March Madness 2015: Analyzing Most Deserving No. 1 Seeds for NCAA Tournament

The 2015 NCAA men's basketball tournament is fast approaching, but the field remains highly unsettled. On one end of the spectrum, we have plenty of bubble teams aiming to gain late entries on Selection Sunday in hope of being this year's Cinderella story. On the other end, the nation's top squads are fighting for a coveted No. 1 seed in a quadrant of your March Madness bracket.

Let's go ahead and focus on the latter here.

There are plenty of factors that can lead to any analyst's determination of the four top-seeded teams. Using the popular RPI system is always an option; however, that method doesn't tell the whole story. By only looking at how each team has fared against tournament contenders—and completely avoiding performances against mediocre teams—we can begin to generate a picture of the four truly worthy No. 1 squads.

Currently, there are eight teams that could presumably gain a top seed by the end of the regular season and conference tournaments. Let's decide which of those squads are most likely to enter the NCAA tournament as their quadrant's favorite.

Kentucky

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We may as well just get this one out of the way first. The Wildcats are an astounding 27-0 this season and have already defeated four ranked opponents by substantial margins. This team is absolutely obliterating opponents, recently putting up 110 points against Auburn.

One of the nation's most well-rounded squads, six different Kentucky players put up double-digit points in that contest—three starters and three off the bench. Karl-Anthony Towns shot 8-of-9 while putting up a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, while brothers Aaron and Andrew Harrison were on fire from downtown. Add in the efforts of Dakari Johnson, Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis off the bench, and you get a powerhouse team.

After playing a nearly flawless game, Towns commented on his team's efforts during a press conference with The Associated Press (via ESPN.com), "We cherish these moments. Not every game is going to be like this. We executed, played great defense and also made a lot of shots."

That game is just one of the many examples of how dangerous Kentucky can be when everything is clicking.

With No. 18 Arkansas the last ranked team remaining on the Wildcats' schedule, it's difficult to see them finishing the regular season with a loss. After running the table in the SEC tournament, Kentucky will be your No. 1 overall seed.

Virginia

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As they did last season, the Cavaliers are back and playing extremely good defense in 2015. Ranked first in the nation in points allowed, Virginia continues to stifle nearly every opponent.

The Cavaliers sit at 25-1 this season, with their lone blemish coming as a home loss against Duke. Still, the team has flourished when facing ranked opponents, taking down Maryland, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Louisville. Virginia keeps winning against other teams likely to gain entry to the tournament, and that's why they'll earn a No. 1 seed.

Let's take the Cavaliers' recent victory against Pittsburgh—a team making a late push for the tournament—as an example.

Despite a struggling offense, Virginia was able to stay in the game by clamping down on Jamel Artis' supporting cast, forcing the prolific forward to carry the team. Stout defense forced Artis to settle for long-range shots, allowing the Cavaliers to make a late run and come away with a decisive 61-49 win.

Finding ways to win tight games against tournament-contending teams will keep Virginia in the discussion for a No. 1 seed, and the team has enough of a cushion to drop one of its four remaining regular-season contests without losing ground.

Duke

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The Blue Devils suffered a couple of bad losses earlier in the season, but they've been incredibly solid against the nation's better teams. Duke has faced off against seven ranked teams this season, winning six of those contests—the team's lone loss came in a 77-73 affair against Notre Dame; however, the Blue Devils rebounded quickly, defeating that same Irish team by 30 points just three games later.

Perhaps Duke's most impressive win of the season, the Blue Devils defeated Wisconsin 80-70 back in December. This was arguably our first glimpse of just how strong of a contender Duke can be when it is firing on all cylinders. 

The Blue Devils own one of the nation's most prolific offenses, but in that game, they shot an impressive 65.2 percent from the floor as a team. Jahlil Okafor established himself as a dominant big man, hitting 6-of-8 shots for 13 points while adding six rebounds. Meanwhile, Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook comprise a dangerous backcourt combination that can score from anywhere.

During a press conference with The Associated Press (via ESPN.com), Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski commented on how well his young players perform when the upperclassmen set a good example, saying, "When those freshmen see that the upperclassmen are setting the table for them, it helps a lot. They didn't look like freshmen tonight."

With a full season to jell as a team, a current winning streak that includes victories over three ranked teams and a remaining schedule that won't allow Duke to drop more than one game, we should be looking at another No. 1 seed here.

Villanova

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This is the most difficult spot to call. The fourth No. 1 seed could really go in several different directions, with Wisconsin, Gonzaga and others as solid candidates. However, what makes the Wildcats unique here is their ability to bounce back from losses quickly and defeat the teams that previously emerged victorious.

Villanova's first loss of the season came in January in an overtime contest against Seton Hall. The Pirates were on a run at that point of the year and upset the Wildcats despite a poor shooting day from both squads. Not only did Villanova turn things around quickly and win its next four contests, but it trounced the Pirates 80-54 in their next meeting.

The Wildcats' second loss of the season was against Georgetown, as the team couldn't overcome sloppy play en route to a 20-point loss. Once again, Villanova proved to have a short memory, bouncing back to win their next nine games (an active winning streak), taking the Hoyas down in a rematch by a score of 69-53 in the process.

During a press conference after the game with The Associated Press (via ESPN.com), senior guard Darrun Hilliard spoke of the team's mindset entering the rematch: "We don't look at it as revenge. We just take it as our next game."

This team is rolling right now, and it's conceivable that Villanova won't lose again before the NCAA tournament.