Don’t let anybody let you know the faculty basketball season is simply starting this weekend.
Whoever hasn’t adopted the primary a number of months has missed so much — titanic video games between the 2 finest groups within the sport, coaches on the outs, and adversity for some dynastic packages.
However now it’s March, and everyone seems to be in full NCAA Match mode. With a bracket simply eight days away, listed here are three questions we nonetheless must kind out over the ultimate weekend of the common season and convention match week.
Who will snag the fourth No. 1 seed?
This needs to be our most easy reply. Within the committee’s mock bracket reveal a month in the past, they gave high seeds to Auburn, Duke, Alabama and Florida, and I argued that everybody was sleeping on Houston. Quick ahead to in the present day, and Kelvin Sampson’s steamroller has turn out to be the consensus third No. 1 seed with Auburn and Duke.
Alabama, Tennessee and Florida have all jostled for No. 1 seed consideration, however the Gators have the worthiest case. They’re No. 4 within the NET (the Vols and Crimson Tide are proper behind at Nos. 5 and 6); they’ve essentially the most wins and the fewest losses of this trio; and so they simply pulled out an exhilarating 99-94 head-to-head win over Alabama on Wednesday after splitting two video games with Tennessee over the winter. The Tide have misplaced 4 of six, and the Vols are additionally beginning to present some cracks.
Assume Auburn occupies the South Area, Duke heads East and Houston goes to the Midwest, which means Florida flies out to the West Regional in San Francisco — the place coach Todd Golden previously led the Dons.
Can Indiana nonetheless sneak into the sphere?
Feb 23, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson reacts to a play in the course of the second half towards the Purdue Boilermakers at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor. Necessary Credit score: Robert Goddin-Imagn Photos Hoosiers followers have been fed up with Mike Woodson for a while now, and after a string of losses in January and February, Indiana introduced that Woodson would step down at season’s finish. Nearly instantly, the Hoosiers began successful once more, together with massive ones over Michigan State and Purdue. It might be tremendously humorous if Indiana makes the NCAA Match now and perhaps wins a sport or two.
They’re one of many final groups within the subject in Joe Lunardi’s ESPN projection, and it’s exhausting to not view Saturday’s regular-season finale towards Ohio State as a play-in sport. The winner finishes ninth within the Large Ten standings, and Indiana would full a season sweep with a victory. The Hoosiers are 20 spots behind Ohio State within the NET however don’t have any losses outdoors Quadrant 1 on their resume.
What’s the suitable seed for disappointments Kansas, UConn and Gonzaga?
Mar 5, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies ahead Alex Karaban (11) reacts after defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Necessary Credit score: David Butler II-Imagn Photos Enjoyable reality: These three packages ranked within the high six of the Related Press preseason ballot, and all of them disappeared from the rankings by late February. They’re all going to make the match, however not within the higher crust that we’re used to.
Take Kansas. The Jayhawks have been a top-four seed in each single NCAA Match since 2001, earlier than the Invoice Self period even started. They’ve performed such mediocre basketball that that development is for certain to finish on Choice Sunday. Over at Bracket Matrix, the typical of 103 latest mock brackets predicts Kansas, UConn and Gonzaga all as No. 8 seeds.
If nothing else, that might create some very fascinating second-round matchups with some nervous No. 1 seeds, if solely because of the model names on the underdogs’ jerseys and their seasoned coaches.