Well, just like last year, I’m predicting that Loyola Chicago won’t make the Final Four.  But I’ll probably be wrong again somehow…….. Anyway, here are some thoughts about the NCAA tournament from a guy who hasn’t paid attention all year until last week.

Here is how I CURRENTLY rank the tournament teams.  This is based on heavily weighting recent performances of teams.  I’ll have more later, but for now I hope Harrel enjoys these.  Now I have to do “real work”……..

Rankings

Team (Seed)

1. Gonzaga (1)
2. Duke (1)
3. Virginia (1)
4. Kentucky (2)
5. North Carolina (1)
6. Tennessee (2)
7. Michigan State (2)
8. Michigan (2)
9. Purdue (3)
10. Texas Tech (3)
11. Nevada (7)
12. Kansas (4)
13. Auburn (5)
14. Iowa St (6)
15.  Florida St (4)
16. Wisconsin (5)
17. Virginia Tech (4)
18. Houston (3)
19. Villanova (6)
20. LSU (3)
21. Kansas St (4)
22. Maryland (6)
23. Mississippi St (5)
24. Louisville (7)
25. Buffalo (6)
26. Marquette (5)
27. Cincinnati (7)
28. Syracuse (8)
29. Iowa (10)
30. Florida (10)
31. Utah St (8)
32. Baylor (9)
33. Mississippi (8)
34. Oklahoma (9)
35. Ohio State (11)
36. Washington (9)
37. Oregon (12)
38. Wofford (7)
39. UCF (9)
40. Minnesota (10)
41. St. John’s (11)
42. VCU (8)
43. St. Mary’s (CA) (11)
44. Arizona St (11)
45. Seton Hall (10)
46. Belmont (11)
47. Temple (11)
48. New Mexico St (12)
49. Murray St (12)
50. Yale (14)
51. Northeastern (13)
52. Liberty (12)
53. Vermont (13)
54. St. Louis (13)
55. UC Irvine (13)
56. Montana (15)
57. Old Dominion (14)
58. N Kentucky (14)
59. Georgia St (14)
60. Colgate (15)
61. Bradley (15)
62. Iona (16)
63. N Dakota St (16)
64. Gardner-Webb (16)
65. Fairleigh Dickinson (16)
66. Prairie View A&M (16)
67. NC Central (16)
68. Abilene Christian (15)

Picks

Round of 32

East

• Duke
• UCF
• Miss St
• Virginia Tech
• Maryland
• LSU
• Louisville
• Michigan St

West

• Gonzaga
• Syracuse
• Marquette
• Florida St
• Buffalo
• Texas Tech
• Nevada
• Michigan

South

• Virginia
• Ole Miss
• Wisconsin
• Kansas State
• Villanova
• Purdue
• Cincinnati
• Tennessee

Midwest

• UNC
• Utah St
• Auburn
• Kansas
• Iowa St
• Houston
• Wofford
• Kentucky

Sweet 16

• Duke
• Virginia Tech
• LSU
• Michigan St
• Gonzaga
• Florida St
• Texas Tech
• Michigan
• Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Purdue
• Tennessee
• UNC
• Kansas
• Iowa St
• Kentucky

Elite 8

• Duke
• Michigan St
• Gonzaga
• Michigan
• Virginia
• Tennessee
• UNC
• Kentucky

Final Four

• Duke
• Gonzaga
• Virginia
• Kentucky

Finals

• Gonzaga
• Virginia

Champion

• Gonzaga