5. Florida Gators
Florida's NCAA Tournament Resume
- Strength of Record: 7
- Record: 23-6 | Quality Wins: 11-6
- SOS Rank: 6 | Non-Con SOS Rank: 20
The Gators are chomping at the heels of Arizona and UConn for one of those top seeds, and the gap seems to be shortening by the hour. While Florida does have a rather high number of losses among those contending for a #1 seed, it does not have a result-based or predictive metric below six, something only Duke, Michigan, and Arizona can say. If they can close out the regular season with wins over Mississippi State and Kentucky and then go on to win the SEC Tournament, they will have a real shot at dethroning the Huskies for that final spot, especially if they fail to win the Big East Tournament.
6. Houston Cougars
Houston's NCAA Tournament Resume
- Strength of Record: 9
- Record: 24-5 | Quality Wins: 9-5
- SOS Rank: 34 | Non-Con SOS Rank: 66
Houston has played its way out of the conversation for a #1 seed after suffering three consecutive losses before dominating Colorado on Saturday. The Cougars are technically still in play for a top seed, but they will have to win out and take home the Big 12 Tournament title, along with some help, in order to have a chance. They remain a predictive metric, darling, though, making them one of the stronger options on the two-line if that's where they land.
7. Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State's NCAA Tournament Resume
- Strength of Record: 13
- Record: 24-6 | Quality Wins: 8-6
- SOS Rank: 48 | Non-Con SOS Rank: 143
The Cyclones have seen their top-seeded hopes take a brutal hit in the past two weeks, suffering losses at BYU and at home to a JT Toppin-less Texas Tech. Their hopes of a #1 seed are nearly on life support as things stand, likely needing a similar run-out as Houston, starting with a Big 12 Tournament triumph in Kansas City. They did get a golden opportunity to rejoin the conversation with a trip to Tucson on Monday, but a 16-point loss to Arizona doesn't help their cause.
