Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated (featured image), CBS Sports (team logos)

This is a current top 4 seed (16-team) bracket selection/prediction based on the following criteria, as explained below.

According to Wikipedia, “Teams are spread out according to conference. The first three teams selected from each conference must be placed in different regions. When a conference has more than three teams in the tournament, the committee tries to seed the teams so that they cannot meet until the regional final.”

The first bracket is how I would seed the top 4 seeds in each region as of now. The matchups below are essentially the matchups that would happen if the higher seeds were to win each game leading up to the Sweet 16. This list includes each team’s current record.

 

EAST REGION

 #1 Villanova Wildcats (31-3) vs.  #4 Southern Methodist Mustangs (29-4)

 #2 North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7) vs.  #3 Baylor Bears (25-7)

 

WEST REGION

 #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (32-1) vs.  #4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (25-9)

 #2 California-Los Angeles Bruins (29-4) vs.  #3 Duke Blue Devils (27-8)

 

MIDWEST REGION

 #1 Kansas Jayhawks (28-4) vs.  #4 Purdue Boilermakers (25-7)

 #2 Oregon Ducks (29-5) vs.  #3 Florida State Seminoles (25-8)

 

SOUTH REGION

 #1 Arizona Wildcats (30-4) vs.  #4 West Virginia Mountaineers (26-8)

 #2 Kentucky Wildcats (28-5) vs.  #3 Louisville Cardinals (24-8)

 

The second bracket is my prediction as to who the top 4 seeds in each region will be as of now. The matchups below are essentially the matchups that would happen if the higher seeds were to win each game leading up to the Sweet 16. This list includes each team’s current record.

 

EAST REGION

 #1 Villanova Wildcats (31-3) vs.  #4 Florida Gators (24-8)

 #2 Oregon Ducks (29-5) vs.  #3 Florida State Seminoles (25-8)

 

MIDWEST REGION

  #1 Kansas Jayhawks (28-4) vs.  #4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (25-9)

 #2 Duke Blue Devils (27-8) vs.  #3 California-Los Angeles Bruins (29-4)

 

SOUTH REGION

 #1 North Carolina Tar Heels (27-7) vs.  #4 Butler Bulldogs (23-8)

 #2 Kentucky Wildcats (28-5) vs.  #3 Baylor Bears (25-7)

 

WEST REGION

 #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (32-1) vs.  #4 West Virginia Mountaineers (26-8)

 #2 Arizona Wildcats (30-4) vs.  #3 Louisville Cardinals (24-8)

 

-Asher Fair