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NCAA Basketball: Big Ten, Auburn highlight Monday Morning Mailbag

By Brian Rauf

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts prior to the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts prior to the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 11: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives against Torry Johnson #11 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 11: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives against Torry Johnson #11 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

I don’t think there is a favorite to win the national championship, but Baylor, Gonzaga, and Duke have separated themselves a bit at least as of now.

And I think we only see three Blue Devils drafted this year – Vernon Carey Jr., Tre Jones, and Cassius Stanley. The rest of the team would be smart to return.

After the weekend we just had, with Virginia losing to Syracuse and NC State losing to Virginia Tech, I legitimately think we only get four. There are the three you mentioned, along with one out of the group of Virginia/NC State/Pitt/Miami. Someone is going to have to come out of that group looking decent, and they would get the nod.

I think a No. 4 seed, or perhaps even a No. 3, is very doable. As long as they take care of business in the SEC, they’ll have a pretty lofty record – even if they don’t improve in the areas that have limited them – and the committee will reward a team as talented as them with a quality record.

I said six before the season and I still feel good about that number. Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado are all locks currently. Washington was in that mix prior to their struggles this week, which has dropped them a tier belong alongside Stanford and USC. I think all six get in as of now but, if one really falls off, that likely means Oregon State or Utah has really come on and would take their place.

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