The Predictor Top 25, Tournament Bids & Brackets: 3/8/10

Here are the latest rankings, no time for pith this week. Bids and brackets follow. I should be able to do this one more time before the selection show next Sunday.

1. Kansas (29-2), LW-1
2. Kentucky (29-2), LW-2
3. Purdue (26-4), LW-4
4. Syracuse (28-3), LW-3
5. West Virginia (24-6), LW-10
6. Michigan State (24-7), LW-11
7. Kansas State (24-6), LW-5
8. Duke (26-5), LW-7
9. New Mexico (28-3), LW-8
10. Villanova (24-6), LW-6
11. Ohio State (24-7), LW-12
12. BYU (28-4), LW-13
13. Vanderbilt (23-7), LW-9
14. Temple (26-5), LW-14
15. Gonzaga (26-5), LW-15
16. Baylor (24-6), LW-16
17. Maryland (23-7), LW-19
18. Texas A&M (22-8), LW-18
19. Pittsburgh (24-7), LW-20
20. Tennessee (23-7), LW-22
21. Wisconsin (23-7), LW-23
22. Butler (27-4), LW-21
23. UTEP (24-5), LW-24
24. Xavier (23-7), LW-NR
25. Florida State (22-8), LW-NR

Next 5: Texas, Georgetown, UNLV, Northern Iowa, Clemson


Here are the 65 teams that would make the NCAA tournament right now. It could completely change by next week. You can call it a lazy man’s version of Bracketology. The conference bids are separated into four groups. First you have your traditional six-power conferences. Then the conferences that are better than the mid-majors, but aren’t the BCS six. Those are followed by the true mid-major conferences. Finally, the small conferences that are only going to get one bid no matter how you slice it. The conference leaders are in italics. Conference winners, and automatic tournament bids, in bold.

Notes: Connecticut out, Notre Dame in. Mississippi State out, Ole Miss (winners of four straight) back in. Rhode Island finally gets the boot and the Pac-10 finally gets a 2nd team. Florida really shouldn't be in with three straight losses, but they are clinging on for dear life because of the weak bubble.

POWER
ACC (7): Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Big East (8): Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Big Ten (4): Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Big XII (7): Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M
Pac-10 (2): Arizona State, California
SEC (5): Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Vanderbilt

MAJOR
Atlantic-10 (3): Richmond, Temple, Xavier
Conference USA (2): Alabama-Birmingham, UTEP
Mountain West (4): BYU, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV

MID-MAJOR
Colonial: Old Dominion
Horizon: Butler
Mid-American: Kent State
Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
Sun Belt: Troy
West Coast (2): Gonzaga, St. Mary’s
Western Athletic: Utah State

SMALL
America East: Vermont
Atlantic Sun: East Tennessee State
Big Sky: Weber State
Big South: Winthrop
Big West: UC Santa Barbara
Ivy: Cornell
MAAC: Siena
MEAC: Morgan State
Northeast: Quinnipiac
Ohio Valley: Murray State
Patriot: Lehigh
Southern: Wofford
Southland: Sam Houston State
Southwestern: Jackson State
Summit: Oakland


EAST REGION (Syracuse)
Buffalo
(1) Purdue vs. (16) Vermont
(8) Oklahoma State vs. (9) Marquette
New Orleans
(4) Vanderbilt vs. (13) Cornell
(5) Maryland vs. (12) UAB
Spokane
(6) Butler vs. (11) Georgia Tech
(3) BYU vs. (14) Murray State
Providence
(7) Missouri vs. (10) Richmond
(2) West Virginia vs. (15) Morgan State

SOUTH REGION (Houston)
New Orleans
(1) Kentucky vs. (16) Quinnipiac
(8) Louisville vs. (9) UTEP
San Jose
(4) Temple vs. (13) Siena
(5) Texas A&M vs. (12) Utah State
Milwaukee
(6) Georgetown vs. (11) St. Mary’s
(3) Ohio State vs. (14) Wofford
Jacksonville
(7) UNLV vs. (10) Old Dominion
(2) Duke vs. (15) East Tennessee State

MIDWEST REGION (St. Louis)
Oklahoma City
(1) Kansas vs. (16) Lehigh/Jackson State
(8) Northern Iowa vs. (9) Wake Forest
Jacksonville
(4) Tennessee vs. (13) Kent State
(5) Pittsburgh vs. (12) San Diego State
Providence
(6) Xavier vs. (11) Arizona State
(3) Villanova vs. (14) Oakland
Milwaukee
(7) Texas vs. (10) Virginia Tech
(2) Michigan State vs. (15) Troy

WEST REGION (Salt Lake City)
Buffalo
(1) Syracuse vs. (16) Winthrop
(8) Clemson vs. (9) California
Spokane
(4) Gonzaga vs. (13) Weber State
(5) Baylor vs. (12) Mississippi
San Jose
(6) Wisconsin vs. (11) Florida
(3) New Mexico vs. (14) Sam Houston State
Oklahoma City
(7) Florida State vs. (10) Notre Dame
(2) Kansas State vs. (15) UC Santa Barbara