FanPost

An observation about the strength of each region by Top 25 votes.

If you use Top 25 votes (AP and/or Coaches' Polls) as a proxy for evaluating the relative power of each region, you'll find that the WEST has (11) teams with votes, MIDWEST (10), SOUTH (7) and the EAST (6). I would say that is quite a discrepancy between regions. It's an even bigger discrepancy when you consider "hemispheres" of the bracket, since the SOUTH and the EAST are on the same side.

This is how it breaks down (with the highest poll ranking by # of votes between parentheses; min: 2 votes, so no Montana!):

WEST (11)

- #1 seed: Gonzaga (1)

- #2 seed: Ohio St. (6)

- #3 seed: New Mexico (10)

- #4 seed: Kansas St. (12)

- #5 seed: Wisconsin (17)

- #6 seed: Arizona (20)

- #7 seed: Notre Dame (23)

- #8 seed: Pittsburgh (20)

- #9 seed: Wichita St. (35)

- #10 seed: Iowa St. (no votes)

- #11 seed: Belmont (29)

- #12 seed: Ole Miss (30)

MIDWEST (10)

- #1 seed: Louisville (2)

- #2 seed: Duke (6)

- #3 seed: Michigan St. (9)

- #4 seed: Saint Louis (13)

- #5 seed: Oklahoma St. (17)

- #6 seed: Memphis (15)

- #7 seed: Creighton (21)

- #8 seed: Colorado St. (32)

- #9 seed: Missouri (no votes)

- #10 seed: Cincinnati (no votes)

- #11 seed: St. Mary's (32) *play-in game

- #12 seed: Oregon (24)

SOUTH (7)

- #1 seed: Kansas (3)

- #2 seed: Georgetown (8)

- #3 seed: Florida (12)

- #4 seed: Michigan (10)

- #5 seed: VCU (23)

- #6 seed: UCLA (24)

- #7 seed: San Diego St. (no votes)

- #8 seed: North Carolina (27)

EAST (6)

- #1 seed: Indiana (4)

- #2 seed: Miami (4)

- #3 seed: Marquette (15)

- #4 seed: Syracuse (16)

- #5 seed: UNLV (28)

- #6 seed: Butler (29)