If you’ve ever watched The Masters golf tournament in early April, they refer to Saturday as Moving Day. It’s the day when golfers position themselves for a run at the Green Jacket.
In the world of college hoops, today and tomorrow are like Moving Day at selection headquarters. Teams on the proverbial NCAA tournament bubble will be trying to position themselves for a spot in the Field of 68. With as many as 13 spots still in question - to varying degrees - much could be decided between now and Saturday morning. It’s why hoop-heads love Championship Week almost as much as the tournament itself.
Quick notes about today’s (March 13) bracket update:
American joins the Field as the automatic qualifier from the Patriot League. Meanwhile, the Georgetown Hoyas’ hopes of an at-large berth received a serious jolt after an opening round loss to DePaul Wednesday night in Madison Square Garden. The Hoyas were among the First Five OUT yesterday and are further down the seed list today.
Inside the bracket, there were no other changes. Stanford survived against Washington State. Oregon, Baylor, and Oklahoma State all won opening round games in their league tournaments.
If you’re ready for Moving Day, the wait is over.
UPDATED: March 13, 2014 | 6:30 a.m. ET
Teams in CAPS represent the AUTOMATIC qualifier from their conference. Exceptions are made for teams that use an abbreviation (UCLA, BYU, etc).
Several new bracketing principles were introduced after last year’s tournament. You can read them for yourself at www.ncaa.com. For example: teams from the same conference may now meet before a Regional final, even if fewer than eight teams are selected. The goal is to keep as many teams as possible on their actual seed line.
FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS - Dayton (First Round)
- Nebraska vs. Tennessee | Midwest Region
- Xavier vs. BYU | South Region
- Texas Southern vs. Weber State | Midwest Region
- MT ST. MARY’S vs. COASTAL CAROLINA | East Region
BRACKET PROJECTION ...
SOUTH - Memphis | WEST - Anaheim | |
Orlando | San Diego | |
1) Florida | 1) Arizona | |
16) WOFFORD | 16) Utah Valley | |
8) Kansas State | 8) George Washington | |
9) Arizona State | 9) GONZAGA | |
Spokane | San Diego | |
5) Ohio State | 5) Oklahoma | |
12) BYU / Xavier | 12) Toledo | |
4) Louisville | 4) Michigan State | |
13) S.F. Austin | 13) NORTH DAKOTA ST | |
Buffalo | San Antonio | |
6) New Mexico | 6) Baylor | |
11) Dayton | 11) Stanford | |
3) Syracuse | 3) Creighton | |
14) MERCER | 14) UC-Irvine | |
Milwaukee | Raleigh | |
7) VCU | 7) Memphis | |
10) SMU | 10) Saint Joseph’s | |
2) Wisconsin | 2) Virginia | |
15) AMERICAN | 15) Stony Brook | |
EAST - New York | MIDWEST - Indianapolis | |
Buffalo | St. Louis | |
1) Villanova | 1) WICHITA STATE | |
16) CO CAROLINA / MT ST. MARY’S | 16) Weber State / Texas Southern | |
8) Oklahoma State | 8) Kentucky | |
9) Iowa | 9) Oregon | |
Spokane | Orlando | |
5) North Carolina | 5) Texas | |
12) Louisiana Tech | 12) HARVARD | |
4) San Diego State | 4) Duke | |
13) DELAWARE | 13) MANHATTAN | |
San Antonio | Raleigh | |
6) Massachusetts | 6) Saint Louis | |
11) Arkansas | 11) Tennessee / Nebraska | |
3) Iowa State | 3) Cincinnati | |
14) EASTERN KENTUCKY | 14) Georgia State | |
Milwaukee | St. Louis | |
7) Connecticut | 7) UCLA | |
10) Colorado | 10) Pittsburgh | |
2) Michigan | 2) Kansas | |
15) NC-Central | 15) MILWAUKEE |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Florida remains the overall No. 1 seed followed by Arizona, Wichita State, and Villanova.
Last Five teams in (at large): Stanford, Nebraska, Xavier, Tennessee, BYU
First Five teams out (at large): California, Minnesota, Missouri, St. John’s, Providence
Next five teams out (at large): Southern Miss, Green Bay, Florida State, Georgetown, Illinois
Breakdown by Conference ...
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma State
Pac 12 (6): Arizona, UCLA, Stanford, Arizona State, Oregon, Colorado
Atlantic 10 (6): Massachusetts, VCU, Saint Louis, George Washington, Saint Joseph’s, Dayton
Big Ten (6): Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska
ACC (5): Duke, Virginia, Syracuse, North Carolina, Pittsburgh
American (5): Louisville, Memphis, Connecticut, Cincinnati, SMU
SEC (4): Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee
Big East (3): Creighton, Villanova, Xavier
Mountain West (2): New Mexico, San Diego State
West Coast (2): GONZAGA, Brigham Young
Missouri Valley (1): Wichita State
Conference Automatic Qualifiers ... Louisiana Tech (C-USA), EASTERN KENTUCKY (Ohio Valley), Georgia State (Sun Belt), AMERICAN (Patriot), NORTH DAKOTA STATE (Summit), MILWAUKEE (Horizon), WOFFORD (Southern), Utah Valley (WAC), MANHATTAN (MAAC), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Toledo (MAC), MERCER (A-Sun), HARVARD (IVY), UC-Irvine (Big West), DELAWARE (Colonial), Stony Brook (American East), Weber State (Big Sky), NC-Central (MEAC), COASTAL CAROLINA (Big South), MOUNT ST. MARY’S (NEC), Texas Southern (SWAC)