Picks and Predictions for the NCAA Tournament

Advance NCAA Tournament Game-by-Game Predictions through the Final Four and NCAA Championship. Last update: 3/15/06 (9:55 ET). Column explanations below. Thank you for visiting Fanbay.net Sports. Return to main NCAA Hoops Basketball page. 2006 Advance Picks: this is the entire tourney bracket picked by our computer model prior to the start of the tournament. We also have round-by-round updated NCAA tournament predictions. Notes: This year, Tennessee could be the real thing. Not only does our computer model see them in Indianapolis for the Final Four, but it has the Volunteers knocking off the Blue Devils for the championship. The computer also indicates Memphis is a safe final four pick. And, UConn is a candidate to take for an earlier than expected exit. And in one small set of the bracket you can flip a coin: Marquette, UCLA, Gonzaga, or Indiana-- they all have equal chance to get to Elite 8 and lose to Memphis.  Seed    Team    W    L    TR    RPI    Sagarin   Green   SOS   Off Rk   Def Rk   Line   Prediction  1A Duke 30 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 320 24.5 21.2 16A Southern U. 19 12 157 63 206 198 250 244 260 Duke Duke 8A George Washington 26 2 22 35 21 16 242 18 230 2.5 1.3 9A NC Wilmington 25 7 41 27 49 42 103 192 28 G.W. G.W. 5A Syracuse 23 11 19 17 27 23 1 88 274 1 T. A&M 12A Texas A&M 21 8 38 39 40 34 67 154 5 Syracuse -0.7 4A LSU 22 8 13 13 12 14 14 48 301 7 1.7 13A Iona 23 7 57 52 60 64 160 12 289 LSU LSU 6A West Virginia 19 10 23 36 22 20 29 120 155 4 3.3 11A Southern Illinois 22 9 40 28 44 45 58 309 3 W.Virg. W.Virg. 3A Iowa 25 8 11 7 14 12 27 222 206 7 Nw. St. 14A Northwestern State 22 7 67 50 86 72 199 33 112 Iowa -1.2 7A California 20 10 45 46 52 51 63 156 96 NC St. NC St. 10A NC State 21 9 31 44 23 28 68 40 275 1.5 -2.2 2A Texas 27 6 5 8 4 6 36 37 210 15 8.2 15A Pennsylvania 19 8 89 59 95 117 168 157 31 Texas Texas 1O Memphis 30 3 4 4 5 4 26 10 251 13 12.5 16O Oral Roberts 20 11 101 62 122 130 237 47 218 Memphis Memphis 8O Arkansas 22 9 25 40 19 22 86 61 217 4 3.9 9O Bucknell 25 4 37 38 43 31 192 217 10 Arkan. Arkan. 5O Pittsburgh 24 7 10 11 11 10 40 97 184 6 0.2 12O Kent State 24 8 52 42 66 56 97 98 17 Pitt. Pitt. 4O Kansas 24 7 16 20 10 11 53 44 248 7 1.9 13O Bradley 20 10 36 31 37 44 47 113 157 Kansas Kansas 6O Indiana 18 11 26 32 24 25 20 119 158 2.5 2.4 11O San Diego State 22 8 53 47 63 61 118 64 219 Indiana Indiana 3O Gonzaga 27 3 14 9 18 13 105 14 308 5.5 5.3 14O Xavier 21 10 59 56 56 67 111 111 198 Gonzaga Gonzaga 7O Marquette 19 10 28 29 31 27 22 51 302 1.5 3.4 10O Alabama 17 12 50 48 57 55 13 139 293 Marq. Marq. 2O UCLA 27 6 15 10 15 15 28 175 41 20 5.5 15O Belmont 20 10 138 60 178 183 211 6 312 UCLA UCLA 1W Connecticut 27 3 2 3 2 1 48 8 333 22.5 11.8 16W Albany-NY 21 10 123 61 155 162 245 163 74 Uconn Uconn 8W Kentucky 21 12 33 37 33 33 21 129 172 2 0.3 9W UAB 23 6 39 30 45 40 123 52 92 Kentucky Kentucky 5W Washington 24 6 24 33 20 26 99 5 232 5.5 7 12W Utah State 22 8 55 41 69 65 98 101 236 Wash. Wash. 4W Illinois 25 6 8 14 7 7 61 137 29 8.5 6.7 13W Air Force 22 6 47 43 54 59 173 276 4 Illinois Illinois 6W Michigan State 21 11 18 18 26 21 9 57 201 4.5 5.5 11W George Mason 23 7 34 25 38 41 79 149 149 Mich. St. Mich. St. 3W North Carolina 22 7 7 12 6 9 10 11 317 11.5 10.7 14W Murray State 23 6 78 53 93 87 194 118 84 UNC UNC 7W Wichita State 23 8 30 26 34 32 55 166 163 2 0.3 10W Seton Hall 18 11 48 49 59 50 39 187 151 Wich. St. Wich. St. 2W Tennessee 21 7 12 6 13 18 3 9 238 7 11 15W Winthrop 21 7 69 55 73 90 198 69 52 Tenn. Tenn. 1M Villanova 25 4 3 2 3 3 6 41 95 19.5 19.6 16M Monmouth 144 64 188 179 186 263 186 263 222 Nova Nova 8M Arizona 19 12 35 22 42 47 5 90 131 pick 1.7 9M Wisconsin 19 11 32 23 35 37 8 121 171 pick Arizona 5M Nevada 26 5 21 19 28 24 102 95 273 7 Montana 12M Montana 21 6 75 51 92 88 190 15 213 Nevada -0.5 4M Boston College 25 7 17 21 16 17 85 56 204 7.5 6.6 13M Pacific 22 7 70 57 79 84 214 62 226 B.C. B.C. 6M Oklahoma 20 8 27 16 36 30 25 174 26 2.5 1.7 11M Wisc Milwaukee 20 8 62 45 68 71 95 63 116 Oklahoma Oklahoma 3M Florida 27 6 9 15 8 8 76 16 255 8.5 7.7 14M South Alabama 23 6 71 54 90 78 207 60 103 Florida Florida 7M Georgetown 21 9 20 34 17 19 77 214 45 4 0.2 10M Northern Iowa 21 9 29 24 32 35 33 235 124 G'town G'town 2M Ohio State 25 5 6 5 9 5 30 50 276 10 4.9 15M Davidson 17 10 100 58 123 131 158 25 262 Ohio St. Ohio St. 1A Duke 30 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 320 9.8 8A George Washington 26 2 22 35 21 16 242 18 230 Duke 12A Texas A&M 21 8 38 39 40 34 67 154 5 LSU 4A LSU 22 8 13 13 12 14 14 48 301 0.2 6A West Virginia 19 10 23 36 22 20 29 120 155 3.4 14A Northwestern State 22 7 67 50 86 72 199 33 112 W.Virg. 10A NC State 21 9 31 44 23 28 68 40 275 Texas 2A Texas 27 6 5 8 4 6 36 37 210 2.9 1O Memphis 30 3 4 4 5 4 26 10 251 6.5 8O Arkansas 22 9 25 40 19 22 86 61 217 Memphis 5O Pittsburgh 24 7 10 11 11 10 40 97 184 Kansas 4O Kansas 24 7 16 20 10 11 53 44 248 0.3 6O Indiana 18 11 26 32 24 25 20 119 158 Gonzaga 3O Gonzaga 27 3 14 9 18 13 105 14 308 0.3 7O Marquette 19 10 28 29 31 27 22 51 302 UCLA 2O UCLA 27 6 15 10 15 15 28 175 41 0.1 1W Connecticut 27 3 2 3 2 1 48 8 333 2.2 8W Kentucky 21 12 33 37 33 33 21 129 172 Uconn 5W Washington 24 6 24 33 20 26 99 5 232 2.9 4W Illinois 25 6 8 14 7 7 61 137 29 Wash. 6W Michigan State 21 11 18 18 26 21 9 57 201 UNC 3W North Carolina 22 7 7 12 6 9 10 11 317 1.8 7W Wichita State 23 8 30 26 34 32 55 166 163 Tenn. 2W Tennessee 21 7 12 6 13 18 3 9 238 9.3 1M Villanova 25 4 3 2 3 3 6 41 95 2.8 8M Arizona 19 12 35 22 42 47 5 90 131 Nova 12M Montana 21 6 75 51 92 88 190 15 213 B.Coll. 4M Boston College 25 7 17 21 16 17 85 56 204 2.3 6M Oklahoma 20 8 27 16 36 30 25 174 26 Florida 3M Florida 27 6 9 15 8 8 76 16 255 1.8 7M Georgetown 21 9 20 34 17 19 77 214 45 Ohio St. 2M Ohio State 25 5 6 5 9 5 30 50 276 3.9 1A Duke 30 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 320 4.8 4A LSU 22 8 13 13 12 14 14 48 301 Duke 6A West Virginia 19 10 23 36 22 20 29 120 155 Texas 2A Texas 27 6 5 8 4 6 36 37 210 2.6 1O Memphis 30 3 4 4 5 4 26 10 251 4.8 4O Kansas 24 7 16 20 10 11 53 44 248 Memphis 3O Gonzaga 27 3 14 9 18 13 105 14 308 0.1 2O UCLA 27 6 15 10 15 15 28 175 41 Gonzaga 1W Connecticut 27 3 2 3 2 1 48 8 333 Wash. 5W Washington 24 6 24 33 20 26 99 5 232 1.9 3W North Carolina 22 7 7 12 6 9 10 11 317 Tenn. 2W Tennessee 21 7 12 6 13 18 3 9 238 2.5 1M Villanova 25 4 3 2 3 3 6 41 95 5.3 4M Boston College 25 7 17 21 16 17 85 56 204 Nova 3M Florida 27 6 9 15 8 8 76 16 255 1.4 2M Ohio State 25 5 6 5 9 5 30 50 276 Florida 1A Duke 30 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 320 3.2 2A Texas 27 6 5 8 4 6 36 37 210 Duke 1O Memphis 30 3 4 4 5 4 26 10 251 5 3O Gonzaga 27 3 14 9 18 13 105 14 308 Memphis 5W Washington 24 6 24 33 20 26 99 5 232 Tenn. 2W Tennessee 21 7 12 6 13 18 3 9 238 3.2 1M Villanova 25 4 3 2 3 3 6 41 95 2.3 3M Florida 27 6 9 15 8 8 76 16 255 Nova 1A Duke 30 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 320 0.3 1O Memphis 30 3 4 4 5 4 26 10 251 Duke 2W Tennessee 21 7 12 6 13 18 3 9 238 1.9 1M Villanova 25 4 3 2 3 3 6 41 95 Tenn. 1A Duke 30 3 1 1 1 2 2 3 320 Tenn 2W Tennessee 21 7 12 6 13 18 3 9 238 0.9 *Stats Explanations A= Atlanta bracket, M= Minneapolis bracket, O= Oakland bracket, W= Washington, DC bracket TR= Fanbay.net Total Ranking- Combined ranking using the RPI, Sagarin, and Greenfield. RPI= RPI Rank- RPI is basically the gold standard for the NCAA Selections Committee. The number in the column is the RPI ranking for the team and not the actual RPI number. Here are the actual RPI ratings Sag= Sagarin Rank. Click here for the Sagarin ratings. The number listed in the column above is the teams rank in the list. Green= Greenfield Rank. SOS= Strength of Schedule Ranking according to Sagarin ratings. Off Rk= Ranking by points scored per game Def Rk= Ranking by estimate of points given up per game Line= Odds according to Vegas Prediction= Our Prediction using our computer model.