Which 1-Seed is Best Set Up to Make the Final Four?

Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona Wildcats. / Ethan Miller/GettyImages
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Selection Sunday is here and the brackets are set, which means its time to get wild. 

Gonzaga enters the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, leading the West region. The other No. 1 seeds include Kansas, Baylor and Arizona. 

Even though brackets will be busted and upsets are going to happen, the regions will be decided by what the No. 1 seeds do. Let’s see which No. 1 seed has the best path to get to the Final Four.

No. 1 seeds in March Madness

  • Gonzaga: +400
  • Arizona: +600
  • Baylor: +1000
  • Kansas: +1500

Easiest path to Final Four

Arizona’s biggest competition will be Tennessee, but if they both advance, they won’t play each other until the Elite 8. The Volunteers are the best team on their side of the bracket and could get caught due to their No. 3 seed. The Wildcats are great on both sides of the ball and will have to look out for the Fighting Illini of Illinois. However, they would have to go through Houston – who is good, but also banged up. 

There’s a scenario where Arizona would play a beat up Cougars team and maybe not even have to face the Volunteers in the Elite 8. I like those chances.

Hardest path to Final Four 

The Baylor Bears got the worst draw of any of the top seeds. The Bears, if chalk holds, would have to go through North Carolina – who just upset Duke – then UCLA and finish off the regional tournament with a matchup against Kentucky. That’s two elite offenses that will challenge the Bears all before they get to the Final Four. 

Baylor should be praying the Midwest region gets shaken to its core with upsets. 

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