NCAA Basketball: 5 key storylines to watch for the rest of December
5. Inside track at a top seed
Everything changes when the calendar flips but having a leg to stand on after December is important for teams determined to make a run at a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
With Hofstra, DePaul, and Butler on the schedule to close 2017, the Villanova Wildcats are in good shape to remain unbeaten and atop the AP Poll. Michigan State does not play a single major conference foe for the rest of the month, so they are also in solid position.
Wichita State moved up to No. 3 in the latest AP Poll and has to overcome challenges against Oklahoma and UConn, but those are both very winnable games for the team.
That leaves Duke, Arizona State, and Miami fighting for the final spot in the top four at the end of the month. Duke will have to face Florida State at the end of the month, while Miami has three road trips. The Sun Devils have already run through a gauntlet and take the road to face Arizona at the end of the month.
Any of those teams can emerge on the inside track in the fight for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, even with the selection show three months away.