Feb 4, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) takes a shot over Oklahoma Sooners forward Jalon Moore (14) during the second half at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images Good morning, sports fans. We are officially four weeks away from Selection Sunday. Can you smell March in the air?
The NCAA Tournament selection committee published its current top 16 seeds on Saturday, a now-annual tradition that gives fans a sense of where top teams stack up in committee members’ eyes.
They nailed down the most important items, like the four No. 1 seeds, but I have a few objections down the list. As you start getting pumped for bracket season, here’s what the selection committee got right and wrong Saturday:
Right: Auburn is the best team in the country
Auburn got the nod over rival Alabama and Duke for the No. 1 overall seed, and the Tigers proved their worthiness later in the afternoon with a 94-85 road win over the Crimson Tide in a top-two showdown.
That makes Auburn 14-2 against Quadrant 1 opponents, and the Tigers rank No. 1, 2, or 3 in the seven primary metrics on the committee’s team sheets. No need to overthink this; Bruce Pearl can peacock a little. Nobody wants to see Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and company next month.
Right: Florida deserves a No. 1 seed
Jan 25, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) walks on the court after a call against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Joining Auburn, Alabama and Duke on the No. 1 lines was Florida, and I think that’s the right call. The Gators are one of the two teams to beat Auburn, and none of their three defeats are that concerning—they may have lost to Tennessee by 20, but they beat the Vols by 30 a month prior.
Per committee chair Bubba Cunningham, the only other team considered for a No. 1 seed was Tennessee. And this is where I have to retort.
Wrong: Sleeping on Houston
Jan 15, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars forward J’Wan Roberts (13) dribbles against West Virginia Mountaineers forward Amani Hansberry (13) in the first half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Tennessee, Texas A&M and Purdue held down the fifth through seventh spots overall before the committee got to Houston for the last of the No. 2 seeds. Maybe this is a touch of Houston fatigue after the Cougars earned No. 1 seeds each of the past two years and lost in the Sweet 16 both times?
Kidding aside, I’d trust Houston more than a team like Tennessee, an apt comparison given both teams are defense-first. All the Cougars have done is win 17 of their past 18 games after a slow start (featuring losses to Auburn and Alabama), and a Saturday rally on the road against an ascending Arizona team was one of their best wins yet. Their predictive metrics (i.e., KenPom and BPI) are better than Tennessee’s, Texas A&M’s and Purdue’s, for the record.
Wrong: Kentucky is too high
Jan 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Ansley Almonor (15) celebrates with guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images We were all drinking the Kentucky blue Kool-Aid a bit too quickly after the Wildcats’ hot start under Mark Pope, and I absolutely count myself in that category. The offense can be super fun, but there are too many nights when they just don’t defend.
The committee awarded Kentucky the 10th overall spot Saturday, translating to a solid No. 3 seed in the bracket. The Wildcats repaid their faith by… losing at Texas and dropping to 6-6 in the SEC. Yes, the SEC is a monster every night, etc., etc. But multiple teams deserve to be seeded higher than Kentucky right now: Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Arizona and possibly even St. John’s.
For reference, the committee’s top 16 as of Feb. 15:
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Duke
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Texas A&M
7. Purdue
8. Houston
9. Iowa State
10. Kentucky
11. Wisconsin
12. Arizona
13. Texas Tech
14. Michigan
15. Kansas
16. St. John’s
