USA TODAY International Edition
ACC’s depth unmatched in men’s field
With the college basketball season taking center stage — ahem, football season is over, and now it’s rivalry week — the debate for NCAA tournament top seeds and which teams are on and off the bubble will assuredly pick up.
One of the more interesting features of the latest early February bracket is how many teams the country’s toughest conference, the Atlantic Coast, is projected to send to the NCAAs.
As of now, due to Syracuse’s ascension, it’s 10. Along with the Orange, the list includes North Carolina, Florida State, Louisville, Virginia, Duke, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Clemson.
Essentially, all but two of the ACC’s 15 teams have a shot. For point of reference, Clemson is 3- 7 in the conference standings ( 12th place) and a projected NCAA regional No. 9 seed.
That list is excluding bubble team Wake Forest, the first team out as of now. It also excludes fringe teams Miami ( Fla.) and North Carolina State.
The most teams from one conference to reach the NCAA tournament was 11 in 2011 from the former Big East. We could be looking at history in the making. FAST FACTS
No. 1 seeds: Villanova, Gonzaga, Kansas, Baylor
Last four in: California, Kansas State, Seton Hall, Tennessee
First four out: Wake Forest, Rhode Island, Georgetown, Arkansas uMultiple- bid conferences: ACC ( 10), Big Ten ( seven), Big 12 ( seven), Big East ( six), Pac- 12 ( five), Southeastern ( four), Atlantic 10 ( two), American Athletic ( two), West Coast ( two). FIELD OF 68 BY REGIONS
West: 1. Gonzaga; 2. Oregon; 3. Duke; 4. West Virginia; 5. Creighton; 6. South Carolina; 7. SMU; 8. Iowa State; 9. Minnesota; 10. Syracuse; 11. Nevada; 12. N. C.- Wilmington; 13. Monmouth; 14. Florida Gulf Coast; 15. Texas Southern; 16. North Dakota State.
Midwest: 1. Kansas; 2. Florida State; 3. Arizona; 4. Florida; 5. Purdue; 6. Saint Mary’s; 7. Xavier; 8. Michigan State; 9. Virginia Commonwealth; 10. Georgia Tech; 11. Indiana; 12. Illinois State; 13. Akron; 14. Arkansas State; 15. East Tennessee State; 16. Sam Houston.
East: 1. Villanova; 2. North Carolina; 3. Virginia; 4. Cincinnati; 5. Maryland; 6. Butler; 7. Northwestern; 8. Oklahoma State; 9. Clemson; 10. Marquette; 11. Tennessee/ California; 12. Valparaiso; 13. Vermont; 14. Winthrop; 15. Bucknell; 16. Mount St. Mary’s/ Weber State.
South: 1. Baylor; 2. Louisville; 3. Kentucky; 4. UCLA; 5. Wisconsin; 6. Notre Dame; 7. Southern California; 8. Dayton; 9. Virginia Tech; 10. Texas Christian; 11. Kansas State/ Seton Hall; 12. Middle Tennessee State; 13. New Mexico State; 14. Bel- mont; 15. Princeton; 16. North Carolina Central/ UC- Davis.
MISC. Others considered for atlarge bids ( in no particular order): Illinois, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Providence, Nebraska, Stanford, Wichita State, Texas A& M, Houston, Memphis, Ohio State, Iowa, Mississippi, Auburn, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Miami ( Fla.), Charleston, Temple, Georgia, Utah, North Carolina State, Michigan.
No longer considered: Connecticut, Texas, Texas- Arlington, Charleston, New Mexico, Boise State, LaSalle, Davidson, Chattanooga, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s, BYU, Oklahoma.
CONFERENCE LEADERS
Or highest RPI from projected one- bid conferences ( 23 total): Vermont ( America East), Florida Gulf Coast ( Atlantic Sun), Weber State ( Big Sky), Winthrop ( Big South), UC- Davis ( Big West), UNC- Wilmington ( Colonial Athletic), Middle Tennessee State ( Conference USA), Valparaiso ( Horizon), Yale ( Ivy League), Monmouth ( Metro Atlantic Athletic), Akron ( MidAmerican), North Carolina Central ( Mid- Eastern Athletic), Illinois State ( Missouri Valley), Nevada ( Mountain West), Mount Saint Mary’s ( Northeast), Belmont ( Ohio Valley), Bucknell ( Patriot), East Tennessee State ( Southern), Sam Houston ( Southland), Texas Southern ( Southwestern Athletic), North Dakota State ( Summit), Arkansas State ( Sun Belt), New Mexico State ( Western Athletic).