Top 16 Seeds For March Madness
The selection committee released its rankings of the top 16 seeds on Saturday morning, roughly three weeks away from Selection Sunday.
Michigan
Duke
Arizona
Iowa State
UConn
Houston
Illinois
Purdue
Florida
Kansas
Nebraska
Gonzaga
Texas Tech
Michigan State
Vanderbilt
Virginia
What's shifted:
Iowa State's placement as a No. 1 seed had a very short shelf life - the Cyclones lost at BYU the same night of the reveal, which moved UConn back up to the top seed line in bracketology projections.
Duke also knocked off No. 1 Michigan on Saturday, further shaking up the top of the board.
Alabama and Arkansas were the two teams that "just missed" the top 16, per committee chair Keith Gill.
Selection Sunday is March 15, so there are still conference tournaments left to play. A lot can change!
Biggest Risers/Fallers In Recent AP Poll
Biggest Risers 🚀:
No. 17 Alabama (+8)
No. 7 Florida (+5)
No. 19 BYU (+4)
No. 11 Virginia (+3)
Biggest Fallers 📉:
No. 14 Kansas (-6)
No. 25 Vanderbilt (-6)
No. 23 Saint Louis (-5)
No. 5 Houston (-3)
Recapping Last Week’s Big Games
Iowa State beat Houston (2/16)
This was a matchup between two teams poised for deep tournament runs. The Cyclones shot the ball well at 49%, but the team’s poor free-throw shooting is something to note. Iowa State shot just 50% from the free-throw line in this game.
Michigan beat Purdue (2/17)
This game wasn’t particularly close. Michigan dominated on both ends of the floor and was red-hot from beyond the arc. The Wolverines went 13-for-23 from three (57%) in this game.
Alabama beat Arkansas in Double OT (2/18)
This was a back-and-forth game between two high-powered offenses. Alabama ranks third in offensive rating, and Arkansas ranks fourth in offensive rating. Alabama’s presence inside was the difference in the win.
Arizona beat BYU (2/18)
Arizona was simply the better team in this game. BYU shot just 26% from three in the loss, and Arizona’s offense did just enough even with Koa Peat out. The Wildcats will need Peat back soon, who is dealing with a lower-leg injury.
Arizona beat Houston (2/21)
Arizona didn’t need Peat in this game, as the Wildcats leaned on their defense in the win. Houston shot 36% from the field and 31% from three in this game. There’s a reason why Arizona currently ranks second in defensive rating.
Duke beat Michigan (2/21)
Duke’s win over Michigan on Saturday was the team’s best win of the season. This game was a dogfight between two teams that excel on defense. The Wolverines rank first in defensive rating, and the Blue Devils rank third in defensive rating
BYU beat Iowa State (2/21)
After Iowa State beat Houston earlier in the week, the Cyclones fell on the road to BYU on Saturday. BYU had a solid offensive gameplan in this game, led by projected top pick AJ Dybantsa’s 29 points.
Games To Watch This Week
Wednesday
No. 15 St. John’s vs. No. 6 UConn
Thursday
No. 13 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Purdue
Friday
No. 21 Miami OH (28-0) vs. Western Michigan
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 10 Illinois
Saturday
No. 11 Virginia vs. No. 1 Duke
No. 14 Kansas vs. No. 2 Arizona
No. 16 Texas Tech vs. No. 4 Iowa State
No. 17 Alabama vs. No. 22 Tennessee
No. 20 Arkansas vs. No. 7 Florida
