updated: March 13, 2005 (11:30 a.m. ET) | Championship Week coverage
The Vitale Bald Dome Index (VBDI) has looked ahead to Selection Sunday, and here is my list of the 65-team field for the NCAA Tournament. It's tough to figure out the last few teams that will make it.
I believe the tournament selection committee will do a great job. These are men of great passion and love for college basketball. I'm placing Miami, Ohio, in the tournament over Buffalo due to the fact that Miami won the MAC regular-season title. And you can pencil in UAB over DePaul by virtue of the Blazers' two wins over the Blue Demons.
Here are my projected top four seeds by region, followed by a conference-by-conference look at the VBDI's field of 65 (number of bids per conference in parentheses):
PROJECTED TOP 4 SEEDS
SYRACUSE Region – 1. N. CAROLINA | 2. LOUISVILLE | 3. CONNECTICUT | 4. OKLAHOMA
CHICAGO Region – 1. ILLINOIS | 2. KANSAS | 3. ARIZONA | 4. FLORIDA
AUSTIN Region – 1. DUKE | 2. KENTUCKY | 3. OKLAHOMA ST. | 4. SYRACUSE
ALBUQUERQUE Region – 1. WAKE FOREST | 2. WASHINGTON | 3. GONZAGA | 4. BC
VBDI's FIELD OF 65
AMERICA EAST (1) – VERMONT
ATLANTIC SUN (1) – CENTRAL FLORIDA
ATLANTIC 10 (1) – GEORGE WASHINGTON
ACC (5) – DUKE, N. CAROLINA, GA. TECH, WAKE, NC STATE
BIG EAST (6) – UCONN, PITTSBURGH, SYRACUSE, BOSTON COLLEGE, VILLANOVA,
WEST VIRGINIA
BIG SKY (1) – MONTANA
BIG SOUTH (1) – WINTHROP
BIG TEN (5) – ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN ST., MINNESOTA, IOWA
BIG 12 (6) – KANSAS, OKLAHOMA ST., TEXAS TECH, TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, IOWA ST.
BIG WEST (2) – PACIFIC, UTAH ST.
CAA (1) – OLD DOMINION
C-USA (4) – CINCINNATI, LOUISVILLE, CHARLOTTE, UAB
HORIZON (1) – WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE
IVY (1) – PENN
MAAC (1) – NIAGARA
MAC (2) – OHIO, MIAMI (Ohio)
MID-CONTINENT (1) – OAKLAND
MEAC (1) – DELAWARE ST
MISSOURI VALLEY (2) – CREIGHTON, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
MOUNTAIN WEST (2) – UTAH, NEW MEXICO
NORTHEAST (1) – FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
OHIO VALLEY (1) – EASTERN KENTUCKY
PAC-10 (4) – ARIZONA, WASHINGTON, STANFORD, UCLA
PATRIOT (1) – BUCKNELL
SEC (5) – KENTUCKY, MISSISSIPPI ST, LSU, FLORIDA, ALABAMA
SOUTHERN (1) – CHATTANOOGA
SOUTHLAND (1) – SE LOUISIANA
SWAC (1) – ALABAMA A&M
SUN BELT (1) – LA.-LAFAYETTE
WEST COAST (2) – GONZAGA, ST. MARY'S
WAC (2) – NEVADA, UTEP
LAST TEAMS IN: ST. MARY'S, DE PAUL, MIAMI (Ohio)
LAST TEAMS OUT: MARYLAND, NOTRE DAME, DEPAUL, BUFFALO
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question to Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
