Just for fun, and to scratch that March Madness itch, here’s a projected look at the tournament field the Selection Committee might have shown us on Sunday, based on the information at hand. And by that, we mean the games that actually happened — not what we think would have happened if the rest of the conference tournaments had been played.
It’s better than nothing, eh?
MORE: NCAA canceling March Madness is for the best — but oh, what might have been
Here’s what we did for our Field of 68 automatic bids: Teams that already won conference tournaments stay, obviously. For the leagues that didn’t get to play their tournaments, the No. 1 seed gets that bid; for leagues that started their tournaments but hadn’t finished, the auto bid goes to the top remaining seed (in every case, that’s still the No. 1 overall seed).
It’s not perfect, of course, but it’s the best solution:
Projected No. 1 seeds
Kansas (Big 12), Gonzaga (WCC), Dayton (A-10), Baylor
Kansas (28-3): NET/Pom/Sag: 2/1/1. vs. Q1: 12-3. vs. Q2: 8-0. vs. Q3/4: 7-0Gonzaga (31-2): NET/Pom/Sag: 1/2/2. vs. Q1: 6-2. vs. Q2: 5-0. vs. Q3/4: 20-0Dayton (29-2): NET/Pom/Sag: 3/4/6. vs. Q1: 5-2. vs. Q2: 8-0. vs. Q3/4: 16-0Baylor (26-4): NET/Pom/Sag: 5/3/4. vs. Q1: 11-2. vs. Q2: 5-2. vs. Q3/4: 10-0
Projected No. 2 seeds
San Diego State, Florida State (ACC), Creighton (Big East), Villanova
San Diego State (29-2): NET/Pom/Sag: 4/6/9. vs. Q1: 4-1. vs. Q2: 7-0. vs. Q3/4: 18-1Florida State (26-5): NET/Pom/Sag: 10/15/5. vs. Q1: 6-3. vs. Q2: 8-2. vs. Q3/4: 12-0Creighton (23-7): NET/Pom/Sag: 11/12/14. vs. Q1: 9-7. vs. Q2: 6-0. vs. Q3/4: 8-0Villanova (24-7): NET/Pom/Sag: 13/18/10. vs. Q1: 10-6. vs. Q2: 6-1. vs. Q3/4: 8-0
Projected No. 3 seeds
Michigan State, Kentucky (SEC), Duke, Maryland
Michigan State (22-9): NET/Pom/Sag: 7/7/3. vs. Q1: 9-7. vs. Q2: 5-2. vs. Q3/4: 8-0Kentucky (25-6): NET/Pom/Sag: 21/29/11. vs. Q1: 9-3. vs. Q2: 5-2. vs. Q3/4: 11-1Duke (25-6): NET/Pom/Sag: 6/5/8. vs. Q1: 5-3. vs. Q2: 6-2. vs. Q3/4: 14-1Maryland (24-7): NET/Pom/Sag: 18/11/12. vs. Q1: 8-7. vs. Q2: 6-0. vs. Q3/4: 10-0
Projected No. 4 seeds
Seton Hall, Louisville, Oregon (Pac-12), Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Seton Hall (21-9): NET/Pom/Sag: 15/20/15. vs. Q1: 10-7. vs. Q2: 5-2. vs. Q3/4: 6-0Louisville (24-7): NET/Pom/Sag: 8/9/18. vs. Q1: 4-6. vs. Q2: 6-1. vs. Q3/4: 14-0Oregon (24-7): NET/Pom/Sag: 12/17/17. vs. Q1: 7-5. vs. Q2: 6-2. vs. Q3/4: 11-0Wisconsin (21-10): NET/Pom/Sag: 23/22/13. vs. Q1: 10-8. vs. Q2: 3-1. vs. Q3/4: 8-1
MORE: College basketball’s champion can’t be identified without NCAA Tournament
Projected No. 5 seeds
Butler, Ohio State, Virginia, Auburn
Butler (22-9): NET/Pom/Sag: 19/25/25. vs. Q1: 10-6. vs. Q2: 5-3. vs. Q3/4: 7-0Ohio State (21-10): NET/Pom/Sag: 16/8/7. vs. Q1: 6-9. vs. Q2: 6-1. vs. Q3/4: 9-0Virginia (23-7): NET/Pom/Sag: 44/42/21. vs. Q1: 5-3. vs. Q2: 7-3. vs. Q3/4: 11-1Auburn (25-6): NET/Pom/Sag: 27/33/24. vs. Q1: 7-3. vs. Q2: 7-2. vs. Q3/4: 11-1
Projected No. 6 seeds
BYU, West Virginia, Penn State, Iowa
BYU (23-8): NET/Pom/Sag: 9/13/19. vs. Q1: 3-5. vs. Q2: 5-3. vs. Q3/4: 15-0West Virginia (21-10): NET/Pom/Sag: 17/10/20. vs. Q1: 6-7. vs. Q2: 6-3. vs. Q3/4: 9-0Penn State (21-10): NET/Pom/Sag: 35/26/44. vs. Q1: 8-7. vs. Q2: 5-2. vs. Q3/4: 8-1Iowa (20-11): NET/Pom/Sag: 34/23/30. vs. Q1: 8-8. vs. Q2: 5-1. vs. Q3/4: 7-2
Projected No. 7 seeds
Illinois, Michigan, Saint Mary’s, Arizona
Illinois (20-10): NET/Pom/Sag: 39/30/26. vs. Q1: 6-8. vs. Q2: 4-1. vs. Q3/4: 10-1Michigan (19-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 24/16/22. vs. Q1: 6-10. vs. Q2: 5-2. vs. Q3/4: 8-0Saint Mary’s (25-8): NET/Pom/Sag: 31/38/39. vs. Q1: 3-5. vs. Q2: 5-1. vs. Q3/4: 17-2Arizona (21-11): NET/Pom/Sag: 14/19/40. vs. Q1: 3-7. vs. Q2: 6-3. vs. Q3/4: 12-1
Projected No. 8 seeds
Providence, Colorado, Houston, LSU
Providence (19-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 37/40/27. vs. Q1: 7-8. vs. Q2: 5-0. vs. Q3/4: 7-4Colorado (21-11): NET/Pom/Sag: 25/35/76. vs. Q1: 5-4. vs. Q2: 6-4. vs. Q3/4: 10-3Houston (23-8): NET/Pom/Sag: 20/14/16. vs. Q1: 2-5. vs. Q2: 8-3. vs. Q3/4: 13-0LSU (21-10): NET/Pom/Sag: 28/37/37. vs. Q1: 4-8. vs. Q2: 7-1. vs. Q3/4: 10-1
MORE: Using different metrics to determine final Field of 68
Projected No. 9 seeds
Oklahoma, Rutgers, Indiana, USC
Oklahoma (19-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 46/36/31. vs. Q1: 5-9. vs. Q2: 6-3. vs. Q3/4: 8-0Rutgers (19-11): NET/Pom/Sag: 30/28/29. vs. Q1: 4-9. vs. Q2: 5-1. vs. Q3/4: 10-1Indiana (20-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 56/34/34. vs. Q1: 4-10. vs. Q2: 5-2. vs. Q3/4: 11-0USC (22-9): NET/Pom/Sag: 45/55/53. vs. Q1: 3-7. vs. Q2: 7-1. vs. Q3/4: 12-1
Projected No. 10 seeds
Marquette, Florida, Arizona State, Utah State (MWC)
Marquette (18-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 26/31/41. vs. Q1: 5-10. vs. Q2: 6-2. vs. Q3/4: 7-0Florida (19-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 29/32/28. vs. Q1: 5-9. vs. Q2: 4-3. vs. Q3/4: 10-0Arizona State (20-11): NET/Pom/Sag: 54/63/63. vs. Q1: 5-8. vs. Q2: 4-3. vs. Q3/4: 11-0Utah State (26-8): NET/Pom/Sag: 40/41/33. vs. Q1: 3-4. vs. Q2: 2-2. vs. Q3/4: 19-2
Projected No. 11 seeds
Texas Tech, UCLA, N.C. State, Richmond, Wichita State, ETSU (Southern)
Texas Tech (18-13): NET/Pom/Sag: 22/21/38. vs. Q1: 3-10. vs. Q2: 4-3. vs. Q3/4: 11-0UCLA (18-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 76/78/58. vs. Q1: 6-6. vs. Q2: 3-4. vs. Q3/4: 10-2N.C. State (20-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 53/50/42. vs. Q1: 4-5. vs. Q2: 4-5. vs. Q3/4: 12-2Richmond (24-7): NET/Pom/Sag: 38/46/55. vs. Q1: 3-4. vs. Q2: 3-2. vs. Q3/4: 18-1Wichita State (23-8): NET/Pom/Sag: 41/39/32. vs. Q1: 2-5. vs. Q2: 7-3. vs. Q3/4: 14-0
MORE: Sports world reacts to March Madness cancellation
Projected Nos. 12-16 seeds
No. 12 seeds: Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Cincinnati (AAC), Liberty (Atlantic Sun), Yale (Ivy)No. 13 seeds: Akron (MAC), Vermont (America East), North Texas (C-USA), New Mexico State (WAC),No. 14 seeds: Belmont (Ohio Valley), Bradley (MVC), UC Irvine (Big West), Northern Kentucky (Horizon)No. 15 seeds: North Dakota State (Summit), Hofstra (Colonial), Winthrop (Big South), Boston University (Patriot)No. 16 seeds: Eastern Washington (Big Sky), Little Rock (Sun Belt), *Robert Morris (Northeast), *Siena (MAAC), *Prairie View A&M (SWAC), *North Carolina Central (MEAC)
*First Four teams
First four out
Texas (19-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 70/61/51. vs. Q1: 5-8. vs. Q2: 2-4. vs. Q3/4: 12-0Xavier (19-13): NET/Pom/Sag: 47/45/48. vs. Q1: 3-11. vs. Q2: 7-2. vs. Q3/4: 9-0Stanford (20-12): NET/Pom/Sag: 33/43/80. vs. Q1: 4-7. vs. Q2: 3-3. vs. Q3/4: 13-2Memphis (21-10): NET/Pom/Sag: 59/59/50. vs. Q1: 2-5. vs. Q2: 6-2. vs. Q3/4: 13-3