Bracketology: Predicting the No. 1 seeds – Kentucky or North Carolina?

Bracketology is back as we predict who will be the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament with Kentucky and North Carolina vying for the last top seed.

The regular season has only two weeks left, meaning every game involving a potential No. 1 seed could shift the top of the bracket. The four No. 1 seeds have an astronomical advantage in the NCAA Tournament, getting set up with ideal venues in the first weekend and getting a nearly automatic win over a 16 seed as rewards for excellent seasons.

This year’s race to be atop the brackets is going to be a tight one, with three pretty safe locks and one spot that could change several hands several times before the draw is revealed. Let’s start with the safest bet to be the tournament’s top overall seed.

Duke

The Blue Devils have been the best team all season, and they showed the loss of Zion Williamson may not affect them too much by winning at Syracuse on Saturday. Williamson should be back from his knee sprain by the end of the regular season, and his return should help Duke secure an ACC regular season and/or conference tournament championship. Duke has several winnable games ahead of their rematch with North Carolina in the regular season finale. A win there and a deep run in the ACC tournament should be enough to secure a top seed.

Virginia

The Cavaliers are also looking pretty secure on the top line. Virginia’s swarming Pack Line defense has smothered opponents, allowing the Cavaliers to rack up a 24-2 record on the season. Both losses have come to Duke, so Tony Bennett’s team is undefeated against anyone not coached by Mike Krzyzewski. Even if Duke beats Virginia for a third time in the ACC Tournament, it is unlikely that would do enough damage to remove Virginia from the top line.

Gonzaga

After Duke’s loss to UNC last week, Gonzaga is now No. 1 in the AP Poll. The Bulldogs have dominated the West Coast Conference all season, going 14-0 in league play as part of an 18-game winning streak. Gonzaga has a win over Duke on its resume, and its only two losses are to potential No. 1 seeds, Tennessee and North Carolina. Barring a loss in the WCC Tournament, Gonzaga should be locked in on the one line.

Kentucky

This last spot belonged to Tennessee for a long time, but the Volunteers have dropped two out of three to Kentucky and LSU, respectively. Kentucky is peaking at the right time, allowing John Calipari’s squad to hold off Michigan State and the Vols for the final No. 1 seed.

The Wildcats have won 13 of their last 14 games, including four over opponents who were ranked at the time. The Volunteers host the rematch with Kentucky on Saturday, and if Kentucky completes a series sweep it would give them a huge resume boost for a top seed.

Outside looking in

This spot also has the potential to change hands several times over the course of the next three weeks. Tennessee could regain their form and make a push for it while North Carolina could bump Duke or Virginia out of a top seed. Another sleeper for the final top seed could be Michigan State, which is leading a deep Big Ten and just defeated Michigan in Ann Arbor on Sunday. If the Spartans can win both the regular season title and conference tournament, it would be hard to deny them a No. 1 seed.