Bracketology: UNC Grabs Fourth No. 1 Seed with Michigan State's Weekend Loss

This bracketology (updated as of March 7) will evaluate teams based on how they have performed up to this point in the season. It will not factor in how they are projected to do in the rest of the season.

So far, 11 conference tournaments have been completed, so 11 automatic bids have been dealt. Here are the teams that have locked up a spot in the field: UNC-Asheville (Big South), Murray State (OVC), Belmont (A-Sun), Creighton (MVC), Loyola-MD (MAAC), VCU (CAA), Davidson (SoCon), St. Mary's (WCC), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt), Detroit (Horizon), and South Dakota State (Summit). In addition, Harvard will receive the Ivy League's automatic bid.

For conferences that do not yet have an official champion, a conference in parentheses next to a team indicates a team that is in first place and would have an automatic bid as a conference champion. If the No. 1 seed has already been eliminated in a conference tournament that is currently still in progress, then the highest remaining seed receives the projected automatic bid.

With the 68-team format, there will be four play-in games. There will be two play-in games for the bottom four at-large teams and two play-in games for the bottom four conference tournament winners who earned automatic bids.

In the bracket, the winner of the South Region plays the winner of the West Region and the winner of the Midwest Region plays the winner of the East Region.

The South Region and the West Region hold the overall No. 1 and No. 4 seeds, respectively. The East Region and Midwest Region hold the overall No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively.

South Region

No. 1 Kentucky (SEC) vs. No. 16 Savannah State (MEAC)/Mississippi Valley State (SWAC)

No. 8 Purdue vs. No. 9 Cincinnati

No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 Seton Hall

No. 4 Murray State (OVC) vs. No. 13 Nevada (WAC)

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Washington (Pac-12)

No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Montana (Big Sky)

No. 7 St. Mary's (WCC) vs. No. 10 Mississippi State

No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Bucknell (Patriot)

West Region

No. 1 North Carolina (ACC) vs. No. 16 Texas-Arlington (Southland)

No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Saint Louis

No. 5 Louisville vs. No. Miami/BYU

No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 South Dakota State (Summit)

No. 6 Temple (A-10) vs. No. 11 Colorado State

No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 Davidson (SoCon)

No. 7 Memphis (C-USA) vs. No. 10 Connecticut

No. 2 Missouri vs. No. 15 LIU-Brooklyn (NEC)

East Region

No. 1 Syracuse (Big East) vs. No. 16 Stony Brook (A-East)/Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

No. 8 New Mexico vs. No. 9 Alabama

No. 5 Florida vs. No. 12 California

No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 VCU (CAA)

No. 6 Creighton (MVC) vs. No. 11 Harvard (Ivy)

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Belmont (A-Sun)

No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 West Virginia

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Detroit (Horizon)

Midwest Region

No. 1 Kansas (Big 12) vs. No. 16 UNC-Asheville (Big South)

No. 8 San Diego State (MWC) vs. No. 9 Virginia

No. 5 UNLV vs. No. 12 Oregon

No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 13 Northwestern/Washington

No. 6 Vanderbilt vs. No. 11 Long Beach State (Big West)

No. 3 Georgetown vs. No. 14 Akron (MAC)

No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Southern Miss

No. 2 Michigan State (Big Ten) vs. No. 15 Loyola-MD (MAAC)

First Four Out

Xavier, Texas, Drexel, St. Joe's

Next Four Out

Dayton, Tennessee, Oral Roberts, Iona