The Confidential

Confidential Bracketology: March 3, 2014

Let’s have some fun projecting the NCAA’s top 4 seeds for the Big Dance.  This is based on what the Confidential thinks will happen… not going by “if the season ended today.”  Projecting out how the regular season tournaments will finish and what the committee will actually do.  We limit it to the seeded teams.

The New York City Bracket:

#1.  Florida (Orlando pod)

#2.  Syracuse (Buffalo pod)

#3.  Wisconsin (Milwaukee pod)

#4.  UCLA (San Diego pod)

The committee considers giving Florida the Memphis bracket, but instead gives them NYC.  Syracuse gets a #2, but earns the toughest #1 seed and a defensive battle with Wisconsin in the Sweet 16.  The Big 10 wants the Big Apple, it gets the Big Apple.  And UCLA gets shipped east to where a guy named Lew Alcindor once played hoops.

The Memphis Bracket:

#1.  Wichita State (St. Louis pod)

#2.  Kansas (St. Louis pod)

#3.  Creighton (San Antonio od)

#4.  North Carolina (Orlando pod)

Kansas played a tough schedule, but at some point you can’t lose 7+ games and be a #1 seed.  Besides, Wichita State deserves a chance for state-wide supremacy.  Creighton rides a good Big East season into the Memphis bracket, while North Carolina squeezes its way into the remaining four.

The Indianapolis Bracket:

#1.  Duke (Raleigh pod)

#2.  Villanova (San Antonio pod)

#3.  Iowa State  (Milwaukee pod)

#4.  Michigan State (Milwaukee pod)

We are projecting a Duke ACC tourney championship win here.  Why?  Who knows?  Virginia is darn good, UNC is coming on strong, Syracuse can still get healthy, and this is the conference that produced Jimmy Valvano’s run.  If Michigan State is healthy, that is a very tough Sweet 16 matchup for Duke.  Villanova and Iowa State are right there at #2, #3.

The Anaheim Bracket:

#1.  Arizona (San Diego pod)

#2.  Virginia (Raleigh pod)

#3.  Michigan (Buffalo pod)

#4.  San Diego State (Spokane pod)

A couple of Eastern US teams head west to take on Arizona and San Diego State.  Michigan was in the Final Four last year and Virginia is the #1 team in the ACC.  Arizona is vulnerable out here.