Predicting Every One Seed This March Madness
This year’s college basketball season has shown us that anything can happen. We have seen SEC domination and high-flying freshmen, with Cooper Flagg leading Duke. March Madness is fast approaching, which means warm weather, green grass, and, most importantly, brackets. Here, I will discuss who I think will be the number-one seeds this year, so you know what teams to watch out for in March.
The top overall seed in the South region will be the Auburn Tigers. This should be no surprise, as Auburn has seemingly dominated everyone they have played against this year. They are fast, physical, and experienced, with most of their minutes coming from Seniors. It’s not a secret the SEC has been the best conference in College Basketball this year, as they are projected to get 13 teams in, according to Joe Lunardi; despite this, Auburn is undefeated in conference play, with their only loss being at Duke 84-78. Auburn has one of the best players in college basketball, Johni Broome, who seemingly fits the Auburn mold perfectly, standing at 6’10” and 240 pounds. Auburn has been dominant because of its depth and star-power punch, which is stronger than most. Bruce Pearl has put together an incredible team this year, and with their experience and tenacity, it’s hard to see anyone else taking the top spot.
The second number-one seed in the East region will be the Duke Blue Devils. In his third year as head coach, Jon Scheyer has fully taken control of the Duke program. Duke is currently 20-2, with both losses back in November. Since then, Duke has been playing arguably the best basketball in the country, with star Freshman Cooper Flagg steering the ship, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks per game. The ACC has been lackluster, to say the least, as Joe Lunardi currently has four ACC teams in the tournament. This means Duke could coast to a number-one seed, with their toughest matchup at the end of the year at North Carolina. Duke has taken a different approach than Auburn, primarily opting for younger players like Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, who have shown they fit right in on the big stage. Duke will undoubtedly be playing late into March and is the only team that could take that top spot from Auburn.
The third number-one seed in the Midwest region will be the Houston Cougars. Kelvin Sampson has created another powerhouse with this year's Houston team boasting the number-one scoring defense in the country, allowing a measly 56.9 points per game. The reason for Houston over several SEC teams, such as Alabama and Tennesee, is their schedules. Alabama and Tennesee have gauntlets left, while Houston has a much easier path to the one seed, with their most challenging game left being at 13-ranked Texas Tech. Houston is ranked number five and sits atop the BIG 12 with their only loss in overtime, 82-81, against Texas Tech. Another bonus Houston has moving forward is that most minutes come from returning players, which I believe will be a huge advantage as most teams don’t have this luxury. The strategy for a Kelvin Sampson team will be the same: play tough, hard-nosed, smart basketball, and dominate on the defensive end. Houston will again show why they deserve to be a number one seed in this year's tournament.
The last number-one seed in the West region will be the St. John’s Red Storm. This is not the reach you think it is, as St. John’s sits atop the Big East and has railed off nine consecutive wins. RJ Luis, Zuby Ejiofor, and Kadary Richmond have turned this St. John’s team into one of the most consistent teams in the country. With Rick Pitino at the helm, St. John’s has flipped a switch and began playing Pitino basketball. Solid defensively while taking care of the ball and dominating on the boards. The Red Storm are big, and they play to their strengths, they can compete physically with just about anyone on any given day. Even with their offensive struggles, at times, they have shown they are able to dominate games in several different facets, which is a common theme with teams doing well in March. St. John’s has a favorable schedule left, and Rick Pitino has shown that he still has the juice to take a team deep into the tournament.
Several teams will likely be fighting for the last two one-seeds, along with Auburn and Duke. It is my notion that the SEC is so dominant that they will end up beating themselves out of the one seeds, leaving the door open for teams like Houston and St. John’s. Coaching matters late into the season, and Kelvin Sampson and Rick Pitino have shown they can steer their teams in the right direction come this time of the season. Watch for Auburn and Duke to continue their dominant ways, along with Houston and St. John’s to keep their momentum, giving them a one-seed come March.
