We are less than a month away from Selection Sunday, and that is always one of the biggest days of the year. This is when the NCAA Tournament field is finally revealed, but the projections have already started to roll in.
There is a great honor that comes with being a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, even though that doesn’t guarantee any success. Getting a number two seed is also a big advantage for teams as there usually aren’t many 15-2 upsets.
You are going to see plenty of March Madness projections over the next few weeks, but we are just going to focus on the top eight seeds in this article. There can still be some movement at the top, but a couple of teams are pretty locked in at this point.
Some Seeds Seem Locked Up
Unless something crazy happens over the final few weeks of the season, the Gonzaga Bulldogs should be the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament again. This is a familiar position for Gonzaga, but it hasn’t always led to success in the tournament.
After Gonzaga, there is still some debate over the other three number one seeds. It’s likely going to come down to which teams win their respective conferences, but the Arizona Wildcats are starting to feel like a lock.
Arizona has come out of nowhere to lead the Pac-12 Conference this season, and they have just two losses on the year. The Wildcats would likely get shipped out of the West Region if the Gonzaga Bulldogs are the top overall seed.
The Duke Blue Devils could also be in line for a number one seed, especially if they win the ACC Tournament. Duke is playing in the final season under Coach K, and they are a team that is loaded with talent.
In the SEC, the Auburn Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats could be playing for a number one seed as well. The SEC Tournament will be one to watch, and that is where the final top seed could come from.
Plenty of Movement on the Two Line
Obviously, all teams are wanting to be named a number one seed, but settling for a number two seed isn’t that big of a deal. There are as many as 8-10 teams that could still have a legitimate shot at claiming a number two seed, depending on how they finish the season.
The second-place finisher in the SEC should be in line for a number two seed, and the Baylor Bears look like a threat to end up in that position as well. After those two teams, that is where the real drama should begin.
We haven’t even mentioned the Big Ten Conference yet in this article, and that league is loaded with terrific teams. Purdue is a team that could challenge for a number one seed, but Illinois and Wisconsin might actually win that league.
The UCLA Bruins are another team that has looked like a top-eight team for much of the season, and there are also some loaded teams in the Big East Conference as well. There might not be a ton of drama when the number 1 seeds are announced, but there will be when the 5-8 teams are announced.
The Final Projections
A lot can change over the final few weeks of the season, but there is enough information to make a projection on the top eight seeds.
Here are those projections, with the teams ranked #1-8:
- Gonzaga
- Arizona
- Kentucky
- Duke
- Kansas
- Auburn
- Purdue
- UCLA
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