Takeaways from NCAA tourney bracket release
The brackets have dropped, 68 teams are off to March Madness, and the rest of the Division I programs are left to wonder what might have been.
The NCAA Tournament selection committee made its choices Sunday and finalized the field for this year's event, albeit with a few controversial selections.
Here are five takeaways from Sunday's bracket release.
SEC makes history
The SEC has been touted as the best conference all season long, and the selection committee seemed to agree. The SEC sent a record-setting 14 schools to the Big Dance, surpassing the previous mark of 11 set by the Big East in 2011. Thirteen of its members were seeded at the same position or higher in the NCAA Tournament than they were in their own conference tourney. Auburn leads the pack as the No. 1 overall seed, with SEC Tournament winners Florida also joining the Tigers on the 1-line. The conference's lowest seed, Texas, will take on Xavier in the First Four to fight for the right to move into the Round of 64 as the 11-seed in the Midwest region. The SEC very well could snap its 13-year national title drought.
North Carolina, Xavier catch a break
Both North Carolina and Xavier will play in the NCAA Tournament despite having just one Quad 1 win each this season. Their recent run certainly played a role: The Tar Heels won eight of their last 10 games, with both defeats coming to top-seeded Duke, while, Xavier rattled off seven straight victories before falling to Marquette last Thursday in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals. But it's fair to question the committee's decision, especially with West Virginia and Indiana each boasting far more quality victories on their resumes. There's also the fact that North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham is also the chairman of the selection committee. Cunningham says he wasn't in the room for any discussions involving North Carolina, while vice chairman Keith Gill added that the Tar Heels would've been knocked out of the field had UAB upset Memphis in the AAC Tournament final.
East Region loaded with firepower
The East Region is stocked with elite offensive units. Duke, Alabama, BYU, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Baylor are all ranked in the top 16 for adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg headlines the players to watch in the region. The presumptive first overall pick is one of the most versatile players in the sport, showcasing playmaking ability, guard-like ball-handling skills, and above-the-rim finishing. Bears freshman VJ Edgecombe is another one to keep tabs on. The potential top-five pick is an elite athlete who gets to the rim at will and has grown more comfortable shooting the ball from distance. Nate Oats' Crimson Tide boast the nation's highest-scoring offense for the second straight season, led by All-American guard Mark Sears. The Cougars and Badgers have their share of outside threats that can quickly put a game out of reach, while Caleb Love can shoot the Wildcats to a deep run or early exit. Regardless of who comes out of the East, there will never be a dull moment.
Houston gets 2nd-round trap
Houston's reward for claiming the No. 1 seed in the Midwest once again is a potential second-round contest with Gonzaga. One of the top seeds in the bracket was bound to get the Bulldogs as a possible bracket-busting 8-seed, and it turns out the Cougars drew the short straw Sunday. Mark Few's program might be one of the most dangerous 8-seeds we've ever seen, as this year's Bulldogs rank ninth in the nation in KenPom's efficiency rankings. Houston sits third on the same list, so the potential for a second-round matchup between two top-10 teams is very real.
The contrast of styles could also make things tricky for the top seed in a second-round matchup. The Cougars bring their brand of hard-nosed defense that forces teams into bad decisions from tip-off until the final whistle. But Gonzaga is the best team in the nation at turnover-to-assist ratio and ranks 10th best in turnovers per game. If veteran point guard Ryan Nembhard can handle Houston's defense, a second-round upset is a distinct possibility.
Big Ten title didn't impress committee
The Big Ten sent the second-most teams to the NCAA Tournament this season, but the school that won the conference tournament is a ... 5-seed? That's right, Michigan will head to the tournament holding down the No. 5 spot in the South Region despite beating Wisconsin on Sunday to win the Big Ten tourney. That came on the heels of finishing 14-6 in conference play during the regular season - a mark that tied the Badgers for second overall.
Somehow that wasn't enough in the eyes of the committee. To add insult to injury, the Wolverines aren't even in the top four Big Ten seeds. Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin and Purdue all garnered better seeds than Dusty May's program in the bracket.
The first-round matchup with UC San Diego is also no reward for Michigan, as the Tritons' swarming defense should create problems for the Wolverines. Michigan ranks 346th of 364 teams at the Division I level in turnovers per game. UC San Diego could feast on that - the Tritons are sixth in the country in the same category.