[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by wbatl1

Are you certain (have read) that they were behind Duke on the seeding? Because if the committee thought Duke as the worst 2-seed, but Tenn. was the second worst, they would have had to flip them do to the no-teams in the same conference highly ranked in the same bracket preference/hard rule, as the worst 2-seed was going to get UNC.

I though the same-conference rule only applied to the first two rounds ... but then I go re-read the guidelines and find that you're right.

Each of the first three teams selected from a conference shall be placed in different regions.

No more than one team from a conference may be seeded in the same grouping of four (in line Nos. 1-4 and 13-16) in a region. (Note: The only possible exception would occur if a conference has five or more teams seeded in line Nos. 1-4. The other principles herein would apply in the exception case.)

In lines No. 5-12, two teams from the same conference may be placed in the same group of four. Conference teams shall not meet each other prior to the regional final unless a ninth team is selected from a conference. Two teams from the same conference within the same region, therefore, shall not be seeded together in either of the following groups: Nos. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 16; or Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14 and 15. If the committee is unable to
reconcile the bracket after exhausting all possible options, it has the flexibility to waive this principle to permit two teams from the same conference to meet each other after the first round, if the conference has more than five participants. There shall not be more than two teams from a conference in one region unless a ninth team is selected from a conference.

Hell, after reading that I'm not sure how they ever complete a f'n bracket.