Bracket Watch '11 - Friday Update

As is usual for a Friday, a quick look at the seeds, but no bracket update. And also as usual, the projections are done as if the season has already ended.

* Denotes a bubble team
Underline denotes First Four team

1-Ohio State(East), Kansas(Southwest), Pittsburgh(Southeast), Duke(West)
2-Notre Dame, Purdue, San Diego State, Brigham Young
3-Syracuse, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Texas
4-Florida, Louisville, St. John's, Georgetown
5-Connecticut, Arizona, Kentucky, Kansas State
6-Xavier, George Mason, Cincinnati, UNLV
7-Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Villanova, West Virginia
8-Utah State, Missouri, Temple, Old Dominion
9-Tennessee, Marquette, UCLA, Washington
10-Florida State, Butler*, UAB*, Georgia*
11-Michigan State*, Illinois*, Gonzaga*, St. Mary's*
12-Richmond*, Michigan*, Boston College*, Missouri State*, Virginia Tech*, Wichita State*
13-Belmont, Oakland, Coastal Carolina, Princeton
14-Kent State, College of Charleston, Long Island, Milwaukee
15-Long Beach State, Vermont, Fairfield, Bucknell
16-Texas Southern, Florida Atlantic, Murray State, Northern Colorado, Bethune Cookman, McNeese State

New to the field: Boston College, Kent State, Wichita State
Leaving the field: Baylor, Miami(OH), Alabama

Last four in the field: Michigan, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Wichita State
First four left out: Clemson, Nebraska, Virginia Commonwealth, Alabama
Next four left out: Washington State, Memphis, Baylor, Penn State
The Under Consideration board: Dayton, Northwestern, Colorado, Southern Mississippi, Colorado State, Southern California

Quick update for next week:
Look for a fully updated bracket on Monday, followed by Tuesday and Wednesday updates, full brackets on Thursday and Friday, a seed update on Saturday(if possible), and at least one projected bracket on Sunday which might be expanded to two projections(one morning, one near the Selection Show) if conditions warrant.

Bracket Watch '11 - The wackiness is not over

Things are still evidently goofy with less than two weeks to go before Gene Smith and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee reveals the 68 team field. How goofy? Well in the past week:

-Duke fell to a desperate Virginia Tech;
-Texas ended up losing a 15-point lead to Colorado, thus getting swept by the departing schools of the Big 12;
-St. John's continued it's revival by downing a suddenly down Villanova;
-Florida and Alabama set up their exciting showdown on Tuesday by losing;
-Brigham Young went in to San Diego and made itself San Diego State's daddy;
-Memphis had their at-large candidacy severly damaged vs. UTEP;
-and lastly, Harvard couldn't get past Yale, making this Saturday's game with Princeton a deathmatch(death meaning of course, a Tiger title).

There were a lot more results that affected the field this day, but those were the ones that had the biggest impact. How much? Well read for yourself. Also note that starting with this projection, bubble teams will be listed with an asterisk*.

Projections done as if the season ended yesterday.

Final Four pairings:
East(1) vs. West(4)
Southwest(2) vs. Southeast(3)

The First Four:
Tuesday Game A: Bethune Cookman(Mid Eastern) vs. Florida Atlantic(Sun Belt)
Tuesday Game B: Virginia Tech vs. Michign
Wednesday Game A: Baylor vs. Alabama
Wednesday Game B: Texas Southern(Southwestern) vs. McNeese State(Southland)

East regional

@ Cleveland
1-Ohio State(Big Ten) vs. 16-Texas Southern/McNeese State
8-Tennessee vs. 9-Washington*
@ Tampa
4-Louisville vs. 13-Princeton(Ivy League)
5-Xavier(Atlantic 10) vs. 12-Belmont(Atlantic Sun)*
@ Tucson
2-San Diego State vs. 15-Murray State(Ohio Valley)
7-Utah State(Western Athletic) vs. 10-Illinois*
@ Chicago
3-Notre Dame vs. 14-Vermont(America East)
6-Missouri vs. 11-Butler*

West region

@ Denver
1-Brigham Young(Mountain West) vs. 16-Bethune Cookman/Florida Atlantic
8-Marquette vs. 9-Kansas State*
@ Tucson
4-Connecticut vs. 13-Coastal Carolina(Big South)
5-Kentucky vs. 12-Missouri State(Missouri Valley)*
@ Charlotte
2-Duke(Atlantic Coast) vs. 15-Fairfield(Metro Atlantic)
7-George Mason(Colonial) vs. 10-Georgia*
@ Washington, D.C.
3-St. John's vs. 14-College of Charleston(Southern)
6-Texas A&M vs. 11-St. Mary's(West Coast)*

Southwest region

@ Tulsa
1-Kansas vs. 16-Northern Colorado(Big Sky)
8-UNLV vs. 9-Cincinnati
@ Charlotte
4-North Carolina vs. 13-Baylor*/Alabama*
5-Arizona(Pacific-10) vs. 12-Michigan State*
@ Chicago
2-Purdue vs. 15-Miami(Ohio)(Mid-American)
7-West Virginia vs. 10-Old Dominion*
@ Washington, D.C.
3-Syracuse vs. 14-Milwaukee(Horizon)
6-Vanderbilt vs. 11-Richmond*

Southeast region

@ Cleveland
1-Pittsburgh(Big East) vs. 16-Long Island(Northeast)
8-UCLA vs. 9-Florida State
@ Tampa
4-Florida(Southeastern) vs. 13-Oakland(Summit)
5-Georgetown vs. 12-Virginia Tech*/Michigan*
@ Tulsa
2-Texas(Big 12) vs. 15-Long Beach State(Big West)
7-Temple vs. 10-Gonzaga*
@ Denver
3-Wisconsin vs. 14-Bucknell(Patriot)
6-Villanova vs. 11-UAB(Conference USA)*

New to the field: Virginia Tech, Northern Colorado, Michigan, Baylor, UAB, Princeton, Miami(Ohio), McNeese State
Leaving the field: Montana, Memphis, Southern Mississippi, Harvard, Kent State, Wichita State, Colorado State, Texas State

Last four in the field: Virginia Tech, Baylor, Michigan, Alabama
First four left out: Boston College, Memphis, Clemson, Colorado
Next four left out: Wichita State, Virginia Commonwealth, Colorado State, Penn State
The underconsideration board: Maryland, Dayton, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, UTEP, Southern Mississippi, Valparaiso, Harvard, New Mexico, Southern Califorina, South Carolina