Millions of brackets will be filled out in just over a week, as fans try to accurately predict, often in vain, how the 2024 NCAA tournament will play out between the 68 teams competing for the national championship.

But, before we get to that moment of trying to predict a perfect bracket, which is a 1 in 120 billion chance, there is plenty of hoops to be played to determine who will be in that 68-team field.

Between now and 6 p.m. March 17, when the bracket will be released on CBS' selection show, there are hundreds of college basketball games to be played, primarily in conference tournaments to determine automatic qualifiers.

Some conference tournaments are already underway, like the Horizon League, while others like the Big Ten still have to finish the regular season Sunday, before next week's conference tournament.

As it stands right now, two Michigan teams, Michigan State and Oakland, are projected in the NCAA tournament field.

MSU (18-12, 10-9 Big Ten) is hovering in the higher-seeded at-large range after a disappointing season compared to the massive preseason expectations. MSU snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday by exacting revenge against Northwestern on senior night, adding another Quad 1 win to the resume. MSU is 23rd in the NET rankings because of its favorable net rating, but lack the volume of wins, and has struggled (4-8 Quad 1 record) against the best teams on the schedule.

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Oakland (21-11, 15-5 Horizon) is currently in the semifinals of the Horizon League tournament, two wins away from the school's first tournament appearance since 2011. The Golden Grizzlies are the No. 1 seed after winning the regular season conference title, and await a semifinal matchup with No. 7 Cleveland State on Monday in Indianapolis. The Horizon League will more than likely be a one-bid league, meaning Oakland needs to win the conference tournament to make the field of 68.

Here is where Michigan State and Oakland are currently being projected to play in the tournament, along with some of the top teams being slated in the Midwest region, where the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will be played at Little Caesars Arena, March 28-31.

USA TODAY: Michigan State 9-seed, Oakland 15-seed

USAT predicts Michigan State will end up as the No. 9 seed in the South Region with a first-round matchup against No. 8 seed Boise State with the game in Charlotte. If MSU were to win that matchup, they'd most likely play No. 1 seed Houston for a chance at the Sweet 16 hosted in Dallas. Oakland landed as the No. 15 seed in the Midwest as an automatic qualifier, where they would face off with No. 2 seed Marquette. If Oakland pulled off the upset, they'd await the winner of the 7-10 matchup between Wisconsin and Colorado State. The top seeds in the Midwest that could end up playing at LCA are No. 1 seed Purdue, Marquette, No. 3 seed Kansas, No. 4 seed Auburn and No. 5 seed BYU.

ESPN: MSU 9-seed, Oakland 14-seed

The renowned bracketologist, Joe Lunardi, is also predicting MSU will end up in the 8-9 matchup in the South region, but has MSU as the No. 8 seed playing No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic, with the winner most likely facing Houston in the next round for a trip to Dallas. Oakland ended up in the South region as well as the No. 14 seed scheduled to play No. 3 seed Creighton. If Oakland beat Creighton, the second-round matchup would be the winner of Florida-South Florida in the 6-11 matchup. The top seeds in the Midwest that could end up at LCA in this bracket are No. 1 seed Purdue, No. 2 seed Iowa State, No. 3 seed Marquette, No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 5 seed Clemson.

CBS: MSU 9-seed, Oakland 14-seed

CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm also has Michigan State in the 8-9 matchup in the South region, this time as the No. 9 seed playing No. 8 seed Gonzaga with a likely matchup with Houston awaiting in the next round for the winner to play for a trip to Dallas. Oakland is a No. 14 seed in the West region on this bracket, scheduled to play No. 3 seed Iowa State in the first round, while No. 6 seed Nevada and a First Four winner are on the other side of the first weekend matchups. The top Midwest seeds in the CBS bracket is No. 1 seed Purdue, No. 2 seed Baylor, No. 3 seed Creighton, No. 4 seed Auburn and No. 5 seed Utah State.

Fox: MSU 9-seed, Oakland 15-seed

Fox's Mike DeCourcey also has Michigan State in an 8-9 matchup, but has them landing in the West region as the No. 9 seed playing No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic for a chance to most likely face No. 1 seed Tennessee in the next round. The West region Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will be played in Los Angeles. Oakland came in as a No. 15 seed in the East facing off against No. 2 seed North Carolina, with the winner of Florida-Seton Hall in the 7-10 matchup in the second round. The top Midwest seeds are No. 1 seed Purdue, No. 2 seed Iowa State, No. 3 seed Creighton, No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 5 seed Clemson.

NCAA: MSU 9-seed, Oakland 15-seed

NCAA.com's Andy Katz has Michigan State as the No. 9 seed in the East facing off against No. 8 seed Colorado State in the first round, most likely for a chance to play No. 1 seed UConn in the next round for a trip to Boston for the Sweet 16. Oakland came in as the No. 15 seed in the South facing No. 2 seed Marquette. If Oakland pulled off the upset, they'd play the winner of Texas Tech-Florida Atlantic in the 7-10 matchup. The top Midwest seeds are No. 1 seed Purdue, No. 2 seed Iowa State, No. 3 seed Creighton, No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 5 seed Clemson.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bracketology NCAA tournament 2024: Michigan State basketball seed