Everything wrong with the initial March Madness rankings
Our March Madness early one seeds
Our No. 1 Seeds:
(1) Virginia – ACC
(1) Xavier – Big East
(1) Duke – ACC
(1) Cincinnati – AAC
The first three teams are no surprise, even with their recent struggles — especially with the resurgent St. John’s squad knocking off both Duke and Villanova in back to back games recently, showing the disparity in College basketball this season.
The Virginia Cavaliers boast the best defense in the country, allowing a stingy 52.7 point per game. That’s just flat out silly. Only fellow one seed, the Cincinnati Bearcats are within striking distance, allowing 56.3 points per game of their own.
Speaking of Cincinnati, your eyes are not deceiving you. Cincinnati is on the one line, even after their loss at conference rival Houston earlier this week. Why is Cincinnati joining the mix within the prestigious No. 1 seed category? A 23-3 overall record and 10-2 mark away from home are impressive, with an 11-3 mark against the RPI top 100. Their only losses are to fellow No. 1 seed Villanova on the road, to SEC powerhouse Florida on a neutral site, and their first AAC loss to the Houston Cougars.
The Bearcats are a team that’s vastly underrated, and perhaps, face their toughest test in Wichita State (at least) twice to close out the season. So, if they can split their two contests against the Shockers and make the AAC Conference tournament final — then a one seed is theirs for the taking.
Certainly, Duke is Duke and they are on T.V. more than Leave it to Beaver re-runs. Coach K. has a very talented squad and if Grayson Allen is able to keep his happy feet in check, the sky is the limit for the Dukies.
The one seed line is subject to change and once March Madness hits the round of 32, all bets are off anyway. Which two seeds have a shot at joining this elite group, knocking the current four off their perch?
Xavier is a dangerous team and one that has No. 1 seed potential. They’ve rattled off eight straight wins, after a 24-point loss at Villanova. However, with the Wildcats and other No. 1 seed contenders struggling, don’t count the Musketeers out of winning the Big East and a ranking as one of the top seeds during March Madness. Led by Trevon Bluiett, he may carry them to the final four and beyond.