Fansided

College basketball rankings: AP Top 25 Poll predictions – Virginia makes case to be No. 1

By Connor Muldowney

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - MARCH 09: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers calls a play in the first half during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at John Paul Jones Arena on March 9, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - MARCH 09: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers calls a play in the first half during a game against the Louisville Cardinals at John Paul Jones Arena on March 9, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 09: Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a shot against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 09: Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a shot against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Texas Tech did it. Chris Beard and the Red Raiders took down Kansas for the Big 12 title, ending a streak that had been sustained for over a decade. The Red Raiders beat Texas and Iowa State to take home the crown and Beard has been named the conference’s coach of the year. Is this the type of team that can surprise people as a No. 1 seed? It’s possible, but for now, it’ll have to settle for a top-five ranking.

The SEC has been surprisingly strong this season and that’s been proven by a couple of top-10 teams like Kentucky and Tennessee not even winning the conference title — they can thank LSU for that. The Wildcats have been one of the hottest teams in college basketball in the second half of the season and it looks like John Calipari has his best chance for a national title in years.

What a season it’s been for Roy Williams and North Carolina. After losing to Michigan earlier in the season, this team didn’t look like much of a contender, but the Tar Heels have since been on fire. In fact, they clinched a share of the ACC regular season title with a win over rival Duke for the second time this season and they beat Boston College on the road earlier in the week. This team could be the ACC’s second No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.

Virginia received about half the first-place votes that Gonzaga did last week but the Cavaliers won’t gain much ground despite winning the ACC title. They did beat Syracuse on the road by 26 points and then Louisville at home to cap off another incredible season under Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers seem like a lock for a No. 1 seed, but will they be on upset alert against their second-straight No. 16 seed?

Gonzaga is easy to pick on because it doesn’t have many Quadrant 1 wins and has really only proven it can beat Duke and doesn’t have many quality wins. The Bulldogs ran through the West Coast Conference with ease, putting together a 16-0 mark. This team was lightly-tested during conference play and that is raising some red flags, but there are many experts who are locking the Bulldogs in as a No. 1 seed.

Next. Enter SI's Real-time Bracket Challenge 2019 Here. dark