Weekly Seed Report

After a tumultuous week that saw three of our No. 2 seeds lose—Kentucky to Mississippi, Connecticut to West Virginia, and Utah to Wyoming—our selection committee was ready to kick some tail and move some names. Then the realization set in that three No. 3 seeds also went down in defeat: Michigan State to Illinois, UCLA to Stanford, and Arkansas to Georgia and Tennessee. Consequently, all eight top seeds remained where they were a week ago.

Many of our pollsters were eager to punish Kentucky for that home court loss to Ole Miss, the Rebels' first win in Lexington after 41 straight defeats. But while there was strong sentiment for moving New Mexico up to a No. 2 seeding, the Lobos fell a vote short. The doubters still want to see New Mexico win a significant road game. The big loser of the week was George Washington, which limped out of the seedings after falling to Rhode Island and Dayton. The Colonials' stay in the Sweet 16 lasted one week, and Mississippi, after a two-week absence, took George Washington's place. UCLA also tumbled a notch after the Stanford loss and then learned on Sunday that center Jelani McCoy had quit the team. A loss at Duke this Sunday could knock the Bruins out of our poll.

Princeton continued to be a dilemma. The Tigers got a few votes as a No. 3 seed but were left off one ballot entirely. We asked some members—past and present—of the real selection committee, and they told us not to be surprised to see Princeton, if it finishes its season without another defeat, as a No. 4.

EAST

1. North Carolina (26-1)
2. Kentucky (22-4)
3. Michigan State (18-5)
4. Princeton (20-1)

MIDWEST

1. Kansas (27-3)
2. Purdue (22-4)
3. Stanford (21-3)
4. Arkansas (20-5)

SOUTH

1. Duke (23-2)
2. Connecticut (22-4)
3. New Mexico (19-3)
4. UCLA (19-5)

WEST