So I've spent all lunch looking over the rankings---What have I learned you ask? I've learned that I don't envy the selection committee.  Not just because of trouble selecting the field, but because it will be tremendously difficult to rank the teams once you get past the 4 number 1 seeds.  

My 4 number 1 seeds at the moment are (and in this order)   1. Syracuse 2. Kansas 3. Duke 4. Kentucky   Duke pretty much has a 1 seed locked up if it can win either the ACC regular season or the conference title.  I think they have an outside chance at getting the number 1 overall seed if they can do both and Cuse or Kansas stumbles (even with a loss to Maryland this weds).  Kansas State is a strong number 2 who could replace any of these number 1's should they stumble.   What's really interesting though is this--after the number 1 seeds and Kansas State---really I'm not high on any remaining teams and have a really hard time saying who deserves what seed--Here take a look at this:

Team A (Consensus Top 8 Team)---Likely 2 seed from recent Bracketology Record: 23-7 Conference Record: 13-4 RPI: 29 Pomeroy Rankings: 7 Sagarin Rankings: 13       Team B (Ranked between 20-25)---Likely 6 seed from recent Bracketology Record: 20-7 Conference Record: 11-3 RPI: 23 Pomeroy: 11 Sagarin: 14       So you are telling me that one of those two teams is a #2 seed and another is a #6 seed?  Their resumes are virtually identical and the case could be made by RPI buffs that Team B actually has the stronger resume.   I don't think I can remember a year when there was so little difference between a 2 and a 6 seed---but if the tournament ended today---that's what we are looking at.  I don't envy the selection committee.   In case you were wondering: A=Ohio State and B=Maryland