Seeding is Believing | Welcome to the top 16, Missouri

Mens college basketball and Illini beat writer Scott Richey projects his top four seeds for each region of the NCAA tournament each week ahead of Selection Sunday on March 16.

This week? A late-in-the-game newcomer.

MIDWEST 1.

Florida (23-3) 2.

Tennessee (21-5) 3.

St.

Johns (23-4) 4.

Arizona (18-8) The last time St.

Johns won this many games, Mike Jarvis was in charge in Queens, N.Y., and current coach Rick Pitino was toiling away (unsuccessfully) in the NBA with the Boston Celtics.

The 1999-2000 Red Storm went 25-8 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

This years team with a top three defense in the country could push that success further.

WEST 1.

Houston (22-4) 2.

Alabama (21-5) 3.

Texas Tech (20-6) 4.

Purdue (19-8) Houston has won a regular-season conference title in five of the last six seasons, with only a second-place finish in the AAC in the 2020-21 season breaking the streak.

Wichita State won it that year after playing four fewer games, while the Cougars went on to each the Final Four.

All thats to say, a second straight Big 12 title is well within Houstons grasp come March.

EAST 1.

Duke (23-3) 2.

Wisconsin (21-5) 3.

Texas A&M (20-6) 4.

Michigan Remember when Wisconsin was picked to finish tied for 12th in the Big Ten preseason poll? It wasnt unreasonable to consider this might be a down year after Chucky Hepburn and AJ Storr hit the transfer portal.

That was a 22-win teams starting backcourt.

All Wisconsin has done is prove everyone but The Athletics Brendan Quinn wrong.

He had the Badgers the highest at ...

seventh.

SOUTH 1.

Auburn (24-2) 2.

Iowa State (21-5) 3.

Michigan State 4.

Missouri (20-6) Bruce Pearl should be SEC Coach of the Year (and on the national level, too) given how dominant Auburn has been this season.

But Missouris Dennis Gates has a real case as the Nobody saw this coming candidate.

Winless in the SEC just last season, the Tigers are now a top four team in the toughest conference in the country after knocking off Alabama on Wednesday night..

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