Auburn University has maintained its position as the premier team in men’s college basketball, holding the top ranking in the AP poll for an entire month. The NCAA Tournament selection committee has also recognized the Tigers’ impressive performance, recently naming them the top overall seed in their preliminary rankings released over the weekend. The Southeast Conference (SEC) showed its strength as well, with Alabama and Florida each earning No. 1 regional seeds, thus highlighting the league’s dominance by placing five teams among the top six seeds overall.
In this context, Duke emerged as the sole exception to the SEC’s impressive showing, securing the third overall seed in the rankings. The Tigers have now been at the summit of the AP Top 25 for five consecutive weeks. In terms of advanced metrics, the team ranks highly, being first in KenPom, second in Bart Torvik’s assessments, and third according to Evan Miyakawa. With a strong record of 13 victories in Quadrant 1 games, Auburn’s postseason profile stands out from its competitors, as no other team has surpassed eight such wins.
“The consensus among the voters made it clear that they are our top choice,” remarked the committee’s chairman during the broadcast. This ranking has influenced the overall landscape of the bracket, with five teams being in contention for the top seeds. Tennessee was edged out, primarily due to Florida’s victory over Auburn, giving the Gators an advantage in the eyes of the selectors.
Coincidentally, the unveiling of the seeds occurred just a few hours before Auburn faced its in-state rival, Alabama, in a highly anticipated matchup between the top two ranked teams. Auburn emerged victorious with a score of 94-85.
The seeds were as follows: SEC member Texas A&M followed Tennessee as the overall sixth seed, while Purdue and Houston each took the second regional seed. Iowa State was positioned ninth overall, with Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Arizona being placed as regional third seeds. Rounding out the top 16 teams were Texas Tech, Michigan, preseason No. 1 Kansas, and St. John’s, all earning fourth seeds.
In terms of regional pathways, Auburn has capitalized on its position to claim a geographical advantage by leading the South bracket in Atlanta alongside Texas A&M, Wisconsin, and Texas Tech. Meanwhile, Alabama would be allocated to the Midwest bracket with a potential path through Indianapolis, placing Purdue, Iowa State, and Kansas in close proximity. The East bracket is headed by Duke, followed by Tennessee, Arizona, and St. John’s, which sets up a local advantage for the Red Storm in Newark, New Jersey. Florida, being the only top 16 seed west of Texas, claimed the top spot in the West bracket that runs through San Francisco, accompanied by Houston, Kentucky, and Michigan.
Cunningham mentioned that the committee made minor adjustments to ensure equitable bracket strength by alternating Michigan and St. John’s positions. The winners of each regional bracket will converge in San Antonio for the Final Four, with the national semifinals set for April 5 and the championship game two nights later.
Just outside the top 16, the committee pointed out Michigan State and Marquette, currently ranked 11th and 18th respectively, as teams still in contention for higher seeding. Among the top 16 seeds, a consensus of 11 teams coincided across various ranking systems, including the AP Top 25 and NCAA’s NET rankings, although discrepancies were observed with Kentucky, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas, and St. John’s. Texas A&M also presented a unique case, appearing 6th in overall seeding yet ranked lower across other assessments.
While Saturday’s rankings provide a single glance at the current standings, historical data suggests that teams above the cutline for top-four regional seeds in previous years tend to maintain their positions. Since the inaugural seed-reveal show in 2017, a majority of teams (83.9%) listed as top 16 seeds remained consistent through to the tournament. Additionally, 22 out of 28 teams that achieved a No. 1 seed eventually maintained that status.
In a lighter moment during the announcement, Cunningham humorously acknowledged his reluctance to praise rival Duke’s placement, which elicited laughter from those present.
