Even though Selection Sunday is now less than a week away, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket is most definitely not etched in stone. The projected seeds of some teams might not change, but there are others whose performance in upcoming conference tournaments could help or hurt their placement.
The SEC tournament results in particular could prompt a late shakeup on the top seed line. For now, Auburn and Florida hold two of the No. 1 spots, but Alabama or Tennessee could move back up should either emerge victorious in Nashville. ACC regular-season champ Duke and Big 12 winner Houston hold down the other two No. 1 seeds, with Big Ten top finisher Michigan State and Big 12 runner-up Texas Tech projecting as No. 2’s heading into their respective league tourneys.
There’s also likely to be plenty of drama during the week for teams farther down the bracket. Oklahoma is back in the field for the moment thanks in part to its head-to-head triumph against Texas in the regular-season finale. The Longhorns fall to the wrong side of the bubble along with Boise State, which lost its last home contest to surging Colorado State. Indiana also rejoins the field of 68, though the Hoosiers face a tough opening contest against Oregon in the Big Ten tournament.
Bracketology: NCAA Tournament field projection
Last four in
Ohio State, Oklahoma, Xavier, Indiana.
First four out
Boise State, Texas, Colorado State, North Carolina.
NCAA Tournament bids conference breakdown
Multi-bid leagues: SEC (13), Big Ten (10), Big 12 (8), Big East (5), Mountain West (3), ACC (3), West Coast (2).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness: Bracketology projects NCAA Tournament race
