The college basketball season is at a point where it’s just four weeks away from the start of the smaller conference tournaments, which begin in earnest the road to the Final Four in Phoenix. The regular season is zooming by, which means teams are beginning to get to a point where they have fewer chances to make NCAA Tournament statements and move in the right direction of the bubble. For the teams at the top of the rankings, however, the battle is more about getting a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Here are the four teams in line for top seeds, and the next team in line to take advantage if a top-four team loses.
1. Villanova Wildcats
The Wildcats were in deep trouble for much of the day on Sunday against Virginia, but they fought through it and won on a tip-in at the buzzer. The Wildcats got a high-quality win, which – coupled with Baylor’s loss – makes Villanova a relatively easy call for number one at this point. Gonzaga is No. 1 in some polls, but Villanova has more quality college basketball wins and has faced steadily better opposition in conference play. No one should seriously dispute Nova here, though Gonzaga has an argument.
2. Gonzaga Bulldogs
This situation is unchanged and, as of this moment, relatively uncomplicated. Gonzaga will obtain a No. 1 seed even though it is situated in the West Coast Conference. If the Bulldogs can complete the regular season unbeaten, they will be on the top seed line on Selection Sunday, staying in the West. The Zags defeated Arizona and claimed some additionally important non-conference victories, putting them on a level where an unblemished regular season would give them sufficient margin to be one of the four number one seeds on the board. If Gonzaga loses, then it becomes more complicated.
The Zags could have been lower on this college basketball list but when you take a look at what happened this weekend, they’re still the steady bet. The Kansas Jayhawks would have been above them but they ended up losing.
3. Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks aren’t No. 1, but they deserve to be No. 2 after a stellar week. KU defeated Kentucky on the road in Rupp Arena, and then took care of Big 12 rival and competitor Baylor on Wednesday. However, they had a bit of a letdown on Saturday as they lost at home to the Iowa State Cyclones in overtime. We’re not faulting them too much in this spot because they had such a stellar week otherwise.
The Jayhawks now know that as long as they win all their home games, they can lose to Baylor on the road later this season and still get a share of the Big 12 Conference championship if they win their other remaining road games. Kansas has already played at West Virginia and at Iowa State, two of the tougher road stops in the Big 12. If Baylor loses one more non-Kansas Big 12 game this college basketball season, the Jayhawks will almost surely extend their conference title streak to 13 seasons.
4. Oregon Ducks
There was no bigger game on Saturday than Arizona at Oregon. All week long, the feeling was that the winner should become the first team in line to get a No. 1 seed if Gonzaga or any other group stumbles down the stretch. Kansas stumbled and so did Baylor. An Arizona win would have given the Wildcats a multi-game lead over the rest of the Pac-12. However, not only did Oregon win but they crushed the Wildcats, winning by 27. They’ve moved into the conversation for a No. 1 overall seed.
5. Baylor Bears
The Bears lost to Kansas, but they fell just short in a very competitive college basketball game. No one should severely mark down the Bears for this. If they beat Kansas later in the season at home in Waco, they should have the inside track to a No. 1 seed, probably in the South Region.
Saturday was not a good day for the Bears, though, as they stumbled at home to the Kansas State Wildcats. It was only the Bears’ third loss of the season, though, and was merely a two-point shortcoming. Considering the Jayhawks also lost – as did West Virginia – we’re able to look past that. Baylor has still done more to deserve a top seed than teams other than the top three on this list.
Click here to bet on the college football futures for the 2017 season right now. DSI has all of the latest lines, spreads and props for this week’s action!
