Well, we're down to the end, as Selection Sunday is upon us. After today, no more mention of "Bracketology" or Joe Lunardi until next February. Although, to be honest, we'll kind of miss all of the projecting.
Good fun, really. And we still think we did a better job with our final bracket from last year than did Gene Smith's NCAA Selection Committee.
The man storyline on Sunday is in the Atlantic 10, which could become a four-bid league after all if St. Bonaventure can pull what would be only a slight upset over Xavier in the tourney finale at Atlantic City. With the "X" having rehabilitated its hopes in the past two weeks and looking safe for an at-large bid even if it loses, Bona is indeed the final "bubble buster" left standing.
All of the other teams in action in the four conference tourney title games on Sunday appear to be safely into the field of 68.
After Saturday's games, here's how our projected seeds (1 thru 16) for the Big Dance set up as of AM, Sunday, March 11...
No. 1 seeds...Kentucky, Syracuse, Missouri, North Carolina.
No. 2 seeds...Ohio State, Baylor, Kansas, Michigan State.
No. 3 seeds...Louisville, Michigan, Wisconsin, Duke.
No. 4 seeds...Indiana, Florida State, Georgetown, Marquette.
No. 5 seeds...Wichita State, Creighton, Memphis, Florida.
No. 6 seeds...Gonzaga, Cincinnati, New Mexico, San Diego State.
No. 7 seeds...Vanderbilt, Saint Mary's, Temple, Murray State.
No. 8 seeds...Saint Louis, Notre Dame, UNLV, Purdue.
No. 9 seeds...Iowa State, Kansas State, Virginia, UConn.
No. 10 seeds...Alabama, West Virginia, Long Beach State, NC State.
No. 11 seeds...Colorado, New Mexico State, Xavier, BYU.
No. 12 seeds...Colorado State, Miami-Fla., Texas, South Florida, Drexel.
No. 13 seeds...Ohio, Virginia Commonwealth, Harvard, Southern Miss, Iona.
No. 14 seeds...Loyola-Md., Davidson, Detroit, Belmont.
No. 15 seeds...Lehigh, UNC-Asheville, South Dakota State, Montana.
No. 16 seeds...Long Island, Vermont, Norfolk State, Lamar, Mississippi Valley State, Western Kentucky.
Last four in...South Florida, Drexel, Southern Miss, Iona.
First four out...Washington, Seton Hall, California, Mississippi State.
Next four out...Northwestern, Nevada, Oregon, Oral Roberts
