Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Florida Secure Top Seeds in NCAA Tournament

Filmogaz.com reports Miami (Ohio) finished the regular season unbeaten and went 31-1 overall. Their record carried them into the NCAA tournament as an 11-seed.

The RedHawks must play SMU in a First Four game on Wednesday. Their single loss last week dropped them into a do-or-die spot.

Why the committee placed Miami where it did

Selection Committee chair Keith Gill explained the logic behind Miami’s seeding. The team was last among the 37 at-large selections after comparisons to nearby contenders.

Factors working against Miami included a 339th-ranked strength of schedule. The RedHawks also had zero games against Quadrant 1 opponents.

Other metrics favored them. Miami ranked second nationally in scoring offense. Their strength-of-record sat inside the top 30, and wins-above-bubble was inside the top 40.

Team reaction and odds

Forward Eian Elmer said he was confident the RedHawks deserved a spot. The team now faces SMU as an 8.5-point underdog, per DraftKings.

DraftKings listed Miami at about 1500-1 to win the title. The sportsbook also put Duke as the favorite at roughly +300 and Michigan at +360.

Top seeds and notable shifts

All four No. 1 seeds came from major programs. Duke earned the overall No. 1 seed. Arizona, Michigan and defending champion Florida joined Duke on the top line.

Michigan took a hit in the seedings after an eight-point loss to Purdue in the Big Ten final. That result moved Michigan to the third overall spot.

Purdue reached a No. 2 seed and will travel to St. Louis to face Queens, a school making its first tournament appearance.

Mid-major, bubble stories and snubs

St. John’s won the Big East title by 20 points over UConn. The Red Storm stayed at a No. 5 seed and will play Northern Iowa in San Diego.

Rick Pitino, St. John’s coach, urged perspective. He reminded fans that long tournament trips can still lead to deep runs.

Several notable teams were left out. San Diego State, Indiana, Oklahoma and Auburn did not make the field.

Auburn finished with 16 losses but ranked third in strength of schedule. Former coach Bruce Pearl publicly questioned the committee’s decision.

Conference representation and possible matchups

The SEC led conferences with 10 teams in the field. That total trailed last year’s record by four teams.

The Big Ten placed nine teams. The ACC and Big 12 each landed eight selections.

Duke, Arizona, Michigan and Florida are among the headliners securing top seeds in their regions. Those placements shape several high-profile paths.

Defending champion Florida could meet No. 2 seed Houston in a South region rematch. Houston would host the regional final in its hometown if both teams advance.

Coach Todd Golden noted he would prefer not to face Houston on its home court. He added that the tournament forces teams to win tough road games.

Gill said the bracket often produces away-game challenges. That, he added, is part of what makes this the best postseason in sports.

The full first-round schedule begins Thursday and Friday. The national champion will be crowned April 6 in Indianapolis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.