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If the NCAA Tournament started today, Gonzaga and San Diego State would be 1 seeds.
On Saturday, the NCAA’s men’s basketball selection committee released its top 16 teams and confirmed that both teams have been good enough this season to warrant 1 seeds. Gonzaga earned the top spot in the West Region, while San Diego State would be sent to the East Region.
Dayton also cracked the top 16 as the Flyers were placed on the 2 seed line in the Midwest Region. They were listed as the No. 6 team overall.
The full seed list can be seen here:
The NCAA Tournament selection committee reveals its early top 16 teams
— SI College Hoops (@si_ncaabb) February 8, 2020
1) Baylor
2) Kansas
3) Gonzaga
4) San Diego St.
5) Duke
6) Dayton
7) Louisville
8) West Virginia
9) Maryland
10) Florida St.
11) Seton Hall
12) Villanova
13) Auburn
14) Oregon
15) Butler
16) Michigan St.
Here is the NCAA Bracket Reveal projected 16 teams: pic.twitter.com/FOyf5fEDmn
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 8, 2020
Gonzaga checks in as the No. 3 team in the NET with just a single loss to Michigan back in November. The Bulldogs have a combined 7-1 record in Q1 and Q2 games and will have another chance to pick up a quality win tonight against Saint Mary’s. During the broadcast, the committee representatives pointed towards the strength of Gonzaga’s wins against Arizona and Oregon as a big factor in giving them the nod in the West.
San Diego State enters the weekend undefeated and as the No. 1 overall team in the NET rankings. The Aztecs have picked up four Quadrant I wins so far this season, and they’re a combined 8-0 in Q1 and Q2 games. They’ll be favored in every game the rest of the way, but a down year in the Mountain West may make it hard to pick up another Q1 win before Selection Sunday.
Dayton has been hindered by a lack of quality chances in Atlantic 10 play, but the Flyers are still yet to lose a game in regulation this season. Both losses came in overtime on neutral courts to Kansas and Colorado. Their strength of schedule is No. 41 overall and they’ve tallied a 7-2 combined record in Q1 and Q2 games.
With approximately a month left to go in the regular season and conference tournaments still looming, there’s still plenty of time for things to change. But right now, San Diego State, Gonzaga and Dayton have laid the groundwork for resumes that should bode well for their postseason aspirations come Selection Sunday.