Bracket Breakdown

AS OF FEBRUARY 28, 2005

1 Illinois: Last chance to ruin undefeated regular season at Ohio State on Sunday.
16 Alabama A&M-Coppin State: Coppin State went 0-9 in non-conference play but play #2 SOS.

8 Mississippi State: Need to win one of their final two at Arkansas and vs. Alabama to feel safe.
9 Texas: Winning four of their last five puts Longhorns back in "lock" status.

5 Villanova: One of the hottest teams in the country has won five in a row and 10 of their last 12.
12 Vermont: Blew a chance at an at-large bid by losing three of their final six.

4 Gonzaga: Have won nine in a row, but not getting much talk as being a Final Four contender.
13 Old Dominion: Also lost an opportunity for an at-large bid by losing two of their final four.

6 Pacific: Riding nation's longest winning streak other than Illinois at 19 in a row.
11 Maryland: Needs to win at Virginia Tech to salvage a .500 ACC record and a Tournament bid.

3 Louisville: Won 13 of their past 14, but still look sluggish; Francisco Garcia needs to step up.
14 Denver: Took advantage of UL-Lafayette's back to back losses to grab top spot in Sun Belt.

7 Texas Tech: Third straight week in which they split; need to become more consistent.
10 Georgetown: Falling to the bubble after three straight losses; need to win at UConn to feel safe.

2 Washington: Gets last #2 seed after Oklahoma State went 0-2 and Huskies defeated Arizona.
15 Winthrop: Riding 15-game winning streak into Big South tournament.


1 Kentucky: Moves into a #1 seed after their road win at Alabama despite weak RPI and SOS.
16 Fairleigh Dickinson: Wins tiebreaker over Monmouth because of better RPI and overall record.

8 Nevada: Probably should be a seed or two higher; have won 18 of their past 20.
9 Stanford: Picked up a huge road win at Oregon after losing earlier in the week to Oregon St.

5 Utah: Loss to New Mexico worth a whole seed line; had won 18 in a row prior to the loss.
12 Iowa State: Gets last at-large spot after dropping two games this weak to inferior opponents.

4 Syracuse: Second place in the Big East will be on the line on Saturday at Connecticut.
13 Davidson: Capped an undefeated conference season; still has to win conference tourney.

6 Wisconsin: Impressive win at Ohio State nullifies weak showing at Michigan State.
11 West Virginia: Big East's eighth team have won 7 of their last 9 and four in a row.

3 Oklahoma State: 0-2 week ended with an odd final play at Kansas; need to be organized.
14 Oral Roberts: At the top of the standings despite two losses to second place UMKC.

7 DePaul: Can finish anywhere from third to seventh in conference depending on this week.
10 George Washington: Running thirty-five footer at buzzer by Carl Elliot put GW in good position.

2 Duke: Making a run towards a top seed if they win at UNC in the season finale Sunday.
15 Niagara: Lost season finale to Rider; ended up with share of regular season title.


1 North Carolina: How much longer can they continue to win without Rashad McCants?
16 Gardner-Webb: With loss to Central Florida on the final day, forced to share reg. season title.

8 Notre Dame: Loss to UCLA at home put Irish on the bubble because of weak RPI.
9 St. Mary's: Not getting much pub around the country; have won 18 of their final 21 games.

5 Oklahoma: Beating up on weak teams of Big 12 gives them chance to share conference title.
12 Buffalo: One of the last teams in, they are currently in a six-way tie for second in the MAC.

4 Charlotte: Conference title on the line Thursday at Louisville; won 18 of their last 20.
13 UW-Milwaukee: Winners of 15 of past 16, still need to win conference tourney to get in.

6 Southern Illinois: Looking more impressive with each win; possible Sweet 16 run in them.
11 UTEP: Moving into the Field after winning three games in a week.

3 Arizona: Missed chance at a number one seed by losing at Washington.
14 PENN: First team in the NCAA Tournament--I can not tell you how excited I am (seriously).

7 Florida: Made great comeback at South Carolina; up and down team finding consistency.
10 Minnesota: At 19 wins overall, and 9 in the Big Ten, Golden Gophers are close to a lock.

2 Boston College: Loss to Villanova cost them a one seed; need to win vs. Pitt, at Rutgers
15 SE Louisiana: Season finale at Sam Houston St. will crown Southland reg. season winner.


1 Wake Forest: Continues to be considered behind UNC and Illinois in race for national title.
16 Portland State: Only above .500 team in the Big Sky should win the conference tournament.

8 Pittsburgh: Falling towards the bubble like most of the Big East; needs to win one of final two.
9 UCLA: Win at Notre Dame locks up a bid if they can hold serve at home in final two games.

5 Alabama: Two losses in a week cost the Tide two seeding positions, chance at SEC title.
12 Miami (Ohio): Back to back losses may mean no at-large bid for MAC's leader.

4 Michigan State: Was very high on them until loss at Indiana in which they looked medicore.
13 Holy Cross: Have won last 13 conference games--only three by single digits.

6 Cincinnati: Similar to DePaul, can finish anywhere from third to sixth in Conference USA.
11 Wichita State: One of the last teams in, need to win at Northern Iowa to get at-large bid.

3 Connecticut: Hottest team in the Big East finally meshing at the right time; Final Four sleeper.
14 St. Joseph's: How did they lose at 4-win Rhode Island? So much for at-large consideration.

7 LSU: Climbing up the ladder quickly and have inside track to SEC West title.
10 Georgia Tech: Huge win at Miami (Fl.) puts them at .500 in ACC and closer to a bid.

2 Kansas: Bounced back from 3-game losing streak with huge win over Oklahoma State.
15 Tennessee Tech: Finished the season on a 4-game winning streak to win Ohio Valley title.

Last Four In: Iowa State, Wichita State, Buffalo, UTEP

Last Four Out: Houston, Miami (Fl.), Virginia Tech, North Carolina State