March Madness prep: The 10 biggest questions to be answered before Selection Sunday

[ad_1]

The men’s college basketball season tipped off three and a half months ago with Dan Hurley grumbling about two-time reigning champ UConn only being ranked No. 3.

A lot has changed since then.

The Huskies have tumbled out of the AP Top 25. So have Gonzaga and North Carolina. Preseason national title favorite Kansas is in jeopardy of joining them.

A team that starts four Division II transfers is 23-3. A team that starts two projected top-five NBA draft picks is sub-.500. Not every top-10 team is from the suddenly dominant SEC, but sometimes it feels that way.

In just under a month, we’ll be spending too much time poring over a fresh bracket, trying to figure out which double-digit seed is poised for a deep run and which perennial power is headed for an early exit. Here are the 10 biggest questions to be answered between now and Selection Sunday:

1. Who is the favorite to win the national title?

A handful of teams have established themselves as contenders, but right now Auburn has by far the nation’s best resume. The Tigers (23-2, 11-1) are alone in first place in a historically strong SEC after defeating the likes of Houston, Iowa State, Purdue and Memphis in non-league play. They’re 14-2 in Quadrant 1 games. No one else in the country has more than eight Quadrant 1 victories.

Even before its victory at No. 2 Alabama this past Saturday evening, Auburn was the selection committee’s No. 1 overall seed in its early bracket reveal that morning. When asked if he could remember another No. 1 overall seed separating itself from the pack like Auburn has, selection committee chairman Bubba Cunningham admitted he couldn’t.

“They were the unanimous choice,” said Cunningham, the athletic director at North Carolina. “They are clearly our No. 1.”

2. Could the SEC really secure all four No. 1 seeds?

It’s not as far-fetched as you’d think.

Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M claimed five of the six top spots in the selection committee’s early bracket reveal this…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/march-madness-prep-the-10-biggest-questions-to-be-answered-before-selection-sunday-141119556.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-02-17 14:11:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.