Field of 65--Version 8

1) North Carolina (27-3); Pittsburgh (28-3); Connecticut (27-3); Oklahoma (27-4)
Barring disaster in their conference tournaments, UNC, Pitt, and UConn have secured one seeds. Oklahoma's perch is more precarious. With Kansas taking the Big 12 regular season crown, the Sooners probably have to reach the Big 12 tourney championship to keep their one seed.
2) Louisville (25-5); Memphis (28-3); Michigan State (25-5);
Wake Forest (25-5)
The Cardinals win the regular season title in what is arguably the strongest conference in the history of college basketball and still don't get a one seed. What will it take for them to move up a line? Probably an early Big East tourney exit by either Pitt or UConn coupled with Louisville winning the conference tournament.
3) Duke (25-6); Kansas (25-6); Washington (24-7); Missouri (25-6)
There is a clear drop-off between Kansas and Washington. The first two on the three line could easily grab a two seed, while the second two need strong conference tourney showings to maintain their current seeding.
4) Villanova (25-6); Clemson (23-7); UCLA (24-7); Gonzaga (25-5)
Gonzaga has won 17 of its last 18, and the Bulldogs are undefeated in a pretty competitive West Coast Conference. I still say this is Mark Few's most talented squad (but not nearly his toughest or most cohesive).
5) LSU (25-6); Arizona State (22-8); Xavier (24-6); Purdue (22-9)
Xavier has put together a nice season but have been inconsistent of late. They wrapped up the Atlantic-10 regular season title this past week and avenged their February 11 loss to Dayton. But Sean Miller's club has lost four of their last ten, including their season finale to a middling Richmond squad. Had they beaten Duquesne, Charlotte, and Richmond during this ten-game span (and they should have), a three seed would have been theirs for the taking.
6) Florida State (23-8); Marquette (23-8); Syracuse (23-8); California (22-9)
Marquette is reeling after senior point guard Dominic James' season-ending injury. Buzz Williams' team finished its regular season on a four-game losing streak, doubling their season loss total in the process. While the span included games against Big East powers UConn, Louisville, Pitt, and Syracuse, one has to question whether Marquette can regroup for the postseason. An early exit from the Big East tournament could mean an eight or nine seed for the Golden Eagles.
7) Butler (26-4); Illinois (23-8); Texas (20-10);
West Virginia (21-10)
Butler will face off against Cleveland State for the Horizon League tournament championship. A loss for the Bulldogs would hurt their seeding but not their tournament hopes.
8) Dayton (25-6); BYU (24-6); Ohio State (20-9);
Boston College (21-10)
As the Selection Committee tends to place more emphasis on what a team has done in the latter part of the season, it will be interesting to see what it does with Ohio State. By any measurement, the Buckeyes are tourney-worthy. But Ohio State's profile is significantly bolstered by a three-game stretch in early December that saw the Buckeyes knock off Miami, Notre Dame, and Butler in consecutive games. And to make matters more complicated, junior David Lighty, who subsequently suffered a season-ending injury, played an important role in each of those games.
9) Utah State (27-4); Tennessee (19-11); Wisconsin (19-11);
Utah (21-9)
Another inconsistent week for Bruce Pearl's Volunteers. After improving its profile by completing the sweep of South Carolina in Columbia earlier in the week, Tennessee lost to a struggling Alabama sqaud in Knoxville.
10) South Carolina (21-8); Penn State (21-10); Texas A&M (23-8); Saint Mary's (25-5)
Penn State may very well have punched its ticket to the dance. The Nittany Lions' non-conference schedule was both soft and unimpressive (losses to Rhode Island and Temple), but their conference play has been solid – especially against the Big Ten's top three. Penn State swept Illinois and also has a win apiece over Michigan State and Purdue. Ed DeChellis' team would be an at-large lock if not for a letdown in the season finale at Iowa. Still, it looks like the Nittany Lions and the Big Ten's leading scorer, Talor Battle (17.3 ppg), will be dancing in March.
11) Arizona (19-12); Michigan (19-12); Minnesota (21-9); Providence (18-12)
Providence likely needs to win at least one game in the Big East tourney to have a chance at an at-large bid. Sure, the Friars are 10-8 in conference play, but, of those ten wins, only two came against teams that finished in the top eight in the Big East standings (Pitt and Syracuse). Providence did sweep ninth-place Cincinnati – who the Friars will likely face for a third time in the Big East tourney.
12) Auburn (21-10); New Mexico (21-10); Northern Iowa (23-10); VCU (23-9)
Jeff Lebo's balanced Auburn Tigers are peaking down the stretch, having won eight of their last ten. Oh, and the two teams they lost to during that period (LSU and Ole Miss), they also beat during that span. For Auburn to have a realistic chance at an at-large bid, though, they may have to reach the SEC final. New Mexico gets the final at-large bid. The first four out, in alphabetical order – Creighton, Davidson, Florida, Oklahoma State.
13) Western Kentucky (21-8); Siena (25-7);
College of Charleston (26-7); American U (23-7)
After beating Davidson in the Southern Conference semis, former Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Cremins and his College of Charleston Cougars are a win over Chattanooga away from dancing in March. The Cougars now have two wins over Steph Curry and company and an early season victory over South Carolina.
14) Bowling Green (17-12); North Dakota State (24-6);
Stephen F. Austin (21-7); Weber State (21-8)
North Dakota State has reached the semifinals of the Summit League tourney and is now two wins away from earning a tournament bid in just their first year of eligibility.
15) Binghamton (22-8); East Tennessee State (23-10);
Robert Morris (23-10); Radford (21-11)
Radford, who just punched its ticket by winning the Big South tournament, presents some serious matchup problems. Artsiom Parakhouski, the Highlanders' 6-11 260-pound import from Belarus, averages 16.3 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Radford's frontline also features Joey Lynch-Flohr, a 6-8 221-pounder, who averages 13.7 points per contest. In a nod to the 1986 film Highlander, starring Christopher Lambert, I demand that the media refer to Radford's twin towers as MacLeod (Lynch-Flohr) and The Kurgan (Parakhouski). So, for instance, ESPN's Tom Brennan could say, “The Kurgan went for 39 points and 19 boards against Liberty in the Highlanders' regular season finale.” I like it. Needless to say, you don't want to mash bodies in the paint with the Highlanders. Nor do you want to challenge the Highlanders to a duel to the death – you know, because of the whole immortality thing.
16) Morgan State (20-11); Cornell (21-9); Alabama State (19-9); Morehead State (19-15); Cal State Northridge (15-13)
Cornell will be dancing in March thanks to the Big Red's finish atop the Ivy League regular season standings. The Ivy League does not have a conference tournament. In fact, the Ivy League laughs at the juvenile excitement exhibited by the rest of the country during Championship Week. Just as we laugh at their pathetic attempts to play basketball.