Inside the Bracket

Below is a projected NCAA bracket based on results through Feb. 5. For purposes of this bracket, the current first-place team in each conference was awarded the automatic berth.

The breakdown by conference:

ACC: 8 (UNC, Duke, BC, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Clemson, FSU, Maryland)
SEC: 7 (Florida, Kentucky, Vandy, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama)
Pac-10: 6 (UCLA, Oregon, Wazzu, USC, Stanford, Arizona)
Big East: 5 (Pitt, Marquette, ND, Georgetown, Villanova)
Big Ten: 5 (Wisconsin, OSU, Indiana, Michigan St., Illinois)
Big 12: 5 (Kansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St., Texas Tech, Texas)
Missouri Valley: 3 (S. Illinois, Creighton, Missouri St.)
Mountain West: 3 (Air Force, UNLV, BYU)

23 one-bid conferences

Teams whose bubbles burst (in order of RPI rating): No. 37 Kansas State, No. 42 West Virginia, No. 47 Purdue, No. 48 Bradley, No. 50 Providence, No. 51 Xavier, No. 53 Appalachian State.

East (East Rutherford, N.J.)   Midwest (St. Louis) (1) North Carolina (16) Delaware State (8) Stanford (9) Texas (5) Kentucky (12) Illinois (4) Southern Illinois (13) Texas A&M-C.C. (6) Florida St. (11) Michigan St. (3) Marquette (14) Toledo (7) USC (10) Arkansas (2) Kansas (15) E. Tennessee St. (1) Wisconsin (16) Jackson St. (8) Clemson (9) Arizona (5) Memphis (12) Alabama (4) Air Force (13) Holy Cross (6) Boston College (11) Missouri St. (3) Oregon (14) Oakland (7) Texas Tech (10) Tennessee (2) Pittsburgh (15) Austin Peay South (San Antonio)   West (San Jose) (1) Florida (16) Loyola (Md.)/C. Connecticut (8) Virginia Tech (9) Creighton (5) Indiana (12) Winthrop (4) Washington St. (13) Rhode Island (6) Notre Dame (11) Georgia (3) Duke (14) Vermont (7) UNLV (10) Gonzaga (2) Texas A&M (15) South Alabama (1) UCLA (16) Weber St. (8) Georgetown (9) Maryland (5) Nevada (12) Virginia Commonwealth (4) Oklahoma St. (13) Davidson (6) Virginia (11) BYU (3) Butler (14) Long Beach (7) Vanderbilt (10) Villanova (2) Ohio St. (15) Penn Bracket updated through Feb. 5, 2007.

All RPI ratings from CollegeRPI.com.