Big 12 kingpins set for No. 1 seeds in tourney
Two Big 12 kingpins and two power mid-majors are out front in the debut projection for USA TODAY Sports’ bracketology.
Baylor, Kansas, San Diego State and Gonzaga are the currently projected No. 1 seeds, with each team presenting résumés with marquee wins and few blemishes. The same four teams lead the NET rankings, the NCAA’s tool put into place last year that assesses each team’s strength of schedule among other stats.
March Madness is still six weeks away, so there’s plenty of time for the current No. 1s to either implode or bolster their stock. The Bears (19-1) and Jayhawks (18-3) are more susceptible to suffer upsets in a challenging Big 12 schedule. The disadvantage the Aztecs (23-0) and Bulldogs (23-1) face is that one loss in their respective leagues (Mountain West and West Coast) means their credentials could take a bigger hit.
At the No. 2 line, Duke and Florida State are well positioned to ascend to the top seed line based on overall credentials. But the ACC, currently sporting just four teams in the projected field, isn’t doing much to bolster either’s résumé. The ACC is ranked sixth among seven power conferences in the NET after finishing last season as one of the top three. The other projected No. 2s Seton Hall and Villanova are positioned to improve their profiles because the Big East is No. 1 in the NET conference rankings.
No. 1 seeds: Baylor, Kansas, San Diego State, Gonzaga.
Last four in: Memphis, Virginia, Arizona State, Mississippi State.
First Four out: Georgetown, North Carolina Carolina State, Virginia Commonwealth, Cincinnati.
Others considered for at-large bid (in no particular order): Richmond, Syracuse, Purdue, Miami (Fla.), St. Johns, Minnesota, Duquesne, Georgia, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Tulsa, Providence, SMU, TCU, DePaul, Alabama, Minnesota, Missouri, South Carolina, Oregon State, Saint Louis, Clemson, UNC-Greensboro, Oklahoma State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Furman, Washington, Texas, Utah State.
On life support (in no particular order): Kansas State, Mississippi, North Carolina, Iowa State, Washington State, Connecticut.