Welcome to college basketball’s Championship Week! With Selection Sunday officially a day away, Sports Illustrated is bringing you daily (and sometimes hourly) updates to the projected field as conference tournament results come in. From automatic bids being locked up in smaller conferences to key bubble battles in the power leagues, we’re keeping you updated with all the news and notes to get you prepared for the bracket reveal Sunday evening.
Here’s a look at the latest projected men’s field.
Last Four Byes:
Baylor Bears
West Virginia Mountaineers
Utah State Aggies
Vanderbilt Commodores
Last Four In:
Arkansas Razorbacks
San Diego State Aztecs
Indiana Hoosiers
Boise State Broncos
First Four Out:
Texas Longhorns
North Carolina Tar Heels
Xavier Musketeers
UC Irvine Anteaters
Next Four Out:
Ohio State Buckeyes
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
North Texas Mean Green
George Mason Patriots
Notes from Friday:
North Carolina’s wild year took yet another shocking turn with its heartbreaking loss to Duke on Friday. The Heels deserve a ton of credit for rallying from 24 down to have a chance to tie in the closing seconds, but a baffling mental lapse by veteran Jae’Lyn Withers led to a game-deciding lane violation that sent the Tar Heels home without the signature win they so desperately needed. Quality metrics believe UNC is an NCAA tournament team, but one win in 13 tries against Quad 1 opponents is a massive black eye on the résumé.
Texas also completed its ledger with a loss to Tennessee that puts its fate in the hands of the selection committee. The Longhorns would have been in Saturday’s projected field, but Colorado State assumes the projected automatic qualifier label for the Mountain West and shrinks the field by a spot in the process. They’re the first team out of the field, but have a very real chance to climb back in after Saturday’s Mountain West title game.
It’s hard to envision the Mountain West getting all five of its NCAA tournament contenders into the field, but that’s the Sports Illustrated projection as of this morning with Colorado State occupying the automatic bid and Boise State playing its way in as an at-large with another huge win over New Mexico Friday night. CSU and Boise State meet Saturday in perhaps the most important game of the day in men’s college basketball: The winner punches its ticket, the loser is left to sweat on Selection Sunday. It seems unlikely that Colorado State would receive an at-large bid with a loss; Boise State’s chances are better but things would be very touch-and-go. There’s also a world where Boise State and CSU could sneak in, but at the expense of San Diego State, with the Aztecs currently in Sports Illustrated’s Last Four In.
Essentially, the debate being presented to the committee right now comes down to whether it values a stronger overall record and better performance-based metrics (UNC, Xavier) or a higher volume of quality wins, albeit with more opportunities (Indiana, Texas). I tend to side with the latter, but it’s hard to feel confident either way in how the committee will lean. And remember: spots for these teams could vanish with results like CSU holding onto that Mountain West bid, Memphis losing in the American, and potentially losses by VCU in the A-10 or UC San Diego in the Big West.
Bubble games to watch Saturday:
- VCU vs. Loyola-Chicago, 1 p.m. ET
- Memphis vs. Tulane, 3 p.m. ET
- Colorado State vs. Boise State, 6 p.m. ET
- UC San Diego vs. UC Irvine, 9:40 p.m. ET
Projecting the Field of 68
* indicates projected automatic bid
Automatic Bids to be Clinched:
America East: No. 1 Bryant vs. No. 3 Maine, 11 a.m. ET
MEAC: No. 1 Norfolk State vs. No. 2 South Carolina State, 1 p.m. ET
Mountain West: No. 2 Colorado State vs. No. 5 Boise State, 6 p.m. ET
Big 12: No. 1 Houston vs. No. 2 Arizona, 6 p.m. ET
Big East: No. 1 St. John’s vs. No. 2 Creighton, 6:30 p.m. ET
MAAC: No. 4 Iona vs. No. 6 Mount St. Mary’s, 7:30 p.m. ET
MAC: No. 1 Akron vs. No. 2 Miami-Ohio, 7:40 p.m. ET
C-USA: No. 1 Liberty vs. No. 2 Jacksonville State, 8:30 p.m. ET
ACC: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Louisville, 8:30 p.m. ET
SWAC: No. 2 Jackson State vs. No. 5 Alabama State, 9:30 p.m. ET
Big West: No. 1 UC San Diego vs. No. 2 UC Irvine, 9:40 p.m. ET
South Region:
No. 1 Auburn Tigers* vs. No. 16 Saint Francis Red Flash/Jackson State Tigers*
No. 8 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners
No. 5 Ole Miss Rebels vs. No. 12 McNeese State Cowboys
No. 4 Arizona Wildcats vs. No. 13 High Point Panthers
No. 6 Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 11 Drake Bulldogs
No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 14 Utah Valley Wolverines*
No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores
No. 2 St. John's Red Storm* vs. No. 15 Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks
East Region:
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils* vs. No. 16 American Eagles/Iona Gaels*
No. 8 UConn Huskies vs. No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs
No. 5 BYU Cougars vs. No. 12 UC San Diego Tritons*
No. 4 Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 13 Yale Bulldogs*
No. 6 Saint Mary's Gaels vs. No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers/San Diego State Aztecs
No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 14 Troy Trojans
No. 7 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. No. 10 Baylor Bears
No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No. 15 Bryant Bulldogs*
Midwest Region:
No. 1 Houston Cougars* vs. No. 16 SIUE Cougars
No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. No. 9 New Mexico Lobos
No. 5 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 12 VCU Rams*
No. 4 Purdue Boilermakers vs. No. 13 Akron Zips*
No. 6 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 11 Arkansas Razorbacks/Boise State Broncos
No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 14 Wofford Terriers
No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 10 Utah State Aggies
No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 15 Robert Morris Colonials
West Region:
No. 1 Florida Gators vs. No. 16 Norfolk State Spartans*
No. 8 Memphis Tigers* vs. No. 9 Creighton Bluejays
No. 5 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 12 Liberty Flames*
No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 13 Lipscomb Bisons
No. 6 UCLA Bruins vs. No. 11 Colorado State Rams*
No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington Seahawks
No. 7 Missouri Tigers vs. No. 10 West Virginia Mountaineers
No. 2 Michigan State Spartans* vs. No. 15 Montana Grizzlies
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Men’s Bracket Watch: It's Make Or Break Time At Conference Title Games .
