2022 men's NCAA tournament bracket predictions after the top 16 reveal

On Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, the DI Men's Basketball Selection Committee revealed its in-season top 16 rankings. After seeing the reveal, krikya18.com correspondent Andy Katz has updated his projections for the 2022 men's basketball tournament.

Check out the in-season reveal of the top 16 rankings.

Here's how Katz projects the 68-team field to look after the in-season top 16 reveal.

First, here's the bracket in table form (scroll to the right to view the full bracket).

March Madness bracket predictions

RANKINGS: Click here for the latest NET rankings | AP Top 25

Let's take a closer look at Katz's bracket.

Shuffling at the top

In Katz's top seven teams, just one remains in the same overall position as five days ago — No. 1 Gonzaga. Elsewhere, Auburn and Arizona flipped as the second and third overall seeds, respectively. 

Kentucky lost its status as a one seed after a 13-point loss to Tennessee on the road. Taking Kentucky's place is Kansas with a one seed, slotting in fourth overall.

Baylor also passed Kentucky; the Bears are staying right on Kansas's tail down the stretch in the Big 12. Baylor also moved past Purdue in the process.

❓: 10 college basketball questions as we enter the home stretch of the regular season

Number of bids by conference

With Rutgers exiting the bubble and joining the field, the Big Ten has nine teams in Katz's latest bracketology, with five teams in the top 20 overall seeds. That's followed by the SEC and Big 12 each have four teams among the top 20 overall seeds. In Katz's top 10 overall seeds, the Big 12 reign supreme with three teams to lead all conferences.

The Pac-12 has just three teams predicted in this year's tournament for the second time this season.

TITLETOWN: Ranking the top 10 men's basketball national title contenders

Teams in the First Four

Here are Andy Katz's teams in the First Four.

1. Memphis
2. North Carolina
3. San Francisco
4. Creighton

Memphis leads Katz's First Four. After the Tigers went through some rough patches earlier this season, a talented team, with the likes of Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, gets into the tournament.

North Carolina is also in the First Four; Katz has the Tar Heels making the tournament in head coach Hubert Davis' first year at the Chapel Hill helm. 

Katz leapfrogged Creighton up from the eighth team out on the bubble to the final team in his First Four. If the Bluejays have staying power, we'll find out soon enough; Creighton plays Marquette, Providence, UConn and Seton Hall in four of its final five games.

PAST BRACKETS: One month before | 50 days out | New Year's | Opening Night | Preseason

Teams on the outside looking in

Here are Andy Katz's first four teams out.

First four out

Oregon drops from the tournament field in Katz's last bracket after losing to Arizona State on Feb. 17. The Ducks were a 12 seed just a few days ago. The rest of the first four out remains the same.

CHECK THIS OUT: A map of every DI men's basketball player's hometowns

Here are the next teams to miss the cut.

Next four out

5. Mississippi State
6. SMU
7. San Diego State
8. West Virginia

SMU falls all the way from a 12 seed to the next four out in the latest bracketology. The Mustangs lost to Temple, a team that sits 118th in the most recent NET rankings. Luckily, SMU has appearances with Memphis and Houston still on the regular-season schedule to add to its resume.

WAHOO: Virginia, a team that once won the ultimate turnaround title, is looking for the ultimate turnaround season

Andy Katz's automatic qualifiers

Here are Katz's 32 automatic qualifier predictions.

Andy Katz's field of 68

Here is Katz’s full seed list in order, 1-68: