2017 NCAA bracket predictions: Nevada looking like a 12 seed

The Nevada Wolf Pack will hear their name called later today when the bracket is revealed, but where will they end up?

Nevada has a very respectable RPI at 29 but their strength of schedule is 111 and they have played just one game against a top-50 team and that was their season-opening loss against St. Mary’s.

Top-50 wins are huge in the selection committee and the lack of those are not really the Wolf Pack’s fault but it will be held against them — as it is for every other non-power team — which is why if they get higher than a 12 seed it will be shocking.

BracketMatrix.com is a great resource and they have 115 brackets and then compile an average of each bracket and they have the Wolf Pack as a 12 seed with a bracket average of 11.70 which is the third-rated 12 seed.

The four teams ahead of Nevada are USC (RPI: 41, top-50: 2-6), Middle Tennessee State (RPI: 36, top-50: 2-1), Wake Forest (RPI: 39, top-50: 3-10) and Providence (RPI: 57, top-50: 6-8).

As you can see, the three Power-Five teams can stumble into double-digit games due to playing in a power conference.

The opponent that matches up from BracketMatrix would be Virginia as they line up in the bracket, but other five seeds in the mix are Purdue, Cincinnati or Iowa State.

Nevada will know their seed when the NCAA Tournament Selection Show airs at 5:30pm ET on CBS.