2015 Bracketology Picks and Predictions: Projected No. 1 Seeds for the NCAA Tournament

2015 Bracketology Picks and Predictions: Projected No. 1 Seeds for the NCAA Tournament: The 2015 NCAA tournament is fast approaching, and as the regular season comes to a close, it is time to take a closer look at the teams in the mix for the all-important No. 1 seeds. A top seed not only means easier matchups in the early rounds, but is can also mean playing close to home. Needless to say, securing a No. 1 seed can be a major advantage for a team when March Madness begins. Nothing is set in stone just yet, but with conference tournaments about to begin, here is a closer look at the teams with a legit chance of landing a No. 1 seed in the 2015 NCAA tournament.

2015 NCAA Tournament Picks and Predictions: The Favorites

After starting the year 30-0 with wins over the likes of Kansas, Louisville and North Carolina, the Kentucky Wildcats could likely lose their regular season finale and lose in the first round of the SEC tournament and still grab a No. 1 seed. In other words, the Wildcats are basically a lock to grab a No. 1 seed. Kentucky’s offense can actually look shaky at times, but the Wildcats’ record-setting defense allows them to win games against quality opponents even when shots aren’t falling.

They have already wrapped up a the ACC regular-season title, and while the Virginia Cavaliers can’t afford to drop back-to-back games heading into the NCAA tournament if they want to ensure themselves a top seed, a win in their final regular season game or a deep run in the conference tournament would seal the deal. Sitting at 28-1 and ranked third in RPI with a stingy defense and an improved offense, the Cavaliers are in great positions to grab a No. 1 seed.

After back-to-back surprising losses early in conference play, the Duke Blue Devils have been on a roll. They head into the regular-season finale with a 27-3 record and ranked fifth in RPI, and they also have a 5-1 record against the RIP top 25. As long as the Blue Devils avoid an early exit in the ACC tournament, their quality wins and overall record should ensure them a No. 1 seed.

2015 NCAA Tournament Picks and Predictions: The Contenders

It seems like the Villanova Wildcats have been flying under the radar, but they are 28-2 overall and sit fourth in the RPI ranks. More importantly, Villanova is an impressive 10-1 against opponents ranked in the top 50 of the RPI. With the Big East not packing quite the punch that it used to, a quick out in the conference tournament would be bad news for Villanova. However, they will likely land a No. 1 seed if they run the table heading into the NCAA tournament.

The good news for the Arizona Wildcats is that they don’t have a bad loss on their resume. In fact, they have lost all three games on the road by a combined nine points. On the flip side, their strength of schedule is the worst among the legit contenders for a No. 1 seed. Still, Arizona is 27-3 overall and sit seventh in the RPI with a deep roster that can beat opponents on both ends of the court. If Arizona wins out and another top team slips up, a No. 1 seed is a real possibility.

Thanks to a 27-3 record, the 20th-best strength of schedule and the sixth-best RPI, the Wisconsin Badgers are certainly in the running for a No. 1 seed. However, they have had few opportunities for statement wins and are just 2-2 against the RPI top 25, including a loss to Duke. Running the table is a must for the Badgers, and even then, they are going to have a tough time jumping the other frontrunners that have more big wins unless those teams slip up.