
• Big 12 (5): Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State
• Pac-12 (2): California, Washington
• SEC (5): Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi State
• Atlantic-10 (3): Temple, Saint Louis, Xavier
• Colonial (2): VCU, Drexel
• Conference USA (2): Memphis, Southern Miss
• Missouri Valley (2): Wichita State, Creighton
• Mountain West (4): UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico, Colorado State
• West Coast (2): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s

One-Bid Conferences (19): America East (Stony Brook), Atlantic Sun (Belmont), Big Sky (Montana), Big South (UNC-Asheville), Big West (Long Beach State), Horizon (Valparaiso), Ivy (Harvard), MAC (Akron), MAAC (Loyola MD), MEAC (Savannah State), Northeast (Long Island), Ohio Valley (Murray State), Patriot (Bucknell), Southern (Davidson), Southland (Texas Arlington), Summit (Oral Roberts), Sun Belt (Denver), SWAC (Mississippi Valley State), WAC (Nevada)

• Last Four In: Northwestern, South Florida, Miami (Fl.), VCU
• Last Four Out: Dayton, BYU, Texas, Oregon
• Next Four Out: Tennessee, NC State, Iona, Saint Joseph’s

Bracket Breakdown

AS OF MARCH 2, 2012

No. 1: Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke, Kansas

No. 2: Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Missouri

No. 3: Baylor, Michigan, Marquette, Georgetown

No. 4: Indiana, Wichita State, Wisconsin, Temple

No. 5: UNLV, Florida, Murray State, Florida State

No. 6: Gonzaga, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Creighton

No. 7: Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, Notre Dame, New Mexico

No. 8: Kansas State, Purdue, Memphis, Iowa State

No. 9: Alabama, Southern Miss, Saint Louis, Cincinnati

No. 10: Virginia, California, Harvard, Seton Hall

No. 11: Washington, Connecticut, Colorado State, Long Beach State

No. 12: West Virginia, Mississippi State, South Florida, Texas, BYU

No. 13: Xavier, Northwestern, Iona, Oral Roberts, Drexel

No. 14: Middle Tennessee, Nevada, Akron, Belmont

No. 15: Davidson, Valparaiso, Montana, Bucknell

No. 16: Texas-Arlington, LIU-Brooklyn, UNC-Asheville, Mississippi Valley State, Stony Brook, Savannah State

Breakdown by Conference

• ACC (4): Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia
• Big East (10): Syracuse, Marquette, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Connecticut, West Virginia, South Florida
• Big Ten (7): Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue, Northwestern
• Big 12 (6): Kansas, Missouri, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas
• Pac-12 (2): California, Washington
• SEC (5): Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Mississippi State
• Atlantic-10 (3): Temple, Saint Louis, Xavier
• Conference USA (2): Memphis, Southern Miss
• Missouri Valley (2): Wichita State, Creighton
• Mountain West (4): UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico, Colorado State
• West Coast (3): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, BYU

One-Bid Conferences (20): America East (Stony Brook), Atlantic Sun (Belmont), Big Sky (Monday), Big South (UNC-Asheville), Big West (Long Beach State), Colonial (Drexel), Horizon (Valparaiso), Ivy (Harvard), MAC (Akron), MAAC (Iona), MEAC (Savannah State), Northeast (Long Island), Ohio Valley (Murray State), Patriot (Bucknell), Southern (Davidson), Southland (Texas Arlington), Summit (Oral Roberts), Sun Belt (Middle Tennessee), SWAC (Mississippi Valley State), WAC (Nevada)

• Last Four In: Texas, BYU, Xavier, Northwestern
• Last Four Out: Dayton, Miami (Fl.), Arizona, Oregon
• Next Three Out: VCU, Saint Joseph’s, NC State