NCAA Tournament 2017: Predictions for Top Seeds Ahead of Bracket Reveal

This week, we saw all sorts of chaos across college basketball conference tournaments.

On Friday, the No. 8-seeded Michigan Wolverines knocked off the top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten. The Seton Hall Pirates came inches away from dethroning the reigning national champion Villanova Wildcats in the Big East. On Thursday, the TCU Horned Frogs beat the Associated Press' No. 1 team, the Kansas Jayhawks, in the Big 12.

It's just that time of year.

Now a day away from Selection Sunday, let's look at two teams that could find themselves as the top overall seeds in this season's March Madness.

Villanova

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Jay Wright's 30-3 team feels almost invincible.

On Friday night at Madison Square Garden, Seton Hall threw everything it had at 'Nova. For starters, the contest was an absolute slugfest; neither team cracked 60 points. Secondly, SHU dominated the paint, as noted by Reading Eagle's Steve Valenti and John Fanta of the Big East Digital Network:

Seton Hall shot better from deep, too: 5-of-15 compared to 5-of-19. But the Wildcats were more consistent from the charity stripe (58.8 percent to 44.4 percent) and came up unbelievably clutch in the final minutes.

One guy, in particular, carried Villanova late: National Player of the Year candidate Josh Hart.

Trailing by a point with under 10 seconds remaining, Hart flew to the rim and converted a Kris Jenkins clanger into a game-winning and-1 bucket. That was obviously Hart's biggest highlight, but he had several leading up to it. He talked with the Fox Sports 1 postgame crew about his heroics:

Following the final horn, Hart consoled an absolutely shattered Angel Delgado in a world-class exhibit of sportsmanship:

Such a display of class is a heartwarming talking point, but it speaks to something greater about Hart and Villanova: This team is mature.

Coming off last year's circus of a national championship, nothing is going to shake the Wildcats. Two of their top three players (Hart and Jenkins) are seniors. They're one of the three most efficient teams in the nation. Wright is one of the best sideline generals in basketball.

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"I think we got outplayed tonight," Wright told reporters, per Joe Juliano of Philly.com. "And we just found ways at the end. Great players made great plays."

Wright's correct. That's how good his team is.

Expect 'Nova to roll through the Creighton Bluejays in Saturday's Big East tournament finale and, thanks to Kansas' loss to TCU, land the much-deserved top overall seed on Sunday.

Kansas

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The Jayhawks' 85-82 loss to Jamie Dixon's Horned Frogs looks worse than it really was. Star freshman Josh Jackson was suspended.

Dixon brushed off the notion that Jackson's absence was a factor, though, per ESPN.com's Mitch Sherman.

"None," the former Pittsburgh Panthers coach said of any impact from KU being without one of its top guns. "Everybody has guys who play and don't play and get in foul trouble."

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But that's what he has to say. Take away 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists from any team, and they will be at a severe disadvantage. Kansas certainly was, and now Bill Self's squad will likely have to watch Villanova take what could've been a home-court advantage. 

Dave Skretta of the Associated Press wrote: "If they had been the No. 1 overall seed, it would have meant playing the first weekend in Tulsa and the second weekend in Kansas City, giving the Jayhawks a sort of home-court advantage. Kansas is still likely to earn a No. 1 seed, but where it plays is suddenly up in the air."

Kansas will certainly land a No. 1 seed. The 28-4 regular-season Big 12 champions have earned that much. But, as Self noted, perhaps the team needed a bit of a wake-up call ahead of March Madness. Per Skretta:

"

It is very disappointing. You work your (butt) off all year long and you get to postseason where it's championship week and everybody is excited to be a part of it and you go home early. Hopefully that will be a good motivator for us moving forward. Doesn't mean anything is broken, but certainly we've got to tighten some things up.

"

North Carolina lost to Duke in the ACC tournament on Friday, effectively cementing 'Nova as the No. 1 overall with Kansas next in line, as noted by ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello:

Things could've definitely been sweeter for Kansas, given the possibility of a home-court advantage, but the Jayhawks should still be fine.