After Wild Conference Tournaments, UCONN, North Carolina, Houston, and Purdue Earn #1 Seeds in NCAA Tournament
The defending national champion Connecticut Huskies (31-3) beat Marquette to win the Big East Conference Tournament and were awarded the top overall seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. UCONN is on top of the East Regional, and will play the East’s 16 seeded team, Stetson. The Hatters (yes, that’s what Stetson calls themselves) won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament and earned their first ever trip to the NCAA. They have quite a challenge in front of them. Marquette (25-9) is the #2 seed in the South Regional.
UCONN won the Big East regular season crown as well as the conference tournament, something the other three #1 seeds did not do. Houston (30-4) was awarded the #1 seed in the south. The Cougars were the Big 12 regular season champs but lost, and lost big, 69-41, to Iowa State in the tournament championship game. But the Cyclones (27-7) are no slouches and finished second in the regular season conference standings and earned the #2 seed in the East.
In the Midwest, Purdue (29-4) is the #1 seed. The regular season Big Ten champs, the Boilermakers lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament to Wisconsin. And in the West, North Carolina (27-7) won the regular season ACC crown, but lost to North Carolina State (22-14) in the ACC Finals. The Wolfpack had quite a run. They ended the regular season losing seven of nine, but won five in a row in the conference tournament to earn a shot in the Big Dance as the 11th seed in the South Regional.
Regular season conference champs losing in conference tournaments was quite a thing this year. Pac-12 champ Arizona (25-8) lost to Oregon (23-11) in the that conference’s tournament; the Wildcats are the #2 seed in the West and the Ducks are #11 in the Midwest. Tennessee (24-8), the SEC regular season champs, lost to Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. The Volunteers are the #2 seed in the Midwest, while the Bulldogs (21-13) are #8 in the West. Auburn (27-7) won the SEC Tournament and is the #4 seed in the East.
Besides UCONN, two other Final Four schools from last year’s tournament are in again this year. San Diego State (24-10), last year’s national runner up, beat the Mountain West Conference regular season champ Utah State in a semifinal of that conference’s tournament, but lost to New Mexico in the tournament final. The Aztecs return to the NCAAs as the #5 seed in the East, while Utah State (27-6) is the #8 seed in the Midwest. Tournament champ New Mexico (26-9) is #11 in the West. Florida Atlantic (25-8), who lost by one point to San Diego State in a national semifinal in 2023, is the eighth seed in the East. Last year’s other Final Four team, Miami, did not make this year’s field.
Finally, a shout out to Duquesne, winners of the Atlantic-10 tournament. The Dukes (24-11) are returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977, and are the #11 seed in the East.
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Somehow I feel that UConn will become repeat champions. Although I’m sure Purdue is thinking “no way.” We shall see.
UCONN is probably the favorite. The Huskies are playing very well at the right time. I’m not sure Purdue could win it all, despite having had an impressive season. Those around Zach Edey will have to play at a high level. Will losing to 16 seed Fairleigh Dickenson last year (when Purdue was also a one seed) motivate them this year as it did to Virginia after the Cavaliers lost to #16 Maryland-Baltimore County in 2018? Virginia won the championship in 2019.
Mark, I agree with your analysis. It will be interesting to see how this year’s tournament pans out. I do believe Purdue has a chip on its shoulder after the early defeat last year though.