VCU Rams

Bracket Watch: UCLA still hasn't done enough to be a No. 1 seed

Published Jan. 20, 2017 11:33 a.m. ET

Stewart Mandel

UCLA is 19-1, ranked third in the AP poll and harboring legit national title aspirations. But as of today, the numbers wouldn’t support the Bruins landing one of the four No. 1 seeds. Most notably, they boast just one RPI Top 50 win, albeit a big one at Kentucky.

But Steve Alford’s team gets another shot at a showcase win Saturday against 17-2 Arizona. The Wildcats are 6-0 in the Pac-12, tied for first in the league with Oregon. It’s a chance for UCLA to build its resume, but even more so, for Arizona — which I currently have as a No. 5 seed — to start shooting up the bracket.

Selection Sunday is March 12, and the tourney begins March 14. The Final Four is April 1-3 in Phoenix.

* — Denotes projected conference champion, automatic berth

This edition's bracket is East vs. West champions and Midwest vs. South champions in the national semifinals, based on the order of my No. 1 seeds.

BRACKET WATCH

EAST REGION (NEW YORK)
Seed	Team	Location
1	Villanova*	at Buffalo
16	Mount St. Mary's/Morgan State
8	Michigan State
9	TCU
4	Virginia	at Greenville, SC
13	Princeton*
5	Cincinnati*
12	Vermont*
6	Xavier	at Buffalo
11	Miami/Georgia
3	West Virginia
14	Bucknell*
7	Maryland*	at Indianapolis
10	Iowa State
2	Louisville
15	Weber State*

WEST REGION (SAN JOSE)
Seed	Team	Location
1	Kentucky*	at Indianapolis
16	UC Irvine*
8	Indiana
9	USC
4	Notre Dame	at Orlando
13	Akron*
5	Arizona*
12	Nevada*
6	Saint Mary's	at Milwaukee
11	Michigan
3	Creighton
14	New Mexico State*
7	Virginia Tech	at Salt Lake City
10	Illinois
2	Gonzaga*
15	North Dakota State*

MIDWEST REGION (KANSAS CITY)
Seed	Team	Location
1	Kansas*	at Tulsa
16	Liberty/New Orleans
8	Clemson
9	Dayton*
4	Florida	at Salt Lake City
13	Valparaiso*
5	Minnesota
12	UNC Wilmington*
6	Purdue	at Greenville, SC
11	Seton Hall/VCU
3	North Carolina*
14	Belmont*
7	SMU	at Sacramento
10	Pittsburgh
2	UCLA
15	UNC Greensboro*

SOUTH REGION (MEMPHIS)
Seed	Team	Location
1	Baylor	at Tulsa
16	Texas Southern*
8	Northwestern
9	Arkansas
4	Oregon	at Sacramento
13	Monmouth*
5	Duke
12	Middle Tennessee*
6	South Carolina	at Milwaukee
11	Illinois State*
3	Butler
14	Florida Gulf Coast*
7	Wisconsin	at Orlando
10	Texas Tech
2	Florida State
15	Georgia Southern*

LAST FOUR IN: Seton Hall, Miami, VCU, Georgia

FIRST FOUR OUT: Marquette, Rhode Island, NC State, Wake Forest

NEXT FOUR OUT: Houston, Cal, Wichita State, Kansas State

MULTIPLE BID CONFERENCES: ACC (10), Big Ten (9), Big 12 (6), Big East (5), SEC (5), Pac-12 (4), A-10 (2), American (2), WCC (2)