Even before the unveiling of the brackets on Sunday, March Madness appeared to be in disarray. About the sole semblance of certainty: UConn.
The reigning champion Huskies secured the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, alongside Houston, Purdue, and North Carolina as No. 1 seeds in a bracket that began to unravel even before the matchups were revealed on Sunday evening.
Among these top-tier teams, only UConn enters the tournament fresh off a victory. The others suffered defeats in their conference tournaments, yet those weren’t the only unexpected twists during the final weekend of basketball before the sport’s pinnacle event took center stage.
Surprise champions propelled teams like Oregon, North Carolina State, and even Duquesne — none of whom were anticipated to make the tournament — into the field of 68 through the automatic bids awarded to conference champions. The teams they defeated claimed several of the 34 at-large bids, thus reducing the available spots for teams hovering on the bubble.
“It was one of the most challenging processes I’ve been involved in,” remarked Charles McClelland, the selection committee chairman, about the exhaustive process that kept everyone engaged until the early hours of the morning.
“I spoke with some of the staff who’ve been in that room for the past 20 years, and they mentioned that this is probably the most arduous selection process they’ve experienced.”
The complexity was evident in a bracket that featured its fair share of surprises:
— Two of the last four teams to make it — Boise State and Colorado State — were not even considered bubble teams by most bracketologists.
“I must admit, a bit surprised,” commented Boise State coach Leon Rice regarding his team’s No. 10 seed.
— Some notable omissions — such as St. John’s and Oklahoma — were believed to be securely in the tournament field as late as Saturday. St. John’s opted not to participate in the NIT altogether.
“How is St. John’s so far from the cutline?” questioned UConn coach Dan Hurley, who was taken aback by the inclusion of only three Big East teams.
— Florida Atlantic and Texas A&M, initially seen as bubble teams, ended up with the 8 and 9 seeds, respectively.
All of these developments could fuel the ongoing discussion about expanding the bracket to 76, perhaps even 80 teams. Under such a scenario, bubble teams like Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, and even Indiana State would almost certainly secure berths.
The tournament kicks off on Tuesday with two First Four games, including a showdown between Virginia and Colorado State. The first round features 32 games, taking place on Thursday and Friday. The Final Four is scheduled for April 6-8 in Glendale, Arizona.
