Ahead of Selection Sunday, the major debate surrounding the NCAA Tournament is who will join Duke, Arizona, and Michigan as the fourth and final No. 1 seed. Two teams that are contenders to grab that spot are UConn and Florida.
UConn’s NET ranking is No. 9, and its Quad 1 record is 8-2. The Huskies registered a massive win over St. John’s on Wednesday, keeping their hope alive to grab the final No. 1 seed.
On the other hand, Florida’s NET ranking is No. 4 and their Quad 1 record is 11-5. After losing to the unranked Auburn Tigers, Todd Golden’s Florida has registered 10 straight wins, three of which came against ranked opponents in Alabama, Kentucky and Arkansas.
Analyst Makes Case Between UConn and Florida For Final #1 Seed in NCAA Tournament
On Tuesday, CBS Sports analyst Gary Parrish thinks Florida deserves a spot on the 1-seed line if it wins its final regular-season game against Kentucky. He presented his case for Florida but also acknowledged UConn as a contender for the final No. 1 seed.
“They are playing extremely well,” Parrish said of Florida. “And if they win out, they will be the fourth number one seed, regardless of what anybody else does. And that’s because if they win out, they would be the outright SEC champion and the SEC Tournament champion. And that’s going to be worthy of a one seed right now. I know most people favor UConn over Florida in this moment, and I’m OK with that. It’s totally reasonable.”
Parrish stated his reason on why he’s picking Florida over UConn.
“But Florida does have two more Quad 1 wins than UConn,” Parrish added. “Florida is higher in the NET and higher at KenPom than UConn. I know Florida has more losses and a loss to UConn at MSG way back early in the season. I don’t think there’s a wrong answer between the two in this moment. I look forward to letting them settle it on the court.”
College basketball analyst Ice Young picked UConn for the final No. 1 seed but also acknowledged what Florida has done recently.
“I think Florida maybe is the next seed that is right there and can inch with UConn, especially depending on how they do in the SEC tournament,” Young said. “For UConn though, it’s the nucleus that they have that has experienced this, that has won one or two national championships already and know how to perform this time of year. So I think that’s where my faith is in them. But I will say for Florida, GP, they look like they’re getting better and better and peaking at the right time.”
Finally, we have UConn alum Emeka Okafor, who ofcourse picked his alma mater while also providing a reason that the Huskies have defeated Florida and Illinois.
“I think UConn should get that number one, the last number one seed,” Okafor said. “Number one, they’ve beaten two of the people on the list early in the season. So they beat Illinois, they beat Florida, they’ve also beat BYU. I think they’ve been one of the most consistent teams on here.
“They’ve had a couple of slip-ups, but especially if they come down the stretch, make it to the Big East final game, and if they win it, it’s an absolute no-brainer. There are a couple of situations, maybe if someone emerges, if U of H or Florida win the SEC championship, and then UConn doesn’t, then I can see them maybe hopping in. But if UConn continues to win out, and at least get to the championship game, I think they should be the number one seed.”
Depending upon how the conference tournaments go, a lot of things can change as both Florida and UConn eye the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Read More News:
John Calipari Admits Tough Relationship With Mitch Barnhart as Retirement Reopens Old Wounds
Read More: Will Kentucky Make March Madness? Mark Pope’s NCAA Tournament Chances Explored
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
