With the release of both the AP and Coaches Polls, we are ready at Hoops HD to unveil the preseason media bracket that includes teams that are ranked and/or receiving votes in the major polls along with other teams projected by the media and coaches to win their respective conferences. For purposes of breaking ties and seeding under-the-radar teams, we used Matt Norlander’s comprehensive 1-351 ranking of all NCAA Division I teams (click here to view the list).
Without further ado, here are the brackets: (East Region is paired against the West; the South is paired up with the Midwest – Duke is the overall #1 seed)
One thing of note is that teams like Oakland, Harvard and Nevada are all above the First Four since all 3 teams received votes in both major polls. Texas-Arlington is way underseeded at #15, but that is a by-product of them being lowballed in the 1-351 list. South Carolina was the last team above the First Four, but nobody on our staff is picking the Gamecocks to make the NCAA field as an at-large this year.
We have lots of potential rivalries unfolding in the South Region, so it’s only fitting that Wisconsin will wreak havoc and potentially knock out BOTH Border War teams in the first two rounds.
If you have any comments, feel free to tweet @jstalica78, @HoopsHD, @csherwood_1973 or @DavidGPuppet.