Palo Alto:
1. Stanford (Pac-12)
16. New Mexico State (WAC)
8. Rutgers
9. Auburn
Des Moines:
5. Kentucky
12. Green Bay (Horizon)
4. Drake (MVC)
13. Bucknell (Patriot)
Here’s the case for Stanford as the fourth 1 seed over Oregon: A VERY slightly better RPI, a VERY slightly better strength of schedule, two better wins to open Pac-12 play, and the VERY slightly better non-conference signature win (over Baylor vs. over Mississippi State). And for Stanford over Baylor: a head-to-head win, seven wins over Group 1 and Group 2, and again, a VERY slightly better RPI and SOS.
Spokane:
6. DePaul
11. Purdue
3. Gonzaga (WCC)
14. UC Davis (Big West)
Raleigh:
7. Central Michigan (MAC)
10. LSU
2. NC State
15. FGCU (ASUN)
It’s getting tough to ignore what Gonzaga is doing this season. First off, the Bulldogs beat Stanford — the 1 seed in this region. They also beat Rutgers, so that was no fluke. This week, Gonzaga beat Saint Mary’s and Pacific — two teams on the periphery of NCAA Tournament consideration. The WCC is good, but might not be good enough to keep Gonzaga here if it suffers a loss or two. But for now, the Bulldogs are a worthy 3 seed.