Bracketology 2024: 1st projected field of 68 of the 2023-24 season
![The bracket banner is updated on the side of the J.W. Marriott with the results of the first day of games during the 2021 NCAA Division I basketball tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, March 20, 2021. Mandatory Credit: Barbara Perenic/IndyStar via USA TODAY Sports The bracket banner is updated on the side of the J.W. Marriott with the results of the first day of games during the 2021 NCAA Division I basketball tournament in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, March 20, 2021. Mandatory Credit: Barbara Perenic/IndyStar via USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/756a5caa3a6dbd4f3dadeedfd7c70570a16479600affa78cc9c5c85315d07bc1.jpg)
South Region (Dallas)
(1) Kansas vs. (16) Tennessee State/Howard
(8) Florida vs. (9) Clemson
(5) Creighton vs. (12) Princeton
(4) Texas A&M vs. (13) Liberty
(6) Michigan State vs. (11) Texas Tech/Xavier
(3) Miami vs. (14) Colgate
(7) Auburn vs. (10) TCU
(2) Houston vs. (15) Wright State
Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the South region and that place was solidified by knocking off UConn at home on Friday night. With four quad 1 wins the Jayhawks are knocking on the door of the No. 1 overall seed, but the three quad 4 wins with two of them likely in the 300s when the NET rankings debut on Monday are holding them back. Even though there is a long way to go before March, based on how Hunter Dickinson and his teammates have performed thus far I’d be shocked if the Jayhawks ever leave the top-seed line.
The rest of the South region is loaded with new Big 12 member Houston as the No. 2 seed, and possible (probable?) conference favorites Miami and Texas A&M as the No. 3 and 4 seeds respectively. The fifth seed is a Creighton Bluejays team that is as offensively dangerous as any team in the country, averaging 83 points per game, and is a top-20 team in the country in both two and three-point percentage.
The team to watch in the South is the team that plays Creighton in the first round, the Princeton Tigers. The same Tigers that shocked Arizona in the first round last season and have entered Saturday’s tilt with Furman at 7-0, after beginning the year with wins over Rutgers, Hofstra, and Duquesne. The trio of Xavien Lee, Matt Allocco, and Caden Pierce are averaging 51 of the team’s 76 points this season.