Jorgensen: We're number one

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Does it matter who will be No. 1 seeds in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?

To one team, it matters if they want to survive the first round — Kansas.

Here’s why — Kansas needs a win in the first round, and a No. 1 seed is as close to a sure win.

But who will be those top seeds? The teams that everyone assumed would be slated for the top spots have faltered late — those teams being Wisconsin, North Carolina and Florida.

Kansas will be a No. 1 seed.

After escaping Norman, Okla., with a victory, the Jayhawks will bounce back and defeat Texas like they should. From there, all they have to do is not get blown out in the Big 12 tournament and they’ll be a No. 1 in the NCAA tournament.

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After escaping Norman, Okla., with a victory, the Jayhawks will bounce back and defeat Texas like they should.

Kansas is the only team that needs to be a top seed.

The first round of the NCAA tourney has a stigma attached to it lately for the Jayhawks. If they make it out of the first round, they’ll relax and blow through the field.

For everyone else, the No. 1 seed can be a curse. It paints a giant red bull’s-eye on the team and a No. 2 seed can ease the pressure a bit, but a loss would still warrant a giant upset.

Here are the other teams that will be No. 1 seeds come tournament time: UCLA, Ohio State and North Carolina.

North Carolina has had its late season flops, but it will win out the regular season and the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. That run, doubled with the selection committee’s love for North Carolina, will equal a Tar Heel No. 1 seed.

Before last night I had Florida as a No. 1 seed, but thanks to Tennessee that idea got shot down. Although I think UCLA is going to lose to Washington State this week, the Bruins will have a better record than the Gators going into the postseason tournament. As long as UCLA equals Florida’s finish in their respective conference tournaments, UCLA will take the No. 1 seed. Ohio State is set as a No. 1 seed, although they’re probably the worst of the four. They only have one game left at Michigan, who is terrible. The Buckeyes will likely meet the Badgers in the Big Ten tournament championship, in which the winner will be the last No. 1 in this year’s field. Barring a Wisconsin three-point shooting extravaganza, Ohio State will win.

Although the Buckeyes are the only lock for the premier seed, they’ll be the first one to lose in the NCAA tournament. They’re young, and definitely not experienced in March. They’ll make it out of the first round, but any farther will be hard. A hot shooting team in the second round or Sweet Sixteen will inevitably beat the Buckeyes. The other three will all make deep tournament runs.

How about that for Bracketology? Eat your heart out Joe Lunardi.

Jorgensen is a Baldwin senior in journalism.

— Edited by James Pinick

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