CBS Sports releases final Bracketology, NCAA Tournament prediction on Selection Sunday

It’s like Christmas Eve for college basketball fans with the NCAA Tournament mere days away. On Sunday, CBS Sports gave diehards around the county a sneak preview of what’s ahead.

The outlet’s latest NCAA Tournament projections included the four bid stealers that were able to win their respective conference tournaments. These surprise winners will force bubble teams around the nation to sweat out the selection show.

Without further ado, let’s dive into CBS Sports’ final Bracketology predictions.

East Region (Boston)
(1) UConn vs. (16) UNKNOWN

UConn cemented its spot as the No. 1 overall seed with its dominant 73-57 triumph over Marquette in the Big East Tournament Championship. The victory gave the Huskies their first Big East Tournament title since 2011 when Kemba Walker led the program on a miraculous run.

UConn required no miracles this time around. Donovan Clingan led the way against the Golden Eagles, tallying a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds. Tournament MVP Tristen Newton added 13 points and 10 assists to UConn’s winning effort, as well.

(2) North Carolina vs. (15) Longwood

North Carolina lost its potential No. 1 seed after suffering a stunning 84-76 upset loss at the hands of NC State. The Tar Heels couldn’t find the bottom of the net in the defeat, shooting a poor 37.3% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc. UNC standout RJ Davis isn’t allowing the loss to fester.

“Coach [Hubert] Davis always talks about our response and how we’re going to respond when we get knocked down, so going into March Madness, we’re going to have to prepare, come together as a group and fix the mistakes that we made tonight,” Davis said.

(3) Kentucky vs. (14) Morehead State

Kentucky underwhelmed in the SEC Tournament, losing 97-87 loss to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals. Nonetheless, the ‘Cats have shown they’re more than capable of putting together a run.

Kentucky entered the SEC Tournament on a five-game win streak. The streak included wins over No. 13 Alabama and No. 4 Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena. Averaging 89.4 points per game, Kentucky will bury any opponent who doesn’t come to play.

(8) TCU vs. (9) Mississippi State
(5) Utah State vs. (12) McNeese State
(4) Kansas vs. (13) Charleston
(6) San Diego State vs. (11) Drake
(7) Florida vs. (10) UNKNOWN

Midwest Region (Detroit)
(1) Purdue vs. (16) Stetson

Purdue wasn’t able to add a conference tournament trophy to its hardware this weekend. Nonetheless, Boilermakers’ résumé speaks for itself. The team is 12-4 against Quad I opponents this season and posted a spotless 8-0 record against Quad II foes.

Purdue will enter the NCAA Tournament with more motivation than ever. The team narrowly fell 76-75 to Wisconsin in overtime on Saturday. Even in defeat, Zach Edey was spectacular, tallying 28 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

(2) Tennessee vs. (15) Western Kentucky

Kentucky wasn’t the only highly-touted SEC program that got bounced early in the conference tournament. Mississippi State sent the Volunteers home early in a jaw-dropping 73-56 blowout. After the game, head coach Rick Barnes revealed how his team will recover ahead of the Big Dance.

“The key is that we’ve all got to be honest,” Barnes said. “I have all the confidence that these guys will figure it out, because they have all year. We’ll go back and learn from it and get ready for next week.”

(3) Baylor vs. (14) Colgate

Baylor has no reason to hang its head. The Bears lost 76-62 in a valiant effort against the Big 12 Tournament champion, Iowa State. Jalen Bridges led the charge for Baylor, notching 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Yet, 5-24 (20.8%) shooting from downtown can only take a team so far. The Bears sputtered from deep in the loss. For reference, Baylor is shooting 38.8% from 3-point range this season, the ninth-best in the country. Baylor will look to rediscover its rhythm in the Big Dance.

(8) Colorado State vs. (9) Texas
(5) South Carolina vs. (12) James Madison
(4) Duke vs. (13) UAB
(6) Nevada vs. (11) UNKNOWN
(7) Gonzaga vs. (10) Oregon

South Region (Dallas)
(1) Houston vs. (16) St. Peter’s

In its first season in the conference, Houston took home the Big 12 regular season title. Now, the Cougars are on the prowl to add to their trophy case. They’re more than capable. Houston is ranked No. 1 in the NET Rankings, boasting a 17-0 record.

Houston will have no shortage of motivational material. The team suffered its worst loss of the season in the Big 12 Tournament title game, losing by 28 points to Iowa State. Jamal Shead was the only Houston player who scored double-digits with 10 points.

(2) Marquette vs. (15) Quinnipiac

Marquette lost three of its past six games. In fairness, all three of those games were against top-15 opponents. To make matters worse, the Golden Eagles were without All-American guard Tyler Kolek.

Kolek did not play in the Big East Tournament despite Marquette reaching the championship game. Instead, Kolek will be in full health as the Golden Eagles aim to make their deepest run yet under head coach Shaka Smart.

(3) Illinois vs. (14) Akron

Illinois has soared in recent NCAA Tournament projections due to their spectacular play in the Big Ten Tournament. The Fighting Illini have more than enough talent to do damage in March, spearheaded by senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr.

“Just had 40 points in the semifinal of the Big Ten Tournament against Nebraska,” Jay Bilas said of Shannon Jr. “He can shoot it. He’s an outstanding defender. He is great in transition and Illinois is a team that has a bunch of individual playmakers. They can isolate you, take you one-on-one, and get into backdowns.”

(8) Clemson vs. (9) Northwestern
(5) Texas Tech vs. (12) Samford
(4) Auburn vs. (13) Vermont
(6) Saint Mary’s vs. (11) Grand Canyon
(7) Washington State vs. (10) Oklahoma

West Region (Los Angeles)
(1) Iowa State vs. (16) UNKNOWN

After North Carolina and Tennessee fell in their respective conference tournaments, Iowa State didn’t hesitate to swipe the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the Cyclones’ blowout win over Houston in the Big 12 championship, the team recorded 17 assists on 25 made field goals.

Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic lit the path for the Cyclones, amassing a game-high 18 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 4-8 from deep. Keshon Gilbert and Hason Ward also combined for a stable 29 points.

(2) Arizona vs. (15) Long Beach State

Old habits die hard. Arizona has hit potholes all season, only to reach top speed again shortly after. The Pac-12 Tournament was another massive obstacle. The Wildcats suffered an unexpected 67-59 loss to Oregon in the conference tournament semifinals.

Now, Arizona has little time to reach maximum velocity again. Arizona was 11.5-point favorites entering the game. The loss prevented the Wildcats from becoming the first team to three-peat as Pac-12 champions since they won four straight in 1988-90 and 2002.

(3) Creighton vs. (14) Oakland

Creighton couldn’t find the storybook run it was looking for in the Big East Tournament. After dealing several mind-blowing upsets throughout the season, the Bluejays received a taste of their own medicine. Creighton lost 78-73 to Providence in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. After the game, Creighton head coach Greg McDermott found a silver lining.

“It’s a setback as we came here to win a championship,” McDermott said. “Now, we don’t — we didn’t have the pressure on our shoulders that maybe some of the other teams that are still playing have. So we know we’re going to play next week, and that’s a comforting feeling.”

(8) New Mexico vs. (9) Nebraska
(5) BYU vs. (12) VCU
(4) Alabama vs. (13) Yale
(6) Wisconsin vs. (11) NC State
(7) Boise State vs. (10) FAU