The men’s NCAA tournament selection committee has spoken, but now it’s time for the real seed list to be revealed. The Sports Illustrated 1–68 rankings aren’t beholden to Quad This or Quad That, or to any other metrics. This is simply a ranking of the teams playing best when it matters most, which is right now.
1. Gonzaga: The overall No. 1 seed has all the necessary parts to finally win it all. The Zags are the No. 1 offensive team in the country per Ken Pomeroy, which isn’t unusual—but they also have their best defensive team since the 2017 national runner-up squad. Gonzaga is tougher to score on inside the arc than anyone else in the country, in large part because 7-foot freshman Chet Holmgren provides a deterrent at the rim. This is the first time the Zags have ranked in the Pomeroy top 10 both offensively and defensively. The biggest challenge will be a West Region draw that is tougher than the overall No. 1 should be facing.
2. Arizona: On the 25th anniversary of the program’s only national championship, this team is capable of winning a second. The Wildcats have tremendous size and athleticism, enough depth, and play at a pace that can run a lot of opponents off the floor. First-year coach Tommy Lloyd inherited a flush hand and juiced up the tempo to Gonzaga levels to take advantage of his talent. The only questions are the health of point guard Kerr Kriisa (recovering from an ankle sprain in the Pac-12 tournament) and whether a team bereft of Big Dance experience can handle the bull’s-eye placed upon it. The window of opportunity is now, with a laborious NCAA investigation ongoing that could affect the 2022–23 season.
