Conference tournament week is here.
Houston, UConn and Purdue are engaged in a tight race for the No. 1 overall seed, but there are some challengers waiting on the other lines.
North Carolina, Tennessee and Arizona are battling for the final No. 1 seed heading into their respective conference tournaments, and Kentucky – which has moved up a line each of the last two weeks – might just be the hottest team in the country.
The conference tournaments will decide who wins those lines, and a lot can change from here to Selection Sunday. Sporting News will update our March Madness bracket predictions daily from here until then to get you ready for the 2024 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
This year’s Final Four is April 6-8 at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix.
UConn, Houston, Purdue and Tennessee are our No. 1 seeds. Right now our last four in are Mississippi State, New Mexico, Virginia and St. John’s. Our first four out are Pitt, Indiana State, Providence and Texas A&M.
Who is our Field of 68? Here is a closer look:
+ – Clinched automatic bid
* – Projected automatic bid
MORE: Tracking the auto-bids for the 2024 NCAA Tournament
NCAA Tournament Field of 68 projections
No. 1 Seeds
*Houston (28-3, 15-3 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 1, KenPom: 1. Houston has won nine in a row, and a 76-46 victory against Kansas pushed the Cougars’ Quad 1 record to 13-3. That should be enough to push Houston to the No. 1 overall seed heading into the Big 12 tournament.
*UConn (28-3, 18-2 Big East)
Resume: Net: 3, KenPom: 2. The Huskies breezed into the Big East tournament with a 74-60 victory against Providence. Guard Tristen Newton averages 15.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
*Purdue (28-3, 17-3 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 2, KenPom: 3. The Boilermakers dominated in the stretch run of Big Ten play, and Zach Edey averaged 29 points and 11.2 rebounds in Purdue’s last five games. The Boilermakers will look to repeat as Big Ten tournament champions.
*Tennessee (24-7, 14-4 SEC)
Resume: Net: 5, KenPom: 5. The Vols lost 85-81 to Kentucky in the regular-season finale, part of a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents. Dalton Knecht averaged 29.5 points per game in that stretch. Will the Vols hold off North Carolina for the No. 1 seed?
No. 2 Seeds
*North Carolina (25-6, 17-3 ACC)
Resume: Net: 7, KenPom: 8. ACC Net rankings will be a hot topic heading into the conference tournaments, but the Tar Heels are in the mix for the final No. 1 seed. North Carolina closed the regular season with a six-game winning streak. How many chances will they have to improve on a 7-4 record in Quad 1?
MORE: ACC’s complaints of Big 12 gaming the NET ring hollow
*Arizona (24-7, 15-5 Pac-12)
Resume: Net: 4, KenPom: 6. Don’t count Arizona out for the last No. 1 seed. The Wildcats have an 8-3 record in Quad 1 – which is one game better than the Tar Heels and Volunteers. The 78-65 loss to USC in the regular-season finale was a missed opportunity.
Marquette (23-8, 14-6 Big East)
Resume: Net: 14, KenPom: 13. Marquette split two games without Tyler Kolek (oblique) and has a lower-ranking combination than the other No. 2 seeds. The Golden Eagles will need to win at least one game in the Big East tournament to stay here.
Iowa State (24-7, 13-5 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 9, KenPom: 11. The Cyclones lost 65-58 in the Big 12 regular-season finale, and it’s a toss-up with Baylor for the final No. 2 seed. The teams could potentially meet in the Big 12 semifinals on Saturday.
No. 3 Seeds
Baylor (22-9, 11-7 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 14, KenPom: 14. A 78-68 loss to Texas Tech likely keeps the Bears on this line heading into the Big 12 tournament. It will take at least one – maybe two – victories to get on that No. 2 line.
Duke (24-7, 15-5 ACC)
Resume: Net: 10, KenPom: 7. Duke is 5-4 in Quad 1, and they missed a chance to bump up a line in the regular-season finale loss to North Carolina. The good news for coach Jon Scheyer? The Blue Devils do not have a loss outside of Quad 2.
CONFERENCE TOURNEY BRACKETS: ACC | Big East | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
Creighton (23-8, 14-6 Big East)
Resume: Net: 11, KenPom: 9. Trey Alexander’s buzzer-beater gave the Bluejays a 69-67 victory at Villanova on Saturday. Creighton closed the regular season with seven victories in their last eight games.
Kentucky (23-8, 13-5 SEC)
Resume: Net: 19, KenPom: 17. Too soon? The Wildcats averaged 99.4 points per game through a five-game winning streak to end the regular season, and that included a 85-81 victory at Tennessee. John Calipari has this team trending upward fast.
No. 4 seeds
Kansas (22-9, 10-8 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 18, KenPom: 18. The Jayhawks lost three of their last four games, and Hunter Dickinson suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to Houston. How will Bill Self rally Kansas ahead of the Big 12 tournament?
Alabama (21-10, 13-5 SEC)
Resume: Net: 8, KenPom: 10. The Crimson Tide have maintained top-10 Net and KenPom rankings despite a late-season slide where Alabama lost three of its last five games. Can Nate Oats lead the Crimson Tide to their third SEC tournament championship in four years?
Illinois (23-8, 14-6 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 15, KenPom: 11. The Illini are 5-6 in Quad 1, but they still head to the Big Ten tournament with the No. 2 seed. Illinois has won five of its last six games.
BYU (22-9, 10-8 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 12, KenPom: 16. The Cougars won three of their last four games, and they have late-season top-10 victories against Kansas and Baylor. This is a nice resume no matter what happens in the Big 12 tournament.
No. 5 seeds
Auburn (24-7, 13-5 SEC)
Resume: Net: 6, KenPom: 4. The Tigers have one of the strongest rankings combinations despite a 1-7 record in Quad 1. Auburn is perfect outside of Quad 1 with a 23-0 record in Quads 2-4. Are the Tigers under-seeded or over-seeded? It’s hard to say.
Clemson (21-10, 11-9 ACC)
Resume: Net: 27, KenPom: 24. Late-season losses to Notre Dame and Wake Forest could drop the Tigers a line, but the third-best ranking combination among ACC schools likely keeps them here for now.
Utah State (26-5, 14-4 MWC)
Resume: Net: 33, KenPom: 44. The Aggies won the MWC regular-season championship and have a 9-5 record in Quads 1-2. The Aggies also are a perfect 15-0 in Quads 3-4.
Texas Tech (22-9, 11-7 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 30, KenPom: 25. The Red Raiders have been streaky, but three straight victories to close a tough Big 12 schedule bump Texas Tech up to this line. They are a potential chaos team given a 5-4 record against ranked Big 12 teams.
No. 6 seeds
Nevada (26-6, 13-5 MWC)
Resume: Net: 31, KenPom 35. The Wolf Pack continue to trend upward under Steve Alford, and Jarod Lucas (17.8 ppg.) is a player that could emerge as a Cinderella story in the tournament.
South Carolina (25-6, 13-5 SEC)
Resume: Net: 49, KenPom: 47. The Gamecocks have maintained a spot on this line and stayed in the SEC championship hunt until the end. South Carolina won four of its last five heading into the SEC tournament.
San Diego State (22-9, 11-7 MWC)
Resume: Net: 20, KenPom: 20. Yes, the Aztecs have the best ranking combination among the Mountain West Conference teams in the tournament. Still, back-to-back losses to UNLV and Boise State were not the best way to close out the regular season.
Florida (21-10, 11-7 SEC)
Resume: Net: 35, KenPom: 30. The Gators beat Alabama 105-87 then lost 79-78 to Vanderbilt. That upside with inconsistency keeps the Gators here, but Todd Golden has done an impressive job this season.
No. 7 seeds
Boise State (22-9, 13-5 MWC)
Resume: Net: 24, KenPom: 38. The Broncos won six of their last seven games heading into the Mountain West Conference tournament. That will anchor Boise State to this line.
Washington State (23-8, 14-6 Pac-12)
Resume: Net: 45, KenPom: 45. The Cougars are the second bid from the Pac-12, and after that no conference team is a sure thing. Washington State does not have a favorable ranking combination.
Wisconsin (19-12, 11-9 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 23, KenPom: 23. The Badgers were 3-7 in their last 10 games and have dropped one line each of the last three weeks. Wisconsin was 2-5 against ranked teams during the regular season.
*Saint Mary’s (24-7, 15-1 West Coast)
Resume: Net: 17, KenPom: 22. A rubber match with Gonzaga could be coming this week, and those teams have met in the WCC championship four of the last five years. Saint Mary’s is 1-3 in those games.
No. 8 seeds
*Dayton (24-6, 14-4 Atlantic-10)
Resume: Net: 21, KenPom: 27. The Flyers are 4-4 in their last eight games, and the Atlantic-10 tournament will be interesting with Richmond and Loyola trying to steal bids.
Gonzaga (24-6, 14-2 West Coast)
Resume: Net: 16, KenPom: 15. The Bulldogs have won eight in a row and face San Francisco in the WCC semifinals on Monday. Is a rubber match with Saint Mary’s inevitable?
FAU (24-7, 14-4 AAC)
Resume: Net: 34, KenPom: 37. Will the AAC be a two-bid league with South Florida? This scenario assumes the Owls snag an at-large bid. Does FAU really want to test the bubble?
Texas (20-11, 9-9 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 25, KenPom: 23. The Longhorns have a top-25 ranking combination and a .500 record in Big 12 play. That will keep Texas on this line.
Rest of the field …
No. 9 seeds
Nebraska (22-9, 12-8 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 40, KenPom: 39.
TCU (20-11, 9-9 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 39, KenPom: 33.
Colorado State (22-9, 10-8 MWC)
Resume: Net: 36, KenPom: 36.
Northwestern (21-10, 12-8 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 50, KenPom: 42.
No. 10 seeds
Oklahoma (20-11, 8-10 Big 12)
Resume: Net: 43, KenPom: 40.
Michigan State (18-13, 10-10 Big Ten)
Resume: Net: 23, KenPom: 19.
+**Drake (28-6, 15-3 MVC)
Resume: Net: 47, KenPom: 51.
*Princeton (24-3, 12-2 Ivy)
Resume: Net: 48, KenPom: 58.
No. 11 seeds
Colorado (22-9, 13-7 Pac-12)
Resume: Net: 28, KenPom: 27.
Seton Hall (20-11, 13-7 Big East)
Resume: Net: 61, KenPom: 57.
**Mississippi State (19-12, 8-10 SEC)
Resume: Net: 42, KenPom: 39.
**Virginia (22-9, 13-7 ACC)
Resume: Net: 51, KenPom: 67.
**New Mexico (22-9, 10-8 MWC)
Resume: Net: 29, KenPom: 34.
**St. John’s (19-12, 9-9 Big East)
Resume: Net: 38, KenPom: 32.
No. 12 seeds
*South Florida (23-6, 16-2 AAC)
Resume: Net: 78, KenPom 87.
Richmond (23-8, 15-3 Atlantic-10)
Resume: Net: 73, KenPom: 80.
*Grand Canyon (27-4, 17-3 WAC)
Resume: Net: 53, KenPom: 56.
*McNeese (28-3, 17-1 Southland)
Resume: Net: 58, KenPom: 66.
No. 13 seeds
*James Madison (29-3, 15-3 Sun Belt)
Resume: Net: 54, KenPom: 65.
*UC-Irvine (14-8, 17-3 Big West)
Resume: Net: 74, KenPom: 73.
*Samford (28-5, 15-3 Southern)
Resume: Net: 75, KenPom: 79.
*Louisiana Tech (22-9, 12-4 C-USA)
Resume: Net: 92, KenPom: 89.
No. 14 seeds
*Charleston (25-7, 15-3 CAA)
Resume: Net: 102, KenPom: 100.
*Vermont (26-6, 14-1 America East)
Resume: Net: 103, KenPom: 103.
+**Morehead State (26-8, 14-4 OVC)
Resume: Net: 106, KenPom: 111.
*Toledo (20-11, 14-4 MAC)
Resume: Net: 129, KenPom: 133.
No. 15 seeds
*Oakland (21-11, 15-5 Horizon)
Resume: Net: 132, KenPom: 137.
*Colgate (24-9, 16-2 Patriot)
Resume: Net: 130, KenPom: 146.
*South Dakota State (20-12, 12-4 Summit)
Resume: Net: 146, KenPom: 141.
*Montana (21-10, 12-6 Big Sky)
Resume: Net: 136, KenPom: 155.
No. 16 seeds
*Quinnipiac (23-8, 15-5 MAAC)
Resume: Net: 167, KenPom 175.
+**Longwood (21-13, 6-10 Big South)
Resume: Net: 172, KenPom: 158.
**Merrimack (21-11, 13-3 Northeast)
Resume: Net: 200, KenPom: 200.
+**Stetson (22-12, 11-5 A-Sun)
Resume: Net: 211, KenPom: 214.
**Norfolk State (19-10, 932 MEAC)
Resume: Net: 222, KenPom: 238.
**Grambling (17-14, 14-4 SWAC)
Resume: Net: 294, KenPom: 285.
Bubble Watch
Pitt (21-10, 12-8 ACC)
Resume: Net: 44, KenPom: 46. The Panthers scored 86.3 points per game in their last three games and are on the edge of the bubble. Two wins in the ACC tournament could make the difference.
Indiana State (28-6, 17-3 MVC)
Resume: Net: 26, KenPom: 43. The Sycamores are going to be in an uncomfortable waiting game of bubble watching after losing to Drake in the MVC championship game.
Providence (19-12, 10-10 Big East)
Resume: Net: 64, KenPom: 61. The Friars have a .500 record in Big East play, but they are coming into the conference tournament with three losses in their last four games.
Texas A&M (18-13, 9-9 SEC)
Resume: Net: 46, KenPom: 48. You could put Iowa here too, but the Aggies have a better ranking combination heading into the SEC tournament.
