Calm Before the Storm

Conference tournaments wrapping up.  Nevada drops a bomb on the field by losing in the MWC tournament.  They will still get in as an at-large, but now the MWC tournament winner needs a spot in the field as well.  Purdue up, Auburn down.  Kentucky up, Nevada down.  Providence up, UCLA down.  Alabama up, Butler down.  San Diego State elbows into the field as the presumed MWC winner, MTSU out.  


Bubble Talk
Nobody else on the bubble can play their way in with Oregon bowing out.  I think Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Syracuse are in.  Middle Tennessee State, Louisville, Washington, ASU and Marquette are out.  


Bracketology
My field prognostication as of today is as follows:

#1 seeds:  Virginia, Villanova, Kansas, Xavier
#2 seeds:  Duke, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Purdue
#3 seeds:  Auburn, Michigan,  Michigan State, Tennessee
#4 seeds:  Wichita State, Texas Tech, Gonzaga,  Clemson
#5 seeds:  Houston, Arizona, West Virginia, Ohio State
#6 seeds:  Miami (FL), Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky 
#7 seeds:  Seton Hall, Nevada, Texas A&M, TCU
#8 seeds:  Missouri, Creighton, Rhode Island, Providence
#9 seeds:  USC, UCLA, Florida State, Alabama
#10 seeds:  St. Bonaventure, Saint Mary's, VA Tech, NC State
#11 seeds:  Butler, San Diego State*,  play-in: Texas / Kansas State,  play-in:  Oklahoma / Syracuse
#12 seeds:  Loyola-Chicago, New Mexico State*, Western Kentucky*, South Dakota State
#13 seeds:   Buffalo*, Murray State, College of Charleston, UNC Greensboro
#14 seeds:  Vermont*, Louisiana-Lafayette*, Bucknell, Montana* 
#15 seeds:  Wright State, CS Fullerton*, Iona, Lipscomb 
#16 seeds:  Harvard*, Radford, play-in:  SF Austin* / LIU Brooklyn, play-in: Hampton* / Arkansas-Pine Bluff*  
First Five Out:   Middle Tennessee State, Louisville, Washington, Arizona State, Marquette

* presumed automatic qualifiers


Bracket Matrix
Check this site out.  Great compilation of expert and amateur bracket projections.

http://www.bracketmatrix.com/