ATLANTA —- I’m still struggling with some of the final spots in the field.
Notably the Penn State/Saint Mary’s argument.
SEE RELATED:
Maybe it will be moot at the end of the day if there are a few upsets. But in any case, Maryland has one scenario it really needs to avoid.
Namely, getting blown to smithereens.
If the Terps hang around for a while and lose by 10 or so —- much like last month’s game against Duke in College Park —- they should be fine.
If they get run by 41 —- like the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in January —- doubt creeps back into the picture.
The order, particularly toward the end of the list, remains subject to change. But for now, it’s what I’m working off:
1. Pittsburgh
2. Duke
3. Connecticut
4. Oklahoma
5. Villanova
6. Wake Forest
7. Kansas
8. Washington
9. Florida State
10. Syracuse
11. Illinois
12. Xavier
13. Purdue
14. Clemson
15. West Virginia
16. UCLA
17. Oklahoma State
18. Texas
19. Butler
20. Marquette
21. Ohio State
22. Brigham Young
23. California
24. Texas A&M
25. Tennessee
26. Dayton
27. Minnesota
28. Boston College
29. Maryland
30. Michigan
LAST FOUR IN
31. Southern California
32. San Diego State
33. Wisconsin
34. Penn State
LAST FOUR OUT
35. Saint Mary’s
36. Auburn
37. UNLV
38. Arizona
NEXT FOUR OUT
39. Creighton
40. Florida
41. Virginia Tech
42. Providence
ON THE MARGINS
43. South Carolina
44. Miami
45. Baylor
46. New Mexico
47. Davidson
—- Patrick Stevens
