Beer

Here is my bracket PRIOR to Saturday’s games.  The last 10 or so teams are ridiculously hard to choose with each team having major drawbacks offset by limited upside.  Let me know what you would have done differently.  If you see any procedural issues, please let me know.

Auto bids are in CAPS and First Four games are italicized.  Championship: Atlanta (S) / Phoenix (W) winner vs. Boston (E) / St. Louis (M) winner.

Atlanta (S)
(1S) KENTUCKY (20-1) vs. (16S) TEXAS-ARLINGTON (13-5) @Louisville
(8S) Gonzaga (17-3) vs. (9S) Purdue (14-7) @Louisville
(5S) Kansas State (15-4) vs. (12S) North Carolina State (15-6) / Saint Louis (15-4) @Portland
(4S) Marquette (17-4) vs. (13S) ORAL ROBERTS (19-4) @Portland
(6S) Virginia (16-3) vs. (11S) Arkansas (15-5) @Louisville
(3S) Indiana (16-5) vs. (14S) IONA (15-5) @Louisville
(7S) Louisville (16-5) vs. (10S) HARVARD (15-2) @Omaha
(2S) Missouri (18-2) vs. (15S) BUCKNELL (15-6) @Omaha

Phoenix (W)
(1W) Baylor (17-2) vs. (16W) NORFOLK STATE (14-5) @Albequerque
(8W) Florida State (14-6) vs. (9W) TEMPLE (14-5) @Albequerque
(5W) West Virginia (15-6) vs. (12W) Minnesota (15-6) @Nashville
(4W) CREIGHTON (19-2) vs. (13W) Mississippi (13-7) / UCF (14-5) @Nashville
(6W) ST. MARY'S (18-2) vs. (11W) Cincinnati (15-6) @Albequerque
(3W) UNLV (17-3) vs. (14W) LONG BEACH STATE (13-6) @Albequerque
(7W) Vanderbilt (15-5) vs. (10W) CALIFORNIA (16-5) @Pittsburgh
(2W) OHIO STATE (18-3) vs. (15W) BELMONT (13-7) @Pittsburgh

Boston (E)
(1E) SYRACUSE (21-1) vs. (16E) LIU-BROOKLYN (14-7) / BOSTON UNIVERSITY (11-11) @Pittsburgh
(8E) Wichita State (17-3) vs. (9E) SOUTHERN MISS (16-3) @Pittsburgh
(5E) MURRAY STATE (17-0) vs. (12E) Brigham Young (16-5) @Nashville
(4E) Michigan (15-5) vs. (13E) DAVIDSON (14-4) @Nashville
(6E) Mississippi State (17-4) vs. (11E) New Mexico (15-4) @Columbus
(3E) Michigan State (16-4) vs. (14E) CLEVELAND STATE (16-4) @Columbus
(7E) Connecticut (14-5) vs. (10E) Dayton (14-6) @Greensboro
(2E) DUKE (17-3) vs. (15E) GEORGE MASON (17-5) @Greensboro

St. Louis (M)
(1M) KANSAS (17-3) vs. (16M) NC-ASHEVILLE (12-7) / MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (8-11) @Omaha
(8M) Seton Hall (15-5) vs. (9M) Alabama (13-7) @Omaha
(5M) Wisconsin (17-5) vs. (12M) MIDDLE TENNESSEE (19-2) @Portland
(4M) SAN DIEGO STATE (16-2) vs. (13M) NEVADA (15-3) @Portland
(6M) Illinois (15-5) vs. (11M) Xavier (13-7) @Columbus
(3M) Georgetown (15-3) vs. (14M) AKRON (12-7) @Columbus
(7M) Florida (16-4) vs. (10M) Memphis (14-6) @Greensboro
(2M) North Carolina (17-3) vs. (15M) WEBER STATE (14-3) @Greensboro

Last Six Pack: Brigham Young (16-5), Minnesota (15-6), North Carolina State (15-6), Saint Louis (15-4), Mississippi (13-7), UCF (14-5)

Added: Arkansas (15-5), Mississippi (13-7), UCF (14-5), BOSTON UNIVERSITY (11-11)
Dropped: Northwestern (12-7), Marshall (12-7), Stanford (15-5), Stony Brook (11-7)

Moving Up: Baylor (17-2), Marquette (17-4), SAN DIEGO STATE (16-2), MURRAY STATE (17-0), West Virginia (15-6), Wisconsin (17-5), Virginia (16-3), Mississippi State (17-4), Florida (16-4), Louisville (16-5)
Moving Down: DUKE (17-3), Illinois (15-5), ST. MARY'S (18-2), Connecticut (14-5), Gonzaga (17-3), Seton Hall (15-5), TEMPLE (14-5), Alabama (13-7), Dayton (14-6), CALIFORNIA (16-5)

Top 5 First Round Individual Matchups
Game 1: (4S) Marquette vs. (13S) Oral Roberts @ Portland: Darius Johnson-Odom (18.1 PPG) / Dominique Morrison (19.9 PPG)
Game 2: (2M) North Carolina vs. (15M) Weber State @ Greensboro: Harrison Barnes (17.3 PPG) / Damian Lillard (24.8 PPG)
Game 3: (7M) Florida vs. (10M) Memphis @ Greensboro: Kenny Boynton (18 PPG) / Will Barton (18.3 PPG)
Game 4: (5E) Murray State vs. (12E) Brigham Young @ Nashville: Isaiah Canaan (18.7 PPG) / Noah Hartsock (17.7 PPG)
Game 5: (7W) Vanderbilt vs. (10W) California @ Pittsburgh: John Jenkins (19.6 PPG) / Allen Crabbe (15.7 PPG)

Top 5 Potential Second Round Individual Matchups (Assumes Seeds 12 or Better Advance)
Game 1: (5W) West Virginia vs. (4W) Creighton @ Nashville: Kevin Jones (20.9 PPG) / Doug McDermott (23.5 PPG)
Game 2: (7W) Vanderbilt vs. (2W) Ohio State @ Pittsburgh: John Jenkins (19.6 PPG) / Jared Sullinger (17.3 PPG)
Game 3: (10M) Memphis vs. (2M) North Carolina @ Greensboro: Will Barton (18.3 PPG) / Harrison Barnes (17.3 PPG)
Game 4: (1M) Kansas vs. (8M) Seton Hall @ Omaha: Thomas Robinson (17.8 PPG) / Herb Pope (16.1 PPG)
Game 5: (5S) Kansas State vs. (4S) Marquette @ Portland: Rodney McGruder (15.5 PPG) / Darius Johnson-Odom (18.1 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Thursday & Saturday Games
Albequerque: Ramone Moore (17.2 PPG), Casper Ware (17 PPG), Matthew Dellavedova (15.7 PPG), Kyle O'Quinn (15.7 PPG), Sean Kilpatrick (15.6 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Friday & Sunday Games
Greensboro: Damian Lillard (24.8 PPG), Will Barton (18.3 PPG), Kenny Boynton (18 PPG), Jeremy Lamb (17.9 PPG), Harrison Barnes (17.3 PPG)

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NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

(1) Northwestern (12-7) vs. (8) Buffalo (10-6)
(4) Virginia Tech (12-8) vs. (5) South Florida (11-9)
(3) Oklahoma (12-7) vs. (6) South Dakota State (14-6)
(2) Saint Joseph's (13-8) vs. (7) Drexel (16-5)

(1) Texas (13-7) vs. (8) Loyola-Maryland (14-5)
(4) Ohio (15-4) vs. (5) La Salle (15-6)
(3) Northern Iowa (13-8) vs. (6) LSU (12-8)
(2) Stanford (15-5) vs. (7) Colorado (12-6)

(1) Oregon (15-5) vs. (8) New Mexico State (13-7)
(4) Denver (16-5) vs. (5) Virginia Commonwealth (17-5)
(3) Colorado State (12-6) vs. (6) Massachusetts (15-5)
(2) Marshall (12-7) vs. (7) Washington (13-7)

(1) Iowa State (14-6) vs. (8) Missouri State (11-10)
(4) Wyoming (14-4) vs. (5) Miami (Fla.) (11-7)
(3) Arizona (14-7) vs. (6) Wagner (16-4)
(2) Notre Dame (13-8) vs. (7) Nebraska (11-9)

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL

(1E) Pittsburgh (12-9) vs. (4E) Richmond (12-9)
(2E) Maryland (12-7) vs. (3E) Drake (11-9)

(1W) Duquesne (11-8) vs. (4W) UCLA (10-9)
(2W) Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12-8) vs. (3W) Loyola-Marymount (10-9)

(1M) St. Bonaventure (11-7) vs. (4M) Iowa (11-10)
(2M) Illinois State (13-8) vs. (3M) Tulsa (12-9)

(1S) Robert Morris (16-6) vs. (4S) Princeton (8-8)
(2S) Kent State (12-6) vs. (3S) Mercer (14-7)

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COLLEGEINSIDER POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

(1) Lehigh (15-6) vs. (4) College of Charleston (12-8)
(2) Pennsylvania (10-9) vs. (3) Old Dominion (13-9)

(1) Valparaiso (12-8) vs. (4) Georgia State (14-7)
(2) Manhattan (14-7) vs. (3) Lamar (10-8)

(1) Montana (12-6) vs. (4) North Dakota State (11-7)
(2) Indiana State (11-9) vs. (3) Santa Barbara (8-7)

(1) Butler (11-10) vs. (4) North Dakota (5-10)
(2) Yale (10-4) vs. (3) Oakland (11-11)

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As always, I’ll put a disclaimer on my first bracket of the year... if there are glaring mistakes, please let me know.  This one is a few week’s later than usual as I’ve spend the past four weeks recovering from a torn ACL… ouch!  Anyhow, I started this bracket just over 24 hours ago so team records are a day behind.  I tried to account for the results of all of yesterday’s games.  I’m not sure how much Duke’s loss will impact my next bracket but here are a few things that I used to determine the top few teams:

Syracuse (2 Top 15 wins, RPI:1, SOS:5)
Kentucky (2 Top 15 wins including Kansas and UNC, won 11 in a row)
Duke (2 Top 5 wins including Kansas, RPI:2, SOS:1)
Kansas (3 Top 15 wins including double digit wins over Baylor and Ohio State.  Won 9 in a row and 14 of last 15)
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Missouri (1 Top 20 win, SOS: 79)
Ohio State (1 Top 20 win… best win away from home is barely Top 100: Nebraksa)
UNC (1 Top 40 win… that’s it!)
Baylor (1 Top 20 win, lost 2 in a row)

Let me know if you see any procedural issues and I always appreciate feedback regarding seeding, etc.

Auto bids are in CAPS and First Four games are italicized.  Championship: Boston (E) / Phoenix (W) winner vs. St. Louis (M) / Atlanta (S) winner.

Boston (E)
(1E) SYRACUSE (20-0) vs. (16E) NC-ASHEVILLE (10-7) / MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (6-11) @Pittsburgh
(8E) TEMPLE (12-5) vs. (9E) CALIFORNIA (16-4) @Pittsburgh
(5E) Alabama (13-5) vs. (12E) Brigham Young (14-5) @Louisville
(4E) Illinois (15-4) vs. (13E) MIDDLE TENNESSEE (17-2) @Louisville
(6E) West Virginia (14-5) vs. (11E) HARVARD (14-2) @Columbus
(3E) Indiana (15-4) vs. (14E) NEVADA (13-3) @Columbus
(7E) Mississippi State (15-4) vs. (10E) New Mexico (14-3) @Greensboro
(2E) North Carolina (16-3) vs. (15E) GEORGE MASON (14-5) @Greensboro

Phoenix (W)
(1W) KANSAS (15-3) vs. (16W) TEXAS-ARLINGTON (11-5) @Omaha
(8W) Florida (14-4) vs. (9W) Purdue (14-5) @Omaha
(5W) ST. MARY'S (16-2) vs. (12W) Saint Louis (13-4) / North Carolina State (14-5) @Nashville
(4W) Connecticut (14-4) vs. (13W) ORAL ROBERTS (17-4) @Nashville
(6W) Seton Hall (15-4) vs. (11W) Xavier (13-5) @Albequerque
(3W) UNLV (15-3) vs. (14W) BELMONT (12-6) @Albequerque
(7W) Virginia (15-2) vs. (10W) SOUTHERN MISS (14-3) @Pittsburgh
(2W) OHIO STATE (16-3) vs. (15W) AKRON (10-7) @Pittsburgh

St. Louis (M)
(1M) KENTUCKY (18-1) vs. (16M) NORFOLK STATE (13-4) @Louisville
(8M) Wichita State (15-3) vs. (9M) Dayton (13-5) @Louisville
(5M) Marquette (15-4) vs. (12M) Marshall (12-5) / Stanford (15-4) @Portland
(4M) Michigan (14-4) vs. (13M) LONG BEACH STATE (11-6) @Portland
(6M) SAN DIEGO STATE (14-2) vs. (11M) Cincinnati (15-4) @Columbus
(3M) Michigan State (14-4) vs. (14M) CLEVELAND STATE (15-4) @Columbus
(7M) MURRAY STATE (16-0) vs. (10M) Florida State (12-6) @Omaha
(2M) Missouri (17-1) vs. (15M) BUCKNELL (13-6) @Omaha

Atlanta (S)
(1S) DUKE (16-2) vs. (16S) STONY BROOK (9-7) / LIU-BROOKLYN (13-6) @Greensboro
(8S) Wisconsin (15-5) vs. (9S) Louisville (14-5) @Greensboro
(5S) Kansas State (13-4) vs. (12S) Minnesota (14-5) @Portland
(4S) CREIGHTON (17-2) vs. (13S) DAVIDSON (12-4) @Portland
(6S) Gonzaga (15-3) vs. (11S) Northwestern (12-6) @Nashville
(3S) Georgetown (14-3) vs. (14S) IONA (15-4) @Nashville
(7S) Vanderbilt (14-4) vs. (10S) Memphis (12-6) @Albequerque
(2S) Baylor (16-1) vs. (15S) WEBER STATE (13-3) @Albequerque

Last Six Pack: Brigham Young (14-5), Minnesota (14-5), Marshall (12-5), Stanford (15-4), Saint Louis (13-4), North Carolina State (14-5)

Top 5 First Round Individual Matchups
Game 1: (7S) Vanderbilt vs. (10S) Memphis @ Albequerque: John Jenkins (19.8 PPG) / Will Barton (18.5 PPG)
Game 2: (4W) Connecticut vs. (13W) Oral Roberts @ Nashville: Jeremy Lamb (17.7 PPG) / Dominique Morrison (20.1 PPG)
Game 3: (2E) North Carolina vs. (15E) George Mason @ Greensboro: Harrison Barnes (17.4 PPG) / Ryan Pearson (17.8 PPG)
Game 4: (3S) Georgetown vs. (14S) Iona @ Nashville: Jason Clark (16.2 PPG) / Michael Glover (19.1 PPG)
Game 5: (8W) Florida vs. (9W) Purdue @ Omaha: Kenny Boynton (18.7 PPG) / Robbie Hummel (16.1 PPG)

Top 5 Potential Second Round Individual Matchups (Assumes Seeds 12 or Better Advance)
Game 1: (1W) Kansas vs. (8W) Florida @ Omaha: Thomas Robinson (17.8 PPG) / Kenny Boynton (18.7 PPG)
Game 2: (7M) Murray State vs. (2M) Missouri @ Omaha: Isaiah Canaan (18.6 PPG) / Marcus Denmon (17.8 PPG)
Game 3: (11S) Northwestern vs. (3S) Georgetown @ Nashville: John Shurna (19.1 PPG) / Jason Clark (16.2 PPG)
Game 4: (7W) Virginia vs. (2W) Ohio State @ Pittsburgh: Mike Scott (16.9 PPG) / Jared Sullinger (17.3 PPG)
Game 5: (5S) Kansas State vs. (4S) Creighton @ Portland: Rodney McGruder (15.7 PPG) / Doug McDermott (23.8 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Thursday & Saturday Games
Albequerque: Damian Lillard (25.1 PPG), John Jenkins (19.8 PPG), Will Barton (18.5 PPG), Herb Pope (16.7 PPG), Mark Lyons (16.4 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Friday & Sunday Games
Nashville: Dominique Morrison (20.1 PPG), John Shurna (19.1 PPG), Michael Glover (19.1 PPG), Jeremy Lamb (17.7 PPG), Jason Clark (16.2 PPG)

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NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

(1) Texas (12-6) vs. (8) Washington (11-7)
(4) LSU (12-6) vs. (5) Massachusetts (14-5)
(3) New Mexico State (13-5) vs. (6) Colorado (10-6)
(2) Oregon (14-5) vs. (7) Virginia Tech (11-7)

(1) Mississippi (12-6) vs. (8) Drake (11-7)
(4) Saint Joseph's (12-7) vs. (5) Wagner (15-3)
(3) Northern Iowa (12-7) vs. (6) Nebraska (10-8)
(2) UCF (13-4) vs. (7) Drexel (13-5)

(1) Denver (15-4) vs. (8) St. Bonaventure (9-7)
(4) South Dakota State (13-5) vs. (5) Arkansas (13-5)
(3) Miami (Fla.) (10-6) vs. (6) Wyoming (13-3)
(2) Oklahoma (12-5) vs. (7) La Salle (13-6)

(1) Colorado State (12-4) vs. (8) Iowa (11-9)
(4) Arizona (13-6) vs. (5) Missouri State (10-9)
(3) Ohio (13-4) vs. (6) Virginia Commonwealth (14-5)
(2) Iowa State (13-5) vs. (7) Loyola-Maryland (13-5)

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL

(1S) South Florida (10-8) vs. (4S) College of Charleston (12-6)
(2S) Charlotte (10-7) vs. (3S) Robert Morris (14-6)

(1M) Kent State (11-5) vs. (4M) Wisconsin-Milwaukee (11-7)
(2M) Maryland (12-5) vs. (3M) Richmond (11-8)

(1W) Pittsburgh (11-8) vs. (4W) North Dakota State (11-5)
(2W) Buffalo (8-6) vs. (3W) Mercer (12-7)

(1E) Duquesne (11-7) vs. (4E) Providence (12-7)
(2E) Illinois State (12-7) vs. (3E) Notre Dame (11-8)

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COLLEGEINSIDER POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

(1) Santa Barbara (7-6) vs. (4) Oakland (10-10)
(2) Princeton (8-8) vs. (3) Manhattan (13-7)

(1) Valparaiso (11-7) vs. (4) Pennsylvania (9-9)
(2) Lehigh (13-6) vs. (3) Georgia State (13-5)

(1) Butler (10-9) vs. (4) Old Dominion (11-8)
(2) Yale (9-4) vs. (3) Indiana State (10-8)

(1) Loyola-Marymount (9-8) vs. (4) North Dakota (4-9)
(2) Lamar (9-7) vs. (3) Montana (10-6)

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That's it... I'm putting the FINAL STAMP on it right now.  Too late to make any changes... at least I should get at lesat half of my NIT bracket right!  Note: Win-Loss records have not been updated.

Auto bids are in CAPS and First Four games are italicized.  Championship: Newark (E) / New Orleans (SE) winner vs. San Antonio (SW) / Anaheim (W) winner.

Newark (E)
(1E) OHIO STATE (30-2) vs. (16E) TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO (15-13) / ALABAMA STATE (14-17) @Cleveland
(8E) George Mason (26-6) vs. (9E) UTAH STATE (28-3) @Cleveland
(5E) Arizona (27-6) vs. (12E) Colorado (20-13) @DC
(4E) Louisville (25-8) vs. (13E) BUCKNELL (25-8) @DC
(6E) Vanderbilt (23-9) vs. (11E) RICHMOND (25-7) @Cleveland
(3E) Syracuse (26-7) vs. (14E) LIU-BROOKLYN (27-5) @Cleveland
(7E) UNLV (24-8) vs. (10E) Marquette (20-14) @Charlotte
(2E) North Carolina (25-6) vs. (15E) BOSTON UNIVERSITY (20-13) @Charlotte

New Orleans (SE)
(1M) DUKE (28-4) vs. (16M) NC-ASHEVILLE (16-13) @Charlotte
(8M) Missouri (22-10) vs. (9M) Tennessee (19-14) @Charlotte
(5M) Texas A&M (23-8) vs. (12M) Clemson (21-10) / Virginia Commonwealth (23-11) @Tampa
(4M) Florida (25-6) vs. (13M) OAKLAND (24-9) @Tampa
(6M) Cincinnati (25-8) vs. (11M) MEMPHIS (24-9) @Chicago
(3M) Purdue (25-7) vs. (14M) MOREHEAD STATE (22-9) @Chicago
(7M) Xavier (24-7) vs. (10M) Michigan (19-12) @Chicago
(2M) Notre Dame (26-6) vs. (15M) AKRON (21-12) @Chicago

San Antonio (SW)
(1S) KANSAS (31-2) vs. (16S) HAMPTON (22-8) @Tulsa
(8S) WASHINGTON (22-10) vs. (9S) Florida State (21-10) @Tulsa
(5S) St. John's (21-11) vs. (12S) BUTLER (22-9) @Tuscon
(4S) KENTUCKY (23-8) vs. (13S) PRINCETON (23-6) @Tuscon
(6S) Kansas State (21-10) vs. (11S) Penn State (18-13) @Tampa
(3S) CONNECTICUT (25-9) vs. (14S) WOFFORD (21-12) @Tampa
(7S) OLD DOMINION (27-6) vs. (10S) Villanova (21-11) @Tuscon
(2S) SAN DIEGO STATE (29-2) vs. (15S) NORTHERN COLORADO (19-10) @Tuscon

Anaheim (W)
(1W) Pittsburgh (27-5) vs. (16W) SANTA BARBARA (15-13) / ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK (17-16) @DC
(8W) UCLA (22-10) vs. (9W) Illinois (19-13) @DC
(5W) West Virginia (20-11) vs. (12W) Virginia Tech (21-10) / Georgia (21-11) @Tulsa
(4W) Wisconsin (23-8) vs. (13W) BELMONT (30-4) @Tulsa
(6W) Georgetown (21-10) vs. (11W) Michigan State (18-13) @Denver
(3W) Brigham Young (29-3) vs. (14W) INDIANA STATE (19-13) @Denver
(7W) Temple (25-6) vs. (10W) GONZAGA (23-9) @Denver
(2W) Texas (27-6) vs. (15W) ST. PETER'S (20-13) @Denver

Last Six Pack: Penn State (18-13), Colorado (20-13), Virginia Tech (21-10), Georgia (21-11), Clemson (21-10), Virginia Commonwealth (23-11)

Added: None
Dropped: None

NIT 1 Seeds: UAB (22-8), Boston College (20-12), St. Mary's (23-8), Southern California (19-14)
NIT 2 Seeds: Alabama (21-10), Harvard (21-5), Texas-El Paso (24-8), New Mexico (20-12)
NIT 3 Seeds: Missouri State (25-8), Colorado State (18-12), Cleveland State (24-8), Northwestern (18-13)
NIT 4 Seeds: Wichita State (23-8), Southern Miss (19-10), Washington State (19-12), Marshall (20-11)

Moving Up: DUKE (28-4), Texas (27-6), CONNECTICUT (25-9)
Moving Down: Notre Dame (26-6), Brigham Young (29-3), Louisville (25-8)

Top 5 First Round Individual Matchups
Game 1: (3S) Connecticut vs. (14S) Wofford @ Tampa: Kemba Walker (23.2 PPG) / Noah Dahlman (20 PPG)
Game 2: (6S) Kansas State vs. (11S) Penn State @ Tampa: Jacob Pullen (19.6 PPG) / Talor Battle (20.4 PPG)
Game 3: (5E) Arizona vs. (12E) Colorado @ DC: Derrick Williams (18.8 PPG) / Alec Burks (19.5 PPG)
Game 4: (3M) Purdue vs. (14M) Morehead State @ Chicago: JaJuan Johnson (20.5 PPG) / Kenneth Faried (17.6 PPG)
Game 5: (6E) Vanderbilt vs. (11E) Richmond @ Cleveland: John Jenkins (19.4 PPG) / Justin Harper (18 PPG)

Top 5 Potential Second Round Individual Matchups (Assumes Seeds 12 or Better Advance)
Game 1: (11S) Penn State vs. (3S) Connecticut @ Tampa: Talor Battle (20.4 PPG) / Kemba Walker (23.2 PPG)
Game 2: (6W) Georgetown vs. (3W) Brigham Young @ Denver: Austin Freeman (17.8 PPG) / Jimmer Fredette (27.9 PPG)
Game 3: (7M) Xavier vs. (2M) Notre Dame @ Chicago: Tu Holloway (20.1 PPG) / Ben Hansbrough (18.5 PPG)
Game 4: (1M) Duke vs. (9M) Tennessee @ Charlotte: Nolan Smith (21.6 PPG) / Scotty Hopson (17.7 PPG)
Game 5: (5S) St. John's vs. (4S) Kentucky @ Tuscon: Dwight Hardy (17.9 PPG) / Brandon Knight (17.7 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Thursday & Saturday Games
Tampa: Kemba Walker (23.2 PPG), Talor Battle (20.4 PPG), Noah Dahlman (20 PPG), Jacob Pullen (19.6 PPG), Keith Benson (18 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Friday & Sunday Games
Charlotte: Nolan Smith (21.6 PPG), John Holland (19 PPG), Scotty Hopson (17.7 PPG), Marcus Denmon (16.8 PPG), Jimmy Butler (16.3 PPG)

Average Distance Traveled
First & Second Round Matchups: 618 miles
Regional Matchups (Assumes Seeds 4 or Better Advance): Newark (E): 1031 miles, New Orleans (SE): 1899 miles, San Antonio (SW): 2610 miles, Anaheim (W): 3717 miles

The Bottom of the NIT: Nebraska (19-12), Oklahoma State (19-13), Dayton (21-12), Miami (Fla.) (19-14), College of Charleston (24-10), Kent State (22-10), Long Beach State (20-10), Fairfield (24-7), Coastal Carolina (24-5), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (19-13), Vermont (23-8), Murray State (21-8), Florida Atlantic (19-10), McNeese State (17-10), Bethune-Cookman (17-12), Texas Southern (19-12)

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NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

(1) UAB (22-8) vs. (8) Florida Atlantic (19-10)
(4) Wichita State (23-8) vs. (5) Miami (Fla.) (19-14)
(3) Northwestern (18-13) vs. (6) Kent State (22-10)
(2) Alabama (21-10) vs. (7) Coastal Carolina (24-5)

(1) Boston College (20-12) vs. (8) Bethune-Cookman (17-12)
(4) Southern Miss (19-10) vs. (5) Dayton (21-12)
(3) Cleveland State (24-8) vs. (6) Fairfield (24-7)
(2) Harvard (21-5) vs. (7) Vermont (23-8)

(1) St. Mary's (23-8) vs. (8) Texas Southern (19-12)
(4) Washington State (19-12) vs. (5) Oklahoma State (19-13)
(3) Missouri State (25-8) vs. (6) College of Charleston (24-10)
(2) New Mexico (20-12) vs. (7) Murray State (21-8)

(1) Southern California (19-14) vs. (8) McNeese State (17-10)
(4) Marshall (20-11) vs. (5) Nebraska (19-12)
(3) Colorado State (18-12) vs. (6) Long Beach State (20-10)
(2) Texas-El Paso (24-8) vs. (7) Wisconsin-Milwaukee (19-13)

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL

(1S) Iona (22-11) vs. (4S) Jacksonville (18-11)
(2S) Valparaiso (21-11) vs. (3S) Hofstra (20-11)

(1W) California (17-14) vs. (4W) Weber State (15-13)
(2W) Baylor (17-13) vs. (3W) E. Tennessee State (21-11)

(1M) Minnesota (17-14) vs. (4M) Evansville (14-15)
(2M) James Madison (21-11) vs. (3M) Mississippi (20-13)

(1E) Maryland (19-14) vs. (4E) Austin Peay (18-13)
(2E) Drexel (21-10) vs. (3E) St. Bonaventure (16-14)

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COLLEGEINSIDER POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT

(1E) Rider (23-10) vs. (6E) George Washington (17-14)
(2E) Robert Morris (18-14) vs. (5E) American (22-9)
(3E) Buffalo (17-13) vs. (4E) Quinnipiac (22-9)

(1M) Northern Iowa (18-13) vs. (6M) Detroit (16-16)
(2M) Creighton (19-14) vs. (5M) Montana (19-10)
(3M) Wright State (17-14) vs. (4M) IUPUI (17-14)

(1S) Air Force (14-14) vs. (6S) North Dakota (14-14)
(2S) Furman (20-10) vs. (5S) Lipscomb (16-13)
(3M) Oral Roberts (19-15) vs. (4M) Southern Methodist (14-14)

(1W) Hawaii (17-12) vs. (6W) Portland (20-11)
(2W) Idaho (17-13) vs. (5W) San Francisco (15-14)
(3W) Northern Arizona (17-12) vs. (4W) Santa Clara (17-14)

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I've been working on this most of the day...  I’m totally going out on a limb here with VCU.  As we all know, this is the first 68 team bracket in history.  I just can’t see the committee give ALL of the extra bids to BCS schools.  Since there weren’t any bids stolen, this is the hardest time I’ve ever had with creating a bracket (only been doing it for a few years).  I can easily miss 4 or more teams this year…  Who knows?  Maybe I’ll have a total change of heart overnight.

The Big East was impossible for me to seed: 2 #1 seeds, 2 #3 seeds, a #4 seed, 2 #5 seeds, 2 #6 seeds, and 2 #10 seeds… Sure, Uconn won the tourney over Louisville but the Cardinals beat them twice during the regular season.  I have them as a #4 seed but I may end up changing that tomorrow (it was too late to adjust it tonight).

If Dayton beats Richmond tomorrow, Colorado moves into a “Play-In” game…

Any way, I always try my best to avoid rematches but there was one that I couldn’t avoid.  There is a possible Louisville-Michigan State game in the second round.  If you don’t remember, MSU destroyed Louisville (the overall #1 seed) in the 2009 Elite 8.  I also like the potential #2 Duke vs. #10 Michigan game in New Orleans.  Obviously, it’s a potential rematch of the 1992 Championship game where the defending champion Blue Devils crushed the Fab Five.

More to follow...

Auto bids are in CAPS and First Four games are italicized.  Championship: Newark (E) / Anaheim (W) winner vs. San Antonio (SW) / New Orleans (SE) winner.

Newark (E)
(1E) OHIO STATE (30-2) vs. (16E) TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO (15-13) / ALABAMA STATE (14-17) @Cleveland
(8E) George Mason (26-6) vs. (9E) UTAH STATE (28-3) @Cleveland
(5E) Arizona (27-6) vs. (12E) Colorado (20-13) @DC
(4E) CONNECTICUT (25-9) vs. (13E) BUCKNELL (25-8) @DC
(6E) Vanderbilt (23-9) vs. (11E) RICHMOND (25-7) @Cleveland
(3E) Syracuse (26-7) vs. (14E) LIU-BROOKLYN (27-5) @Cleveland
(7E) UNLV (24-8) vs. (10E) Marquette (20-14) @Charlotte
(2E) North Carolina (25-6) vs. (15E) BOSTON UNIVERSITY (20-13) @Charlotte

Anaheim (W)
(1W) Notre Dame (26-6) vs. (16W) NC-ASHEVILLE (16-13) @Chicago
(8W) Missouri (22-10) vs. (9W) Tennessee (19-14) @Chicago
(5W) West Virginia (20-11) vs. (12W) Virginia Tech (21-10) / Georgia (21-11) @Tulsa
(4W) Wisconsin (23-8) vs. (13W) BELMONT (30-4) @Tulsa
(6W) Georgetown (21-10) vs. (11W) Penn State (18-13) @Denver
(3W) Texas (27-6) vs. (14W) INDIANA STATE (19-13) @Denver
(7W) Temple (25-6) vs. (10W) GONZAGA (23-9) @Denver
(2W) Brigham Young (29-3) vs. (15W) ST. PETER'S (20-13) @Denver

San Antonio (SW)
(1S) KANSAS (31-2) vs. (16S) HAMPTON (22-8) @Tulsa
(8S) WASHINGTON (22-10) vs. (9S) Florida State (21-10) @Tulsa
(5S) St. John's (21-11) vs. (12S) BUTLER (22-9) @Tuscon
(4S) Kentucky (23-8) vs. (13S) PRINCETON (23-6) @Tuscon
(6S) Kansas State (21-10) vs. (11S) Michigan State (18-13) @Tampa
(3S) Louisville (25-8) vs. (14S) WOFFORD (21-12) @Tampa
(7S) OLD DOMINION (27-6) vs. (10S) Villanova (21-11) @Tuscon
(2S) SAN DIEGO STATE (29-2) vs. (15S) NORTHERN COLORADO (19-10) @Tuscon

New Orleans (SE)
(1M) Pittsburgh (27-5) vs. (16M) SANTA BARBARA (15-13) / ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK (17-16) @DC
(8M) UCLA (22-10) vs. (9M) Illinois (19-13) @DC
(5M) Texas A&M (23-8) vs. (12M) Clemson (21-10) / Virginia Commonwealth (23-11) @Tampa
(4M) FLORIDA (25-6) vs. (13M) OAKLAND (24-9) @Tampa
(6M) Cincinnati (25-8) vs. (11M) MEMPHIS (24-9) @Chicago
(3M) Purdue (25-7) vs. (14M) MOREHEAD STATE (22-9) @Chicago
(7M) Xavier (24-7) vs. (10M) Michigan (19-12) @Charlotte
(2M) DUKE (28-4) vs. (15M) AKRON (21-12) @Charlotte

Last Six Pack: Penn State (18-13), Colorado (20-13), Virginia Tech (21-10), Georgia (21-11), Clemson (21-10), Virginia Commonwealth (23-11)

Added: Penn State (18-13), Colorado (20-13), Virginia Commonwealth (23-11), PRINCETON (23-6), AKRON (21-12), HAMPTON (22-8), SANTA BARBARA (15-13), TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO (15-13), ALABAMA STATE (14-17)
Dropped: Boston College (20-12), UAB (22-8), St. Mary's (23-8), Harvard (21-5), Kent State (22-10), Long Beach State (20-10), McNeese State (17-10), Bethune-Cookman (17-12), Texas Southern (19-12)

NIT 1 Seeds: UAB (22-8), Boston College (20-12), St. Mary's (23-8), Southern California (19-14)
NIT 2 Seeds: Alabama (21-10), Harvard (21-5), Texas-El Paso (24-8), New Mexico (20-12)
NIT 3 Seeds: Missouri State (25-8), Colorado State (18-12), Cleveland State (24-8), Northwestern (18-13)
NIT 4 Seeds: Wichita State (23-8), Southern Miss (19-10), Washington State (19-12), Marshall (20-11)

Moving Up: SAN DIEGO STATE (29-2), Louisville (25-8), CONNECTICUT (25-9), West Virginia (20-11), Texas A&M (23-8), Cincinnati (25-8), WASHINGTON (22-10), Michigan (19-12), Michigan State (18-13), MEMPHIS (24-9),
Moving Down: Purdue (25-7), FLORIDA (25-6), St. John's (21-11), Kansas State (21-10), Vanderbilt (23-9), Xavier (24-7), Florida State (21-10), Marquette (20-14), RICHMOND (25-7), BUTLER (22-9),

Top 5 First Round Individual Matchups
Game 1: (5E) Arizona vs. (12E) Colorado @ DC: Derrick Williams (18.8 PPG) / Alec Burks (19.5 PPG)
Game 2: (6W) Georgetown vs. (11W) Penn State @ Denver: Austin Freeman (17.8 PPG) / Talor Battle (20.4 PPG)
Game 3: (3M) Purdue vs. (14M) Morehead State @ Chicago: JaJuan Johnson (20.5 PPG) / Kenneth Faried (17.6 PPG)
Game 4: (6E) Vanderbilt vs. (11E) Richmond @ Cleveland: John Jenkins (19.4 PPG) / Justin Harper (18 PPG)
Game 5: (6S) Kansas State vs. (11S) Michigan State @ Tampa: Jacob Pullen (19.6 PPG) / Kalin Lucas (17 PPG)

Top 5 Potential Second Round Individual Matchups (Assumes Seeds 12 or Better Advance)
Game 1: (12E) Colorado vs. (4E) Connecticut @ DC: Alec Burks (19.5 PPG) / Kemba Walker (23.2 PPG)
Game 2: (7M) Xavier vs. (2M) Duke @ Charlotte: Tu Holloway (20.1 PPG) / Nolan Smith (21.6 PPG)
Game 3: (11W) Penn State vs. (3W) Texas @ Denver: Talor Battle (20.4 PPG) / Jordan Hamilton (18.5 PPG)
Game 4: (1W) Notre Dame vs. (9W) Tennessee @ Chicago: Ben Hansbrough (18.5 PPG) / Scotty Hopson (17.7 PPG)
Game 5: (5S) St. John's vs. (4S) Kentucky @ Tuscon: Dwight Hardy (17.9 PPG) / Brandon Knight (17.7 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Thursday & Saturday Games
Tuscon: Devon Beitzel (21.2 PPG), Dwight Hardy (17.9 PPG), Brandon Knight (17.7 PPG), Matt Howard (16.7 PPG), Corey Fisher (15.4 PPG)

My First & Second Round Ticket For Friday & Sunday Games
Chicago: JaJuan Johnson (20.5 PPG), Ben Hansbrough (18.5 PPG), Scotty Hopson (17.7 PPG), Kenneth Faried (17.6 PPG), Marcus Denmon (16.8 PPG)

Average Distance Traveled
First & Second Round Matchups: 617 miles
Regional Matchups (Assumes Seeds 4 or Better Advance): Newark (E): 900 miles, Anaheim (W): 3246 miles, San Antonio (SW): 2248 miles, New Orleans (SE): 1995 miles

The Bottom of the NIT: Nebraska (19-12), Oklahoma State (19-13), Dayton (21-12), Miami (Fla.) (19-14), College of Charleston (24-10), Kent State (22-10), Long Beach State (20-10), Fairfield (24-7), Coastal Carolina (24-5), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (19-13), Vermont (23-8), Murray State (21-8), Florida Atlantic (19-10), McNeese State (17-10), Bethune-Cookman (17-12), Texas Southern (19-12)

As you all know, I'm having a hard time keeping up with all of these games so let me know where I messed up... I will have time to catch up on results tomorrow.

1-Akron over Kent State
2-Alabama over Kentucky
3-Arizona over Washington/Oregon
4-Brigham Young over San Diego State/UNLV
5-Connecticut over Louisville
6-Dayton over Saint Joseph's
7-Duke over Virginia Tech
8-Florida over Vanderbilt
9-Grambling over Alabama State
10-Harvard over Princeton
11-Kansas over Texas
12-Memphis over Texas-El Paso
13-Michigan over Ohio State
14-Michigan State over Penn State
15-Morgan State over Hampton
16-North Carolina over Clemson
17-Stony Brook over Boston University
18-Temple over Richmond
19-ACC Winner over ACC Loser
20-A10 Winner over A10 Loser
21-Big10 Winner over Big10 Loser
22-SEC Winner over SEC Loser

For the newcomers, please note that you need to use your picks to project who will meet in the conference finals for the ACC, A10, Big10, & SEC.  Then, you need to pick the conference tourney winners.  Good luck!

I will update results tomorrow... These are my picks:

Set A
19-Utah State over San Jose State
18-Long Beach State over Santa Barbara
17-Texas Southern over Alabama State
16-Ohio State over Northwestern
15-Washington/Washington State over Oregon
14-Kansas over Colorado
13-Kent State over Ohio/Ball State
12-Richmond over Rhode Island
11-Brigham Young over New Mexico
10-Memphis over East Carolina
9-McNeese State over Texas-San Antonio
8-Purdue over Michigan State
7-Boise State over New Mexico State
6-Georgia over Alabama
5-San Diego State over UNLV/Air Force
4-Texas-El Paso over Tulsa
3-Clemson over Boston College
2-Michigan over Illinois
1-Mississippi over Kentucky

Set B
19-Bucknell over Lafayette
18-Temple over La Salle
17-Duquesne over Saint Joseph's
16-Vanderbilt over Mississippi State
15-Duke over Maryland
14-Hampton over Coppin State
13-North Carolina over Miami (Fla.)
12-Xavier over Dayton
11-Jackson State over Grambling
10-Arizona over Southern California
9-Wisconsin over Penn State
8-Florida over Tennessee
7-Akron over Western Michigan
6-Bethune-Cookman over Morgan State
5-Texas over Texas A&M
4-Notre Dame over Louisville
3-Syracuse over Connecticut
2-Northridge/Cal State Fullerton over California Riverside
1-Virginia Tech over Florida State

So, it's not quite a bracket but you get the idea...

Auto bids are in CAPS and First Four games are italicized.  Championship: Newark (E) / Anaheim (W) winner vs. New Orleans (SE) / San Antonio (SW) winner.
Seed: Newark (E), Anaheim (W), New Orleans (SE), San Antonio (SW)
1: OHIO STATE (29-2), Notre Dame (25-5), KANSAS (29-2), PITTSBURGH (27-4)
2: NORTH CAROLINA (24-6), Brigham Young (27-3), Purdue (25-6), Duke (27-4)
3: Syracuse (25-6), Texas (25-6), FLORIDA (24-6), SAN DIEGO STATE (27-2)
4: St. John's (20-10), Kentucky (22-8), Wisconsin (23-7), Louisville (23-8)
5: ARIZONA (25-6), Kansas State (21-9), Vanderbilt (21-9), Connecticut (22-9)
6: Georgetown (21-9), Texas A&M (22-7), XAVIER (24-6), West Virginia (20-10)
7: OLD DOMINION (27-6), Cincinnati (24-7), UNLV (23-7), Temple (24-6)
8: Missouri (21-9), George Mason (26-6), UCLA (22-9), Florida State (21-9)
9: UTAH STATE (27-3), Marquette (19-13), Tennessee (18-13), Illinois (19-12)
10: GONZAGA (23-9), Richmond (24-7), Washington (20-10), Villanova (21-11)
11: Georgia (20-10), Boston College (19-11), Michigan (18-12), BUTLER (22-9)
12: Clemson (20-10) / Memphis (22-9), Virginia Tech (19-10) / St. Mary's (22-8), Michigan State (16-13), UAB (22-7)
13: BUCKNELL (24-8), HARVARD (21-5), BELMONT (30-4), OAKLAND (24-9)
14: KENT STATE (20-10), LIU-BROOKLYN (26-5), MOREHEAD STATE (22-9), INDIANA STATE (19-13)
15: ST. PETER'S (20-13), WOFFORD (21-12), NORTHERN COLORADO (18-10), LONG BEACH STATE (18-10)
16: NC-ASHEVILLE (16-13), ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK (17-16) / BETHUNE-COOKMAN (16-11), BOSTON UNIVERSITY (20-13), MCNEESE STATE (15-10) / TEXAS SOUTHERN (18-11)

Last Six Pack: Boston College (19-11), Michigan State (16-13), Clemson (20-10), Memphis (22-9), Virginia Tech (19-10), St. Mary's (22-8)

Added: Memphis (22-9), ST. PETER'S (20-13), ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK (17-16)
Dropped: Iona (22-11), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (19-13), North Texas (20-11)

NIT 1 Seeds: Colorado (18-12), Virginia Commonwealth (23-11), Southern California (18-13), Penn State (16-13)
NIT 2 Seeds: Alabama (20-10), New Mexico (19-11), Marshall (19-10), Colorado State (18-11)
NIT 3 Seeds: Princeton (23-6), Maryland (18-13), Southern Miss (18-9), California (17-13)
NIT 4 Seeds: Cleveland State (24-8), Oklahoma State (18-12), Minnesota (17-13), Washington State (19-11)

Moving Up: NORTH CAROLINA (24-6), FLORIDA (24-6), Kansas State (21-9), Vanderbilt (21-9), OLD DOMINION (27-6), George Mason (26-6), Marquette (19-13), Washington (20-10), GONZAGA (23-9), Michigan (18-12)
Moving Down: Texas (25-6), Wisconsin (23-7), Georgetown (21-9), Texas A&M (22-7), Missouri (21-9), Villanova (21-11), Georgia (20-10), UAB (22-7), St. Mary's (22-8)

The Bottom of the NIT: Nebraska (19-11), Drexel (21-10), Missouri State (25-8), Texas-El Paso (22-8), Northwestern (17-12), Wichita State (23-8), Miami (Fla.) (18-13), Baylor (17-12), Valparaiso (21-11), College of Charleston (24-10), Fairfield (24-7), Coastal Carolina (24-5), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (19-13), Vermont (23-8), Murray State (21-8), Florida Atlantic (19-10)

Set D
1-Air Force over UNLV
2-Bowling Green over Western Michigan
3-Cal State Fullerton over Northridge
4-California over Southern California
5-Chicago State over South Dakota
6-East Carolina over UAB
7-LSU over Vanderbilt
8-Marshall over Texas-El Paso
9-Missouri/Texas Tech over Texas A&M
10-New Mexico over Colorado State
11-North Carolina State over Maryland
12-Oklahoma State over Kansas
13-Portland State over Seattle
14-South Carolina over Mississippi
15-California Irvine over Long Beach State

Set E
1-Akron over Miami (Ohio)
2-Auburn over Georgia
3-Cincinnati over Notre Dame
4-Connecticut over Pittsburgh
5-Georgia Tech over Virginia Tech
6-Grambling over Mississippi Valley State
7-Indiana over Penn State
8-Miami (Fla.) over Virginia
9-Norfolk State over Coppin State
10-Ohio over Ball State
11-Oregon State/Stanford over Arizona
12-St. John's over Syracuse
13-Tennessee over Arkansas
14-Santa Barbara over Pacific
15-Texas-Pan American over North Dakota

Set F
1-Alabama A&M over Alabama State
2-Buffalo over Kent State
3-Colorado over Kansas State
4-Houston Baptist over New Jersey Tech
5-Iowa over Michigan State
6-Minnesota over Northwestern
7-North Carolina A&T over Morgan State
8-San Jose State over Idaho
9-Southern Miss over Memphis
10-California Riverside over Cal Poly
11-Utah over San Diego State
12-Texas-San Antonio over Sam Houston State
13-Wake Forest over Boston College
14-Washington State over Washington
15-West Virginia/Marquette over Louisville