College basketball this season is top heavy, with the top 10 of USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll having a total of 14 losses and no one with more than three losses. This makes for a fun race to clinch the valuable No. 1 seed.
We all saw last season how valuable the #1 seed was when the top four teams in the group reached the Final fourThis is the second time this has happened since the rankings began in 1979. With the strength of the top teams in the country, it could happen again, making it paramount to secure the top spots in the rankings and advance all the way to Indianapolis.
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Bracketology: Projecting March Madness dominated by Big Ten
Selection Sunday is six weeks away, but we have a good idea of who is in contention to become the No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Arizona
Save: 21-0 (8-0). Quad 1 recording: 9-0. NET Ranking: 1.
Why Arizona is here: The Wildcats moved into first place, one of two undefeated teams in the country. Quad 1’s nine wins are tied for the most in the country, and most of them came in a tough non-conference schedule that included Florida, UConn and Alabama. Arizona got off to a relatively easy start in the Big 12, demonstrating its dominance, and continued to play a great brand of basketball on a road win against BYU that ended a little too close for comfort.
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What’s next: The schedule is only getting tougher. Arizona faces six ranked teams in a 10-game stretch, which includes Iowa StateHouston and Kansas twice. Arizona will certainly be tested, but is very confident right now to be the No. 1 seed.
Is it time to believe in Arizona? No. 1 Wildcats give reason for hope – and concern against BYU
Michigan
Save: 19-1 (9-1). Quad 1 recording: 6-0. NET Ranking: 3.
Why Michigan is here: Remember when everyone was ready to declare Michigan national champion in November? Perhaps no one got off to a better start than the Wolverineswho blew teams away for much of the first two months of the season, including a 40-point win over Gonzaga. Since then, they haven’t been blowing up teams as much, but they’ve continued to win – the only loss was a three-point loss to a hot-shooting Wisconsin team. The Wolverines received a big boost to their resume ending Nebraska’s undefeated season Tuesday January 27.
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What’s next: A trip to rival Michigan State is the first major road game for Michigan, and February will only get tougher with away games against Purdue, Duke and Illinois over a 10-day period.
UConn
Save: 20-1 (10-0). Quad 1 recording: 5-1. NET Ranking: 8.
Why UConn is here: Dan Hurley is back in the title conversation. What’s impressive about UConn’s resume is that the five Quad 1 wins have all come on the road, including neutral games against BYU and Illinois, as well as a road win at Kansas. The only blemish is a home loss to Arizona, a game the Huskies could have won. The Big East has presented some challenges, but it has emerged victorious in all conference games thus far.
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What’s next: The rest of the Big East isn’t close to UConn, with the biggest challenges two February games against St. John’s and at Villanova. This team has the easiest path to a #1 seed and it’s theirs to lose, even without a top-five NET ranking.
Duke
Save: 19-1 (8-0). Quad 1 recording: 9-1. NET Ranking: 2.
Why Duke is here: Of course, Duke found a way to be even better after Cooper Flagg left. The Blue Devils had a tough non-conference slate and made statements with wins over Kansas, Florida and Michigan State. They are one point away from being undefeated against Texas Tech. Quad 1’s nine wins are tied with Arizona for the most in the country, winning more in dominant fashion in the ACC. It won every conference game by an average margin of 15.7 points, including two losses to Louisville.
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What’s next: An improved ACC will continue to challenge Duke outside of the two meetings with rival North Carolina. Clemson and Virginia visit Cameron Indoor Stadium in February, then there’s the game against Michigan that could give it the best non-conference resume in the country.
Just outside
Nebraska
Save: 20-1 (9-1). Quad 1 recording: 6-1. NET Ranking: 5.
Why Nebraska is here: Nebraska is alive and well in a historic season for the Cornhuskers. The perfect start came with some caution as they weren’t tested much to start the season, but it was all validated with wins over Illinois and Michigan State. Although his undefeated season ended against Michigan, the close loss proved the Corn hullers are in the same level of title contenders.
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What’s next: The Cornhuskers are in the midst of one of their toughest stretches with Illinois up next and Purdue visiting Lincoln in a few weeks. However, the end of the regular season isn’t too treacherous. There’s a chance Nebraska cracks the top two for the first time and finally captures that elusive first NCAA Tournament victory.
Gonzaga
Save: 21-1 (9-0). Quad 1 recording: 3-1. NET Ranking: 4.
Why Gonzaga is here: Another year, another Gonzaga domination. The blowout loss to Michigan overshadowed what was another stellar start for Mark Few, with wins over Alabama and Kentucky away from the Northwestern. That did enough to get the rally off to a strong start before the start of West Coast Conference play, which was another relatively easy run for Gonzaga in its final year in the conference.
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What’s next: As usual, Gonzaga has an easy remainder of the regular season, with the major challenge being the annual two games against Saint Mary’s. Great opportunity to boost Quad 1’s weak CV, and the Bulldogs can hope the teams above them start to slide so they can move up the starting line.
Houston
Save: 17-2 (5-1). Quad 1 recording: 4-2. NET Ranking: 11.
Why Houston is here: Last season’s national runner-up has quietly put himself back in position to become the No. 1 seed for the fourth consecutive season. The early season loss to Tennessee doesn’t look as good with the Volunteers’ inconsistency since then, but it managed to split the season series with Texas Tech. The Cougars are still one of the best defensive teams in the country and have become even better offensively.
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What’s next: The Big 12 challenge gives Houston more opportunities to rise, with games against BYU, Iowa State, Arizona and Kansas in mid-February. This sequence will determine if the Cougars can be a top seed.
Iowa State
Save: 18-2 (5-2). Quad 1 recording: 5-1. NET Ranking: 7.
Why Iowa State is here: Iowa State’s powerful offense has blitzed multiple teams to start the season, headlined by the big road win over Purdue. He hasn’t had any notable wins since then, and the two uninspiring losses kept the Cyclones out of first place, thanks mostly to a Quad 2 loss at the hands of Cincinnati.
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What’s next: There are many key winning opportunities ahead for the Cyclones. He finishes the season with six Quad 1 games in the final eight, which feature Houston, BYU, Texas Tech and Arizona, needing to win at least three to feel good about securing the first No. 1 seed in program history.
Also suitors
Illinois, Texas Tech and Michigan State,
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Who can be the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament? Eliminate the suitors
