Palo Alto:
1. Stanford (Pac-12)
16. St. Francis PA (NEC)
8. South Dakota State
9. Missouri
Des Moines:
5. Indiana
12. New Mexico (Mountain West)
4. Drake (Missouri Valley)
13. Bucknell (Patriot)
There’s a good possibility that I have Drake overrated here. I acknowledge this. But take a look at what the Bulldogs have done, and you’ll see it’s hard to justify putting them much lower. They have three wins against teams projected to make the field, with two of them coming on neutral courts (Rutgers and South Carolina). They’ve also won five games on the road and their worst loss is at South Dakota State (a projected 8 seed). They just can’t afford to slip.
Spokane:
6. California
11. Kansas
3. Gonzaga (WCC)
14. FGCU (ASUN)
Raleigh:
7. Michigan State
10. Auburn
2. NC State
15. Mercer (SoCon)
The Kansas Jayhawks haven’t danced since 2013, but that is now on track to change thanks to a win in Manhattan this week. As one of the last four teams into the field, can their status stand a game against Baylor on Wednesday and a weekend battle with Oklahoma State — a team desperate for a big win?