March Insanity 2023: Choice Sunday’s 4 largest questions
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The very best Sunday of the 12 months is upon us, however earlier than this 12 months’s subject of 68 begins to be introduced at 6 p.m., let’s have a look at the 4 largest questions heading into the 2023 bracket reveal.
1. Who would be the fourth No. 1 seed?
Earlier than Sunday’s convention match championship video games tip-off, it will seem as if three groups — Houston, Kansas and Alabama — are already locked into No. 1 seeds. Predicting the fourth crew to grace the highest line will get a bit trickier, however there seem like three major candidates:
Purdue
No matter what occurs within the Boilermakers’ Large Ten championship recreation in opposition to Penn State, Matt Painter’s crew would appear to be the one more than likely to seize the ultimate prime seed. Purdue is 10-4 in Quad 1 video games, 8-1 in Quad 2 video games, and has no actual obtrusive losses on its resume.
UCLA
The Bruins might have helped their case with a win over Arizona within the Pac-12 title recreation Saturday night time, however Dylan Andrews’ potential game-winner on the buzzer discovered nothing however iron. UCLA is 8-5 in Quad 1 alternatives and has zero losses in any non-Quad 1 contest. It should even be fascinating to see if the Committee considers the accidents to Jaylen Clark, who’s out for the match after struggling an Achilles harm final weekend, and massive man Adem Bona, who harm his shoulder within the Pac-12 semifinals in opposition to Oregon and didn’t play within the championship recreation.
Texas
The Longhorns would appear to be the longest shot of the three. That stated, their 14 Quadrant 1 victories are the second most within the nation, trailing solely Kansas. Additionally they simply blasted the Jayhawks by 20 to win the Large 12 match title. What hurts UT is its eight whole losses, which might be probably the most of any crew ever to earn a No. 1 seed on Choice Sunday.
2. Who would be the total No. 1 seed?
The query of which crew would be the first to listen to its identify referred to as throughout Sunday’s Choice Present is way murkier than it has been in most years previous. Alabama, Kansas and Houston all have legitimate circumstances, and the Crimson Tide and Cougars will each have alternatives so as to add to their circumstances of their respective title video games on Sunday.
Maybe the 2 members of the trio that don’t earn the No. 1 total distinction ought to take into account themselves a bit relieved.
The NCAA match choice committee started designating a No. 1 total seed in 2004. Since then, that crew has gone on to win the nationwide championship simply 3 times — Florida in 2007, Kentucky in 2012, and Louisville in 2013.
It’s not precisely information that the perfect crew doesn’t all the time win this factor, however it’s a bit jarring to see simply how not often the crew most individuals imagine to be the perfect going into the match truly winds up slicing down the nets.
Gonzaga has worn the pre-tournament crown every of the final two years, falling to Baylor within the 2021 title recreation and being upset by Arkansas within the Candy 16 final March.
3. What does the Committee do with the ACC?
On paper the ACC has by no means been weaker. In line with just about each metric in existence, the league isn’t simply the weakest of the so-called “Energy 6” this season, it isn’t even in the highest six, ranking simply behind the Mountain West in the meanwhile.
After all, the narrative across the convention this time 12 months in the past was comparable, and the league wound up producing three Elite Eight groups, a pair of Last 4 squads, and the nationwide runner-up in North Carolina.
Three ACC groups seem like safely within the subject of 68 — Duke, Virginia and Miami. 4 others — NC State, Pittsburgh, Clemson and North Carolina are all squarely on the bubble (though the Tar Heels seem like the least prone to hear their identify referred to as Sunday night).
Do two ACC groups get despatched to Dayton? Do solely 4 groups make the sector in any respect? Does Duke earn a top-four seed by advantage of their play over the past month?
What the Committee does with groups from a convention that has traditionally been terrific on this match however seems to be as down because it’s ever been this season can be fascinating.
4. Whose season acquired saved by Florida Atlantic?
The final of the so-called potential “bid thieves” bit the mud on Saturday when UAB was soundly defeated by a Florida Atlantic crew that will have made the Large Dance no matter how they fared within the Convention USA match.
So now we all know that the final crew within the subject of 68 on Sunday will owe its spot to the Owls. Who must be sending Dusty Could some flowers on Monday morning? Pitt? Rutgers? NC State? Arizona State? Vanderbilt?
Whoever it winds up being wouldn’t be heading to Dayton if not for FAU.
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