Breaking down all angles, storylines heading into…
It’s that magical time of the 12 months again.
Soon, there will probably be an NCAA Tournament bracket. Sixty-eight groups sharing the same dream: To cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
Before the pairings are announced Sunday evening, The Post’s Zach Braziller will get you prepared for Selection Sunday below:
Cameron Boozer (middle) was named the MVP of the ACC Tournament after Duke’s title-clinching win over Virginia on March 14, 2026. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The No. 1s
The top seeds are the best half of projecting the draw. Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida needs to be fairly secure bets to land No. 1 seeds. They have been atop nearly every bracketologists’ seed listing for fairly some time.
It was only just lately that Florida jumped Connecticut for the ultimate No. 1, after the Huskies misplaced at home to Big East also-ran Creighton, then dropped another sport to under-.500 Marquette.
The Gators, meanwhile, have received 17 of 19 video games in a far superior convention.
While UConn did beat Florida head-to-head in early December, the Gators have been the more constant workforce over the last two-plus months against better competitors, and both groups misplaced in lopsided fashion on Saturday. Florida also has 5 more Quad 1 wins, the very best caliber of victory based on NET scores — the sorting instrument the choice committee makes use of to consider groups.
As for the general No. 1 seed, Duke has the best case.
Florida head coach Todd Golden AP
The Blue Devils are a mixed 23-2 in Quad 1 and 2 video games, and have victories over Michigan and Florida. I don’t suppose the season-ending loss of place to begin guard Caleb Foster will probably be held against them, because Duke still received the ACC Tournament without him, and it’s anticipated to get back middle Patrick Ngongba II for the NCAA Tournament.
Bubble breakdown
Could the choice committee actually go on a workforce that went undefeated during the common season? Most specialists imagine Miami (Ohio) is secure despite dropping in the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals. It’s no lock, however. The RedHawks’ strength of schedule is extremely weak, ranked 269th according to Ken Pomeroy. Of their 28 Division I wins, 15 are of the Quad 4 selection.
The MAC program is only one-half of the most intriguing side of Sunday evening’s reveal. The other half is Auburn.
The Tigers are the polar reverse of Miami. They performed the nation’s third-toughest schedule. They have wins over the SEC (Florida) and Big East (St. John’s) regular-season champions. But Auburn also has a whopping 16 losses. No workforce has ever acquired an at-large with that many defeats.
Adding to the drama, former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl will probably be half of the CBS choice show. Pearl retired in September, and helped his son, Steven, land the job — the first head teaching place of his profession.
Other groups on the cut-line, like Oklahoma and Texas of the SEC, SMU of the ACC, VCU of the Atlantic 10 and San Diego State of the Mountain West, have to be cautious of a bid-stealer — a workforce that wouldn’t be headed to the dance unless it wins its convention event. The Atlantic 10 (Dayton) might shrink the bubble by one.
Local panorama
Three groups are going dancing: Big East common season and event champion St. John’s, CAA Tournament champion Hofstra and Northeast Conference common season and postseason champion LIU.
Let’s start with the Johnnies. After Saturday’s rout of Connecticut in the Big East Tournament last, they’ve a case for a four-seed with a gaudy 28-6 report and two wins over the Huskies. Only 4 Quad 1 wins is considerably of a hindrance, but they definitely appear like a workforce deserving of being a No. 4, particularly with top-15 résumé metrics.
Hofstra, getting ready to play its first event sport since 2001, might wind up as high as a No. 12 seed. A NET rating of 88 is helpful, as are highway wins over Syracuse and Pittsburgh of the ACC.
Most considerably, regular-season mid-major champions like Belmont and Stephen F. Austin dropping in their convention event might elevate the Pride into the aforementioned seed. It would also help Hofstra if Yale of the Ivy League drops its title sport Sunday.
LIU rounds out the trio. The NEC consultant nearly always will get despatched to Dayton for the First Four. That has occurred in each of the last 12 tournaments. Could the Sharks buck that development and keep away from the play-in spherical? The faculty’s 24 wins, its most since the 2011-12 marketing campaign, are important.
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