Weekly Seed Report

C.M. Newton, chairman of the NCAA Basketball Committee, held a teleconference last week and reminded the media that the committee esteems teams that are hot down the stretch. To which our pollsters responded, What teams can be considered hot these days? Just about everyone is losing, including North Carolina, which was spanked on its home court by N.C. State last Saturday. That setback caused the Tar Heels to be moved out of the East region by our merciless voters.

Purdue is suddenly stone-cold, having lost twice last week, to Iowa and Penn State. The Boilermakers nearly dropped out of our seedings from their lofty No. 2 perch, just holding on as a No. 4. Also feeling a chill was UCLA, bounced from our poll for the first time this year, after a lackluster overtime win over USC and a drubbing by Duke. New Mexico also fell a notch after falling to TCU, and with guard Royce Olney out for the season the Lobos may drop even further.

The hottest team in the game (aside from seasonlong powerhouses Kansas and Arizona) is TCU. The Horned Frogs leaped into our seeding for the first time by virtue of their butt-kicking of New Mexico. It was TCU's 13th straight win. Also recovering its stride was Stanford, which moved up to the No. 2 spot in the Midwest vacated by Purdue.

And for those looking to follow Newton's advice, keep an eye on Cincinnati. The Bearcats, winners of seven of their last nine games through Sunday, just missed getting a fourth seed, though tough games against UNC Charlotte and St. Louis are up next.

EAST

1. Duke (25-2)
2. Kentucky (24-4)
3. Michigan State (20-5)
4. Princeton (23-1)

MIDWEST

1. Kansas (29-3)
2. Stanford (23-3)
3. Arkansas (22-5)
4. TCU (24-4)

SOUTH

1. North Carolina (26-2)
2. Connecticut (24-4)
3. South Carolina (20-5)
4. New Mexico (21-4)