The Field of 65 - The Sports Bank

By: David Kay

Remember the movie “A Beautiful Mind” where Russell Crowe’s character spends his nights in his garage, going insane trying to find hidden meanings in maps, newspapers and magazines that are covering every inch of the walls?

Picture me in that exact setting only spread across my walls are brackets and the names of all 330 Division One college basketball teams. Instead of attempting to crack the code, I am searching for the perfect combination of 65 teams; calculating RPI’s, strengths of schedule, conference records; figuring out seeds and regions.

Okay, I share a garage with the rest of my condo neighbors so I can’t do that for fear I mind end up in a straight jacket at the request of a frightened neighbor. But if I had my own garage, let’s just say my friends would start to be concerned about my well-being.

With that being said, welcome to The Sports Bank’s newest college basketball weekly feature, “The Field of 65.” Every Friday I will do my best Joe Lunardi impersonation and predict the NCAA Tournament field; further proof of my college basketball nerdom.

The Selection Committee is always criticized when the brackets come out for leaving a team out, the seedings, or sending a program to play somewhere far away from home. Until you actually sit down and try to figure this thing out, don’t knock the system because believe me, it’s a complex process. Here’s me taking a shot at it. Be sure to check back every Friday for my updated field.

EAST REGIONAL-Syracuse

AT PROVIDENCE
1. North Carolina (ACC)
16. Mount St. Mary’s (NEC)

8. Michigan (B10)
9. Siena (MAAC)

AT SAN JOSE
5. UConn (BE)
12. Memphis (CUSA)

4. Mississippi St. (SEC)
13. Old Dominion (CAA)

AT BUFFALO
6. Maryland (ACC)
11. Vanderbilt (SEC)

3. Ohio State (B10)
14. Cornell (Ivy)

AT PROVIDENCE
7. Dayton (A10)
10. Oregon State (P10)

2. Villanova (BE)
15. Boston U. (AE)

MIDWEST REGIONAL- St. Louis

AT OKLAHOMA CITY
1. Kansas (B12)
16. Sam Houston State (Southland)

8. Mississippi (SEC)
9. Florida State (ACC)

AT SPOKANE
5. Minnesota (B10)
12. BYU (MW)

4. Georgetown (BE)
13. Akron (MAC)

AT NEW ORLEANS
6. Louisville (BE)
11. Xavier (A10)

3. Tennessee (SEC)
14. Oakland (Summit)

AT MILWAUKEE
7. UCLA (P10)
10. Texas A&M (B12)

2. Michigan State (B10)
15. Holy Cross (Patriot)

WEST REGIONAL- Salt Lake City

AT MILWAUKEE
1. Purdue (B10)
16. Weber State (Big Sky)

8. Georgia Tech (ACC)
9. Cincinnati (BE)

AT SAN JOSE
5. Kansas State (B12)
12. Utah State (WAC)

4. Cal (P10)
13. Long Beach State (Big West)

AT OKLAHOMA CITY
6. Illinois (B10)
11. Gonzaga (WCC)

3. Oklahoma (B12)
14. Morehead State (OVC)

AT BUFFALO
7. Butler (Horizon)
10. Wake Forest (ACC)

2. West Virginia (BE)
15. Radford (Big South)

SOUTH REGIONAL- Houston

AT JACKSONVILLE
1. Kentucky (SEC)
16. Morgan St. (MEAC)/Jackson St. (SWAC)

8. Oklahoma State (B12)
9. Notre Dame (BE)

AT SPOKANE
5. Washington (P10)
12. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

4. Clemson (ACC)
13. Northern Iowa (MVC)

AT JACKSONVILLE
6. Syracuse (BE)
11. Wisconsin (B10)

3. Duke (ACC)
14. Charleston (Southern)

AT NEW ORLEANS
7. Florida (SEC)
10. Tulsa (CUSA)

2. Texas (B12)
15. Jacksonville (Atl. Sun)

Wrong Side of the Bubble:
Pittsburgh (BE)
San Diego State (MW)
Arizona (P10)
Miami, Fl (ACC)
Northwestern (B10)

Six Major Conferences:
Big East (8)
Big Ten (7)
ACC (7)
SEC (6)
Big 12 (6)
Pac 10 (4)

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