Kentucky checks in at No. 6 overall in early bracket reveal

Selection Sunday is three weeks from tomorrow as the NCAA Tournament is quickly approaching. To prepare us for that moment, the selection committee gave us all just a taste on Saturday afternoon.

After KSR released its version of the top-16, Committee Chair Tom Burnett came on CBS and unleashed the official bracket reveal. The top-16 teams were revealed, and we now officially know where the top squads in college basketball stand. Kentucky is sitting on the No. 2 seed line with a great chance to get a No. 1 seed with a strong close to the season.

1. Gonzaga (West)
2. Auburn (Midwest)
3. Arizona (South)
4. Kansas (East)
5. Baylor (South)
6. Kentucky (East)
7. Purdue (Midwest)
8. Duke (West)
9. Villanova (East)
10. Texas Tech (Midwest)
11. Tennessee (South)
12. Illinois (West)
13. Wisconsin (East)
14. UCLA (Midwest)
15. Providence (South)
16. Texas (West)

Not surprisingly, Gonzaga checks in at No. 1 overall as the Bulldogs are destroying teams in the West Coast Conference. Meanwhile, both Arizona and Auburn are having historic seasons, and both seem to have a No. 1 seed firmly in their grasp. Surprisingly, the committee is allowing Villanova to go home to Philadelphia where the Wildcats would host games in Wells Fargo Arena which is their alternate home gym. Meanwhile, the committee did not go out of their way to put UCLA in the West region. That could create a very tough draw for whoever is headed to Philadelphia.

More basketball to be played

We all need to remember that we are just 10 days until March. That month is called madness for a reason. With numerous schedules being backloaded combined with conference tournament action, there is still plenty of time for Kentucky to go both up and down the seed lines.

However, Kentucky’s strong schedule gives the Wildcats a very high floor. A couple of losses down the stretch will not kill John Calipari’s club, but a few wins will get them into No. 1 seed territory. Right now, the committee is splitting hairs between three teams.

“You could make a case for all three teams, as Baylor has more Quadrant 1 wins than anyone and Kentucky doesn’t have any losses outside of the first quadrant,” said Burnett. “Some heead-to-head games involving those three teams certainly was a topic of conversations but as things stand today, we have Kansas with a slight edge.”

That huge win over Kansas on the road could pay huge dividends on Selection Sunday but Kentucky must keep winning. March Madness and the field of 68 bracket is coming.