Get ready for a Selection Sunday like no other.
The difference this year has nothing to do with the pairings. It’s not about the bubble, the size of the field, the No. 1 seeds or the teams left out.
It’s the presentation of the brackets: For the first time in its 35 years of existence, the CBS selection show will last two hours.
Yep, two hours.
Two hours of speculating, breaking for commercials, bracket unveiling, breaking for commercials, more unveiling, more commercials and, of course, prognosticating.
Also: Two hours of Charles Barkley, the Warriors antagonist who’s part of March Madness coverage on CBS and Turner.
The extended Selection Sunday broadcast — it begins at 2:30 p.m., instead of 3 — isn’t the only difference in presentation.
Although the First Four remains part of the tournament, the rounds of 64 and 32 have officially reverted to their traditional names: The first and second rounds.
This comes after several years — several awkward years — as the second and third rounds, respectively.
What else can we expect to see on Selection Sunday?
The locals
Cal is a lock for an at-large berth, but its seed, location and opponent are unknown.
The paucity of western teams in the field and the NCAA’s desire to keep teams as close to home as possible means the Bears have a decent chance to end up in Spokane or Denver.
Figure on a No. 5, give or take, and remember that higher isn’t always better. It’s all about matchups.
Saint Mary’s prospects are far murkier due to its super-soft schedule. Yes, the Gaels have 26 wins over Division I opponents, but 18 came against teams ranked 200 or lower in the power ratings.
The selection committee typically rewards teams that challenge themselves outside of conference play — intent matters.
The Gaels loaded their nonconference schedule with the likes of Cal Poly, Utah Valley, Cal State-Bakersfield, UC Davis and Southern Utah.
If they don’t get in — we give them a 50-50 chance — that’s the reason.
Regional roundup
The West Coast Conference will send its champion, Gonzaga, to the Big Dance, but Saint Mary’s is the only other team with a chance.
The Mountain West, which had a mediocre regular season, could be a one-bid league.
But the Pac-12 will be well-represented. In fact, the conference should match its record of six bids and could end up with seven.
Arizona, Cal, Utah, Colorado and Oregon have nothing to fear Sunday. Oregon State and USC are in good shape but not quite locks.
The top seeds.
Only Kansas is assured of being a No. 1 seed. The Jayhawks have a fabulous resume that includes 15 wins over teams in the top 50 of the power ratings.
Oklahoma, Virginia, Villanova, Michigan State and North Carolina are in contention for the remaining No. 1s.
Best bets: Villanova, Virginia and take-your-pick.
Heavyweights rule
Selection Sunday won’t be kind to the little guys — to the schools that aren’t members of the five major football-playing conferences.
The Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC and ACC could account for two-thirds of the 36 at-large bids, if not more.
For the likes of Monmouth, Wichita State, Saint Mary’s, Davidson and Valparaiso, it could be a disappointing afternoon.
Absentee list
A handful of well-known programs won’t make the field.
Ohio State and Nevada-Las Vegas simply aren’t good enough, and the same probably goes for Syracuse.
At the same time, SMU, Missouri and Louisville are ineligible for the tournament because of off-the-court transgressions.
LSU probably won’t be involved, either, and that’s relevant for one reason: The Tigers have the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in forward Ben Simmons, and rare is the year the nation’s top talent doesn’t show his stuff in March Madness.
If you want more on that topic, have no fear. CBS has two hours to fill.
For more on college sports, see Jon Wilner’s College Hotline at blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports. Contact him at jwilner@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5716.
