2020 NCAA Tournament Bracketology: Contenders for No. 1 Seeds in the NCAA Tournament: As the end of the 2019-2020 College Basketball regular season approaches, the hype surrounding the NCAA Tournament begins to build. For teams from smaller conference and for major conference teams sitting on the bubble, the pressure in on just to make it into the Field of 68.
The top teams in the country don’t have to worry about punching their tickets to March Madness, but there is still plenty of pressure to win games and secure the best possible seed. For a few teams, a No. 1 seed is on the table. A couple of teams are clear frontrunners to be on the top lines when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed, but there are also a few teams still battling for one of the top spots.
Heading into the home stretch of the College Basketball season, let’s take a closer look at the teams that are still in the hunt to be No. 1 seeds in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.
2020 NCAA Tournament Bracketology: Contenders for No. 1 Seeds in the NCAA Tournament
Teams in the Hunt
San Diego State Aztecs (26-0, 15-0 MWC)
Let’s make one thing clear. If the Aztecs win out and enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated, they are going to be a No. 1 seed. Yes, a deeper dive shows some holes in their resume, including a Strength of Schedule ranked 111th, but the Aztecs ranked sixth in BPI and are third in Strength of Record, going 5-0 against quality opponents. San Diego State also looks the part, taking care of business on both ends of the court. The Aztecs are tied for third in the country in scoring defense, ranking seventh in field-goal percentage defense and 11-th in 3-point field-goal percentage defense. Led by guard Malachi Flynn, they are also an efficient offensive team, ranking in the top 20 in shooting percentage and in the top 10 in 3-point shooting. San Diego State shouldn’t lose before Selection Sunday, but while a few of the other top teams can survive a loss and still land a No. 1 seed, I think the Aztecs are one loss away from a No. 2 seed. There’s no margin for error here.
Duke Blue Devils (22-4, 12-3 ACC)
The Blue Devils were in a much better position to grab a No. 1 seed before getting blasted by N.C. State this week, but there is still hope. Duke is currently No. 1 in BPI, and they have wins over Kansas, Florida State and Michigan State. Yes, they have been inconsistent, but some of that can be attributed to being such a young team. What the Blue Devils lack in experience, they can overcome in star power. Duke ranks in the top five nationally in scoring, and between big man Vernon Carey Jr. and the dynamic backcourt of Tre Jones and Cassius Stanley, Mike Krzyzewski’s squad has multiple players who can take over games and hit big shots. If Duke gets hot and runs the table, winning the ACC Tournament in the process, this team is going to have a strong case for a top seed.
Maryland Terrapins (22-4, 12-3 Big Ten)
With their BPI sitting at 12th, the Terrapins probably need to win out and get a little help to claim a top seed. Still, they are getting hot at the right time, winning nine straight to take command of the Big Ten. Plus, Maryland does boast the fifth-best Strength of Record, and the Terrapins currently lead the country with 10 wins over quality opponents. With Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan still to come before the conference tournament even begins, Maryland will have plenty more chances to further beef up its resume.
The Terrapins don’t jump off the page in any particular statistical category, but they have a great inside-outside combo in guard Anthony Cowan Jr. and forward Jalen Smith. If Maryland doesn’t lose again before Selection Sunday, they will be waiting to steal a No. 1 seed if any of the frontrunners sputter to the finish line.
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