Butler is back in the Dance after winning the Horizon League championship Tuesday in Milwaukee. No sweating on Selection Sunday. As a result, Virginia Tech slides into the bracket update as the final at-large team in the Field of 68 - the Horizon will only receive one bid. As Va. Tech moves up, Michigan State climbs one spot on the s-curve and is no longer in the First Four in Dayton. We still have a lot to decide.
Villanova falls to a No. 9 seed after losing to South Florida in the first round of the Big East tournament. Villanova could get further passed and end up as low as a 10-seed by Sunday. Enjoy the hoops.
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 9 | Records reflect Division I games only - through March 8.
NEW: Teams in CAPS represent the AUTOMATIC bid champion for this bracket. Exceptions are made for those teams that traditionally use an abbreviation (UTEP, BYU, etc).
NOTE: In the new 68-team format you will notice two pairing games that represent the First Four pairings. In this bracket the First Four games in Dayton would be ... Alabama vs. Clemson | St. Mary’s vs. Virginia Tech | Texas Southern vs. McNeese State | UNC-ASHEVILLE vs. Bethune-Cookman. The final four at-large teams are paired along with the teams seeded 65-68 on the S-curve. The matchups are indicated in the bracket below.
Next Update: Friday, March 11.
BRACKET PROJECTION ...
EAST - Newark | SOUTHEAST - New Orleans | |
Cleveland | Cleveland | |
1) Ohio State (29-2) | 1) PITTSBURGH (27-4) | |
16) Beth-Cookman / UA-LITTLE ROCK | 16) McNeese State / Texas-Southern | |
8 UCLA (22-9) | 8 George Mason (26-6) | |
9) Villanova (21-11) | 9) Illinois (19-12) | |
Tampa | Tampa | |
5) Texas AM (22-7) | 5) Connecticut (21-9) | |
12) Alabama / Clemson | 12) Virginia Tech / St. Mary’s | |
4) Louisville (23-8) | 4) Florida (24-6) | |
13) Harvard (21-5) | 13) BELMONT (30-4) | |
Washington, DC | Denver | |
6) Vanderbilt (21-9) | 6) Temple (24-6) | |
11) Michigan (18-12) | 11) BUTLER (22-9) | |
3) Syracuse (25-6) | 3) Wisconsin (23-7) | |
14) WOFFORD (21-12) | 14) Kent State (20-10) | |
Charlotte | Tulsa | |
7) UNLV (23-7) | 7) Arizona (25-6) | |
10) GONZAGA (23-9) | 10) Marquette (19-13) | |
2) Duke (27-4) | 2) Texas (25-6) | |
15) Long Island (26-5) | 15) MOREHEAD STATE (23-9) | |
SOUTHWEST - San Antonio | WEST - Anaheim | |
Tulsa | Chicago | |
1) Kansas (28-2) | 1) Notre Dame (25-5) | |
16) Boston University (19-13) | 16) UNC-ASHEVILLE (16-13) | |
8 Utah State (27-3) | 8 OLD DOMINION (26-6) | |
9) Tennessee (18-13) | 9) Florida State (21-9) | |
Washington, DC | Tucson | |
5) Xavier (24-6) | 5) West Virginia (20-10) | |
12) UAB (22-7) | 12) Michigan State (16-13) | |
4) St. John’s (20-10) | 4) Kentucky (22-8) | |
13) ST. PETERS (20-13) | 13) OAKLAND (24-9) | |
Chicago | Charlotte | |
6) Cincinnati (24-7) | 6) Georgetown (21-9) | |
11) Boston College (19-11) | 11) Richmond (24-7) | |
3) Purdue (25-6) | 3) North Carolina (23-6) | |
14) INDIANA STATE (19-13) | 14) Bucknell (24-8) | |
Tucson | Denver | |
7) Missouri (21-9) | 7) Kansas State (20-9) | |
10) Georgia (20-10) | 10) Washington (20-10) | |
2) San Diego State (27-2) | 2) BYU (27-3) | |
15) Northern Colorado (18-10) | 15) Long Beach State (18-10) |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Ohio State remains the No. 1 overall seed followed by Pittsburgh, Kansas, and Notre Dame. The two seeds in order are Texas, Duke, BYU, San Diego State
Last Five teams in (at large): Michigan State, Clemson, St. Mary’s, Alabama, Virginia Tech
First Five teams out (at large): Colorado, VCU, Penn State, Missouri State, Washington State
Next in Line: Colorado State, New Mexico, Memphis, Baylor
Bracket adjustments: None in this update.
Here is the team breakdown by Conference ...
Big East (11): Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, West Virginia, Louisville, St. John’s, Cincinnati, Marquette
Big Ten (6): Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan
SEC (6): Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama
ACC (6): Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College, Clemson, Virginia Tech
Big 12 (5): Kansas, Texas, Texas AM, Missouri, Kansas State
Pac 10 (3): Arizona, UCLA, Washington
Mountain West (3): San Diego State, BYU, UNLV
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Colonial (2): OLD DOMINION, George Mason
West Coast (2): GONZAGA, St. Mary’s
Horizon (1): BUTLER
Conference USA (1): UAB
Missouri Valley (1): INDIANA STATE
Conference leaders/champions ... Utah State (WAC), MOREHEAD STATE (OVC), ST. PETERS (MAAC), Kent State (MAC), Northern Colorado (Big Sky), WOFFORD (Southern), OAKLAND (Summit), Long Beach State (Big West), Long Island (NEC), BELMONT (Atlantic Sun), ARK-LITTLE ROCK (Sun Belt), Harvard (Ivy), UNC-ASHEVILLE (Big South), Bethune-cookman (MEAC), Bucknell (Patriot), Boston University (America East), McNeese State(Southland), Texas Southern (SWAC)