No surprise that Duke is the No. 1 overall seed in our first in-season bracket projection. The Blue Devils are joined on the top line by Ohio State, Pittsburgh, and Kansas. A strong group of No. 2 seeds includes Michigan State, Kansas State, Georgetown and Connecticut. Few teams have elevated their outlook more than the Huskies.
Keep in mind a couple of things. First, records reflect Division I games only (through games played Sunday, December 5). Games played against non-Division I teams are not considered part of a team’s NCAA resume. Second, it’s still very early. The bracket projection is based on both current results and future expectations. Some teams have yet to leave their home building, or play a quality opponent. It’s also important not to place too much importance on one win or loss. It’s safe to assume that the bracket will change and evolve as we head into conference play in January. For more bracket-related news, visit Bracketville.
Teams in CAPS reflect the those projected as conference champion (auto bid) for this bracket. Exceptions are made for those teams that traditionally use an abbreviation (UTEP, BYU, etc).
FIRST FOUR: In the new 68-team format, you will notice two games that represent the First Four pairings. In our opening bracket, the First Four games in Dayton would be ... Georgia vs. VCU | Cleveland State vs. St. Mary’s | Jackson State vs. Stephen F. Austin | Morgan State vs. Quinnipiac. 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.
BRACKET PROJECTION ...
| EAST - Newark | SOUTHEAST - New Orleans | |
| Charlotte | Cleveland | |
| 1) DUKE (8-0) | 1) OHIO STATE (6-0) | |
| 16) MORGAN ST / QUINNIPIAC | 16) JACKSONVILLE (5-1) | |
| 8 Arizona (7-1) | 8 Richmond (7-2) | |
| 9) OLD DOMINION (5-2) | 9) Louisville (6-0) | |
| Chicago | Denver | |
| 5) Baylor (6-0) | 5) Missouri (6-1) | |
| 12) West Virgina (5-2) | 12) New Mexico (5-1) | |
| 4) Illinois (8-1) | 4) Kentucky (5-2) | |
| 13) KENT STATE (6-2) | 13) CHARLESTON (6-3) | |
| Tampa | Tampa | |
| 6) Minnesota (7-1) | 6) BYU (8-0) | |
| 11) Florida State (6-2) | 11) Georgia / VCU | |
| 3) TENNESSEE (6-0) | 3) MEMPHIS (7-0) | |
| 14) OAKLAND (5-3) | 14) MURRAY STATE (3-4) | |
| Washington, DC | Charlotte | |
| 7) GONZAGA (4-3) | 7) North Carolina (5-3) | |
| 10) BUTLER (3-3) | 10) Washington State (5-1) | |
| 2) Connecticut (7-0) | 2) Georgetown (8-0) | |
| 15) COASTAL CAROLINA (4-2) | 15) VERMONT (6-1) | |
| SOUTHWEST - San Antonio | WEST - Anaheim | |
| Cleveland | Tulsa | |
| 1) PITTSBURGH (9-0) | 1) KANSAS (7-0) | |
| 16) AMERICAN (5-3) | 16) JACKSON ST / S.F. AUSTIN | |
| 8 TEMPLE (5-2) | 8 Wisconsin (6-2) | |
| 9) Northwestern (5-0) | 9) Miami-FL (6-2) | |
| Tucson | Denver | |
| 5) Texas (6-2) | 5) WASHINGTON (5-2) | |
| 12) Virginia (5-3) | 12) Cleveland State / St. Mary’s | |
| 4) UNLV (8-0) | 4) Villanova (6-1) | |
| 13) NORTH TEXAS (6-1) | 13) UTAH STATE (5-2) | |
| Washington, DC | Tucson | |
| 6) Purdue (7-1) | 6) Notre Dame (8-0) | |
| 11) Boston College (6-2) | 11) California (5-2) | |
| 3) Syracuse (8-0) | 3) SAN DIEGO STATE (7-0) | |
| 14) FAIRFIELD (4-3) | 14) WEBER STATE (2-3) | |
| Tulsa | Chicago | |
| 7) Vanderbilt (7-1) | 7) Florida (6-2) | |
| 10) WICHITA STATE (4-2) | 10) Texas A-M (6-1) | |
| 2) Kansas State (6-1) | 2) Michigan State (5-2) | |
| 15) UC-SANTA BARBARA (4-3) | 15) HARVARD (5-2) |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Duke is the No. 1 overall seed followed by Ohio State, Pittsburgh, and Kansas. The two seeds in order are Michigan State, Kansas State, Georgetown, and Connecticut.
Last Five teams in (at large): Virginia, VCU, St. Mary’s, Georgia, Cleveland State
First Five teams out (at large): Maryland, Xavier, Cincinnati, Marquette, Central Florida
Also Considered: Virginia Tech, NC State, Mississippi, UCLA, USC, Missouri State, St. John’s, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Northern Iowa, Tulsa, Rhode Island, Oklahoma State, Clemson, Indiana, Dayton, Akron, Southern Mississippi, Wofford, Appalachian State
Bracket adjustments: Texas AM, Louisville, West Virginia moved seed lines to avoid conference conflicts. BYU must be placed in Thursday-Saturday locations for all rounds.
Here is the team breakdown by Conference ...
Big East (8): PITTSBURGH, Georgetown, Connecticut, Syracuse, Villanova, Notre Dame, Louisville, West Virginia
Big Ten (7): OHIO STATE, Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern
ACC (6): DUKE, North Carolina, Florida State, Miami-FL, Boston College, Virginia
Big 12 (6): KANSAS, Kansas State, Missouri, Texas, Baylor, Texas A-M
SEC (5): TENNESSEE, Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Mountain West (4): SAN DIEGO STATE, UNLV, BYU, New Mexico
Pac 10 (4): WASHINGTON, Arizona, Washington State, California
Atlantic 10 (2): TEMPLE, Richmond
Colonial (2): OLD DOMINION, VCU
Conference USA (2): MEMPHIS, Central Florida
West Coast (2): GONZAGA, St. Mary’s
Horizon (2): BUTLER, Cleveland State
Missouri Valley (1): WICHITA STATE
Auto Bid conference champions ... Utah State (WAC), Murray State (OVC), Fairfield (MAAC), Kent State (MAC), Weber State (Big Sky), Charleston (Southern), Oakland (Summit), UC-Santa Barbara (Big West), Quinnipiac (NEC), Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun), North Texas (Sun Belt), Harvard (Ivy), Coastal Carolina (Big South), Morgan State (MEAC), American (Patriot), Vermont (America East), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Jackson State (SWAC)
