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The NCAA Selection Committee did its No. 1 overall seed zero favors.
In Sunday afternoon's NCAA Tournament unveiling, the No. 1 Villanova Wildcats (31-3, Big East champs) were placed in the East Region with a slew of notable college basketball powers. And one thing is clear: The road to repeating will be an arduous one for the reigning champions.
The East Region includes ACC champion Duke (No. 2), Big 10 runners-up Wisconsin (No. 8) and ACC mainstay Virginia (No. 5).
Coach Jay Wright's Wildcats have rattled off nine straight wins since a loss to Butler on Feb. 22. Led by the trio of Josh Hart (18.9 ppg.), Jalen Brunson (14.8 ppg.) and Kris Jenkins (13.4 ppg.), Villanova will have a tricky path back to the Final Four. Potentially awaiting the Wildcats in each of the next two rounds are two of the top defensive programs in the country in Wisconsin (No. 7 in the country) and Virginia (No. 1 in the country).
The East's No. 6 seed, American Athletic Conference champions SMU (30-4), is ranked No. 3 nationwide in scoring defense.
No. 3-seeded Baylor (25-7) will face off against the WAC champs, No. 14 New Mexico State Aggies (28-5). Olympus High graduate Jake Lindsey, a sophomore guard for the Bears, averages 4.8 points per game and 3.2 assists per game. The son of Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey, the 6-foot-5 Baylor guard averages over 22 minutes per game.
Lindsey won't be the only Utah prep representative in the East Region.
Duke freshman guard Frank Jackson helped the Blue Devils overcome a disappointing ACC regular-season schedule to win the ACC tournament title Saturday night. Duke lost seven ACC games this season, but beat No. 10 Louisville, No. 6 North Carolina and No. 22 Notre Dame in the ACC title game as the Blue Devils earned the No. 2 seed in the East. The Lone Peak High product averages 10.7 points per game in his first year at Duke.
Despite its struggles during the regular season, Duke features one of the most-talented rosters in college basketball, headlined by Luke Kennard (20.1 PPG), Jayson Tatum (16.9 PPG), Grayson Allen (14.1 PPG) and Amile Jefferson (10.9 PPG).
The lower half of the East Region bracket isn't as daunting as the top, which could allow the Blue Devils to stay hot. The first-round matchup against No. 15 Troy is a precursor to a second-round showdown against either No. 7 South Carolina or No. 10 Marquette — one of two teams to beat Villanova this season. Should SMU and Baylor advance, the winner of that game could provide Duke with a stiff test.
The Favorite
Villanova: The No. 1 overall seed, defending national champions, experienced stars leading the charge — what else do you need? The Wildcats have only three losses this season and their top seven players in Jay Wright's rotation have played in every game this season. Can Villanova be the first team since Florida (2006, 2007) to go back-to-back? Stay tuned.
The Sleeper
SMU: The Mustangs have won 15 straight. They haven't lost in three months. SMU is led by junior forward Semi Ojeleye; the 6-foot-7 Mustang star averages 19 points per game and nearly seven rebounds. SMU isn't just Ojeleye, though. Shake Milton (13.2 ppg.), Sterling Brown (13.2 ppg.) and Ben Moore (11.6 ppg.) form one of the top foursomes in college basketball.
The Best Player
Jayson Tatum, Duke: The 6-foot-8 freshman Blue Devil is expected to be a Top 5 pick in this summer's NBA Draft, should he leave Duke after one year. The St. Louis, Mo., native averages nearly 17 points per game and over seven rebounds, and posted three consecutive star performances to help push the Blue Devils to the ACC tournament crown.
The Big Number
3: Number of Top 10 scoring defenses in the East Region. No. 5-seeded Virginia is ranked No. 1 in NCAA allowing 55.6 points per game. No. 6 seed SMU is No. 3 in college basketball at 59.9 ppg. allowed. No. 8 Wisconsin, who lost in the Big 10 title game to Michigan on Sunday, is No. 7.
Twitter: @ chriskamrani