Conference tourneys give teams last shot for a bid

The week of reckoning has arrived. Check out my latest projected bracket below, then click to the next page for a detailed breakdown of 27 teams that head into this final week of the season on the bubble.

Below is a mock NCAA tournament bracket based on results through March 9. For purposes of this bracket, the top remaining seed in each conference tournament was awarded the projected automatic berth.

Beginning Wednesday I will be maintaining a real-time Bubble Watch that will be updated continuously through Selection Sunday. There will be a final projected bracket Sunday morning.

NOTE: NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO PREDICT FUTURE RESULTS.

EAST (Charlotte) SOUTH (Houston) (1) North Carolina (16) Morgan St./Alabama St. (8) St. Mary's (9) West Virginia (5) Vanderbilt (12) Arizona St. (4) Purdue (13) Syracuse (6) Michigan St. (11) UMass (3) Stanford (14) Stephen F. Austin (7) Kansas St. (10) Arkansas (2) Georgetown (15) Belmont* (1) Memphis (16) Portland St. (8) Kentucky (9) Baylor (5) Indiana (12) Villanova (4) USC (13) George Mason (6) Butler (11) UNLV (3) Louisville (14) Cornell* (7) Mississippi St. (10) Arizona (2) Duke (15) Austin Peay* MIDWEST (Detroit) WEST (Phoenix) (1) Tennessee (16) American (8) Oklahoma (9) Miami (5) Washington St. (12) Davidson (4) Notre Dame (13) Siena (6) Gonzaga (11) Illinois St. (3) Wisconsin (14) Utah St. (7) Pittsburgh (10) South Alabama (2) Kansas (15) Maryland Baltimore County (1) UCLA (16) Wagner (8) BYU (9) Texas A&M (5) Drake* (12) Ole Miss (4) Connecticut (13) Oral Roberts (6) Marquette (11) Kent St. (3) Xavier (14) Winthrop* (7) Clemson (10) Oregon (2) Texas (15) UC Santa Barbara Bracket updated through March 9. * - Team has already clinched automatic berth

Teams whose bubbles burst (in order of closest to being included): Ohio State, New Mexico, VCU, Temple, St. Joe's.

The breakdown by conference:

Big East: 9 (G'town, Louisville, ND, UConn, Marquette, Pitt, W. Va, Villanova, Syracuse)
Pac-10: 7 (UCLA, Stanford, USC, Washington St., Arizona, Oregon, ASU)
Big 12: 6 (Kansas, Texas, K-State, Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas A&M)
SEC: 6 (Tennessee, Vandy, Miss. St., Kentucky, Arkansas, Ole Miss)
ACC: 4 (Duke, UNC, Clemson, Miami)
Big Ten: 4 (Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Michigan St.)
Missouri Valley: 2 (Drake, Illinois St.)
A-10: 2 (Xavier, UMass)
Mountain West: 2 (BYU, UNLV)
WCC: 2 (Gonzaga, St. Mary's)
21 one-bid conferences.

For more notes on the bracket, click below.

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