NCAA Tournament 2023: Gonzaga voted No. 4 seed by Division I Men's Basketball Committee

The committee revealed its top 16 teams three weeks before Selection Sunday

The college basketball world got its first-glimpse of the 2023 NCAA Tournament field on Sunday.

The Division I Men's Basketball Committee, which consists of DI conference commissioners and athletic directors from across the country, revealed its picks for the top four seeds in each of the four regions. 

Voted the No. 15 overall seed, Gonzaga men's basketball drew the 4-seed in the West Region, while Kansas, Arizona and Kansas State claimed the region's top three seeds. The Zags (22-5, 12-2 WCC) were joined by No. 16 Xavier (Midwest), No. 14 Marquette (East) and No. 13 Indiana (South) on the 4-seed line.

Alabama was voted the committee’s top overall seed, with Houston, Purdue and Kansas also being tabbed as No. 1 seeds.

Bracketologists share similar outlooks for Gonzaga heading into the final week of WCC regular season action.

In his latest 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracketology, ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Gonzaga as the highest-ranked 4-seed playing in the East Region, which features familiar faces Purdue, Baylor and Tennessee as the region's top three seeds.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports also put the Zags on the 4-seed line, except in the Midwest Region.

Regardless of current placement, reseeding is inevitable following the two days since the committee made its picks. Important to note is the committee's use of the NCAA Evaluation Tool to determine seeding. The NET takes into account various factors, including game results, location and outcome along with adjusted net efficiency for offense and defense.

Starting with the 4-seeds, the Musketeers fell at home to Villanova, 64-63, dropping their NET ranking from 25 to 34. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles slightly boosted their resume with a 73-71 win over Creighton on Tuesday, putting them at No. 13.

As for the Hoosiers, their 80-65 defeat at Michigan State dropped them two spots to No. 20 in the NET. 

That leaves the Zags, who play San Diego on Thursday, as the top-ranked 4-seed in the NET at No. 10. 

Interestingly, Saint Mary's was left out of the committee's top-16 seeds yet are ranked No. 7 in the NET. Lunardi and Palm value the Gaels as 5-seed in their respective projections.

Elsewhere, Iowa State fell at Texas on the road in a top-25 showdown on Tuesday. The Cyclones, a 3-seed in the eyes of the committee, dropped three spots in the NET rankings to No. 18.

After hosting San Diego on Thursday, Gonzaga and Saint Mary's square off in The Kennel on Saturday with the WCC regular season title on the line.