Who's ready for a new weekly column?
Between now and Selection Sunday, each Friday I'll give a “BRACKET BREAKDOWN” with my 68 projected teams for the 2023 NCAA Tournament along with my Top 16 seeds as well as emerging trends.
The team who is currently in first place in their respective conference will be listed as that league's “automatic qualifier”.
The Current Field
Atlantic Sun (1)
Kennesaw State (AQ)
America East (1)
Vermont (AQ)
American Athletic Conference (2)
Houston (AQ), Memphis
Atlantic 10 (1)
VCU (AQ)
ACC (6)
Pitt (AQ), Miami,, Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, NC State
Big 12 (8)
Kansas (AQ), Texas, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, TCU, West Virginia, Oklahoma State
Big East (5)
Marquette (AQ), Providence, Xavier, Creighton, UConn
Big Sky (1)
Eastern Washington (AQ)
Big South (1)
UNC Asheville (AQ)
Big Ten (9)
Purdue (AQ), Illinois, Michigan State, Indiana, Rutgers, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Big West (1)
UC Santa Barbara (AQ)
CAA (1)
Hofstra (AQ)
Conference-USA (1)
Florida Atlantic (AQ)
Horizon League (1)
Youngstown State (AQ)
Ivy League (1)
Yale (AQ)
MAAC (1)
Rider (AQ)
MAC (1)
Kent State (AQ)
MEAC (1)
Howard (AQ)
Missouri Valley (1)
Drake (AQ)
Mountain West (3)
San Diego State (AQ), Boise State, Nevada
NEC (1)
Fairleigh Dickinson' (AQ)
OVC (1)
Morehead State (AQ)
Pac-12 (2)
UCLA (AQ), Arizona
Patriot League (1)
Colgate (AQ)
SEC (8)
Alabama (AQ), Missouri, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Mississippi State
Southern (1)
Samford (AQ)
Southland (1)
Texas A&M Corpus Christi (AQ)
SWAC (1)
Alcorn State (AQ)
Summit (1)
Oral Roberts (AQ)
Sun Belt (1)
Southern Miss (AQ)
WCC (2)
Saint Mary's (AQ), Gonzaga
WAC (1)
Utah Valley (AQ)
First Four Out
USC, Clemson, New Mexico, Oregon
Top 16 Seeds
1: Purdue, Alabama, Houston, Kansas
2: Texas, UCLA, Baylor, Tennessee
3: Arizona,, Virginia, Marquette, Iowa State
4: Gonzaga, Kansas State, Indiana, Xavier
Five Things To Know
- Kansas currently owns the most Quad 1 wins in college basketball with 12.
- All five of Baylor's remaining regular season games are Quad 1 opportunities. Don't be shocked if the Bears wind up as a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.
- The Mountain West has three teams – San Diego State, Nevada, and Boise State – projected to make the NCAA Tournament in the bracket above. The Pac-12 has two – Arizona and UCLA.
- Northwestern picked up its seventh Quad 1 win of the season on Wednesday night against Indiana. The only teams in college basketball that have more are Kansas, Purdue, Texas, Baylor, and Iowa State.'
- The Atlantic 10 doesn't have a single team ranked in the Top 77 of the NET.'