2017 March Madness Bracket Picks & Predictions: No. 1 Seed in the Most Danger

2017 March Madness Bracket Picks & Predictions: No. 1 Seed in the Most Danger: While anything can happen during March Madness, the fact remains that the No. 1 seed has never lost in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament. The smart money is on that undefeated streak continuing in 2017, but after the Round of 64, things can start to get crazy. In fact, the odds of all four No. 1 seeds reaching the Final Four are almost as slim as the Round of 64 upset. In many cases, it’s not necessarily the weakest No. 1 seed that makes an early exit but rather the No. 1 seed that faces the toughest path to the Final. With that in mind, I’ve looked at all four regions of the NCAA Tournament Bracket and ranked the No. 1 seeds from most likely to lose to the most likely to make a deep run.

2017 March Madness Bracket Picks & Predictions: No. 1 Seed in the Most Danger

1. Kansas Jayhawks (Midwest Region)

Kansas is a very talented team that has proven itself in big matchups all year. On the flip side, the Jayhawks have made a habit of playing in close games, even against teams they should beat easily. It came back to bite them in a loss to TCU in the Big 12 tournament, and there are no second chances in the NCAA Tournament. Perhaps more concerning is a potential Round of 32 meeting with Michigan State. I know the Spartans have had a down year, but I don’t think any team is excited about playing a Tom Izzo-coached team in March. The Sweet 16 could bring a matchup with an Iowa State team that has already beaten the Jayhawks, and Louisville, Oregon and a red hot Michigan team are all lurking in the bottom half of the region. The Midwest Region is deep, and the Jayhawks will have their work cut out for them.

2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (West Region) 

I am believer in Gonzaga, and I think they have the pieces in place to make a Final Four run. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I feel the West Region grades out as one of the tougher regions. The biggest issue is the drastically different styles of play of some of the teams. In the Sweet 16, the Bulldogs could end up facing a Notre Dame team that bombs 3-pointers early and often or a West Virginia team that presses like crazy. After the opening weekend, there probably won’t be any friendly matchups waiting for Gonzaga.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels (South Region)

North Carolina has had a nasty habit of playing down to its competition, but these Tar Heels are every bit as talented as the group that went to national title game last season. They are loaded with weapons on offense, and looking at the potential early matchups, I don’t really see any teams that can keep pace. Fourth-seeded Butler and fifth-seeded Minnesota don’t worry me as Sweet 16 opponents, so the Tar Heels should make it to the Elite Eight. At that point, UCLA or Kentucky could be lurking.

4. Villanova Wildcats (East Region)

The Wildcats earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they were rewarded with a very manageable region. Looking at their region, Villanova should have an easy path to the Elite Eight. Not only are they one of the most experienced teams in the entire tournament, but they have a go-to clutch scorer in Josh Hart and simply have too much balance on both ends of the court for a majority of the teams in this region. Duke could pose a tough matchup in the regional final, but until that point, the Wildcats should in good shape.

You can get expert 2017 March Madness picks and 2017 March Madness predictions this month from NSAwins.com’s top handicappers plus a pre-filled downloadable and printable 2017 March Madness Bracket to help you win your office pool!