Updated Projecting the field

[Unknøwn]

We're smack dab in the middle of NCAA Tournament at-large bid crunch time, boys and girls.

The four or five of the 34 at-large bids that, in reality, still haven't been sewn up are in play and waiting to be snapped up by candidates willing to do what it takes to win a game, or two, over the next few days of conference tournament action.

And things could get even messier if we have any more toppling of teams that were a cinch for a bid (Butler) once they were knocked out of their projected automatic bid (in the Horizon League) by a team (Cleveland State) that wouldn't have earned an at-large bid.

Brackets are updated through games of March 10.

Boston region

Seed Team Comment

at Philadelphia

1 Pittsburgh If the Panthers get to Big East final, they should lock up No. 1 overall seed

16 Alabama State Projected SWAC tourney winner

8 Butler The loss to Cleveland State pulled an at-large bid from the shallow pool

9 Wisconsin Badgers have won 7 of 9 in February and March

at Boise

5 Xavier Musketeers could get a rematch of 2008 Elite Eight loss to Bruins

12 VCU Team cruised in Colonial tourney

4 UCLA Bruins could climb to 3 seed with Pac 10 tourney title

13 Cleveland State Got in the tough way: beating Butler in Indy

at Minneapolis

3 Kansas Big 12 tourney title makes Jayhawks a 2

14 Portland State Projected to win Big Sky tourney title Wednesday night

6 West Virginia 2 losses in past 7 games have come by collective 7 points

11 New Mexico MWC regular-season tri-champion

at Greensboro

7 Cal Bears are fairly comfortable shooting from way, way out

10 Siena Siena took care of MAAC business Monday

2 Duke It's been "juggle the point guards" this season

15 Radford Coach Brad Greenberg is older bro of Va Tech's Seth

Phoenix region

Seed Team Comment

at Kansas City

1 Oklahoma Big 12 tourney title cinches this seed

16 Cal State Northridge Team has survived loss of its backcourt

8 Texas A&M Remember how close the Aggies came to knocking off Bruins a year ago?

9 Ohio State Buckeyes' freshman and sophomore classes are impressive

at Portland

5 Clemson The Tigers have split their past 14 games

12 SDSU Aztecs sure could use another victory over UNLV

4 Gonzaga The Bulldogs might have put crimp in Gaels' tourney hopes

13 Western Kentucky This is what we would refer to as "a smooth coaching transition"

at Portland

3 Washington Even with Pac 10 tourney title, this is probably best seed Huskies can hope for

14 Binghamton Projected winner in America East

6 Oklahoma State Cowboys are making believers well beyond Big 12 country

11 UNLV Win at Louisville still carries plenty of heft

at Philadelphia

7 Purdue If you consider this team a bit "disappointing", it's only mildly so.

10 South Carolina No surprise if this team wins SEC tourney

2 Memphis The Tigers are firmly in the hunt for a 1 seed

15 Robert Morris Projected NEC winner

Memphis region

Seed Team Comment

at Greensboro

1 North Carolina NCAA committee won't dock 'em much if they lose without Lawson

16 Bowling Green Projected MAC winner

8 Marquette Oh-for-four since James suffered broken foot; a bad trend

9 Texas If only Jai Lucas were eligible right now . . .

at Boise

5 Syracuse We will dub the Orange "national sleepers"

12 Minnesota Hanging in by the narrowest of bubbles

4 Missouri Remember when UCLA's Tyus Edney went coast-to-coast on the Tigers in Boise in '95?

13 North Dakota State That was quite the rousing victory in Sioux Falls Tuesday

at Kansas City

3 Villanova Humming along quite well right now, thank you very much

14 S.F. Austin Projected Southland winner

6 BYU 'Tis the season Cougars win a tourney game

11 Arizona It's win or else time in Staples Center Thursday vs. ASU

at Dayton

7 LSU Road losses down stretch took a tasty bite out of seeding

10 Boston College This would be one of the better first-round matchups

2 Michigan State Spartans clearly class of Big Ten this time around

15 Morgan State Projected to win MEAC

Indianapolis region

Seed Team Comment

at Miami

1 Connecticut No shame in confessing that Pittsburgh is just a better team right now

16 Chattanooga/

Morehead State Neither team would provide the first ever 16 over 1 upset

8 Tennessee Still trying to figure out that home loss to Alabama

9 Dayton A Flyers' win in this matchup would be considered a "mild upset", at best

at Minneapolis

5 Illinois We have a hunch this team will win a couple of tourney games

12 Utah State Aggies projected to win WAC tourney

4 Florida State Seminoles earn ACC tourney 4 seed

13 American U Projected Patriot champion

at Dayton

3 Wake Forest Hard to dispute a suggestion that this team has Final Four talent

14 East Tennessee Atlantic Sun winner

6 Utah Utes projected to win MWC tourney in Las Vegas

11 Northern Iowa Needed OT to hold off Illinois State in MVC

at Miami

7 Arizona State Desert clash in L.A. Thursday afternoon

10 Michigan Wins over UCLA and Duke make the nicest resumes

2 Louisville Big East tourney title could propel to a 1 seed

15 Cornell As has been anticipated since it did so last season, this club repping the Ivy in the tourney

The last schools in: San Diego State, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico.

Waiting to get in: Creighton, Davidson, Auburn, Saint Mary's.

[Scott da 6'0]

Some interesting match-ups according to this. I hope UT doesn't have to play Dayton in the first round. The Flyers are a team I could see surprising some people in the next couple of weeks.

And that Xavier/VCU game would be very good IMO. VCU is a very solid team, but Xavier is tough.

[Scott da 6'0]

Because I was bored:

Boston region

1 Pittsburgh

16 Alabama State

8 Butler

9 Wisconsin

5 Xavier

12 VCU

4 UCLA

13 Cleveland State

3 Kansas

14 Portland State

6 West Virginia

11 New Mexico

7 Cal

10 Siena

2 Duke

15 Radford

---------------------------------

1 Pittsburgh

9 Wisconsin

5 Xavier

13 Cleveland State

3 Kansas

6 West Virginia

10 Siena

2 Duke

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1 Pittsburgh

5 Xavier

3 Kansas

10 Siena

----------------------------------

1 Pittsburgh

3 Kansas

Phoenix region

1 Oklahoma

16 Cal State Northridge

8 Texas A&M

9 Ohio State

5 Clemson

12 SDSU

4 Gonzaga

13 Western Kentucky

3 Washington

14 Binghamton

6 Oklahoma State

11 UNLV

7 Purdue

10 South Carolina

2 Memphis

15 Robert Morris

--------------------------------

1 Oklahoma

8 Texas A&M

12 SDSU

4 Gonzaga

3 Washington

11 UNLV

7 Purdue

2 Memphis

--------------------------------

1 Oklahoma

4 Gonzaga

11 UNLV

2 Memphis

--------------------------------

1 Oklahoma

2 Memphis

Memphis region

1 North Carolina

16 Bowling Green

8 Marquette

9 Texas

5 Syracuse

12 Minnesota

4 Missouri

13 North Dakota State

3 Villanova

14 S.F. Austin

6 BYU

11 Arizona

7 LSU

10 Boston College

2 Michigan State

15 Morgan State

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1 North Carolina

8 Marquette

5 Syracuse

4 Missouri

3 Villanova

6 BYU

7 LSU

2 Michigan State

---------------------------------

1 North Carolina

5 Syracuse

3 Villanova

2 Michigan State

---------------------------------

1 North Carolina

2 Michigan State

Indianapolis region

1 Connecticut

16 Chattanooga

8 Tennessee

9 Dayton

5 Illinois

12 Utah State

4 Florida State

13 American U

3 Wake Forest

14 East Tennessee

6 Utah

11 Northern Iowa

7 Arizona State

10 Michigan

2 Louisville

15 Cornell

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1 Connecticut

9 Dayton

5 Illinois

4 Florida St.

3 Wake Forest

6 Utah

7 Arizona State

2 Louisville

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1 Connecticut

5 Illinois

6 Utah

2 Louisville

----------------------------

1 Connecticut

2 Louisville

Final Four:

1 Pittsburgh

2 Memphis

1 North Carolina

2 Louisville

1 Pittsburgh

2 Louisville

[Scott da 6'0]

Thoughts? What do you agree/disagree with? ^^^^