The Bears were almost the highest ranked #2 seed
Which means they would have been in the South regional in that case.
Comparing the two paths of a #1 in the East and the #2 in the South:
In Fort Worth – Norfolk State, then the winner of UNC/Marquette. Then…..
In Pittsburgh – UCLA or St. Mary’s, then Kentucky or Purdue
#2
In Fort Worth – Delaware, then winner of Ohio State/Loyola. Then….
In San Antonio – Tennessee or Colo St, then Arizona or Illinois
In hindsight, which one is the better draw?