NCAA Tournament 2013: Power Ranking No. 1 Seeds with Easiest Path to Final Four

All NCAA tournament brackets are not created equal. That is as evident this year as it has ever been.

There is a clear pecking order in terms of the difficulty of the four No. 1 seeds' path to the Final Four. 

Before we get into the ranking of the brackets, I just want to make it clear that this has nothing to do with the quality of, or the expectations for, the No. 1 seed, but only the competition they potentially face. Also, again for sake of clarity, we will be ranking from the team with the toughest path to the easiest.  

No. 4: Louisville 

The Cardinals arrived as the No. 1 overall seed, and then were rewarded by being placed in the toughest bracket.

For starters, we have Duke as the No. 2 seed. The Blue Devils suffered through some injuries and subpar play this season, but once Ryan Kelly returned, Duke finished the season strong. Typically, you would not expect the No. 1 overall seed to have such a strong No. 2 seed. 

These traditional powers are followed by three smaller schools in the midst of an impressive season. 

No. 4-seed Saint Louis rolled undefeated through the Atlantic 10 regular season; No. 6 seed Memphis also went unblemished in Conference USA play, and Creighton, the No. 7 seed, pulled off that feat in the Missouri Valley conference.

As you probably noticed, in the jumble of those teams, we skipped the fifth seed. That belongs Oklahoma State—which happens to feature point guard Marcus Smart, who could possibly go No. 1 in the upcoming NBA draft. 

As if all of this wasn't enough, this bracket also features Pac-12 champion Oregon, who is playing as a No. 12 seed. 

No. 3: Indiana 

Indiana's path is difficult to measure. On the one hand, it potentially faces a tough challenge in the round of 32, and also has a No. 2 seed in Miami that has a right to feel it was snubbed out of a No. 1 seed.

In the round of 32, Indiana potentially faces No. 8 seed North Carolina State. The Wolfpack are loaded with talent and all five of their starters average double figures in scoring.

As a team, they rank eighth in the nation in points per game at 77.5, and did so with the nation's 17th-best mark in effective field goal percentage.  

However, the rest of the bracket does not appear as opposing. No. 3. Marquette, No. 4 Syracuse and No. 5 UNLV, while all capable of running with everyone, have deficiencies and weaknesses that can be exploited by quality squads. 

Another interesting team to watch here, however, is No. 6  Butler. The Bulldogs know how to succeed in March.

No. 2: Gonzaga 

Gonzaga heads up the West bracket, and while Ohio State is an imposing No. 2 seed, this bracket is not loaded from top to bottom.

The Buckeyes closed out their season by winning eight straight, and certainly look like a team ready to make a deep tournament run.

Still, Gonzaga should not be complaining. No. 3 seed New Mexico looks strong, but it does not have a single win over any team that is a top-four seed in this tournament.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga has already beaten No. 4 seed Kansas State this season.

One team for the Zags and everyone else to keep an eye in this region is No. 11 Belmont. However, if Gonzaga plays Belmont, it will mean that they don't have to face Ohio State. 

No. 1: Kansas

Kansas was certainly a highly-debatable selection for a No. 1 seed. Yet it has what I feel is the easiest path.

Georgetown sits as the No. 2 seed. The Hoyas had an impressive season. However, they also lost two out of their last four games, and as far as No. 2 seeds go, they are fairly pedestrian. They have not advanced past the round of 32 since 2007.

The Florida Gators hold the No. 3 seed, and they aren't playing their best basketball either. Of their seven losses this season, three have come in their last seven games.

No. 4 seed Michigan and No. 5 seed VCU actually offer a tougher test for Kansas in my opinion. These two present a potential tough Sweet 16 matchup, but not enough to keep the Jayhawks from having the easiest path here. 

The Jayhawks did receive a tough bit of scheduling with a possible second-round matchup against surging North Carolina. However, even as the Tar Heels closed out strong, they still have yet to prove they can beat top teams. 

Don't forget to print out your bracket and follow along with the live bracket. And make your picks for the 2013 NCAA tournament here with the Bracket Challenge Game.