It's still early January, but it already looks like we know who the No. 1 seeds are going to be in the NCAA Tournament, with UConn, Texas, South Carolina and UCLA separating from the field.
However, the race for every other seed is wide open. LSU's two losses this month have dropped the Tigers down the board, and basically nothing is decided about seeding outside of these top four.
If the NCAA Tournament started now, here's what the seeding might look like for the top 16 teams, which would earn the right to host the first weekend of the tournament at their campus.
Region 1: Fort Worth
UConn (1)
The undefeated Huskies are the best team in the country. There's zero reason to think they slip out of this spot as the No. 1 overall seed, because there's zero reason to think they lose a game before the tournament begins.
Michigan (2)
This is the biggest disparity between my bracketlogy and ESPN's last update. Yes, the Wolverines just suffered a pretty bad loss to Washington, but the're also the only team that's come remotely close to upsetting UConn. That has to count for something.
Maryland (3)
Maryland has one really good win under its belt, aking down Kentucky back in November. Unfortunately when it comes to seeding, I imagine the committee would look at the recent loss to Illinois and drop the team to the top No. 3 seed, though swapping Maryland and Michigan here could easily make sense.
Texas Tech (4)
It's probably safe to say Texas Tech is the team most in danger of falling off here. The Red Raiders are undefeated and have a big resume-building win over Baylor, but a rather weak schedule outside of that game means we still aren't quite sure how good this team is.
Region 2: Sacramento
Texas (1)
The undefeated Longhorns have two of the best wins of any team, knocking off both South Carolina and UCLA already. At this point, Vic Schaefer's team is closer to UConn than to the other two No. 1 seeds, and we can't rule out the Horns landing the No. 1 overall seed if the team can manage an undefeated run through the SEC.
Vanderbilt (2)
The Commodores are surprisingly undefeated. While I highly doubt they finish that way, Mikayla Blakes is one of the nation's most dangerous players and this team has shown it can beat anyone, as evidenced by its win over LSU.
Louisville (3)
The Cardinals have three losses, but all three are to teams projected to get a one or two seed. Wins over North Carolina and Tennessee showcased this team's strength, which is its efficiency and ability to control the ball.
Michigan State (4)
The Spartans have been one of the biggest surprises in the nation, going 14-1 to open the season and ranking seventh in offensive rating and sixth in net rating. Like with Texas Tech, there's concern about strength of schedule, but recent wins over Ole Miss and Illinois show this team is capable of beating good teams. The loss to Wisconsin might be the worst loss of any of these 16 teams, though.
Region 3: Fort Worth
South Carolina (1)
Yes, the top two teams appear to have separated themselves from the pack, but never count out Dawn Staley's Gamecocks, whose only loss this year is to Texas. Joyce Edwards has blossomed into a star, and Ta'Niya Latson is thriving in a lower-usage role.
Oklahoma (2)
Efficiency has been a concern, but freshman Aaliyah Chavez has shown she's a future star. With Raegan Beers in the middle, this is a team that can outscore anyone while pushing the pace. Defense could be a concern, though the Sooners are surprisingly fifth in defensive rating at the moment.
Iowa State (3)
Audi Crooks is the nation's most dangerous player. Baylor gave teams a blueprint for limiting her, but I'd trust this deep Cyclones roster to figure things out quickly and get back to winning basketball games.
Iowa (4)
It's not the Caitlin Clark era, but Ava Heiden is developing into a star while Hannah Stuelke remains one of the nation's most underrated players. While I'm not sold on Iowa staying this high, wins over Baylor and Nebraska prove it belongs here at the moment.
Region 4: Sacramento
UCLA (1)
UCLA's star-studded roster is likely going to run through the Big Ten, considering the team has had no trouble in any of its conference wins so far. The defense can slow anyone down while the offense has too many good options for opponents to deal with.
Kentucky (2)
The Wildcats are riding high after a big win over LSU. The team currently has the third-best scoring defense in the nation and has done a good job slowing the game down and forcing opponents to play some pretty ugly basketball.
LSU (3)
A week-ish ago, the Tigers looked like a team that could potentially break through into one of the No. 1 seeds if a team ahead of them faltered. Now, the team is hoping to stem the bleeding after back-to-back defeats and hold on to a top-four seed at all. Upcoming games against Texas and Oklahoma complicate that.
TCU (4)
Olivia Miles has been a walking triple-double this season and Marta Suárez has been one of the best portal additions in the nation, but the overtime loss to Utah is definitely worrisome, though the big win over NC State earlier this season shows what the team is capable of.