Welcome, Wildcats
As the major conferences’ tournaments continue, there’s plenty of room for movement. Gonzaga benefited from Texas A&M’s upset loss to Arkansas and grabbed a hosting spot, while at the bottom, Kansas State snuck into the field. There were a few other minor adjustments as well, but Sunday and Monday will be the biggest days for seeding. Most notably, Notre Dame faces Louisville in the ACC title game, and the winner is virtually assured of the 1 seed in the Chicago region. Later on, Oregon and Stanford play for the Pac-12 championship and, potentially, a 1 seed, depending on how everything else shakes out.
And bubble teams, beware! Arkansas is playing Mississippi State in the SEC championship game. If the Razorbacks win, they’ll earn the automatic bid and knock out a team on the bubble. That’s likely their only way into the field.
Bracket breakdown:
Last Four In:
Miami (OH)
BYU
Tennessee
Kansas State
First Four Out:
Auburn
West Virginia
Saint Mary’s
TCU
Procedural Bumps:
Rutgers from a 7 to an 8
North Carolina from an 8 to a 7
Five Games to Watch Today (all times Eastern):
Louisville vs. Notre Dame, Noon
Arkansas vs. Mississippi State, 2 p.m.
Iowa vs. Maryland, 6 p.m.
Cincinnati vs. UCF, 6:30 p.m.
Stanford vs. Oregon, 8 p.m.
Next update: Monday
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