2016 Sportz' Bubble Watch: Selection Sunday

Today is the day when we find out the 2016 NCAA Tournament bracket which will consume our lives over the next three weeks.  Who got in?  Who got snubbed?  What was the committee thinking?  Are the No. 1 seeds correct?  Who got the easiest road?  What is the toughest region?

So what are we looking at tonight?

BUBBLE WATCH

Which teams get in?  According to my bubble, these are the last six in:  South Carolina, St. Bonaventure, Pittsburgh, Temple, St. Mary's and Monmouth.  Just missing is Syracuse, Vanderbilt and Michigan.

This is a tight bubble.  South Carolina could see themselves on the way out due to their sluggish end to the season and horrid non-conference schedule.  St. Mary's and Monmouth may miss due to their mid-major statuses holding them back.  Vanderbilt was a pretty solid team until the last week or so.

Still, I see as the matchups in the First Four as Pittsburgh-Monmouth and Temple-St. Mary's.

All I know is that each of these teams is rooting for UConn to beat Memphis in the American Athletic Conference championship today or there will be one less spot for them in the dance.

TOP SEEDS

The only thing known here is that Kansas and North Carolina will be No. 1 seeds.  Both won their regular season and conference tournament titles and are locked at the top.  The other two seeds come down to a three team race.  Michigan State should be the third No. 1 seed, provided they win the Big Ten tournament title today.  They may still see a top seed even with a loss, though.  Oregon won the Pac-12 regular season and conference titles as well.  They will be looked at very closely.  So will Virginia, who finished 2nd to the Tar Heels in the ACC regular season and tournament title.  I feel that the Ducks and Cavaliers will both be in the West Region, with Oregon getting that top seed.

POD SYSTEM

The pods should be very kind to teams this year ... except Michigan State.

Of the possible No. 1 seeds, Kansas will get to play in Des Moines, North Carolina and Virginia will go to Raleigh and Oregon goes to Spokane.  But Michigan State?  Will it be St. Louis?  Not really a close city.

Go a little further down and Utah will go to Denver, Oklahoma to Oklahoma City, Villanova to Brooklyn and Xavier to St. Louis.