Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, Gonzaga claim No. 1 seeds

Duke claimed the top overall seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, and ACC rivals Virginia and North Carolina joined the Blue Devils in snagging No. 1 seeds on Selection Sunday.

Gonzaga claimed the other No. 1 seed despite falling 60-47 to St. Mary’s in the West Coast Conference tournament final on Tuesday.

Duke (29-5) claimed the ACC tournament title on Saturday against Florida State, after ousting the rival Tar Heels in Friday’s semifinals. Freshman superstar Zion Williamson, back from a knee injury that kept him out of nearly six full games, dominated throughout the tournament to claim MVP honors, giving Duke the last boost needed on its resume for the top overall seed.

“They earned their right to be there,” selection committee chair and Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir said. “With Duke and Zion back — phenomenal run in the ACC tournament.”

The last four teams in were Belmont (26-5), Temple (23-9), Arizona State (22-10) and St. John’s (21-12). Belmont fell to Murray State in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament final last week, missing out on an automatic bid, but the Bears’ resume was still enough to get into the field.

“They made the most of the opportunities they had,” Muir said of Belmont. “They had two wins in Quad 1, and we just thought they were a phenomenal basketball team. Very high on the offensive front. Great offensive efficiency. And we thought deserving — they belong in the field.”

Muir added that St. John’s was the last team in.

The first four teams out were UNC Greensboro (28-6), Alabama (18-15), TCU (20-13) and Indiana (17-15). UNC Greensboro lost in last week’s Southern Conference Tournament final to Wofford.

Muir added that North Carolina State (22-11) was left out because of a 3-9 record against Quadrant 1 teams.

Michigan State, Tennessee, Michigan and Kentucky claimed the No. 2 seeds. Muir said the Volunteers (29-5) were the top-ranked No. 2 seed despite their 20-point loss to Auburn in the SEC tournament final.

The tournament will open with the First Four on Tuesday and Wednesday, with North Carolina Central vs. North Dakota State for a No. 16 seed in the East, Belmont vs. Temple for a No. 11 seed in the East, Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Prairie View for a No. 16 seed in the West, and Arizona State vs. St. John’s for a No. 11 seed in the West.

–Field Level Media