Could the defending national champions really start the NCAA tournament here in Dayton?  One bracket expert doesn’t think it’s out of the question.    

“Kentucky is a two game losing streak from being projected in Dayton and maybe being projected out of the bracket,” Jerry Palm says.  “You know, the problem is the SEC just isn’t that good.”

Palm currently has Baylor, Wichita state, Iowa state, and Indiana state as his last four at-large teams in the field. 

He’s also forecasting Bryant university, Southern University, Niagra, and UNC-Asheville as the other four teams coming to Dayton for the First Four next month. 

Palm says the other end of the bracket is just as difficult this season.  “There’s no dominant team and that makes it hard this year,” he said.  “I think it’s going to make it a very interesting tournament because we have a wide open top of the bracket this year.”

You call follow jerry palm’s weekly projections at cbssports.com.