sigh I'm making this my last post on the topic because I feel like my statements are not being interpreted the way I think I am saying them.
Picture a marathon with each university having one representative. We're about halfway through the marathon and there are three runners starting to separate from the pack...
That's all I am trying to say.
I've watched at least one game from every top 10 team and that's how I feel about it at this moment. I could be wrong... injuries can happen... teams with a fast start could have a slow finish ... teams with a slow start could pick up the pace. I'm not stupid and I'm not making any declarations about the final seeding. My intent was to spark conversation about the teams that are trending at the top, and instead everyone focused on the 1-seed statement...
Sorry didn't mean to pile on, thanks for clarifying. To respond to that, I'd say South Carolina/UCLA look like top dogs right now. Both have proven wins over tough opponents. They're the most feared teams this season.
At 3, I'd put NC State solidly on the 1 line but they have potential to plummet. I think they're playing a lot better than their actual talent level suggests but they deserve to be clear cut #3 with their big wins over UCONN and Colorado. I don't think beating NC State holds the same weight as upsetting UCLA or South Carolina at this point.
After that it's a crapshoot of teams that have work to do if they'll elevate to the 1 line. You have a lot of solid 1 loss teams (Colorado, Stanford, Iowa, LSU, Ohio State, Indiana) as well as undefeated teams like Texas, USC and Baylor. All 3 undefeated teams have a solid win under their belt, but don't look like 1 seed material yet. Utah and Kansas State also fall into this category. I'd also add UCONN and Virginia Tech into this pool, as they reap benefit of the doubt due to their talented players. Both have underachieved thus far but are too good to write off this early, so I think they have potential to still be in the hunt for a 1 seed. I could see any of these 11 teams elevating themselves to the 1 line if they continue to win and improve as the season unfolds. Certain teams have higher ceilings than others, but most of these teams are flawed or have notable injuries.
Beyond that, looking at the rest of the top 25, there's a number of teams with great starts but I don't think they're capable of elevating to the 1 line. Squads like UNLV, Marquette, Louisville, Creighton and Notre Dame either lack talent to get to the 1 line, or have endured some devastating injuries that leave their roster depleted in key areas. Notre Dame is the main team who could arguably be with the group of 11 above, but I just can't see them contending for a 1 seed without Miles/Citron.