Midnight Madness NCAA Bracket Projection

How time flies. Midnight Madness opens October 16.  With that, we begin our second online season at Bracketville.  And since March Madness is only six months away, why not offer our first pre-season bracket projection?  As we move through late October and early November, I may update this effort with a true pre-season bracket.  I’ll also be moving this post to the Bracketology section soon.    For now, you can find my Final Bracket Projection for the 2009 tournament at that location.  Have thoughts?  Please send me a rebound.

PRE-SEASON Bracket Projection: October 11, 2009

Notes: Found below the bracket on this page (scroll down). 

MIDNIGHT MADNESS Pre-season Bracket …

MIDWEST - St. Louis		SOUTH – Houston
Oklahoma City		New Orleans
1) KANSAS		1) TEXAS
16)  Jackson State vs. Morgan State		16) ROBERT MORRIS
8) Xavier		8) Illinois
9) Memphis		9) TULSA
Buffalo		Spokane
5) West Virginia		5) Maryland
12) NORTHEASTERN		12) Northern Iowa
4) Michigan		4) Connecticut
13) WESTERN KENTUCKY		13) UTAH STATE
Providence		San Jose
6) Georgetown		6) GONZAGA
11) Oregon State		11) Texas A&M
3) Duke		3) California
14) AMERICAN		14) CHARLESTON
Buffalo		Milwaukee
7) Ohio State		7) LSU
10) CREIGHTON		10) Pittsburgh
2) KENTUCKY		2) Purdue
15) E. TENNESSEE ST		15) STEPHEN. F. AUSTIN
EAST – Syracuse		WEST – Salt Lake City
Milwaukee		Jacksonville
1) MICHIGAN STATE		1) NORTH CAROLINA
16) MURRAY STATE		16) LIBERTY
8) Cincinnati		8) Siena
9) UCLA		9) Florida
Jacksonville		San Jose
5) Mississippi State		5) Louisville
12) NIAGARA		12) Missouri
4) Clemson		4) BUTLER
13) AKRON		13) LONG BEACH ST
New Orleans		Oklahoma City
6) Oklahoma State		6) Minnesota
11) San Diego State		11) BYU
3) Tennessee		3) Oklahoma
14) VERMONT		14) OAKLAND
Providence		Spokane
7) DAYTON		7) Syracuse
10) Georgia Tech		10) Wake Forest
2) VILLANOVA		2) WASHINGTON
15) CORNELL		15) WEBER STATE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES on the BRACKET: Kansas is the overall No. 1 projected seed – followed by Michigan State, Texas, and North Carolina.  That would mean in the Final Four it would be Midwest vs. West | East vs. South.

Last Five teams in (at large):  Oregon State, Texas A&M, Missouri, San Diego State, Northern Iowa

First Five teams out (at large):  Seton Hall, New Mexico, Northwestern, Florida State, Arizona

Also considered: Mississippi, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Indiana, UNLV, Southern Illinois, Richmond, Marquette, Arkansas, Penn State, South Carolina, Oregon, UNLV

Regional placement: Syracuse cannot be placed in the East because they host a Regional.  BYU must play in Thursday-Saturday sites.  Gonzaga cannot be placed in Spokane sub-regional.  There are a host of other conflicts with sites if those teams were to be selected for the actual field.

Here is the team breakdown by Conference …

Big East (8): Villanova, Georgetown, Louisville, Connecticut, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Cincinnati

Big Ten (6): Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota, Illinois

ACC (6): North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Maryland, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech

Big 12 (5): Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Missouri

SEC (5): Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida

Pac 10 (4): Washington, California, UCLA, Oregon State

Atlantic 10 (2): Dayton, Xavier

Mountain West (2): BYU, San Diego State

Missouri Valley (2): Creighton, Northern Iowa

Conference USA (2): Tulsa, Memphis

Metro-Athletic (2): Siena, Niagara

Horizon (1): Butler

West Coast (1): Gonzaga

Auto Bid conference champions … Charleston (Southern), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt), Akron (MAC), Utah State (WAC), Northeastern (Colonial), American (Patriot), East Tennessee State (A-Sun), Weber State (Big Sky), Oakland (Summit), Cornell (Ivy), Long Beach State (Big West), Murray State (Ohio Valley), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Vermont (A-East), Robert Morris (NEC), Liberty (Big South), Jackson State (SWAC), Morgan State (MEAC).