1/11 BRACKET

One dynamic emerging:  the lack of western teams at the top.  Why is this important?

Say you're #8 overall on the S-Curve.  As the worst 2 seed, you get last choice of regional, which is almost guaranteed to be the west.  Look at UNC having to go west.  Meanwhile, Miami at #9 overall (1st 3 seed), they get to stay east.

Also this matters for the top conferences.  Look at Iowa and Iowa St.  They are the 3rd best teams in their conferences, but they have to go west at the top 2 teams are blocking their preferred regionals.  In the end, a team that finishes 3rd in their conference is a real threat to be forced out west because of conference conflicts.

MIDWEST
@Des Moines
1) Kansas (13-1) vs. 16) Sam Houston St (5-7)/Bryant (5-11)
8) George Washington (13-3) vs. 9) Colorado (11-4)
@Spokane
4) Texas A&M (13-2) vs. 13) UAB (12-3)
5) Oregon (12-3) vs. 12) Boise St (10-4)
@Denver
3) Providence (14-2) vs. 14) Houston (13-2)
6) Louisville (13-3) vs. 11) Washington (11-4)
@Raleigh
2) Duke (13-2) vs. 15) Tennessee Tech (10-5)
7) Indiana (14-3) vs. 10) Seton Hall (12-4)

WEST
@Brooklyn
1) Villanova (14-2) vs. 16) Bucknell (6-8)
8) Florida (10-5) vs. 9) Monmouth (11-4)
@Denver
4) Iowa St (12-3) vs. 13) Northern Illinois (9-2)
5) Pittsburgh (13-1) vs. 12) St Bonaventure (11-3)
@St Louis
3) Iowa (12-3) vs. 14) Omaha (10-6)
6) Butler (12-4) vs. 11) Texas (9-6)/Ole Miss (12-3)
@Raleigh
2) North Carolina (15-2) vs. 15) UNC-Asheville (10-5)
7) Utah (11-4) vs. 10) UConn (11-4)

EAST
@Des Moines
1) Michigan St (16-1) vs. 16) Wofford (5-9)
8) Wichita St (9-5) vs. 9) Oregon St (10-3)
@Spokane
4) West Virginia (14-1) vs. 13) Stony Brook (9-4)
5) Arizona (13-3) vs. 12) UC-Irvine (11-5)
@Oklahoma City
3) Miami (13-1) vs. 14) North Florida (10-6)
6) South Carolina (14-0) vs. 11) Arkansas-Little Rock (12-2)
@St Louis
2) Xavier (14-1) vs. 15) Montana (6-6)
7) USC (14-3) vs. 10) Michigan (11-4)

SOUTH
@Oklahoma City
1) Oklahoma (13-1) vs. 16) Jackson St (6-8)/Hampton (7-7)
8) California (12-5) vs. 9) Valparaiso (11-3)
@Providence
4) Virginia (12-3) vs. 13) Princeton (10-4)
5) Purdue (14-2) vs. 12) William & Mary (9-4)
@Providence
3) Kentucky (12-3) vs. 14) Iona (9-6)
6) Dayton (12-3) vs. 11) Baylor (11-3)/Texas-Arlington (11-2)
@Brooklyn
2) Maryland (15-1) vs. 15) Cal St-Bakersfield (8-5)
7) Gonzaga (12-3) vs. 10) UCLA (11-6)