But before Davis, above, leads Kentucky into the tournament as one of the favorites, here are eight of the most pressing tournament-related questions to be answered over the next month, as teams across the nation try to impress the selection committee with attention-grabbing victories.
1
Which conference is ex- pected to earn the most tournament bids?
The Big East could get the most bids, but the Big Ten is widely regarded as the nation’s strongest conference and should get the highest percentage of its teams into the tournament.
Eight or nine of the Big Ten’s 12 teams could rightfully find themselves in the field. The best and worst thing about playing in the Big Ten is that almost every game is against a quality opponent. Nine teams rank among the top 63 in the Ratings Percentage Index, a mathematical index used by NCAA tournament selection committee, so teams can rise or fall fast.
“I think it’s been by far the best nationally,” Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said.
2What’s the problem with the ACC?
The ACC lacks the depth that it has possessed in many seasons. If six teams reach the NCAA tournament, which may be a reach, the last two could find themselves in play-in games in Dayton, Ohio.
For teams not named Duke or North Carolina, there was a dearth of quality victories during nonconference play. Worse, the Blue Devils (20-4) and ultra-talented Tar Heels (20-4) are dealing with respective on-court issues, and erratic Florida State (16-7) went belly-up against lowly Boston College on Wednesday night.
3Which team is best in line for the fourth No. 1 seed?
Two once-beaten teams, Kentucky and Syracuse, are heavy favorites for No. 1 seeds. With four top 25 victories, Ohio State (21-3) is in prime position to grab the third No. 1 slot.
The fourth could be decided by the three-way battle atop the Big 12 standings, where Kansas (19-5) is trying to fight off Baylor (21-3) and Missouri (22-2) to win at least a share of the league title for the eighth straight season. Something to watch: Either North Carolina or Duke has been a No. 1 seed in every NCAA tournament since 2003.
4Who’s the best in the west, and does it matter?
If you are looking at the Pacific-12, look away. For a power conference, the Pac-12 is historically bad, ranked as the nation’s 10th-best league in terms of conference RPI.
“Words like putrid come to mind,” said Jerry Palm, an analyst who projects the tournament field on his Web site, CollegeRPI.com. “It is unfathomable that a major conference could be [2-30] versus the RPI top 50,” as Pac-12 teams are this season.
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