March Madness: 5 high seeds destined for an early NCAA Tournament exit

3. Top March Madness seeds that could suffer an early exit – Baylor Bears

The chalk move for most brackets is to advance all four No. 1 seeds right into the Sweet 16. Odds suggest that at least one top seed will get tripped up before the second weekend and Baylor is this year’s top contender for that ignominious distinction.

The Bears did well during the season to secure a top seed despite losing four starters from last year’s team to the NBA but a few key losses dropped Baylor behind Big 12 rival Kansas on the S-curve. While the Jayhawks will benefit from a very weak Midwest Region, Baylor will have to deal with a potential landmine in the Round of 32.

Getting past Norfolk State in the first round won’t be an issue for the Bears but dealing with either 8-seed North Carolina or 9-seed Marquette is going to be a problem. The Tar Heels have one of the country’s most talented rosters and have gotten hot of late, scoring a big win at Duke late in the season to demonstrate their ability to knock off top competition in hostile environments.

Marquette has also proven that they are capable of defeating elite teams, sweeping Villanova during the regular season and nearly doing the same to Providence in the Big East. Neither squad will be afraid of taking on the Bears, who will have to work very hard to avoid getting picked off in the second round.