NCAA tournament: Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky and Duke land No. 1 seedings
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There is a method to this season’s March Madness, at least as far as the top seeded teams are concerned.
Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse are no big surprises as the marquee names for the NCAA tournament beginning this week.
As expected, Kansas takes the No. 1 seeding overall, staying close to home in a Midwest Regional that also features Ohio State and Georgetown. At 32-2, the Jayhawks are led by Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich, veterans of the school’s 2008 title season.
Kentucky heads an East Regional that includes West Virginia and New Mexico. Washington reached the Big Dance as an 11th seeded team in the East by upsetting California in the final of the Pacific 10 Conference tournament at Staples Center.
If there was anything even slightly unexpected from the selection committee on Sunday afternoon, it was Duke beating out Syracuse for the third No. 1 seeding and grabbing the top spot in the South Regional.
That sends the Orangemen -- who finished the regular season with two straight losses -- out to the West Regional where they could bump up against the likes of Kansas State or Pittsburgh.
Another slight surprise: The Pac-10 emerged from a dismal season with two teams in the tournament, Cal making it as an 8th seeded team in the South. The Golden Bears open against a Louisville team that recently upset Syracuse.
-- David Wharton