Parrish's projections: Kansas and Kentucky
Preseason Projections
Like with most preseason brackets, you can expect a lot of changes between now and March. But here is something to get you ready for the season: There is no doubt that I took a few fliers in here. What fun is a preseason bracket without those.
The overall No. 1 seed in this bracket is Kansas. That isn't one of the fliers. Michigan St, the No. 2 overall seed, is bracketed with the play-in game because it is the highest seed playing on a Friday.
Looks like the Pac 10 may suffer a similar fate as the SEC did last year. I only have three Pac 10 teams in this bracket, although they are higher seeded than the SEC teams from last year.
The SEC should rebound and have a much better year with all the young talent returning, along with John Calipari's apparent instantaneous rebuilding of Kentucky.
The Seeds
Last four in: Baylor, Pitt, San Diego St, Xavier
Last four out: Arizona, Northwestern, Richmond, Virginia Tech
Quick Breakdown
| Conference | Bids | Conference | Bids | Conference | Bids | Conference | Bids |
| ACC | 7 | Big 12 | 7 | MEAC | 1 | Southern | 1 |
| America East | 1 | Big West | 1 | Missouri Valley | 1 | Southland | 1 |
| Atlantic Sun | 1 | Colonial | 1 | Mountain West | 2 | Summit | 1 |
| Atlantic 10 | 2 | C-USA | 2 | Northeast | 1 | Sun Belt | 1 |
| Big East | 8 | Horizon | 1 | Ohio Valley | 1 | SWAC | 1 |
| Big Sky | 1 | Ivy | 1 | Pac-10 | 3 | WAC | 1 |
| Big South | 1 | MAAC | 1 | Patriot | 1 | West Coast | 1 |
| Big Ten | 6 | MAC | 1 | SEC | 6 | | 1 |
Detailed Breakdown
| ACC (7) |  | Projected champ: North Carolina | | At-large: Clemson, Duke, Florida St, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Wake Forest | | On the fence: Virginia Tech | | | | AMERICA EAST (1) |  | Projected champ: Boston U | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| ATLANTIC 10 (2) |  | Projected champ: Dayton | | At-large: Xavier | | On the fence: LaSalle, Richmond | | | | ATLANTIC SUN (1) |  | Projected champ: Jacksonville | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| BIG 12 (7) |  | Projected champ: Kansas | | At-large: Baylor, Kansas St, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Texas | | On the fence: Texas A&M | | | | BIG EAST (8) |  | Projected champ: Villanova | | At-large: Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia | | On the fence: Notre Dame, Seton Hall | |
| BIG SKY (1) |  | Projected champ: Weber St | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | | | | BIG SOUTH (1) |  | Projected champ: Radford | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| BIG TEN (6) |  | Projected champ: Michigan St | | At-large: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio St, Purdue | | On the fence: Northwestern, Wisconsin | | | | BIG WEST (1) |  | Projected champ: UC Santa Barbara | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| COLONIAL (1) |  | Projected champ: Old Dominion | | At-large: None | | On the fence: VCU | | | | CONFERENCE USA (2) |  | Projected champ: Tulsa | | At-large: Memphis | | On the fence: None | |
| HORIZON (1) |  | Projected champ: Butler | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | | | | IVY LEAGUE (1) |  | Projected champ: Cornell | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| MAAC (1) |  | Projected champ: Siena | | At-large: None | | On the fence: Niagara | | | | MAC (1) |  | Projected champ: Akron | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| MEAC (1) |  | Projected champ: Morgan St | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | | | | MISSOURI VALLEY (1) |  | Projected champ: Northern Iowa | | At-large: None | | On the fence: Creighton, Illinois St | |
| MOUNTAIN WEST (1) |  | Projected champ: BYU | | At-large: San Diego St | | On the fence: New Mexico, Utah | | | | NORTHEAST (1) |  | Projected champ: Mt. St. Mary's | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| OHIO VALLEY (1) |  | Projected champ: Morehead St. | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | | | | PAC-10 (3) |  | Projected champ: Washington | | At-large: Cal, UCLA | | On the fence: Arizona, Oregon St | |
| PATRIOT LEAGUE (1) |  | Projected champ: Holy Cross | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | | | | SEC (6) |  | Projected champ: Kentucky | | At-large: Mississippi, Mississippi St, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt | | On the fence: Arkansas, Florida | |
| SOUTHERN (1) |  | Projected champ: Wofford | | At-large: None | | On the fence: College of Charleston | | | | SOUTHLAND (1) |  | Projected champ: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| SUMMIT LEAGUE (1) |  | Projected champ: Oakland | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | | | | SUN BELT (1) |  | Projected champ: Western Kentucky | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | |
| SWAC (1) |  | Projected champ: Jackson St | | At-large: None | | On the fence: None | | | | WAC (1) |  | Projected champ: Utah St | | At-large: None | | On the fence: Nevada, New Mexico St | |
| WEST COAST (1) |  | Projected champ: Gonzaga | | At-large: None | | On the fence: Portland | | | |
