First Bracket Projection 2020

One Seeds:         Kansas, Gonzaga, Dayton, Baylor

Two Seeds:         San Diego State, Duke, Creighton, Florida State

Three Seeds:      Kentucky, Michigan State, Seton Hall, Oregon

Four Seeds:        Ohio State, Villanova, Louisville, Wisconsin

Five Seeds:         Maryland, Penn State, Auburn, Butler

Six Seeds:            Iowa, BYU, Houston, Colorado

Seven Seeds:     West Virginia, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia

Eight Seeds:       Arizona, Providence, St Marys, USC

Nine Seeds:        Marquette, Florida, LSU, Stanford

Ten Seeds:          Oklahoma, UCLA, Arizona State, Utah State

11 Seeds:            Rutgers, Cincinnati, ETSU, Indiana/Xavier

12 Seeds:            Texas Tech/NC State, Stephen F. Austin, Yale, Liberty

13 Seeds:            Akron, Vermont, Louisiana Tech, Belmont

14 Seeds:            UC Irvine, NM State, Colgate, Wright State

15 Seeds:            Hofstra, ND State, Eastern Washington, Little Rock

16 Seeds:            Winthrop, Bradley, Siena/NC A&T, Prairie View A&M/St Francis (PA)

Last 4 In:  Indiana, Xavier, Texas Tech, NC State

First Four Out:  Richmond, Texas, Mississippi State, Wichita State

Next Four Out:  Purdue, Northern Iowa, Saint Louis, South Carolina

Others Considered: Memphis, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Alabama, Tennessee, Syracuse, Tulsa

I have 36 teams I think are definitely in the tournament as of today (not including teams have already won their at large bids).  Those are every team seeded on the first 8 seed lines, plus every nine seed except Stanford.  I think Stanford, Oklahoma, Arizona State and Rutgers are likely to be in as well, but I’m not willing to put it at the likelihood of the other 36. 

That leaves 11 teams I think the committee could theoretically choose as of today for the remaining 7 spots.  One of those spots I’m giving to ETSU as an at large selection.  That leaves 6 spots left for those remaining 10 teams.  Those teams are:  UCLA, Cincinnati, Indiana, Xavier, Texas Tech, NC State, Richmond, Texas, Mississippi State and Wichita State.  I think 6 of those 10 would be in today.  I have my prediction of who would, but I could see justifications for going with the others.

Everyone else listed I think would be out as of today, though some others could theoretically make a run at it in their conference tournaments.