Bracketology 2020: Way-too-early NCAA Tournament projected field

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 20: A detailed view of a March Madness branded basketball is seen during a practice session before the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 20, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 06: Coach Izzo of the Spartans talks. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Midwest Region

(1) Michigan State vs. (16) Grambling State/Sam Houston State

(8) Mississippi State vs. (9) NC State

(4) Baylor vs. (13) College of Charleston

(5) Xavier vs. (12) East Tennessee State

(6) Purdue vs. (11) Oklahoma

(3) Villanova vs. (14) Belmont

(7) Florida State vs. (10) Cincinnati

(2) Texas Tech vs. (15) Radford

Michigan State is the clear-cut preseason No. 1 overall team in the county and therefore deserving of a top seed in this bracket. With point guard Cassius Winston back to run the offense once again, you can expect that the Spartans will function like a well-oiled machine. Head coach Tom Izzo is also returning plenty of talent around Winston as this team looks to finish what they started last season by winning the national championship. You would be hard-pressed to find a better backcourt duo than Winston and Joshua Langford.

The other team that I want to point out in this region is Purdue. Despite losing Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline this offseason, I find it likely that the Boilermakers remain one of the more dangerous teams in the country. This program has been among the most consistent in the nation over the last several years under head coach Matt Painter and that run will not stop this season. Watch for several players to make significant improvements as Purdue finishes in the top half of the Big Ten and safely snags an NCAA Tournament bid.

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