The No. 1 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has been revealed, and Auburn takes the top spot. The committee chair, North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham, stated that Auburn was the unanimous choice for the top seed.
Despite a recent loss to Florida at home, Auburn remains the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll for the fifth straight week. The Tigers boast 13 Quadrant 1 wins, more than any other team in the country. They also rank well across five of seven metrics considered by the committee.
Alabama takes the No. 2 seed, with Duke and Florida securing the final two 1-seeds. Five teams were initially debated for the top four spots, but Florida’s win over Auburn earned them the last 1-seed. Texas A&M earns the No. 6 overall seed, while five of the top six teams are from the SEC.
Cunningham noted that the strong performance of Southeastern Conference teams is reflected in this year’s top 16 reveal. The league’s representation in the tournament is expected to be historic, with five of the top six teams coming from one conference. This rarity has made the selection process more challenging, but also more valuable for new committee members.
The top four seeds from last year’s mock bracket were all confirmed this year, and three out of four 1-seeds remained in the same position after the first round. The full top 16 will be revealed on Selection Sunday, March 16.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/43860113/auburn-alabama-duke-florida-top-seeds-bracket-peek