Bracketology 2023: 10 storylines to watch on Selection Sunday

5. Which Pac-12 team gets the West Region’s top spot?

Keeping in mind those 1-seeds we already mentioned, it’s likely that Arizona and UCLA will both be on the 2-seed line. The Bruins won the Pac-12 regular season crown while the Wildcats got a pair of wins in the series and claimed the tournament crown on Saturday night. Which of these two teams will get sent to the West Region for a much more favorable location and placement?

If we dive into the metrics, the numbers tell a split story. UCLA’s NET (3) is a big higher than Arizona’s (10), and they have sat above them both in conference standings and national rankings for much of the year, but Arizona did finish 9-2 in Quad 1 games, with one additional Quad 1 win compared to the Bruins. Which way will the Committee go? Will they reward UCLA’s better metrics or Arizona’s tournament title?

6. How many Big 12 teams end up in the Top 16 seeds?

The Big 12 has been significantly better than every other conference this season, with all ten teams racking up impressive wins and performances all season long. Heck, even lowly Oklahoma blew out potential 1-seed Alabama just over a month ago. This conference is likely getting 7 or 8 teams in the Big Dance, but it’s been a top-heavy league and could have a number of players in those top seeds.

Kansas will be a 1-seed and Texas will be near that point as well, while Baylor and Kansas State will certainly both be Top 16 seeds as well. This is where things get interesting, because both Iowa State and TCU have had remarkable seasons, but both teams have had their share of struggles recently too. With their resumes, you could argue that either of those teams deserve a 4-seed, but will the Committee go in this direction, potentially putting them above teams like Tennessee or Virginia.