Zags, Wildcats, Jayhawks & Bears Are Top Seeds

March 14, 2022 3:59 am

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas and Baylor have drawn the top seeds for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.  The Zags top the West bracket and enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed for the fifth time.  The Wildcats are the top seed in the South Region, the seventh time at No.1 and the first since 2014.  Kansas is No. 1 in the Midwest, the Jayhawks’ 15th time atop a regional.  Defending national champion Baylor is a No. 1 seed for a second straight NCAA Tournament, although the Bears come off a loss in the Big 12 semifinals.  Duke is No. 2 in the West Region, followed by Texas Tech and Arkansas.  Villanova, Tennessee and Illinois fill out the top 4 seeds in the South.  Auburn, Wisconsin and Providence round out the top 4 in the Midwest.  Kentucky is No. 2 in the region, just ahead of Purdue and UCLA.  The Big Ten leads all conferences with nine teams in the tournament.  Texas A&M and Oklahoma are among the biggest snubs by the NCAA Tournament Committee.  The Aggies advanced to the SEC title game by upsetting Auburn and Arkansas, but a 1-8 stretch appears to have sealed their fate. Oklahoma put together a late five-game winning streak that included a win over Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals.