Here’s a 68-team field prediction for this season’s NCAA Tournament

It’s probably too early to try to predict the final field of 68 for the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Strike that. It’s definitely too early.

No games have even been played. There are so many buzzer-beaters to be made, ligaments to be torn and block-charge calls to be blown to even start thinking about things such as bubble teams, bad losses or RPI.

Yet here we are, putting out our projection for what the field could possibly look like when Selection Sunday rolls around in March.

Go ahead and read it. You know you want to, no matter how meaningless it might be at this point in the season.

One hint: Don’t squint too hard trying to find UNLV on the list.

1. Duke: Mike Krzyzewski has entered a season with the top-ranked team in the nation six times and won one national title in those years. The Blue Devils are loaded this year, however, and are quite capable of reversing that trend.

2. Oregon: Findlay Prep product Dillon Brooks is a legitimate superstar, and he’ll finally have former Villanova star Dylan Ennis healthy to get him even better shots. The Ducks are clearly the class of the Pac-12.

3. Wisconsin: Bo who? Greg Gard took over this program when Bo Ryan unexpectedly resigned last season and has already put his stamp on it. If Nigel Hayes can improve the consistency of his jumper, he could win the Naismith Award.

4. Villanova: The Wildcats have a legitimate shot at repeating their magical championship run from last season, particularly with Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart back leading the way.

5. Kansas: The Jayhawks win the Big 12 every season. This year should be no exception, particularly if freshman Josh Jackson can live up to the hype.

6. North Carolina: Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson are huge losses, but there is plenty of talent still itching to avenge that championship game loss. If center Kennedy Meeks is in shape, this team will be dangerous.

7. Gonzaga: Former Findlay Prep and Washington star Nigel Williams-Goss sat out last season after transferring. He will step right in to make the Bulldogs in the conversation for a No. 1 seed.

8. Kentucky: The Wildcats could start four freshmen with sophomore Isiah Briscoe, but are clearly the class of the Southeastern Conference.

9. Virginia: Tony Bennett and London Perrantes might form the best combination of coach and veteran point guard in the nation. That’s usually a pretty good formula, especially when you defend like the Cavaliers.

10. Louisville: Somehow, Rick Pitino still has this job. Seriously. The names of his players don’t jump off the roster, but Pitino certainly knows how to win. Should the Cardinals somehow win a national title, there will be one heck of a victory party.

11. Xavier: You might not know the name Trevon Bluiett. You will in March.

12. Michigan State: It’s possible Tom Izzo will start two freshmen this season. It’s a safe bet the Spartans will be much better in March than they are in October.

13. Cincinnati: Mick Cronin’s teams always defend relentlessly. This one also might be able to score.

14. Indiana: Thomas Bryant’s decision to come back to Indiana for his sophomore year was as big a recruiting boon as any team in the country had this offseason. The talented center has talent all around him.

15. Saint Mary’s: Remember that Saint Mary’s team that won 29 games and swept Gonzaga in the regular season? They have every significant piece from that squad back.

16. Butler: Baby-faced point guard Tyler Lewis struggled to find his shot last year after sitting out a season following his transfer from North Carolina State. If he can find it while still running the team as well as he did last season, the Bulldogs will be tough to beat.

17. Rhode Island: An injury to E.C. Matthews in the opener last season crushed the spirit of a promising Rams team. Now that he’s back, the team should finally live up to expectations.

18. Purdue: Caleb Swanigan showed flashes of brilliance between his frequent turnovers last season. A year of experience should help him limit mistakes, which could make him an elite player.

19. Florida: This is a really ambitious spot for the Gators, who missed the tournament last season. But Mike White can coach, and the pieces are there to take a big step forward.

20. West Virginia: “Press Virginia” turned the ball over way too much last season. Bob Huggins believes he can slow the team on offense while maintaining the defensive intensity.

21. Connecticut: The Huskies’ recruiting class has taken to calling itself the “Top Five.”

22. Arizona: This team has more than enough talent to reach the Final Four in Phoenix, but the Wildcats seem to be losing a player a day the past few weeks.

23. Syracuse: Former Colorado State transfer John Gillon steps in as a graduate transfer to fill a huge void at point guard. Expect the Orange games to look a bit different this season, as Jim Boeheim is mixing things up with some man-to-man defense.

24. Ohio State: Thad Matta might have endured his worst season as a coach last season, but he brings back a lot of experienced talent that still managed to win 20 games.

25. UCLA: Steve Alford wrote a letter to the fans apologizing for the team’s lackluster results last season, but it’s the letters of intent he got from Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf that have Bruins supporters optimistic.

26. Clemson: The scout team that played so well at practice last year will finally pay dividends on the floor, as the Tigers will get three Division I transfers eligible by December in support of star Jaron Blossomgame.

27. Miami: Former Bishop Gorman star Rashad Muhammad used his transfer year to put more than 20 pounds on his slender frame. He’ll be counted on to provide long-range shooting for Jim Larranaga.

28. Baylor: The Bears expect center Johnathan Motley to be a breakout star and Miami transfer Manu Lecomte to lead the team. If the coaches are right, Baylor should be in for another tournament bid.

29. Iowa State: The Cyclones lost Georges Niang, but were fortunate to keep emerging star Monte Morris. Steve Prohm will continue to put his mark on the program he took over from Fred Hoiberg last year.

30. Creighton: Greg McDermott’s team has had two mediocre seasons since his son Doug graduated and went to the Bulls in the NBA. That could change with former Kansas State star Marcus Foster stepping in after sitting out last season.

31. VCU: Will Wade didn’t allow the Rams to miss a beat in his first season as coach after Shaka Smart left for Texas.

32. Dayton: Charles Cooke will look to follow up on his outstanding junior season for a team that will be playing for the memory of teammate Steve McElvene, who died in May.

33. Virginia Tech: It didn’t take Buzz Williams long to turn things around in Blacksburg. In his second year last season, the Hokies broke a four-year streak of finishing in last place in the league and won 20 games. They will take another step forward.

34. Texas A&M: The Aggies lost four important starters from last year’s 28-win Sweet 16 team, but the newcomers will look to seize on that momentum and carry the program forward.

35. Maryland: The Terrapins lost a whole lot, but Melo Trimble has enough talent around him to make it back to the NCAA Tournament.

36. Texas: The Longhorns lost all five starters and might be a year off, but that just means Shaka Smart can start to bring in guys more suited to his system.

37. San Diego State: Even though San Diego State’s streak of six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances ended last season, Steve Fisher’s Aztecs are still the class of the Mountain West.

38. Arkansas: Center Moses Kingsley might be the best player in the SEC, and he should have enough help to build a resume that sneaks the Razorbacks into the field.

39. Oklahoma: Buddy Hield is gone, but Jordan Woodard will be an extension of Lon Kruger on the floor and Christian James appears primed to step into a scoring role.

40. Seton Hall: The Pirates would be way further up this list had Isaiah Whitehead not left to pursue a professional career. If someone can fill his role, the Pirates will be in line for a return trip to the tournament.

41. North Carolina State: Wolfpack fans were refreshing Twitter constantly for news on the eligibility of Turkish big man Omer Yurtseven. When the NCAA announced he would only have to sit out the first nine games, optimism soared in Raleigh.

42. Georgetown: So a team that underachieved last season in winning 15 games and lost its unquestioned best player to graduation is somehow going to improve enough to get a bid? Possibly. The Hoyas gained valuable experience and should take a big step in John Thompson III’s system.

43. Southern Methodist: New coach Tim Jankovich stepped into a solid situation when Larry Brown resigned unexpectedly over the summer. The Mustangs shouldn’t miss a beat in the transition.

44. Texas Tech: UNLV fans aren’t going to like this, but that Chris Beard guy can coach. If this selection is troubling, don’t read down three spots.

45. Michigan: Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin form a talented, experienced backcourt good enough to get the brilliant John Beilein back to the NCAA Tournament.

46. Ohio: Saul Phillips won just 10 games in his first year, but that number jumped to 23 last season. The Bobcats should take another step forward, as the former Bo Ryan assistant completes the turnaround.

47. UNR: There’s something special going on in Reno. The basketball program is on the rise, and if its recent wins over UNLV weren’t enough to bother the fans in Las Vegas, the hiring of Dave Rice as an assistant coach probably did. A surprising second bid for the Mountain West.

48. UNC Wilmington: Kevin Keatts returns the core of his team that used an aggressive defense to win 25 games and reach the NCAA Tournament. It might even win a game there this time.

49. Wichita State: The names might sound different with Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet moving on, but the Shockers are still the class of the Missouri Valley.

50. Princeton: Yale was a fun story last season, but Princeton finished just a game back in the Ivy standings and returns every player.

51. Monmouth: Most of the Hawks’ key players are back, and now King Rice’s team has a chip on its shoulder after not being selected to the NCAA Tournament despite having 27 wins.

52. North Dakota State: The Bison battled injury problems last season, but return six players who started at least six games.

53. Long Beach State: Evan Payne didn’t travel far when he decided to redshirt. The former Loyola Marymount star drove down the freeway and will look to pick up where he left off two years ago when he scored 18 points per game in the West Coast Conference.

54. Alabama-Birmingham: Jerod Haase moved west to Stanford, but left former assistant Robert Ehsan plenty of talent to keep the Blazers as favorites in Conference USA.

55. Texas-Arlington: The Mavericks were having a great season until star Kevin Hervey injured his knee last season. Now that he’s back and a favorite to win the player of the year award, they hope they can pick up where they left off.

56. Valparaiso: The Horizon power finally ran out of Drews. When Bryce Drew left for Vanderbilt, the Crusaders hired top assistant Matt Lottich. Either Homer, Scott or Bryce Drew had held the job since 1988.

57. Florida Gulf Coast: It’s not really “Dunk City” anymore, but the Eagles no doubt have the best talent in the Atlantic Sun Conference. If former Bishop Gorman and UNLV forward Demetris Morant can finally stay healthy, they will be downright scary at this level.

58. Chattanooga: Some intelligent people thought any program looking to make a big splash in the coaching market last offseason should have hired Matt McCall. He’ll show why this season.

59. North Dakota: North Dakota has played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in five of the past six seasons. It would rather play in the NCAA Tournament, but won’t get much preparation early in the season, as they open with games against Crown College, Mayville State and Presentation College.

60. Belmont: Forward Evan Bradds has led the nation in field-goal percentage for two consecutive seasons. He is a steady interior force for Rick Byrd, who could win 20 games in his sleep at this point.

61. New Hampshire: Junior forward Tanner Leissner is a dominant force in the paint at this level, and the Wildcats return all five starters.

62. Lehigh: The Mountain Hawks have two-time league player of the year Tim Kempton and All-Patriot League point guard Kahron Ross to try to erase the memories of a disappointing season.

63. New Mexico State: Paul Weir takes over for new UNLV coach Marvin Menzies and should have enough talent, led by Ian Baker, to hold off Bakersfield.

64. Winthrop: Star Xavier Cooks would be enough for Big South opponents to deal with if the Eagles didn’t also have a dynamic point guard in Keon Johnson.

65. Sam Houston State: The league again is competitive now that Brad Underwood has left Stephen F. Austin for Oklahoma State. The loaded Bearkats, who have almost everyone back, are the beneficiary this season.

66. Wagner: The Panthers won 13 more games last season than the previous year, but you probably didn’t know that. Nor did you know that their actual nickname is the Seahawks.

67. Howard: The Bison’s five returning starters include James Daniel, who led the nation in scoring last year with 27.1 points per game.

68. Texas Southern: The Tigers lost four starters, but double-double machine Derrick Griffin is back and should win the league’s player of the year award. Griffin was kicked off the football team, which should have helped him prepare for basketball season instead of joining the team late, as he did last year for former Indiana coach Mike Davis.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.