The next full bracket is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 15, with weekly projections beginning Monday, Jan. 2. In the meantime, we can see quite a few patterns taking shape across the country. While none may be as newsworthy as our call from last December -- that the Big East was about to shatter every record for NCAA bids in a single season -- I'm willing to go out on a small limb with the following extended forecasts:

• Wild Cats: Not only is Kentucky going to be a No. 1 seed, it is going to be the No. 1 overall seed on Selection Sunday. According to Ken Pomeroy's peerless projections, the Wildcats will be favorites in every game for the balance of the regular season. That doesn't mean they'll win every time, obviously, but it does mean they're not likely to suffer more than 2-3 losses. No other major conference team will have a record quite like that. Kentucky's road to New Orleans figures to wind its way through both Louisville and St. Louis as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region.