Busting Brackets
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2017 NCAA Tournament: Ranking the entire field of 68

By Lukas Harkins

Mar 9, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Kris Jenkins (2) and guard Jalen Brunson (1) celebrate after Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) scored against St. John's Red Storm during second half of Big East Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. Villanova Wildcats defeated St. John's Red Storm 108-67.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Kris Jenkins (2) and guard Jalen Brunson (1) celebrate after Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) scored against St. John's Red Storm during second half of Big East Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. Villanova Wildcats defeated St. John's Red Storm 108-67.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 12, 2017; Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats players celebrate after the team was selected as the number eight seed in the west region of the NCAA Tournament during a selection Sunday watch party at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern was selected to their first ever NCAA Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2017; Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats players celebrate after the team was selected as the number eight seed in the west region of the NCAA Tournament during a selection Sunday watch party at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern was selected to their first ever NCAA Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

Teams ranked 40 to 37

40. Virginia Tech Hokies

Record: 22-10 (10-8 ACC)

Seed: 9 in the East

Drawing Wisconsin in the first round and Villanova as the one seed is not ideal for Virginia Tech. They have had a solid season that includes wins over Duke and Virginia, but the odds that the Hokies make a deep run are rather low.

Zach LeDay is the leading scorer for the team at 16.3 points per game. This is a high-powered offensive team that could prove to be a tough match-up for the defensive-oriented Wisconsin Badgers in their opening game.

39. South Carolina Gamecocks

Record: 22-10 (12-6 SEC)

Seed: 7 in the East

Arguably the team that was considered the most over-seeded squad, South Carolina is a tough match-up for anyone. Sindarious Thornwell is the real deal and can explode for a huge game at any time.

However, the Gamecocks do not have a single win against the tournament field either on the road or at a neutral site. In fact, they only have two wins against the entire tournament field, which came against Florida and Michigan. Thornwell can carry South Carolina for a little bit, but they do not seem like a second-weekend team.

38. Northwestern Wildcats

Record: 23-11 (10-8 Big Ten)

Seed: 8 in the West

For the first time in program history, Northwestern is dancing. The Wildcats have a very balanced attack led by Scottie Lindsey, Vic Law, and Bryant McIntosh. They are an elite defensive team, even if they are coming off getting routed by Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament.

The problem with Northwestern making a run is that they will see Gonzaga in the second round if they can knock off Vanderbilt. Gonzaga is a very tough team that can beat you in a variety of ways, so it seems unlikely that the Wildcats get to the second weekend. Nonetheless, it would be awesome if they could win their first game in the Big Dance.

37. Arkansas Razorbacks

Record: 25-9 (12-6 SEC)

Seed: 8 in the South

Arkansas has a really good RPI, but let’s be real, this team has not shown the ability to beat an elite team this season. In their games against Kentucky (twice), Florida (twice) and Minnesota, they have lost by an average of 16.2 points. Getting out of their first-round game against Seton Hall wouldn’t be terribly surprising, but good luck against North Carolina.

The Razorbacks are going to need to play their best game of the season to make the second weekend.

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