Early projections for NCAA field

During the last year, too many college basketball stories have revealed the ugly side of human nature, including: an academic scandal (Georgia), an infamous drinking binge by a head coach (Iowa State), a sex scandal (St. John’s) and the shooting death of a player and subsequent attempt by a head coach to smear the victim (Baylor).

Perhaps more than ever before, we needed to be reassured that college basketball still holds the power to take us by the ears, grab our attention and lift us to heights we experience just once every year — during the NCAA Tournament.

If the 2004 tournament holds the same allure as the regular season, we are in for a heck of a ride.

Here is our projected field:

Atlantic Coast Conference: Duke, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State and either Virginia or Maryland.

Comment: Duke probably blew a No. 1 seeding by losing at home to Georgia Tech on Wednesday. Kudos to the Georgia Tech players and coaches.

Southeastern Conference: Mississippi State, Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, LSU and Alabama.

Comment: Watch for Mississippi State, not Kentucky, to make a Final Four run.

Big East: Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Providence, Syracuse, Seton Hall and Boston College.

Comment: Connecticut can win the title if Emeka Okafor’s back holds up. If not, the Huskies could go down early.

Conference USA: Memphis, Cincinnati, North Carolina Charlotte, Alabama-Birmingham, DePaul and Louisville.

Comment: We’ve dogged this league in the past, but we must give these teams their due this season. Tough league. But one question: Where is Marquette? From the Final Four to the NIT in one season, that’s where.

Big 12 Conference: Oklahoma State, Texas, Kansas University, Missouri and Texas Tech.

Comment: Oklahoma State and Texas are best bets to reach the Final Four.

Big Ten: Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

Comment: Don’t look for any of these teams to reach the Elite Eight, much less the Final Four.

Atlantic 10: St. Joseph’s, Dayton and Richmond.

Comment: Give St. Joseph’s a No. 1 seeding in the East and pull for the Hawks to reach San Antonio.

Pacific 10: Stanford and Arizona.

Comment: The league is down; Stanford is up and worthy of the No. 1 seeding in the West.

Mid-American: Kent State and Western Michigan.

Comment: This league is always underrated.

Mountain West: Air Force and BYU.

Comment: Air Force? Yes, Air Force. No one will want to face the Falcons.

Western Athletic: Texas-El Paso and Nevada.

Comment: Nevada beat Kansas early in the season.

Leagues with one bid: America East (Boston University), Atlantic Sun (Troy State), Big Sky (Eastern Washington), Big South (Liberty), Big West (Utah State), Colonial Athletic Association (Drexel), Horizon (UW-Milwaukee), Ivy (Princeton); Metro Atlantic Athletic (Manhattan), Mid-Continent (IUPUI), Mid-Eastern Athletic (South Carolina State), Missouri Valley (Southern Illinois), Northeast (Monmouth), Ohio Valley (Austin Peay), Patriot (Lehigh); Southern (East Tennessee State), Southland (Texas-Arlington), Sun Belt (Louisiana-Lafayette), Southwestern Athletic (Mississippi Valley State) and West Coast (Gonzaga).