College basketball’s opening day is finally here, and with that is The Catch and Shoot’s preseason Bracketology for the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Here’s a basic of idea of how things will go down when March finally arrives:
On March 18 and 19, the First Four will take place in Dayton. Second and Third Round games on March 20 and March 22 will take place in Buffalo, NY; Milwaukee, WI; Orlando, FL; and Spokane, WA. First weekend games on March 21 and March 23 will be in Raleigh, NC; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; and Saint Louis, MO.
The regional sites are Indianapolis, IN (Midwest); Memphis, TN (South); Anaheim, CA (West); and New York, NY (East).
Now, it’s time for brackets. This bracketology is set up with Michigan State as the overall No. 1 seed, hypothetically playing Duke in the Final Four, and Kentucky as the second No. 1 seed, hypothetically playing Kansas in the Final Four.
Midwest Region
Milwaukee
No. 1 Michigan State (Big 10) vs. No. 16 Norfolk State (MEAC)/Wagner (NEC)
No. 8 Harvard (Ivy) vs. No. 9 Stanford
Spokane
No. 5 Marquette (Big East) vs. No. 12 North Dakota State (Summit)
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 Wright State (Horizon)
Buffalo
No. 6 Wichita State (MVC) vs. No. 11 St. John’s
No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 14 New Mexico State (WAC)
Raleigh
No. 7 Creighton vs. No. 10 Arizona State
No. 2 Duke (ACC) vs. No. 15 Boston U (Patriot)
South Region
Saint Louis
No. 1 Kentucky (SEC) vs. No. 16 Texas Southern (SWAC)/High Point (Big South)
No. 8 La Salle vs. No. 9 Virginia
Spokane
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Louisiana Tech (C-USA)
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Florida Gulf Coast (A-Sun)
Orlando
No. 6 Indiana vs. No. 11 San Diego State
No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Long Beach State (Big West)
San Antonio
No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 10 Saint Louis
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 15 Georgia State (Sun Belt)
West Region
Saint Louis
No. 1 Arizona (Pac-12) vs. No. 16 Northwestern State (Southland)
No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Baylor
San Diego
No. 5 Gonzaga (WCC) vs. No. 12 Indiana State/UMass
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 13 Manhattan (MAAC)
Buffalo
No. 6 Boise State (MWC) vs. No. 11 Cincinnati
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 Weber State (Big Sky)
San Diego
No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 UNLV
No. 2 Kansas (Big 12) vs. No. 15 Elon (SoCon)
East Region
Raleigh
No. 1 Louisville (American) vs. No. 16 Vermont (A-East)
No. 8 Georgetown vs. No. 9 Brigham Young
Orlando
No. 5 Colorado vs. No. 12 Boston College/Kansas State
No. 4 VCU (A10) vs. No. 13 Towson (CAA)
San Antonio
No. 6 New Mexico vs. No. 11 Iowa State
No. 3 Memphis vs. No. 14 Eastern Kentucky (OVC)
Milwaukee
No. 7 Connecticut vs. No. 10 Tennessee
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Buffalo (MAC)
Photo: UK Athletics
