One of the toughest decisions the NCAA bracket committee has to make every year is to announce the No. 1 seeds. Almost every year, there are about six teams that are worthy of those four top spots.
In the East bracket, NCAA officials named the University of Louisville Cardinals as the No. 1 seed. The Cardinals went 28-5 overall, not to mention a stunning 16-2 in the Big East Conference. The University of Louisville also won the Big East regular season title and knocked off Providence College, Villanova University, and Syracuse University last week to win the Big East Tournament. These accomplishments were good enough to earn the Cardinals the overall number one seed and thus the favorite to win the NCAA tournament.
In the West bracket, the University of Connecticut Huskies (UConn) were able to grasp the No. 1 seed. The Huskies went 27-4 in the regular season and 14-4 in the Big East. The University of Connecticut beat up on Louisville and it took six overtimes - the second-longest game in NCAA history - for Syracuse University to upset the Huskies in the Big East Tournament. The experienced Jim Calhoun may have given the edge to UConn over the University of Memphis Tigers.
The No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region went to the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Key wins against Florida State University, Syracuse University and UConn (twice) have earned the Panthers the No. 1 seed. The University of Pittsburgh had a 27-4 record including a nearly Louisville-esque 15-3 Big East record. The Panthers have not advanced past the sweet 16 in this century but with a Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) of two and a Strength of Schedule of eight the Panther's luck should change.
In the fourth and final region, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels grabbed the No. 1 seed in the South. No surprise here - the ACC regular season champs went 28-4 and 13-3 in the ACC. The injury to Ty Lawson caused the Tar Heels an early exit in the ACC tournament but the All-ACC first-teamer will be back for the NCAA tournament with a vengeance. Key wins against Michigan State University, Duke University, and Florida State University allowed the Tar Heels to obtain high rankings in the AP poll throughout the season.
There are specific reasons that these four teams are the number one seeds. They have specific characteristics that were able to guide them into the positions they are in.
All four teams have a star big man. The Cardinals have Earl Clark who averages 14.4 ppg and 8.8 RPG. The Panthers have sophomore phenom DeJuan Blair who averages a stellar 15.6 ppg and 12.2 RPG. I am not sure if I even need to mention the next two big guys who torment smaller teams. The Huskies' 7'3" center Hasheem Thabeet averages 13.7 ppg and 10.6 RPG and has a defensive presence like none other. And the guiding force behind the Tar Heels' great season is four-time All-ACC star Tyler Hansbrough who has been averaging 21.4ppg and 8.2 RPG.
Another common characteristic is the conference these teams play in. Three out of four play in the Big East. This fact is not shocking because even though these teams beat each other up, they become better for it. By playing a stronger schedule, these teams gain respect, not to mention a huge number of wins against ranked teams.
Last year was the first time in the history of the NCAA tournament that all four No. 1 seeds went to the Final Four. This year could be a repeat. These teams have the firepower at both the guard and forward positions to make huge runs in the NCAA tournament. These teams also have the star power and deep benches to take a shot at the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.
You can reach this writer at sports@theeagleonline.com.
