Bracketology: Villanova cracks top line for first time; Texas, Iowa have work to do

Villanova emerges as a top seed in this week’s Bracketology update.

We’ve reached the end of January and now is as good a time as any to take stock of the latest in NCAA Tournament bracketology. Let’s take a look at who the top four seeds would be in March Madness if the season ended today, and there isn’t too much to change from last week.

Top overall seed – Gonzaga Bulldogs

It was another effortless week for Gonzaga, which crushed Pacific 95-49 in their only game on Saturday. The Bulldogs put up more points in the first half (52) than the Tigers scored in the entire game, showcasing how dominant they are in comparison to the rest of the sport.

A pair of road games await Gonzaga this week as they take on San Diego and Pepperdine, but neither should present much of a challenge for the Bulldogs. This spot should remain locked for a long time.

Second overall seed – Baylor Bears

The only team in Gonzaga’s weight class is Baylor, which capped off an extremely impressive 2-0 week. The Bears beat up Kansas to establish Big 12 supremacy and rallied from a sluggish start to top Oklahoma State on the road, albeit in a game that the Cowboys were without star freshman Cade Cunningham.

A pair of home matchups are on tap for Baylor with Big 12 cellar-dweller Kansas State and underachieving Auburn coming to Waco as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Expect a 2-0 week for the Bears to hold serve with Gonzaga.

Third overall seed – Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines faced a test after getting blown out by Minnesota to snap a perfect start to the season. The response from Juwan Howard’s team was emphatic with Michigan stomping Maryland and Purdue to improve to 13-1 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play.

The program is in the midst of a COVID pause so they won’t lose any ground in the race for seeding this week. The big question will be whether the two-week break will stall the momentum that Michigan has built to this point.

Fourth overall seed – Villanova Wildcats

There is no question that the Wildcats are talented enough to compete with Gonzaga and Baylor but they simply haven’t had the game opportunities to show it. A lengthy COVID pause sidelined Villanova from Dec. 23 until last Tuesday, when they kicked off a 2-0 week by beating Seton Hall and Providence.

Jay Wright’s crew has a pair of road dates this week with a UConn team that was recently ranked and a rematch against the Pirates in New Jersey. The rugged Big East will ensure that none of those games are easy for Villanova, which needs to win to maintain this position.

Bracketology – Other contenders

Iowa was on the one-line last week but fell after losing by 12 at home to Indiana. The other game on the Hawkeyes’ schedule was postponed after a COVID-19 issue with Nebraska so Iowa will look to bounce back this week with a trip to Illinois on Thursday.

The Cougars kept pace with another 2-0 week, racking up convincing wins against Tulsa and Temple. Houston has a matchup with Tulane to warm up for a showdown with SMU, the AAC’s second-best team, on Sunday.

Texas is in a holding pattern after not playing at all last week due to issues with COVID-19. Head coach Shaka Smart announced he has tested positive for the coronavirus and will not be with the team this week as the Longhorns return to action against Oklahoma and Kentucky.

A dark horse coming out of the SEC is Alabama, where Nate Oats’ team has ripped off nine straight wins and is a perfect 8-0 in conference play. The Crimson Tide will look to complete a season sweep of Kentucky on Tuesday before facing off with Oklahoma in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.