Good morning, sports fans. We are officially four weeks away from the selection on Sunday. Can you smell Mars in the air?
The NCAA tournament committee published its current top 16 seeds on Saturday, an now annual tradition that gives the fans a sense of where the top team stacks up in the eyes of the committee members.
They nailed down the most important articles, such as the four No. 1 seeds, but I have some objections along the list. When you start to get pumped under the console, here’s what the selection committee got right and wrong Saturday:
Right: Auburn is the best team in the country
Auburn got the nod over rival Alabama and Duke for total seed # 1, and Tigers proved their dignity later in the afternoon with a 94-85 road over Crimson Tide in a top-two-showdown.
This makes Auburn 14-2 against quadrant 1 opponents, and Tigers is ranked as no. 1, 2 or 3 in the seven primary measurement values in the committee’s team. No need to think about this; Bruce Pearl can peacock a little. Nobody wants to see Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and companies next month.
Right: Florida deserves a seed no. 1
25 Jan 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) goes to court after a call against Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Immagn Pictures Joining Auburn, Alabama and Duke on lines # 1 was Florida, and I think it’s the right call. Gators are one of the two teams that beat Auburn, and none of their three defeat is what is moving – they may have lost to Tennessee by 20, but they beat Vols by 30 a month before.
Per the committee chairman Bubba Cunningham, the only other team being considered for a seed no. 1 was Tennessee. And this is where I have to retort.
Error: Sleeping on Houston
15 Jan 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars forward J’wan Roberts (13) dribbles against West Virginia rock climbers forward Amani Hansberry (13) during the first half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Pictures Tennessee, Texas A&M and Purdue held the fifth to seventh places overall before the committee came to Houston for the last of No. 2 seeds. Maybe this is a touch of Houston fatigue after Cougars earned No. 1 seeds each of the last two years and lost in Sweet 16 both times?
I joke aside, I would trust Houston more than a team like Tennessee, a suitable comparison given that both teams are defense. All Cougars have done is to win 17 of their last 18 games after a slow start (with losses to Auburn and Alabama), and a Saturday rally on the road to a rising Arizona team was one of their best winnings yet. Their predictive measurement values (ie Kenpom and BPI) are better than Tennessee’s, Texas A&M and Purdues, for the disc.
Error: Kentucky is too high
18 Jan 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats Forward Ansley Almonor (15) celebrates with guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half against Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena at the Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather Imagn Images We drank all Kentucky Blue Kool-Aid a little too fast after Wildcat’s hot start under Mark Pope, and I absolutely count in that category. The crime can be super fun, but there are too many nights when they just don’t defend.
The Committee awarded Kentucky on the 10th overall place Saturday and translated into a solid no. 3 seeds in the console. Wildcats refunded its faith by … Losing in Texas and dropping to 6-6 in Sec. Yes, Sec is a monster every night, etc., etc. But several teams deserve to be exposed to higher than Kentucky right now: Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Arizona and maybe even St. John’s.
As a reference, the Committee’s top 16 from February 15:
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Duke
4 Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Texas A & M.
7. Purdue
8. Houston
9. Iowa State
10. Kentucky
11. Wisconsin
12. Arizona
13. Texas tech
14. Michigan
15. Kansas
16. St. John’s
