Villanova, Kansas, Baylor, Gonzaga earn No. 1s as NCAA unveils bracket preview
For the first time ever, the NCAA Selection Committee has released who they consider to be the top 16 teams thus far in the lead up to March Madness.
This will be the only in-season look at the bracket until Selection Sunday on March 12, where the final bracket will be released.
Related: NCAA committee leaves No. 7 Wisconsin, Big Ten off initial top 16
East Region
| Seed | Team | Record | AP Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova | 23-2 | 2 |
| 2 | Louisville | 19-5 | 4 |
| 3 | Kentucky | 19-5 | 15 |
| 4 | UCLA | 22-3 | 10 |
Defending national champion Villanova was ranked the top overall team, while, in this mock bracket, state rivals Louisville and Kentucky would face off and UCLA would have to head east.
Midwest Region
| Seed | Team | Record | AP Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 21-3 | 3 |
| 2 | Florida State | 21-4 | 14 |
| 3 | Arizona | 22-3 | 9 |
| 4 | Duke | 19-5 | 18 |
Kansas was given the second overall ranking, while Duke moved into the top 16, two spots higher than their current AP ranking.
South Region
| Seed | Team | Record | AP Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor | 21-3 | 6 |
| 2 | North Carolina | 21-5 | 8 |
| 3 | Florida | 19-5 | 17 |
| 4 | Butler | 19-5 | 22 |
Baylor was the third overall team and two of the three biggest surprises came in this region, as Florida and Butler both are ranked outside of the top 16 in the AP Poll, but are in the top 16 in the committee's eyes.
West Region
| Seed | Team | Record | AP Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzaga | 25-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Oregon | 21-4 | 5 |
| 3 | Virginia | 18-5 | 12 |
| 4 | West Virginia | 19-5 | 13 |
Out west, Gonzaga is the only undefeated team left in the country, but were considered the fourth best team by the committee, a dig towards their weak conference. Having to travel far in this mock bracket would be Virginia, while West Virginia would switch from the eastern time zone to the pacific.