With the NCAA Tournament bracket release just over 24 hours away and still more than 20 bids left to be locked up.
But Friday wasn’t about the bids being clinched. It was about the bids being stolen.
San Diego State and New Mexico will play to steal a spot in the NCAA Tournament with the Aztecs having blitzed Nevada. The same will be true in the Conference-USA, where top-seed Middle Tennessee could sneak in, along with its league’s champion.
With all this considered, as well as a few surprise results that went final right before this bracket was set to publish — looking at you, UMBC — here’s Saturday’s bracket update.
Note: all-caps denote a projected conference champion; all-caps & bold face denote a clinched conference champion.
~~~
SOUTH REGIONAL | Atlanta, Ga.
(Charlotte, N.C.)
No. 1 VIRGINIA
No. 16 LIU-BROOKLYN / No. 16 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
No. 8 Missouri
No. 9 Butler
(San Diego, Calif.)
No. 5 GONZAGA
No. 12 NEW MEXICO STATE
No. 4 Texas Tech
No. 13 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
(Wichita, Kan.)
No. 6 Houston
No. 11 UCLA
No. 3 TENNESSEE
No. 14 UC IRVINE
(Nashville, Tenn.)
No. 7 Creighton
No. 10 Kansas State
No. 2 Duke
No. 15 WRIGHT STATE
EAST REGIONAL | Boston, Mass.
(Pittsburgh, Pa.)
No. 1 Villanova
No. 16 RADFORD
No. 8 Virginia Tech
No. 9 St. Bonaventure
(Boise, Idaho)
No. 5 Kentucky
No. 12 SAN DIEGO STATE
No. 4 Clemson
No. 13 MURRAY STATE
(Detroit, Mich.)
No. 6 Texas A&M
No. 11 Texas / No. 11 Arizona State
No. 3 Michigan State
No. 14 MONTANA
(Charlotte, N.C.)
No. 7 Arkansas
No. 10 Providence
No. 2 North Carolina
No. 15 LIPSCOMB
MIDWEST REGIONAL | Omaha, Neb.
(Wichita, Kan.)
No. 1 KANSAS
No. 16 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA / No. 16 HAMPTON
No. 8 Florida State
No. 9 Seton Hall
(Boise, Idaho)
No. 5 Ohio State
No. 12 WESTERN KENTUCKY
No. 4 Wichita State
No. 13 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
(Dallas, Tex.)
No. 6 Miami
No. 11 Alabamaa / No. 11 USC
No. 3 AUBURN
No. 14 CHARLESTON
(Detroit, Mich.)
No. 7 NEVADA
No. 10 Louisville
No. 2 Purdue
No. 15 IONA
WEST REGIONAL | Los Angeles, Calif.
(Wichita, Kan.)
No. 1 XAVIER
No. 16 MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTY
No. 8 TCU
No. 9 NC State
(San Diego, Calif.)
No. 5 ARIZONA
No. 12 BUFFALO
No. 4 West Virginia
No. 13 UNC GREENSBORO
(Dallas, Tex.)
No. 6 Florida
No. 11 LOYOLA-CHICAGO
No. 3 MICHIGAN
No. 14 BUCKNELL
(Nashville, Tenn.)
No. 7 Rhode Island
No. 10 Oklahoma
No. 2 CINCINNATI
No. 15 PENNSYLVANIA
And here’s a look at the bubble:
Last Four Byes
Kansas State
Providence
Louisville
UCLA
Last Four In
Texas
Alabama
USC
Arizona State
First Four Out
Syracuse
Oklahoma State
Saint Mary’s
Baylor
Next Four Out
Middle Tennessee
Notre Dame
Marquette
Penn State
