Yesterday I touched on how there is very little difference between being a 1, 2, or 3 seed in this year’s tournament. With the top programs as strong as they are, they are all on Sweet 16/Elite Eight collision courses as it is.
Now, with Baylor’s win over Texas last night and Oregon’s win over Stanford on Sunday, we can take this a step further: There are, essentially, six No. 1 seeds. Yes, I understand that brackets don’t actually work like that. But UConn, Louisville, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Oregon, and Baylor — in whatever order you want to put them in — are a clear cut above the rest. In my view, Baylor and Oregon will end up on the 2 line, but their expected Elite Eight showdowns with Notre Dame and Mississippi State respectively will be must-watches.
Here’s the full bracket breakdown:
Bubble games to watch today:
(all times Eastern)
South Dakota State vs. South Dakota, Summit League Championship, 2 p.m.
Conference breakdown:
ACC: 7
Big Ten: 7
SEC: 7
Pac-12: 6
Big 12: 4
Big East: 3
American: 2
Atlantic 10: 2
MAC: 2
Summit: 2
Procedural bumps:
LSU 8 to 7
Michigan 7 to 8
Syracuse 8 to 7
Villanova 7 to 8
West Virginia 10 to 9
Nebraska 9 to 10
Last Four In:
Minnesota
West Virginia
Dayton
South Dakota State
First Four Out:
Virginia
Ball State
USC
Creighton