(Editor's note: SportsLine.com college basketball producer Tony Mejia has done a weekly column projecting the bracket, and a daily Mejia's Selections that whipped up on the Dunkel Index. He did a fine job on that all season -- but until he's shown his stuff with a sensational NCAA Tournament (see Rob Miech's 2000 picks), he's still got plenty to prove.)

After trying to stay on top of which teams were getting in all season (and correctly projecting 64 or the 65 teams that got in, not to mention all four No. 1s, thank you very much), the issue now becomes what to do with them.

More than a dozen teams have a shot to be sitting atop the college basketball world on April 2, but after all the hassle of a season, we could have just given the title to the national preseason choice.

Arizona, peaking at the right time after a series of setbacks and distractions, has put all the pieces together. Michael Wright, not Loren Woods, has emerged as the answer inside, and will be the Final Four MVP. Wright has Shane Battier's heart and desire to win, and will prove that in a spectacular head-to-head matchup in this year's final.

East Region

First-round games

• #1 Duke vs. #16 Monmouth: Rest Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and anyone else that needs it.
• #2 Kentucky vs. #15 Holy Cross: 'Cats put a quick end to the Crusade.
• #3 Boston College vs. #14 Southern Utah: The methodical Eagles fly past the Thunderbirds.
• #4 UCLA vs. #13 Hofstra: Hofstra's good, but these Bruins have shown too much backbone this year to go out like that.
• #5 Ohio State vs. #12 Utah State: Shawn Daniels gets Ken Johnson in foul trouble, giving the Aggies plenty of room to operate and pull off the upset.
• #6 Southern Cal vs. #11 Oklahoma State: USC's frontline too much for the resurgent Cowboys in region's best matchup.
• #7 Iowa vs. #10 Creighton: While the 'Jays will be a popular pick, the Hawkeyes have learned how to win sans Luke Recker.
• #8 Georgia vs. #9 Missouri: Tigers run away with this battle of bubble teams, as the 'Dawgs end season at 16-15.

Second-round games

• #1 Duke vs. #8 Missouri: Mike Krzyzewski teaches former protege Quin Snyder a tough lesson as the Blue Devils roll.
• #2 Kentucky vs. #7 Iowa: With Luke Recker a game-time decision, the Hawkeyes become distracted, get down early, and lose.
• #3 Boston College vs. #6 Southern California: The consensus pick of USC to end BC's magical season will be very wrong.
• #4 UCLA vs. #12 Utah State: A late run led by Earl Watson and Jason Kapono saves the Bruins from an early exit.

Sweet 16 (regional semifinals)

• #1 Duke vs. #4 UCLA: The Bruins lead midway through the second half, but a 14-2 Duke run puts it ahead to stay.
• #2 Kentucky vs. #3 Boston College: Troy Bell is incredible, torching the Wildcats for 34 as the Eagles continue to convince nay-sayers they're for real.

Regional final

• #1 Duke vs. #3 Boston College: Duke finishes off an easy trek through the East, breaking open a close contest at the half and then surviving a late 3-point barrage by BC. Give the Eagles credit, they went down fighting. The Blue Devils look strong as Shane Battier picks up Regional MVP honors to go with his other hardware won this year.

South Region

First-round games

• #1 Michigan State vs. #16 Alabama State: Spartans hold the Hornets under 50 in easy win.
• #2 North Carolina vs. #15 Princeton: Reeling 'Heels make Princeton's offense obsolete in first 10 minutes, blowing it open early.
• #3 Florida vs. #14 Western Kentucky: Chris Marcus puts on a heck of a show, but the Gators manage to survive.
• #4 Oklahoma vs. #13 Indiana State: Michael Menser engineers a dramatic upset as the Sooners get rolled.
• #5 Virginia vs. #12 Gonzaga: Cavs show up to play and end the 'Zags season earlier than the nation has come to expect.
• #6 Texas vs. #11 Temple: 'Horns don't have firepower to shoot down matchup zone as the Owls advance.
• #7 Penn State vs. #10 Providence: Friars pester Penn State into one too many turnovers as a Joe Crispin-led comeback falls just short.
• #8 California vs. #9 Fresno State: The nation gets introduced to Tito Maddox as the Bulldogs win a terrific contest.

Second-round games

• #1 Michigan State vs. #9 Fresno State: The Spartans pull away from Fresno in the second half, leaving Tark high and dry, towel in hand.
• #2 North Carolina vs. #10 Providence: The Friars put up a good fight and earn respect in a good loss to UNC.
• #3 Florida vs. #11 Temple: Owls control the tempo enough to stay in the game before the Gators' 3-pointers start falling.
• #5 Virginia vs. #13 Indiana State: Virginia holds on for dear life as the Sycamores rally and fall by just a basket.

Sweet 16 (regional semifinals)

• #1 Michigan State vs. #5 Virginia: Virginia shows its Jekyll-Hyde face, not even showing up as the Spartans put together a rout.
• #2 North Carolina vs. #3 Florida: The Gators sidelined Duke last year; its only fitting they take out Carolina this year.

Regional final

• #1 Michigan State vs. #3 Florida: A rematch of last year's National Championship ends the same way, only instead of Mateen Cleaves leading the way, its freshman Zach Randolph. Randolph puts dangerous Gator center Udonis Haslem in foul trouble early and dominates the rest of the contest, giving the Spartans another Final Four appearance.

Midwest Region

First-round games

• #1 Illinois vs. #16 Northwestern St./Winthrop: Wouldn't have mattered if Northwestern State and Winthrop had been on the court at the same time.
• #2 Arizona vs. #15 Eastern Illinois: Henry Domercant and Kyle Hill keep the Panthers in it for a half before the Wildcats pounce.
• #3 Ole Miss vs. #14 Iona: The Gaels hang tight until the late stages as they finally succumb to deeper Rebels.
• #4 Kansas vs. #13 Northridge: Brian Heinle outplays Eric Chenowith, but little else goes the Matadors' way.
• #5 Syracuse vs. #12 Hawaii: Warriors get buried behind a rainbow of 3-pointers by Preston Shumpert and DeShaun Williams.
• #6 Notre Dame vs. #11 Xavier: Wonderful matchup between Troy Murphy and David West gets overshadowed by Romain Sato's buzzer-beater.
• #7 Wake Forest vs. #10 Butler: Bulldogs get nipped by Wake in the final minutes, as Darius Songaila emerges late.
• #8 Tennessee vs. #9 Charlotte: Vols get it done in difficult first-round matchup, though Rodney White surfaces as the best player on the court.

Second-round games

• #1 Illinois vs. #8 Tennessee: The Vols knock off the Illini, connecting on over 50 percent from the field in major upset.
• #2 Arizona vs. #7 Wake Forest: A late 3-pointer by Gilbert Arenas provides the difference as Wildcats survive.
• #3 Ole Miss vs. #11 Xavier: The Rebels show off their versatility in getting past the talented Musketeers.
• #4 Kansas vs. #5 Syracuse: Orangemen go into a lull halfway through and can't snap out in time to catch the Jayhawks.

Sweet 16 (regional semifinals)

• #4 Kansas vs. #9 Tennessee: Nick Collison and Drew Gooden dominate the paint as the upset-minded Vols bow out.
• #2 Arizona vs. #3 Ole Miss: Ole Miss turns down the tempo and makes this a halfcourt game, but the Wildcats squeak by for the second consecutive contest.

Regional final

• #4 Kansas vs. #2 Arizona: Kansas falls victim to a furious rally in the final minute, as Arizona finishes the game on a 7-0 run, escaping with a three-point victory. Gilbert Arenas, who saved the Wildcats season earlier in the tournament, takes home Regional MVP.

West Region

First-round games

• #1 Stanford vs. #16 UNC-Greensboro: Look for Teyo Johnson to shine in the Cardinal's opening round win.
• #2 Iowa State vs. #15 Hampton: Jamaal Tinsley leads the Cyclones to the tournament's most lopsided win.
• #3 Maryland vs. #14 George Mason: Terps struggle out of the gate, but win by 25 anyway.
• #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State: Golden Flashes give the Hoosiers fits, narrowly missing an impressive upset.
• #5 Cincinnati vs. #12 BYU: The matchup of backcourts in this one is one of the first round's best, as Kenny Satterfield and Steve Logan lift Cincy to win.
• #6 Wisconsin vs. #11 Georgia State: Struggling Badgers match up horribly with the potent Panthers and end their year considerably short of the Final Four.
• #7 Arkansas vs. #10 Georgetown: Track meet slows down when Lee Scruggs and Mike Sweetney take control inside for the Hoyas.
• #8 Georgia Tech vs. #9 St. Joseph's: Hawks, screwed by a No. 9-seed, take their frustrations out on the Yellow Jackets.

Second-round games

• #1 Stanford vs. #9 St. Joseph's: Jameer Nelson has his coming-out party as the Hawks nearly send Stanford packing early.
• #2 Iowa State vs. #10 Georgetown: Cyclones continue their hot shooting as the Hoyas bow out.
• #3 Maryland vs. #11 Georgia State: Lefty Driesell gets a crack at the Terps, but his new team can't keep up.
• #4 Indiana vs. #5 Cincinnati: A last second tip in by Donald Little saves the Bearcats in a one-point win over the Hoosiers.

Sweet 16 (regional semifinals)

• #1 Stanford vs. #4 Cincinnati: Stingy Cardinal forces turnovers galore, shutting down the Bearcats.
• #2 Iowa State vs. #3 Maryland: The Cyclones move back into the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season.

Regional final

• #1 Stanford vs. #2 Iowa State: Jamaal Tinsley is giving Shane Battier a run as the top player in the NCAA Tournament, leading the Cyclones to the upset of top-seeded Cardinal. Iowa State gets to the Final Four despite no significant inside presence, relying on the good decisions of a disciplined senior backcourt.

Final Four

National semifinals
A pair of No. 1s and No. 2s make this year's Final Four, proving that despite the level of parity the NCAA has seen, the cream still rises to the top. It's no coincidence that four of the top guards in the tournament reside on those squads. The Minneapolis venue favors the Spartans.

• #1 Duke vs. #2 Iowa State: Tinsley vs. Williams is a blast to watch, but Duke's other pieces are better than the Cyclones' are, putting the Devils back in the final.
• #1 Michigan State vs. #2 Arizona: The Spartans run for a repeat stops here, as Michael Wright supplies the toughness 'Zona needs to topple State.

Championship Game

• #1 Duke vs. #2 Arizona: It's been a long, hard road, but the Wildcats put it all together when it matters most, winning their second title in five years.