Bracketology 3/13/2022 PM

The selection show is now only hours away, and this is my final bracket projection of the season.

We had one big shakeup in today’s action. Richmond’s win over Davidson puts the Spiders into the tournament and takes a spot from the at-large pool. I think SMU is the casualty of Richmond’s win.

I feel pretty decent about my first 66 teams in the bracket but much worse about the last two spots. I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of my first 5 teams out of the field in the tournament.

We do have one interesting quirk in my final bracket projection. Since 3 of my last 4 teams in (Michigan, Indiana and Rutgers) are from the Big Ten, I have Michigan and Indiana playing in the First Four in Dayton. The committee explicitly allows a conference matchup in the First Four if at least three of the teams are from the same conference.

1: Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas, Baylor

2: Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Villanova

3: Purdue, Duke, Texas Tech, Wisconsin

4: Illinois, UCLA, Arkansas, Providence

5: Houston, Connecticut, St. Mary’s, Iowa

6: Colorado State, USC, Texas, Alabama

7: LSU, Michigan State, Murray State, Boise State

8: Ohio State, Seton Hall, Iowa State, San Diego State

9: Marquette, TCU, North Carolina, Creighton

10: Memphis, Miami (FL), San Francisco, Loyola Chicago

11: Wyoming, Davidson,Virginia Tech, (Indiana/Michigan)

12: (Texas A&M/Rutgers), UAB, South Dakota State, Chattanooga

13: New Mexico State, Richmond, Vermont, Montana State

14: Longwood, St. Peter’s, Akron, Yale

15: Jacksonville State, Delaware, Cal State Fullerton, Colgate

16: Georgia State, Norfolk State, (Bryant/Wright State), (Texas Southern/Texas A&M Corpus Christi)

First Four Out: SMU, Notre Dame, Xavier, Wake Forest

Next Four Out: Oklahoma, VCU, Florida, North Texas

Moving In: Richmond, Yale

Moving Out: SMU, Princeton

Bids by Conference:

Big Ten: 9

SEC: 7

Big East: 6

Big 12: 6

ACC: 4

Mountain West: 4

Pac-12: 3

West Coast: 3

American: 2

Atlantic 10: 2