I honestly cannot believe I’m saying this, but we are just a week away from the best month of the sports calendar. While the first few words of that sentence are pointed towards my reflection on how fast time has flown as I age with the passing on Earth’s rotation, most of you are probably having trouble believing the latter half.

Yes, I, and I think Matt, believe the month of March is the greatest on the sports calendar. The fusion of chaos created by conference tournament week preludes the supernova of drama that is the NCAA Tournament. For one month, the 68 programs attempt to create a story never been told before, or put a spin on an odyssey of their own.

Cyclopes will be slain, “David” will take down “Goliath” with either a million paper cuts or an explosion of Steph Curry-like long balls. Under-appreciated and under-funded athletes will shine, tears will be shed, and at the end, one group of men will stand at the top of a ladder, waving around a piece of nylon.

That little fabric will hold about 100 stories per centimeter, creating a new generation of sports fans that will soon utter the words I’m about to type below.

Man, there is nothing like March.

As we approach the NCAA Tournament, our projected field is growing murkier than ever. While the top-seeded programs saw little movement this week, Michigan State did manage to steal back a two-seed from Texas A&M.

Missouri, Maryland, and Clemson also made significant strides forward in the field, while the Marquette Golden Eagles and Kansas Jayhawks are having about as much trouble staying in the air as an American Airlines airplane.

The bubble also saw some movement. We’ve officially given up on the Big West receiving two bids to the dance after UC Irvine experienced a setback, elevating UC San Diego off the bubble and into an 11-spot.

Georgia also was removed from the ‘Last Four In’, but suffered the unfortunate fate of leaving the tournament picture all together.

In the Bulldogs stead, Arkansas found itself in the dance for the first time in over a month, while Wake Forest can now cautiously pack its bags for Dayton as well. Indiana and Villanova made strides, albeit short ones, to put themselves back in the bubble conversation too.

Here’s our projected ‘Field of 68’.

First Four Out: North Carolina, Oklahoma, Indiana, Villanova

• Last week I wrote about how North Carolina needs to win out in order to safely make the field. Hubert Davis’s Tar Heels have been up to the challenge so far, defeating inferior opponents Virginia, NC State, and Florida State by double digits. RJ Davis and company should continue taking care of business against Miami and Virginia Tech next, creating essentially a “win and get in” battle on Tobacco Road against Duke to end the season.
• Oklahoma earned a season-saving victory on Saturday against a suddenly average Mississippi State squad. The Sooners have the opportunity to put themselves into the field with a victory in Rupp Arena against Kentucky to open the week, but a loss could prove detrimental. The good news for Oklahoma? All four remaining games on the schedule are Quadrant 1 opportunities.
• Indiana has suddenly picked up a pair of massive victories against Purdue and Michigan State to vault itself back onto the bubble. Unfortunately, close home losses to Maryland and UCLA may be enough to keep the Hoosiers from dancing. The difference between a 4-11 Quad 1 record and a 6-9 Quad 1 record is astronomical.
• Just like that, Villanova is back! The past two weeks of basketball have pretty much summed up Kyle Neptune’s tenure as the Wildcats head coach. ‘Nova’ has upset both Marquette and St. Johns, while also suffering a double-digit loss to Providence and blowing a late lead against UConn. The Wildcats will need to win out and likely reach the BIG East Tournament Final to be considered for a bid.

 

• Last Four In: West Virginia, San Diego State, Arkansas, Wake Forest

• West Virginia is the safest team in the field among the most boring ‘Last Four In’ of all time. It may not be too hot of a take, but I don’t see any of these programs making the second weekend, or even the second round, in March Madness
• San Diego State continues to play great defense (No. 10 in KenPom), but the offense is almost anemic. The number four team in the Mountain West, the Aztecs will need FAU transfer Nick Boyd channel his ‘Final Four’ experience into high scoring output if they hope to make a run.
• Arkansas is back in the field for the first time in over a month. We definetly didn’t throw them on the right side of the bubble because a matchup between former FAU teammates Johnell Davis and Nick Boyd in the ‘First Four’ would be beautiful.
• Wake Forest is boring, but the Demon Deacons are in the field.

16 seeds: American, Robert Morris/Central Connecticut, Vermont, Omaha/Southern

15 seeds: Norfolk State, Jacksonville State, SEMO, Marist

14 seeds: James Madison, High Point, Montana, North Alabama

13 seeds: McNeese, Grand Canyon, Akron, Chattanooga

12 seeds: Yale, George Mason, Towson, Drake

11 seeds: UC San Diego, West Virginia/Wake Forest, Arkansas/San Diego State, VCU

10 seeds: Vanderbilt, Utah State, Texas, Nebraska

9 seeds: Ohio State, BYU, UConn, Baylor

8 seeds: Illinois, Gonzaga, Creighton, New Mexico

7 seeds: UCLA, Oregon, Ole Miss, Kansas

6 seeds: Memphis, St. Mary’s, Louisville, Mississippi State

5 seeds: Missouri, Purdue, Arizona, Marquette

4 seeds: Clemson, Maryland, Kentucky, Michigan

3 seeds: St. John’s, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Texas A&M 

2 seeds: (5) Alabama, (6) Tennessee, (7) Iowa State, (8) Michigan State

1 seeds: (1) Auburn, (2), Duke, (3) Florida, (4) Houston

 

Projected Major conference champions: Michigan State, Houston, St. John’s, Auburn, Duke, New Mexico