Feb 4, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) takes a shot over Oklahoma Sooners forward Jalon Moore (14) during the second half at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images The NCAA Tournament selection committee published its current top 16 seeds on Saturday, a now-annual tradition that gives fans a sense of where top teams stack up in committee members’ eyes.
They nailed down the most important items, like the four No. 1 seeds, but I have a few objections down the list. As you start getting pumped for bracket season, here’s what the selection committee got right and wrong Saturday:
Right: Auburn is the best team in the country
Auburn got the nod over rival Alabama and Duke for the No. 1 overall seed, and the Tigers proved their worthiness later in the afternoon with a 94-85 road win over the Crimson Tide in a top-two showdown.
That makes Auburn 14-2 against Quadrant 1 opponents, and the Tigers rank No. 1, 2, or 3 in the seven primary metrics on the committee’s team sheets. No need to overthink this; Bruce Pearl can peacock a little. Nobody wants to see Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara and company next month.
Right: Florida deserves a No. 1 seed
Jan 25, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) walks on the court after a call against the Georgia Bulldogs during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Per committee chair Bubba Cunningham, the only other team considered for a No. 1 seed was Tennessee. And this is where I have to retort.
Wrong: Sleeping on Houston
Kidding aside, I’d trust Houston more than a team like Tennessee, an apt comparison given both teams are defense-first. All the Cougars have done is win 17 of their past 18 games after a slow start (featuring losses to Auburn and Alabama), and a Saturday rally on the road against an ascending Arizona team was one of their best wins yet. Their predictive metrics (i.e., KenPom and BPI) are better than Tennessee’s, Texas A&M’s and Purdue’s, for the record.
Wrong: Kentucky is too high
Jan 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Ansley Almonor (15) celebrates with guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images The committee awarded Kentucky the 10th overall spot Saturday, translating to a solid No. 3 seed in the bracket. The Wildcats repaid their faith by… losing at Texas and dropping to 6-6 in the SEC. Yes, the SEC is a monster every night, etc., etc. But multiple teams deserve to be seeded higher than Kentucky right now: Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Arizona and possibly even St. John’s.
For reference, the committee’s top 16 as of Feb. 15:
1. Auburn
2. Alabama
3. Duke
4. Florida
5. Tennessee
6. Texas A&M
7. Purdue
8. Houston
9. Iowa State
10. Kentucky
11. Wisconsin
12. Arizona
13. Texas Tech
14. Michigan
15. Kansas
16. St. John’s
