Baylor, UH vie for high seeds

Bears contending for No. 1 overall, while Cougars projected as No. 2

A month until Selection Sunday, Baylor and Houston have different paths to high seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears remain in contention for the No. 1 overall seed in what the selection committee called a “razor thin” margin at the top.

The Cougars, meanwhile, are trying to keep hold of a projected No. 2 seed that would be the program’s highest since the “Phi Slama Jama” days of the mid-1980s.

Baylor and UH were among the top 16 seeds announced in the NCAA

men’s basketball selection committee’s mock bracket reveal Saturday.

Gonzaga was the No. 1 overall seed, just ahead of Baylor, in what is likely to be a mad dash to Selection Sunday on March 14. The Bulldogs and Bears have been the top two teams in the rankings since Week 1, are the only remaining undefeated teams, and 1-2 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), the standard metric for the committee to group the 68-team field.

“To no one’s surprise, there two teams are considered the best of the best,” said Mitch Barnhart, the director of athletics at Kentucky and chair of the selection committee. “Gonzaga and Baylor have been dominant teams to this point, and while there’s no reason to think that won’t continue, the beauty of college basketball is anything can happen on a given night.”

The state of Texas had four schools among the top 16 spots, with Texas Tech and Texas projected as No. 4 seeds.

The four No. 1 seeds include Gonzaga, Baylor and Big Ten schools Michigan and Ohio State.

Joining UH on the 2-seed line was Illinois, Villanova and Alabama.

The 3-seed line includes Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Oklahoma.

The four No. 4 seeds: Iowa, Texas Tech, Texas and Missouri.

Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball, said Southern California, Florida State and “few other Big Ten schools” were also strongly considered to be include in the top 16.

Currently on pause again because of COVID-19 protocols, Baylor (17-0) could make up some ground with remaining games against three teams (West Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas Tech) among the top 16.

UH (17-2), winners of 10 of its last 11 games, is currently fifth in the NET. The Cougars’ two losses are to Tulsa and East Carolina, Nos. 113 and 146, respectively, in the NET. UH can likely not afford any other slipups with only three games left (Wichita State and Memphis) against sub-100 NET teams and the American Athletic Conference expected to receive only one bid.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see Houston, in a similar way to Gonzaga, maybe getting overtaken by other teams having more quality wins,” said Seth Davis, a college basketball analyst for CBS Sports.

With schools being affected by COVID-19 across the country, Barnhart said pauses will not affect the selection committee’s decisions when putting together the bracket. Baylor is in the midst of five straight postponements, while Michigan and Villanova had lengthy pauses earlier this season.

“Our principles don’t change,” Barnhart said. “It is who you beat. It is where you beat them. It is about the full body of work. It is about opportunities you are presented with for victories in big games and getting those quality wins. No one is going to be penalized for being on pause.”

The entire NCAA Tournament will be played at six sites in the Indianapolis area as part of COVID-19 precautions and protocols: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.; Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. and Hinkle Fieldhouse, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Upon arrival, teams will undergo seven consecutive days of tests and daily PCR testing throughout their stay in the tournament, Gavitt said. In the event a player or staff member tests positive, Gavitt added protocols are in place “that should not eliminate teams from the entirety of the tournament.”

Gavitt said the NCAA is “optimistic and hopeful” that a limited number of fans will be able to attend games.

The First Four is scheduled for March 18. The first round is scheduled to be held March 19-20.