Selection Sunday is less than one week away. Conference tournament championship week is here.
With that in mind, Sporting News unveils its sixth Field of 68 for the upcoming NCAA men's basketball tournament, which begins on March 15. This year's Final Four is at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans from April 2-4.
Thursday brings a full day of action, and the scramble for the No. 1 seeds is on. Gonzaga, won the West Coast Conference tournament on Tuesday. Arizona, Auburn and Baylor are our other No. 1 seeds for now, but Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Wisconsin are lurking on the No. 2 line.
SN will update our tournament projections each day this week leading up to the Big Dance.
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We also will break down the tournament bubble each week. Right now our last four features Memphis, Florida, Wyoming and SMU, and there are several teams in the hunt. Who is our Field of 68? Here is a closer look:
*Denotes projected conference automatic bid
**Denotes clinched tournament berth
NCAA tournament Field of 68 projections
No. 1 Seeds
**Gonzaga (26-3, 13-1 WCC)
Resume: Net: 1, KenPom: 1
*Arizona (28-3, 18-2 Pac-12)
Resume: Net: 2, KenPom: 2
*Auburn (27-4, 15-3 SEC)
Resume: Net: 10, Ken: 7
*Baylor (26-5, 14-4 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 3, KenPom: 4
Lowdown: Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference tournament and secured a No. 1 seed in the process. Arizona is 14-3 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 and also has a case for a No. 1, but which teams will get the West Region in San Francisco? That’s the game within the game between the top two schools in the field. Auburn and Baylor hold the other two No. 1 seeds for now.
No. 2 Seeds
Kentucky (25-6, 14-4 SEC)
Resume: Net: 4, KenPom: 3
Kansas (25-6, 14-4, Big 12)
Resume: Net: 7, KenPom: 9
*Duke (26-5, 16-4 ACC)
Resume: Net: 9, KenPom: 6
*Wisconsin (24-6, 15-5 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 21, KenPom: 31
Lowdown: Kentucky and Kansas have the opportunity to flip-flop with Auburn and Baylor depending on how those conference tournaments shake out. The Wildcats have a better Net/KenPom combination, but the Jayhawks have a 17-5 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2. Some projections will have Duke falling to a No. 3 after the disappointing loss to North Carolina on Saturday, but we think the Mike Krzyzewski farewell tour will be given the benefit of the doubt.
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No. 3 Seeds
Villanova (23-7, 16-4 Big East)
Resume: Net: 6, KenPom: 10
Purdue (25-6, 14-6 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 13, KenPom: 13
*Providence (24-4, 14-3 Big East)
Resume: Net: 26, KenPom: 36
Tennessee (23-7, 14-4 SEC)
Resume: Net: 8, KenPom: 12
Lowdown: Either Villanova or Providence could make a compelling case to bump up to the No. 2 line with a Big East tournament championship. Tennessee elevates to the No. 3 line after closing the season on a four-game win streak that included victories against Auburn and Arkansas.
No. 4 seeds
Texas Tech (23-8, 12-6 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 12, KenPom: 11
UCLA (23-6, 15-5 Pac-12)
Resume: Net: 11, KenPom: 8
Illinois (22-8, 15-5 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 14, KenPom: 16
Arkansas (24-7, 13-5 SEC)
Resume: Net: 20, KenPom: 19
Lowdown: UCLA is solid here with an 11-6 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2. Texas Tech’s losses at TCU and Oklahoma State knocked them off the No. 3 line, but its rankings are high enough they could bump back up to a No. 3. Arkansas needs to win at least one game in the SEC tournament to hold this line knowing the schools lurking at the No. 5 seed.
No. 5 seeds
*Houston (26-5, 15-3 AAC)
Resume: Net: 5, KenPom: 5
UConn (22-8, 13-6 Big East)
Resume: Net: 18, KenPom: 20
Iowa (22-9, 12-8 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 15, KenPom 14
Texas (21-10, 10-8 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 16, KenPom: 15
Lowdown: Houston lost to Memphis ahead of the American Athletic Conference tournament and a slide down the seeding lines continues despite high Net and KenPom rankings. The Longhorns lost a heart-breaker against Kansas that keeps them on the edge of this line.
No. 6 seeds
St. Mary's (25-7, 12-3 WCC)
Resume: Net: 19, KenPom: 18
LSU (21-10, 9-9 SEC)
Resume: Net: 17, KenPom: 17
Ohio State (19-10, 12-8 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 22, KenPom: 28
Alabama (19-12, 9-9 SEC)
Resume: Net: 27, KenPom: 22
Lowdown: The Tigers and Buckeyes both finished the season 3-3 in their last six games, and their up-and-down seasons are reflective on this line. One or both could slide with an early exit in their conference tournaments.
No. 7 seeds
USC (25-6, 14-6 Pac-12)
Resume: Net: 34, KenPom: 40
*Boise State (24-7, 15-3 MWC)
Resume: Net: 30, KenPom: 26
North Carolina (23-8, 15-5 ACC)
Resume: Net: 33, KenPom: 32
Colorado State (24-4, 14-4 MWC)
Resume: Net: 28, KenPom 34
Lowdown: Sure, the Tar Heels are 2-7 against Quad 1, but the victory against Duke and winning 75% of their conference games against ACC teams will put them on a line where they feel over-seeded. Colorado State and Boise State are on this line for now, but only the winner of the Mountain West Conference tournament will stay on the line.
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No. 8 seeds
**Murray State (30-2, 18-0 OVC)
Resume: Net: 23, KenPom: 25
Michigan State (20-11, 11-9 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 40, KenPom: 43
Notre Dame (22-9, 15-5 ACC)
Resume: Net: 50, KenPom: 47
Seton Hall (21-9, 11-8 Big East)
Resume: Net: 32, KenPom: 35
Lowdown: The Irish also won 75% of their ACC games, but the lower Net/KenPom combo will keep them on this line unless they make a run in the ACC tournament. Michigan State easily could be up a line, but its late-season slide cannot be ignored. Seton Hall had a 9-9 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2. The Pirates beat Georgetown in the first round of the Big East tournament, which bumps them up a line.
No. 9 seeds
Iowa State (20-11, 7-11 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 41, KenPom: 39
TCU (19-11, 8-10 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 46, KenPom: 42
Creighton (20-10, 12-7 Big East)
Resume: Net: 66, KenPom: 69
Marquette (19-11, 11-8 Big East)
Resume: Net: 38, KenPom: 41
Lowdown: TCU picked up a win against Kansas last week, and that’s enough to keep them off the bubble. Seton Hall had a 9-9 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2. Creighton and Marquette can play up a line or two this week.
No. 10 seeds
San Francisco (24-9, 10-6 WCC)
Resume: Net: 25, KenPom: 21
**Loyola-Chicago (25-7, 13-5 MVC)
Resume: Net: 25, KenPom: 24
San Diego State (21-7, 13-4 MWC)
Resume: Net: 29, KenPom: 23
Michigan (17-13, 11-9 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 31, KenPom: 30
Lowdown: Michigan plays Indiana in a first-round Big Ten tournament game on Thursday. The Wolverines should be safe after last week's victories against Michigan State and Ohio State, but it's still a game worth monitoring. Loyola won the MVC again and will be a trendy upset pick against a No.7 seed.
No. 11 seeds
Wake Forest (23-8, 13-7 ACC)
Resume: Net: 39, KenPom: 33
*Davidson (25-5, 15-3 A-10)
Resume: Net: 45, KenPom: 45
Miami (22-9, 14-6 ACC)
Resume: Net: 59, KenPom: 59
Rutgers (18-12, 12-8 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 76, KenPom: 73
Lowdown: Wake Forest's tournament path is uncomfortable after a 82-77 loss to Boston College in the ACC tournament, but they should be able to squeeze in on this line. Rutgers has the lowest Net/KenPom combination of any major conference team in the tournament, but a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament helps.
No. 12 seeds
Memphis (19-9, 13-5 AAC)
Resume: Net: 35, KenPom: 27
SMU (22-7, 13-4 AAC)
Resume: Net: 49, KenPom: 57
Florida (19-12, 9-9 SEC)
Resume: Net: 54, KenPom 54
Wyoming (24-7, 13-5 MWC)
Resume: Net: 48, KenPom: 56
*North Texas (23-5, 16-2 C-USA)
Resume: Net: 42, KenPom: 47
**South Dakota State (30-4, 18-0 Summit)
Resume: Net: 64, KenPom: 68
Lowdown: Florida finished .500 in the SEC, but they are still in that tenuous position after a late-season slide. Wyoming is the fourth team from the Mountain West Conference but might still be considered a bubble team. SMU moves in after Xavier's loss.
No. 13 seeds
**Chattanooga (27-7, 14-4 Southern)
Resume: Net: 62, KenPom: 68
*Vermont (27-5, 17-1 America East)
Resume: Net: 60, KenPom: 66
*Toledo (25-6, 17-3 MAC)
Resume: Net: 65, KenPom: 75
*New Mexico State (24-6, 14-4 WAC)
Resume: Net: 87, KenPom: 87
No. 14 seeds
*Princeton (22-5, 12-2, Ivy)
Resume: Net: 103, KenPom: 106
**Colgate (23-11, 16-2 Patriot)
Resume: Net: 131, KenPom: 125
*Montana State (24-7, 16-4 Big Sky)
Resume: Net: 130, KenPom: 140
**Longwood (26-6, 15-1 Big South)
Resume: Net: 123, KenPom: 141
No. 15 seeds
*Saint Peter's (17-11, 14-6 MAAC)
Resume: Net: 133, KenPom: 129
**Jacksonville State (21-10, 13-3 A-Sun)
Resume: Net: 139, KenPom: 143
**Delaware (22-12, 10-8 CAA)
Resume: Net: 135, KenPom: 144
*Long Beach State (18-11, 12-3 Big West)
Resume: Net: 152, KenPom: 154
No. 16 seeds
*Norfolk State (22-6, 12-2 MEAC)
Resume: Net: 150, KenPom: 163
**Georgia State (18-10, 9-5 Sun Belt)
Resume: Net: 158, KenPom: 147
**Wright State (21-13, 14-6 Horizon)
Resume: Net: 192, KenPom: 183
*Nicholls (20-10, 10-3 Southland)
Resume: Net: 188, KenPom: 202
**Bryant (22-9, 16-2 Northeast)
Resume: Net: 202, KenPom: 184
*Alcorn State (16-15, 14-4 SWAC)
Resume: Net: 260, KenPom: 257
On the bubble
Virginia Tech (20-12, 11-9 ACC)
Resume: Net: 37, KenPom: 31
Indiana (18-12, 9-11 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 44, KenPom: 44
VCU (21-8, 14-4 Atlantic 10)
Resume: Net: 51, KenPom: 63
BYU (22-9, 10-6 WCC)
Resume: Net: 55, KenPom: 50
Texas A&M (20-11, 9-9 SEC)
Resume: Net: 56, KenPom: 58
Xavier (18-13, 8-11 Big East)
Resume: Net: 36, KenPom: 51
Lowdown: Xavier's bubble likely burst after a brutal 89-82 overtime loss to Butler. For now, we bumped SMU into the First Four as a No. 12 seed. Indiana has a chance to move up against Michigan on Thursday. Virginia Tech is a team to watch today. A win against Notre Dame on Thursday would make a compelling case for the Hokies. VCU also is in the mix in the Atlantic 10.
