Gonzaga, Auburn, Arizona and Kansas garner top seeds in NCAA's top-16 reveal for March Madness
Three weeks out from Selection Sunday, the NCAA men’s basketball selection committee has unveiled its top 16 seeds for the 2021-22 season.
Gonzaga, Auburn, Arizona and Kansas garnered the No. 1 seeds based on their overall credentials. "Certainly a high-quality No. 1 seed line," NCAA selection committee chairman Tom Burnett said on a live CBS broadcast.
Among the top 16 projected seeds, the committee illustrated how much it values Quadrant 1 (top-25 home, top-75 road) victories. Baylor (the top No. 2 seed) has nine Q1 wins on its résumé and beat out other trailing No. 2s Kentucky, Purdue and Duke.
"The committee felt very confident with Baylor at the No. 5 spot," Burnett said. "Baylor and Kentucky were really close to Kansas at the No. 1 line."
The NCAA appeared to rely less on its NET rating, which was developed as a metric to track strength of schedule and overall credentials. Houston (No. 4 in the NET) was left off the top 16, whereas Providence (No. 29 in the NET) was included. "It's not the end-all, be-all," Burnett said of the NET. "We look at it as the first step."
Ohio State and Alabama were among the notable snubs on the NCAA's list. A look at the top 16 seeds and analysis of their respective profiles:
No. 1 seeds
1. Gonzaga. The Bulldogs (22-2) have six Q1 wins and have the country's top NET score. In an improved West Coast Conference, the 'Zags continue to dominate the mid-major league.
2. Auburn. The SEC-leading Tigers (24-2) have seven Q1 wins, including victories over Kentucky and Alabama.
3. Arizona. The Wildcats (23-2) are out front in the Pac-12 with five Q1 wins and the second best NET score in the country.
4. Kansas. The Jayhawks (21-4) sport a nation-leading nine Q1 wins on their profile, largely as a result of playing in the toughest conference in the country based on league NET rankings.
No. 2 seeds
5. Baylor. The Bears (21-5) have a country-leading nine Q1 wins, benefitting from Big 12 play and solid non-conference victories (i.e. Villanova).
6. Kentucky. The Wildcats (21-5) have too many losses to keep them out of top seed consideration for now, but this profile has excellent wins, including one over Kansas. UK also has the third best NET score working in its favor.
7. Purdue. The Boilermakers (23-4) have eight Q1 wins, thanks to playing in the second toughest league in the country – the Big Ten.
8. Duke. The Blue Devils (22-4) have Q1 wins over Gonzaga and Kentucky from the non-conference slate that will go a long way in the eyes of the committee.
No. 3 seeds
9. Villanova. The Wildcats (20-6) have six Q1 wins and a top-five NET score and an excellent road record.
10. Texas Tech. The Red Raiders (20-6) have been impressive in Big 12 play, beating Kansas, Baylor twice and Texas.
11. Tennessee. The Volunteers (19-6) have five Q1 wins, including victories over Kentucky and Arizona.
12. Illinois. The Fighting Illini (18-7) beat out fellow Big Ten foe Wisconsin, with the committee considering injuries as a part of this selection.
No. 4 seeds
13. Wisconsin. The Badgers (20-5) have eight Q1 wins on the résumé but have a No. 20 NET score.
14. UCLA. The Bruins (18-5) are an impressive 6-3 road record plus home wins over Villanova and Arizona.
15. Providence. The Friars (21-3) have the lowest NET score (29) on this list but are 6-1 in Q1 wins.
16. Texas. The Longhorns (19-7) have quality wins over Kansas and Tennessee to beat out other top four seed candidates like Ohio State, Alabama and Houston.
Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.