W-12 BP68

Your eyes don't deceive you, this is my first bracket projection of the season. My current job simply does not allow me the time to do the extended previews that I used to do, and so I didn't feel confident projecting a bracket until a month or so of games had happened.

I hope to have time to knock out some blog posts soon to talk about some of these teams. UCLA in particular is a team with interesting underlying metrics. But that is for another time.

For now, remember that this is a projection of what the bracket will look like on Selection Sunday, and not a measure of where teams would be if the season ended now:

1. DUKE (ACC)
1. KENTUCKY (SEC)
1. VILLANOVA (BIG EAST)
1. KANSAS (BIG 12)

2. North Carolina
2. WISCONSIN (BIG TEN)
2. Virginia
2. GONZAGA (WCC)

3. UCLA (PAC-12)
3. Baylor
3. Louisville
3. Indiana

4. Creighton
4. West Virginia
4. WICHITA STATE (MISSOURI VALLEY)
4. Arizona

5. Purdue
5. Butler
5. Florida
5. Xavier

6. Iowa State
6. Florida State
6. CINCINNATI (AAC)
6. Notre Dame

7. Saint Mary's
7. Oregon
7. Michigan
7. South Carolina

8. USC
8. Minnesota
8. Miami-Florida
8. Michigan St

9. Virginia Tech
9. Clemson
9. Ohio State
9. Texas Tech

10. DAYTON (ATLANTIC TEN)
10. Texas A&M
10. Arkansas
10. SMU

11. Syracuse
11. Oklahoma State
11. Rhode Island
11. Providence

12. Houston
12. Maryland
12. MIDDLE TENNESSEE (CONFERENCE USA)
12. UNC-WILMINGTON (COLONIAL)
12. TEXAS-ARLINGTON (SUN BELT)
12. NEVADA (MOUNTAIN WEST)

13. VALPARAISO (HORIZON)
13. EAST TENNESSEE ST (SOCON)
13. FORT WAYNE (SUMMIT)
13. AKRON (MAC)

14. MONMOUTH (MAAC)
14. PRINCETON (IVY LEAGUE)
14. FLORIDA GULF COAST (ATLANTIC SUN)
14. NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC)

15. SAM HOUSTON STATE (SOUTHLAND)
15. VERMONT (AMERICA EAST)
15. LEHIGH (PATRIOT)
15. BELMONT (OVC)

16. WINTHROP (BIG SOUTH)
16. LONG BEACH STATE (BIG WEST)
16. WEBER STATE (BIG SKY)
16. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL (MEAC)
16. WAGNER (NEC)
16. TEXAS SOUTHERN (SWAC)

Teams seriously considered that just missed the cut:
Temple, North Carolina St, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, VCU, Marquette, Seton Hall, Northwestern, Kansas St, Oklahoma, TCU, California, Colorado, Stanford

Other teams with a decent shot, but that need to improve their resume:
UCF, UConn, Memphis, Davidson, St. Bonaventure, Georgetown, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Northern Iowa, San Diego St, Arizona St, Utah, Georgia, Tennessee, BYU

Other teams I'm keeping my eye on, but that need to dramatically improve their resume:
Tulsa, Georgia Tech, George Mason, George Washington, La Salle, UMass, St. Joseph's, Nebraska, Penn St, Rutgers, UAB, Old Dominion, Rice, Charleston, Oakland, Iona, Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Evansville, Illinois St, Loyola-Chicago, Boise St, Colorado St, New Mexico, Washington, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, Vanderbilt, Chattanooga