Baylor, Kansas, Gonzaga and San Diego State Headline NCAA Men's Selection Committee Top 16
College hoops fans got their first look at March Madness 2020 on Saturday as the men’s NCAA tournament selection committee revealed its current Top 16 teams on the fourth annual Bracket Preview Show.
Baylor earned the No. 1 spot in the ranking, followed by Kansas, Gonzaga and San Diego State rounding out the top line of the bracket.
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The Bears own a 19-game winning streak and sit at 20-1 overall, having not lost since Nov. 8 to Washington. The Jayhawks are 19-3, their losses coming to Duke, Villanova and Baylor. Kansas currently trails the Bears by one game in the Big 12 race.
The Bulldogs are 24-1, having successfully reloaded again under Mark Few. The Zags’ lone loss was to Michigan at the Battle 4 Atlantis Thanksgiving week tournament. The Aztecs, who play in the Mountain West, are the only remaining undefeated team in college basketball at 23-0. They currently top the NCAA NET rankings.
Duke earned the top No. 2 seed spot. The Blue Devils are joined by Dayton, Louisville and West Virginia on the second line.
The full Top 16 is below:
1. Baylor
2. Kansas
3. Gonzaga
4. San Diego State
5. Duke
6. Dayton
7. Louisville
8. West Virginia
9. Maryland
10. Florida State
11. Seton Hall
12. Villanova
13. Auburn
14. Oregon
15. Butler
16. Michigan State
The committee's rankings rely partly on the NET, which is in its second season of use after replacing the Rating Percentage Index (RPI). The NET functions as a primary tool in evaluating Division I men's basketball teams but is not the sole factor that determines a team's ranking.
In the past, the Top 16 reveal has proved to be pretty predictive. In 2017, 15 of the 16 teams retained their top-four seeding in the final field of 68. In 2018 it was 13 of 16, and last year it was 11 of 16.
There are five weeks remaining until Selection Sunday, which falls on March 15 this year. The 2020 NCAA tournament will begin on March 17 with the first part of the First Four, and the first full day of tourney action will be on Thursday, March 19.
