SI.com takes a look at the 8 teams that still have a shot at a #1 seed and the ways they can grab one of the top spots.
Kentucky, Tennessee, and LSU all are said to be vying for the same #! and here is what was said about all the different scenarios for Cats, Vols, and Tigers.
KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE AND LSU
We grouped these three together because the path to the top line is the same for all of them: win the SEC tournament. Kentucky is ranked fifth in NET and is 10–4 in Q1 games. Tennessee is sixth, with a 7–4 record in Q1 games. LSU brings up the rear among the three at 13th in NET, but is 9–2 in Q1 games, with a 2–0 head-to-head record against Kentucky and Tennessee. Any one of them that wins the SEC tournament would add at least two more Q1 wins. Kentucky and Tennessee would be top-five NET teams, while LSU would have an outside shot at the top five but would likely be in the top 10. Any of those is a sure formula for a No. 1 seed.The more interesting question is not what these three teams need to do to earn a No. 1 seed, but rather if two SEC teams could end up on the top line. It’s possible, but unlikely. Here’s what we think would need to go down for two of these three to end up as No. 1 seeds.
Kentucky is likely the only one of the three that can get a top seed without winning the tournament. Since the Wildcats are on the same side of the bracket as Tennessee, opposite LSU, that means LSU beating Kentucky in the championship game is the linchpin to the SEC getting two No. 1 seeds.
Next, North Carolina, Duke and Michigan State would all have to lose some bracket capital. If North Carolina or Duke wins the ACC championship, it would be more deserving of a No. 1 seed than a Kentucky team that lost to LSU in the SEC championship. A North Carolina team that loses in the ACC championship would also likely remain ahead of this version of Kentucky. Similarly, a Big Ten tournament champion Michigan State would have a strong argument for moving ahead of the Kentucky in this scenario on the seed list. If you’re looking for two SEC teams on the top line, you want LSU to beat Kentucky in the SEC championship, Louisville to make a run through North Carolina and Duke in the ACC tournament, and a Big Ten team other than Michigan State to hoist the trophy in Chicago. Speaking of the Spartans…
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