1’s: Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, Michigan
Erased by the pandemic a year ago, conference tournament week did not disappoint, bringing the college men’s basketball world to the most important date on the calendar: Selection Sunday.
The 68-team field – all bound for the Indianapolis area – was released, and the No. 1 seeds are Gonzaga (East), Baylor (South), Michigan (West) and Illinois (Midwest).
Wolverines No. 1 in feisty East region
Michigan was the second Big Ten team to secure a No. 1 seed, and assuming the Wolverines get by either Mount St. Mary’s or Texas Southern in the first round, they could have their hands full in the second round with either LSU or St. Bonaventure, which should be one of the region’s best firstround games.
Georgetown will likely be a popular 12-5 upset pick over Colorado after the Hoyas captured the Big East tournament title. Michigan State and UCLA will participate in one of the four play-in games for a chance at BYU. Texas (3), Connecticut (7) and Maryland (10) provide name power to the region.
A fascinating coaching matchup will be on display in the 2-15 matchup: Nate Oats’ Alabama, the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament winners, against Iona’s Rick Pitino, who is perhaps saving his best work for March.
Illinois leads crowded Midwest region
Sister Jean. Cade Cunningham. The Big Ten conference tournament champion. A red-hot Atlantic Coast Conference squad. The Midwest has a ton going on.
Loyola Chicago earned the No. 8 seed, which means Sister Jean and the Ramblers faithful will set their sights on Josh Pastner and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Oklahoma State has a date with Liberty in the No. 4 vs. No. 13 game, and plenty of eyes will be on Cunningham, a potential top-five pick in the NBA draft.
Leading the region are two teams that won their conference tournaments on Sunday. No. 1 Illinois will face Drexel, while No. 2 Houston is taking on Cleveland State. West Virginia (No. 3), Tennessee (No. 5) and San Diego State (No. 6) add some depth to the region.
To round out the region, San Diego State takes on Syracuse in the 6-11 matchup, while Clemson and Rutgers will battle in the 7 vs. 10 game.
Bears lead the South
The Baylor Bears entered the season with high expectations and won the Big 12 for the first time in more than 70 years. Now they have a No. 1 seed.
Ohio State, less than a half hour removed from their Big Ten championship game loss, learned it would be the region’s No. 2 seed. Utah State survived the bubble (proving its win over Colorado State was needed).
Virginia Tech (10) faces Florida (7) in the first round, and there’s more SEC flair with No. 3 Arkansas. Purdue checks in as a No. 4 seed, while Villanova – a two or three seed in most people’s minds until recently – faces Winthrop in a 5-12 matchup. The 8-9 game between North Carolina and Wisconsin should make things interesting for the Bears in the second round.
Gonzaga Bulldogs are No. 1 overall seed in West region
While “regions” don’t matter much this year, Gonzaga earned the top seed in the West – their fourth No. 1 seed in the last eight seasons. Except this time, the Bulldogs are the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. But there is championship pedigree on the horizon.
They will play the winner of the Norfolk State-Appalachian State play-in game. Also in the region are No. 5 Creighton, defending champ Virginia (No. 4), Oregon (No. 7) and VCU (No. 10).
Two bubble teams, Drake and Wichita State, will play each other in the 11seed play-in game and the winner will have a date against Southern California.
At the bottom of the region, Iowa will face Grand Canyon in the 2-15 matchup. That sets up for a potential battle between National Player of the Year candidate Luka Garza and the Bulldogs’ frontcourt.