ACC Tournament: The Blue Devils’ early exit from the ACC Tournament left Kentucky replacing them as the projected No. 3 seed in the bracket.
One sure thing about the conference tournament season is that there are going to be upsets, and the results on Thursday were quite disappointing for some teams.
Duke made an early exit from the ACC Tournament after losing to Tobacco Road rival NC State, and the Blue Devils dropped to a 4-seed as a result. NC State needs to win the ACC Tournament title to make the NCAA Tournament, and to keep those hopes alive the Wolfpack will now face Virginia this afternoon for a berth in the championship game. Meanwhile, Kentucky replaced Duke as the 3-seed.
Also Read: Prince William: Rumors of Prince William’s Affair Dominate Mainstream Media
Duke’s loss could also impact the battle for a fourth No. 1 seed. North Carolina won’t get a chance to get the best possible win available in its league. That’s important in the battle with Tennessee, who will have nothing but Quad 1 opportunities during the SEC Tournament.
Despite being upset by Providence, Creighton, another 3-seed in my projected NCAA Tournament bracket, remains a 3-seed on Friday morning.The Friars have played themselves in the bubble and will face Marquette in the Big East Tournament semi-finals.
The Atlantic 10 tournament reached its climax on Thursday with losses for all four top-seeded players. VCU, seeded fifth, currently occupies the bracket as the automatic qualification (AQ) placeholder. This is a bid-steal situation because Dayton is still in the bracket as an at-large team.
The Flyers were one of the teams that were “considered” for a spot in the selection committee’s top 16 on February 17. Since then, Dayton has lost at VCU, George Mason and Loyola in addition to a loss to Duquesne on Thursday. “At present, the Flyers occupy the 10-seed position in the bracket.
Missouri Valley could also steal a bid if Indiana State is selected as an at-large team. I have another one in my bracket with South Florida, the top seed in the AAC Tournament. The Bulls are unlikely to be a dominant team despite winning the league by two games.
Of the tournaments completed so far, only seven have been won by the top seeded player. Eleven No. 1 seeds have already lost and the teams that have defeated them have an average seed of 8. Not only are they losing, but they are running out quickly.
Friday will reveal whether this trend persists, as top-seeded South Florida, Purdue, UC Irvine, Tennessee, and Grand Canyon make their conference tournament debuts.