The Athletic’s debate series features two writers breaking down a specific topic. In this edition, Chantel Jennings and Sabreena Merchant debate which teams should earn the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
Sabreena Merchant: Over the last seven NCAA Tournaments (what I would consider the current era after UConn’s four-peat), at least two No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four every year. Three of the top seeds made the national semifinals in three seasons. Suffice it to say, in addition to validating a team’s regular-season resume, there is predictive value in earning a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday.
As we look ahead to the reveal of the bracket, arguably the most consequential decision is which four seeds will top each region and which will battle for the last No. 1 seed.
Chantel Jennings: It seems like the No. 1 overall seed and the fourth No. 1 seed are both up for debate. But let’s start with the créme de la créme. When it comes to the No. 1 overall seed, last season, this was a moot point. It went to the undefeated SEC champions South Carolina, which — unsurprisingly — won the national title.
This year? Not so fast. I think South Carolina has the resume to be there, but it seems like — especially with its come-from-behind victory in the Big Ten tournament…
