Wichita State Will Enter NCAA Tournament 34-0: One Seed Is Locked, But Will They Stay #2 In The Polls?
ByWinning college basketball's Sunday headlines (usually an easy competition, but not today) was Wichita State (34-0) for completing the first undefeated regular season since St. Joseph's (Jameer Nelson, Delonte West in the Atlantic 10) in 2004 and the most wins to start a year since UNLV, who also won 34 straight games (30-0 regular season) before losing to Duke in the 1991 Final Four.
After #5 Virginia (25-6, 16-2) and #3 Arizona (28-3, 15-3) fell in the last two days (Virginia earlier today at Maryland), the Shockers have all but locked up a one seed. But have they secured the #2 spot in the less meaningful, but equally as interesting final regular season A.P. poll?
Only one team can pass them, current #6 Villanova (28-3, 16-2). If they win the Big East tournament, and do so by beating arch nemesis #13 Creighton (24-6, 14-4) in the final, I think they'll have enough momentum and resume cred to supplant W. State at number two -- and possibly even Florida if the Gators don't with their tournament. That reality might seem unfair, but it's the way the polls have been for most of the year. For a good portion of the season, Florida was behind the Shockers, but eventually moved ahead without, of course, need a loss.
Arizona's loss also opens up a one seed they likely would have secured with a regular season finale win, which would have guaranteed them no more than three losses. Villanova is in the same tricky spot. Probably, both make it, but perhaps not if Duke, Syracuse, or even Virginia wins the ACC tournament (defeating, in the process, at least two top 15 teams). Kansas and their eight losses is all but out of the running. They should be happy with a two seed.
And this quote just in from Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall, who's established himself as quite the personality this year: "Wolves don't follow the opinion of sheep."