Michigan, Duke, Arizona, Iowa State headline preliminary seeds from NCAA selection committee

Michigan has emerged as the top overall seed in the preliminary rankings for the upcoming NCAA Tournament, according to the selection committee. The Wolverines, who currently hold the top spot in the AP Top 25, were revealed as the No. 1 seed alongside Duke, Arizona, and Iowa State during a recent CBS broadcast. Keith Gill, the committee’s chairman and Sun Belt commissioner, noted that Iowa State narrowly edged out UConn and Houston for the final No. 1 seed.

Following the 1-seeds, UConn and Houston were designated as the top two regional 2-seeds, with Illinois and Purdue rounding out the list. Defending national champion Florida led the regional 3-seeds as the No. 9 seed, followed by Kansas, Nebraska, and Gonzaga. Texas Tech, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, and Virginia were placed on the 4 line to complete the top 16 seeds.

The reveal offers a glimpse into the current landscape of college basketball, with just a month remaining until Selection Sunday on March 15. Teams positioned above the cutline for a top-four regional seed typically maintain their rankings, with minor adjustments expected leading up to the final seeding.

The NCAA Tournament is slated to kick off with First Four games on March 17, followed by the first round on March 19. Regional games will be held in Washington, Chicago, Houston, and San Jose from March 26-29, culminating in the Final Four in Indianapolis. The national semifinals are scheduled for April 4, with the championship game taking place two days later at Lucas Oil Stadium.

For more updates on college basketball and the AP Top 25 rankings, fans can sign up for poll alerts and newsletters on the AP website. Stay tuned for the latest news and developments as the road to the NCAA Tournament unfolds.