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This year’s Selection Sunday was anything but dull.
North Carolina just managed to secure a place in March Madness, prompting the athletic director, Bubba Cunningham, to clarify that as chair of the selection committee, he had no influence over the decision-making regarding his own school.
Texas also squeaked into the tournament, contributing to a record 14 teams from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) being included, with Auburn earning the overall top seed. Surprisingly, the Tigers were ranked higher than Duke despite losing three of their last four games.
For Rick Pitino, who has revitalized St. John’s, the tournament offers a poetic return to Providence, where he first experienced a Final Four. There, he could potentially face off against Arkansas’ John Calipari in a compelling second-round matchup.
“There were,” Cunningham noted, “a number of challenges” in assembling the bracket, which fans hope will translate into exhilarating games just as the selection show did.
Auburn, despite recent struggles, managed to secure the top seed, partly due to its challenging schedule, recognized as the second toughest nationally. “We’ve got to get our mojo back a little bit,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. Meanwhile, Duke’s Jon Scheyer expressed optimism about star player Cooper Flagg’s potential return from injury for their opening match this Friday. “It’s full steam ahead,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of getting Flagg back on the court as soon as possible.
Florida, another No. 1 seed after claiming the SEC championship with an impressive victory margin, is currently the favorite to win the tournament at the upcoming Final Four in San Antonio, as stated by BetMGM Sportsbook.
The committee’s choice to prioritize Auburn over Duke also reflected the SEC’s successful season, which saw a high non-conference win rate of 88%. Cunningham explained that such performance was a critical factor in their selection process.
Houston completes the trio of top seeds and may face Gonzaga, marking its 26th consecutive tournament appearance, in the second round.
In a different year, Texas’s inclusion despite 15 losses would have sparked more debate, but this time, North Carolina’s spot drew the most scrutiny. CBS analyst Seth Davis raised questions about whether North Carolina received preferential treatment due to the presence of its AD on the selection committee.
Gill, the committee’s vice-chair, defended the integrity of the selection process, confirming that Cunningham did not vote on his own team. He added that Carolina was awarded the last spot based not on its weak record against elite competition but on its strong performance against mid-tier teams, which included a perfect 8-0 record in that category.
Both North Carolina (against San Diego State) and Texas (against Xavier) will participate in the First Four, which begins Tuesday. The main tournament kicks off on Thursday and Friday with a loaded schedule across eight sites nationwide.
Notable exclusions from the tournament included bubbles teams such as West Virginia, Indiana, and Boise State.
Pitino looks to make history as he leads St. John’s into the tournament—this being his sixth program at this level. His journey begins in Providence, where he once led a surprising team to the Final Four in 1987. Should he advance past Omaha, a showdown with Calipari’s Arkansas looms, promising to be a significant encounter between two legendary coaches. Calipari will begin his Providence journey against seventh-seeded Kansas, coached by Bill Self.
Another coaching veteran, Tom Izzo, guides Michigan State into its 27th consecutive tournament appearance, seeded second and set to play the America East champion, Bryant, in the opening round.
The UConn team, attempting a three-peat—the first since the 1970s—faces a tough challenge as an eighth seed, potentially meeting Florida in the second round. In the South region, Iowa State earned a 3-seed, yet Coach T.J. Otzelberger announced that key player Keshon Gilbert will not play, as he continues rehabilitation after missing the Big 12 Tournament due to injury.
The tournament bracket features several intriguing dynamics around the SEC: three potential second-round matchups between SEC teams, which the selection committee usually avoids, but is now a natural outcome of having so many teams represented. The SEC, along with the Big Ten and the Big 12, accounted for a substantial portion of the tournament spots, raising ongoing discussions about the necessity of expanding the tournament to include even more prominent teams. Interestingly, had the tournament involved 76 teams, the likes of West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio State would have qualified, according to the committee’s analysis of the “first teams out.” As the SEC solidifies its reputation as a powerhouse in collegiate basketball, the question remains whether it can secure its first national championship since 2012, when Kentucky took home the trophy.
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