What NCAA Tournament Selection Committee Got Right, Wrong In Mock Bracket Reveal | Deadspin.com

Good morning, sports activities followers. We’re formally 4 weeks away from Selection Sunday. Are you able to scent March within the air?

The NCAA Tournament choice committee printed its present prime 16 seeds on Saturday, a now-annual custom that offers followers a way of the place prime groups stack up in committee members’ eyes.

They nailed down an important gadgets, just like the 4 No. 1 seeds, however I’ve a couple of objections down the listing. As you begin getting pumped for bracket season, right here’s what the choice committee acquired proper and incorrect Saturday: 

Proper: Auburn is the most effective staff within the nation

Auburn acquired the nod over rival Alabama and Duke for the No. 1 general seed, and the Tigers proved their worthiness later within the afternoon with a 94-85 street win over the Crimson Tide in a top-two showdown.

That makes Auburn 14-2 in opposition to Quadrant 1 opponents, and the Tigers rank No. 1, 2, or 3 within the seven main metrics on the committee’s staff sheets. No must overthink this; Bruce Pearl can peacock a little bit. No one desires to see Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and firm subsequent month.

Proper: Florida deserves a No. 1 seed

Becoming a member of Auburn, Alabama and Duke on the No. 1 strains was Florida, and I believe that’s the best name. The Gators are one of many two groups to beat Auburn, and none of their three defeats are that regarding—they could have misplaced to Tennessee by 20, however they beat the Vols by 30 a month prior.

Per committee chair Bubba Cunningham, the one different staff thought of for a No. 1 seed was Tennessee. And that is the place I’ve to retort.

Wrong: Sleeping on Houston

Tennessee, Texas A&M and Purdue held down the fifth by way of seventh spots general earlier than the committee acquired to Houston for the final of the No. 2 seeds. Possibly it is a contact of Houston fatigue after the Cougars earned No. 1 seeds every of the previous two years and misplaced within the Candy 16 each instances?

Kidding apart, I’d belief Houston greater than a staff like Tennessee, an apt comparability given each groups are defense-first. All of the Cougars have performed is win 17 of their previous 18 video games after a gradual begin (that includes losses to Auburn and Alabama), and a Saturday rally on the street in opposition to an ascending Arizona staff was one in all their finest wins but. Their predictive metrics (i.e., KenPom and BPI) are higher than Tennessee’s, Texas A&M’s and Purdue’s, for the document.

Wrong: Kentucky is simply too excessive

We had been all ingesting the Kentucky blue Kool-Help a bit too rapidly after the Wildcats’ sizzling begin beneath Mark Pope, and I completely depend myself in that class. The offense could be tremendous enjoyable, however there are too many nights after they simply don’t defend.

The committee awarded Kentucky the tenth general spot Saturday, translating to a stable No. 3 seed within the bracket. The Wildcats repaid their religion by… dropping at Texas and dropping to 6-6 within the SEC. Sure, the SEC is a monster each night time, and so on., and so on. However a number of groups should be seeded increased than Kentucky proper now: Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Arizona and presumably even St. John’s.

For reference, the committee’s prime 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