Well, our annual tradition of reseeding the field continues. This effort is both beloved and resented by fan bases around the country. But we’ll continue to do our best either way.
There are, per the norm, few major changes for most teams at this point. But some movement is necessary. Thanks, Princeton, Fairleigh Dickinson and Furman. Other seeds that might have seemed secure now warrant additional scrutiny based on what we’ve witnessed in recent days.
Yes, Houston‘s Jamal Shead (knee) and Marcus Sasser (groin) are both expected to play in the second round. But Sasser hasn’t finished a game in a week, and Kelvin Sampson said his entire team needs rest right now. If we can’t confirm Sasser can give 100 percent for the Cougars, it’s difficult to call this the same Houston team.
And our apologies to the Cinderellas. The big wins are often contrary to their respective bodies of work — FDU has losses to Hartford and Sacred Heart this season — not a sign that they were underrated entering the NCAA tournament.
It’s not an exact science. It’s just an attempt to make sense of the chaos we’ve witnessed over the past 24 hours.
Here is our reseeding of the second-round teams.
Jump to:
1-seeds | 2-seeds | 3-seeds | 4-seeds | 5-seeds| 6-seed | 7-seeds | 8-seeds
1-seeds
Alabama Crimson Tide
Original seed: No. 1 overall (South)
First-round result: Defeated Texas A&M Corpus Christi (No. 16), 96-75 (Thursday)
The cloud of controversy that surrounds Alabama will not disappear, regardless of the success it experiences. The lopsided 96-75 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the first round showcased the ceiling of the Crimson Tide, who were also given the gift of the Arizona Wildcats and Virginia Cavaliers being eliminated from the South region in a pair of upsets.
Alabama rolled into the second round despite SEC Player of the Year Brandon Miller failing to score and playing just 19 minutes because of a groin injury. If this becomes an ongoing concern, Alabama might not reach its ceiling. But if Miller is good to go, there’s a chance an Alabama team that scored 132 points per 100 possessions without his contribution could reach the Final Four with limited opposition.
Up next: vs. Maryland (Saturday, 9:40 p.m. ET, TBS)
Kansas Jayhawks
Original seed: No. 1 (West)
First-round result: Defeated Howard (No. 16), 96-68 (Thursday)
Bill Self missed his fourth consecutive game on Thursday; he also missed the entire Big 12 tournament after he was hospitalized and stents…
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