INDIANAPOLIS — The Division I Men’s Basketball Committee unveiled its top 16 teams on the Bracket Preview Show, which aired on CBS earlier this afternoon. Auburn was voted unanimously as the committee’s top overall seed, with Alabama and Duke having a strong hold on the Nos. 2 and 3 spots on the seed list. Florida edged Tennessee as the fourth No. 1 seed.
The Bracket Preview Show debuted in 2017. In 2023, all four No. 1 seeds from the program were also 1 seeds on Selection Sunday. In the other six years (removing 2020 because of the tournament being canceled), three of the four No. 1 seeds all remained on the 1 line when the actual bracket was revealed.
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The quartet of No. 2 seeds includes Tennessee, Texas A&M, Purdue and Houston, while the No. 3 seeds are Iowa St., Kentucky, Wisconsin and Arizona, and the No. 4 seeds are Texas Tech, Michigan, Kansas and St. John’s.
In the seven years of the show, all but one of the 28 teams that were on the 2 line in February remained among the top 16 teams when the actual bracket came out in March. Only eight No. 3 seeds and nine No. 4 seeds failed to stay on the top four lines on Selection Sunday, meaning 84 percent of teams unveiled on the show remained on the top four lines.
“The narrative since the season began was how strong Southeastern Conference teams are, and that’s reflective in this Top 16 reveal,” said Bubba Cunningham, the chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and the director of athletics at North Carolina. “While each team is evaluated independent of their conference affiliation, there’s no escaping the fact that the league is on course for a historic season in terms of representation in the tournament, specifically the highly sought-after top 16 seeds. Having five of the top six teams being from one conference is equally impressive as it is unusual.”
Auburn was tabbed as the top overall seed based on a nation-leading 13 wins in 15 Quadrant 1 games. Alabama was voted as the overall No. 2 seed, thanks to an 8-3 record within the first quadrant and the nation’s second-best Wins Above Bubble ranking, trailing only Auburn. The two rivals will play Saturday in the 45th game featuring the Associated Press’s top two teams in its weekly poll.
On the strength of a 20-3 record, including seven wins in eight tries in road games, Duke ranked third on the overall seed list. Florida snagged the final No. 1 seed thanks to a 21-3 record and top-five rankings in most predictive and results metrics.
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Two more SEC teams were voted to the top of the second line, with Tennessee coming close to landing on the first line on the strength of eight Quadrant 1 wins. With seven Quadrant 1 wins and a top 5 WAB ranking, Texas A&M was first among a trio that included Purdue and Houston that were tightly bunched in spots 6-8 on the overall seed list. Purdue has 14 wins in the first two quadrants, while Houston’s resume includes a perfect road record and elite predictive metrics.
Iowa State leads the pack of teams on the third line, and the Cyclones are joined by Kentucky, Wisconsin and Arizona. Iowa State and Kentucky are among the nation’s leaders in quadrant one wins, while Wisconsin has not lost to any teams outside of the top 25 of the NET while still cumulating quality wins, and Arizona has seven victories in Quadrant 1 to go with top 10 predictive metrics.
Texas Tech’s strength lies with its performances on the road, where the Red Raiders have won five of six contests, while Michigan has 11 combined wins in the first two quadrants. Kansas has consistent metrics across the board and 10 wins in Quadrants 1 and 2, while St. John’s has only suffered four losses all season by a combined seven points.
“With five first-year committee members, this was an important meeting, not only for the purpose of today’s unveiling but also to educate them about how selecting, seeding and bracketing works. Going through this process will be valuable experience for them when we do it for real next month.”
Using its bracketing principles, the committee placed the 16 teams into the four regions:
Seed list
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Duke
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Texas A&M
7. Purdue
8. Houston
9. Iowa State
10. Kentucky
11. Wisconsin
12. Arizona
13. Texas Tech
14. Michigan
15. Kansas
16. St. John’s
South
1. Auburn (1)
2. Texas A&M (6)
3. Wisconsin (11)
4. Texas Tech (13)
Midwest
1. Alabama (2)
2. Purdue (7)
3. Iowa St. (9)
4. Kansas (15)
West
1. Florida (4)
2. Houston (8)
3. Kentucky (10)
4. Michigan (14)
East
1. Duke (3)
2. Tennessee (5)
3. Arizona (12)
4. St. John’s (16)
Selection Sunday is March 16. The tournament tips off with the Men’s First Four March 18-19 in Dayton. First- and second-round sites will take place March 20 and 22 in Denver, Lexington, Providence and Wichita, and March 21 and 23 in Cleveland, Milwaukee, Raleigh and Seattle. Regional action take place in Newark and San Francisco (March 27 and 29), and Atlanta and Indianapolis (March 28 and 30). The Men’s Final Four will be played in San Antonio April 5 and 7. For ticket information, visit www.ncaatickets.com.
