We are here. Perhaps the best week of the year, well, except for that two-day stretch the week after. But if you want quality basketball, big environments, and drama, it’s hard to beat this week. You are almost guaranteed matchups the quality of Sweet 16 tilts later in the week, several times a night.
As we enter this stretch, the #1 Seeds are far from settled. Virginia is a lock. Gonzaga would seem to be, but a loss could cause things to be re-examined depending on how many other contenders rack up three top wins. North Carolina shoots to my 1-line, and can hold it by reaching the ACC Final. Duke is a wildcard; without a successful Zion Williamson return this week I think you have to drop them a line. Michigan State, Michigan, Tennessee, and Kentucky are playing for a top seed. Houston, at 32-2, could conceivably be on the 2-seed line when the smoke clears. There is a lot to play for, in addition to conference pride. I have Michigan State, narrowly, with the final #1 seed but that’s only if they win the Big Ten title (and Duke falters, and Kentucky does as well).
I already detailed my thoughts at the bubble. Here is how I have the teams in the bracket as of today. (teams that have clinched an AUTO bid in ALL CAPS, projected auto bid recipients in italics).
And here are my seed projections by team, with projected records and Quad 1 records, along with my first eight teams out.
