So in year X New England gets the first slot, followed by the South. You are still going to have the same problems as now. Lots of candidates who are weak in that region will be declared "losers". McCain and Rudy would likley be our main candidates in your scenario. Entire REGIONS may not be counted. Say MidWest goes last. It's over for all of them.
The basket approach would ensure even if a state is overlooked (by virtue of going last) that its issues have been picked up in an earlier primary. (That is if Ohio is last at least Indiana spoke for the rust belt in basket #2)
Lets just have the red states go before any of the blue ones.
If they never vote Republican anyway they should have little say in choosing our candidate.