NCAA Bracket Projections: UCLA Falls, Michigan Rises, Duke Moves Into a #2 Seed

[NOTE: a more current bracket projection including Saturday’s results has been added here]

Here are the projections heading into Saturday, wrapping up with Arizona’s victory over UCLA, which locked up the #1 seed for Gonzaga (who beat Arizona earlier this year).

Here are the bracket projections by region, starting with the first overall seed, Villanova, in the East.

Syracuse is holding on to the final spot, along with USC, at the moment, with Illinois State out. The Orangemen survived much of the danger today. Rhode Island can win the Atlantic-10 with Dayton eliminated (and anyone but VCU winning would take a bid off the board). Houston was eliminated in the American Conference tourney, and everyone who could steal a bid short of winning one of the big conference tourneys was also eliminated today. Only Alabama in the SEC remains as a potential bid thief, needing to go through Kentucky. I also think Middle Tennessee would get an at-large with a loss, but that is far from certain.

Here is the seeding list, where Michigan is now projected to win the Big Ten tournament and get as high as a 6-seed.