Tommy Lloyd wasn’t a popular hire among former Arizona players last April for reasons that didn’t make much sense to most people who never played at Arizona.
The backlash was … weird.
Either way, I’m certain, everybody connected to the program is on board now because Lloyd, a longtime Gonzaga assistant, just recorded one of the most incredible debut seasons any first-year coach has ever recorded heading into Selection Sunday. The Wildcats beat UCLA late Saturday 84-76 to win the Pac-12 Tournament title after already winning the Pac-12 regular-season title. So they’re 31-3 overall and 15-3 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. And that will, when the bracket is unveiled later Sunday, be enough to make Lloyd just the third men’s coach in history to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in his first season as a Division I head coach.
It’s amazing stuff.
And the top of the bracket should now be set.
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Truth is, Gonzaga and Arizona were locks to be No. 1 seeds even before the Wildcats beat UCLA — and when Kansas won the Big 12 Tournament Saturday, after sharing the Big 12 regular-season title with Baylor, the Jayhawks also locked-up a No. 1 seed thanks to a resume featuring a national-best 12 Quadrant 1 wins and just one loss outside of Quadrant 1. As for the fourth No. 1 seed, it should belong to Baylor. Scott Drew’s Bears are 26-6 overall, 10-5 in Quadrant 1, and 18-6 in the first two quadrants. Regardless of what Tennessee and Purdue do Sunday, neither will have a resume superior to the resume Baylor has already built.
Because of everything I just wrote, Gonzaga, Arizona, Kansas and Baylor are No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 in Sunday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
|
Rk |
Teams |
Chg |
Rcrd |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
Gonzaga is 12-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech, Texas, Saint Mary’s (twice) and UCLA. The Zags won the WCC and the WCC Tournament. | — | 26-3 |
2 |
|
Arizona is 15-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over USC (twice), UCLA (twice) and Illinois. The Wildcats won the Pac-12 and the Pac-12 Tournament. | — | 31-3 |
3 |
|
Kansas is 19-6 in the first two quadrants with five of the six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Jayhawks won a share of the Big 12 title and the Big 12 Tournament. | 1 | 28-6 |
4 |
|
Baylor is 18-6 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kansas and Villanova. The Bears lost to Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament. | 1 | 26-6 |
5 |
|
Auburn is 15-5 in the first two quadrants with four of the five losses falling in Quadrant 1. The Tigers lost to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. | 1 | 27-5 |
6 |
|
Tennessee is 15-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Arizona, Auburn, Kentucky (twice) and Arkansas. The Vols’ next game is Sunday against Texas A&M. | 4 | 25-7 |
7 |
|
Villanova is 17-7 in the first two quadrants with wins over Tennessee, Providence (twice) and UConn (twice). The Wildcats finished second in the Big East and won the Big East Tournament. | — | 26-7 |
8 |
|
Kentucky is 14-7 in the first two quadrants with all seven losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats lost to Tennessee in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. | 5 | 26-7 |
9 |
|
Purdue is 14-6 in the first two quadrants with five of the six losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Boilermakers’ next game is Sunday against Iowa. | — | 27-6 |
10 |
|
Duke is 12-5 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Virginia falling in Quadrant 3. The Blue Devils lost to Virginia Tech in the title game of the ACC Tournament. | 2 | 28-6 |
11 |
|
UCLA is 13-5 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Oregon falling in Quadrant 3. The Bruins lost to Arizona in the title game of the Pac-12 Tournament. | — | 25-7 |
12 |
|
Texas Tech is 15-9 in the first two quadrants with all nine losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Red Raiders lost to Kansas in the title game of the Big 12 Tournament. | — | 25-9 |
13 |
|
Saint Mary’s is 10-7 in the first two quadrants with a win over Gonzaga and all seven losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Gaels finished second in the WCC and WCC Tournament. | 1 | 25-7 |
14 |
|
Providence is 14-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Wisconsin, Texas Tech and UConn. The Friars lost to Creighton in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament. | 1 | 25-5 |
15 |
|
Wisconsin is 16-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Purdue (twice), Saint Mary’s, Houston and Iowa. The Badgers lost to Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. | 1 | 24-7 |
16 |
|
Arkansas is 12-7 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Hofstra falling in Quadrant 3. The Razorbacks lost to Texas A&M in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. | 3 | 25-8 |
17 |
|
Murray State is 5-1 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to East Tennessee State falling in Quadrant 3. The Racers won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and the OVC Tournament. | — | 30-2 |
18 |
|
UConn is 13-9 in the first two quadrants with wins over Auburn, Villanova and Seton Hall (twice). The Huskies lost to Villanova in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament. | — | 23-9 |
19 |
|
Illinois is 12-9 in the first two quadrants with wins over Wisconsin, Michigan State and Iowa (twice). The Illini lost to Indiana in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. | — | 22-9 |
20 |
|
Houston is 10-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over SMU, Oregon and Virginia. The Cougars’ next game is Sunday against Memphis. | — | 28-5 |
21 |
|
Iowa is 11-9 in the first two quadrants with wins over Michigan State, Ohio State and Indiana (twice). The Hawkeyes’ next game is Sunday against Purdue. | — | 25-9 |
22 |
|
Boise State is 13-6 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Cal State Bakersfield falling in Quadrant 4. The Broncos won the Mountain West and the Mountain West Tournament. | 1 | 27-7 |
23 |
|
Colorado State is 13-4 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to UNLV falling in Quadrant 3. The Rams lost to San Diego State in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament. | 1 | 25-5 |
24 |
|
Michigan State is 13-11 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Northwestern falling in Quadrant 3. The Spartans lost to Purdue in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. | — | 22-12 |
25 |
|
USC is 9-5 in the first two quadrants with additional losses to Stanford and Oregon falling in Quadrant 3. The Trojans lost to UCLA in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. | — | 26-7 |
26 |
|
LSU is 11-10 in the first two quadrants with an additional loss to Ole Miss falling in Quadrant 3. The Tigers lost to Arkansas in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. | — | 22-11 |