March Madness 2017 Bracket: Early Projections for Top Four Seeds

There is nearly a full week of action before the NCAA tournament announces its field on Selection Sunday. But even though that won't happen until March 12, it's fairly easy to project the four No. 1 seeds in March Madness.

The four top seeds should be defending national champion Villanova, North Carolina, Kansas and Gonzaga. Those four have been at the top of the rankings and have also been the selections of bracketologists like ESPN's Joe Lunardi and CBSSports.com's Jerry Palm, and it would be a surprise if they didn't emerge at the conclusion of the conference tournaments that will take place throughout the week.

Villanova (28-3, 15-3 Big East) has put together a sensational season after beating North Carolina in last year's national championship game. Head coach Jay Wright has kept his foot on the gas pedal, and the Wildcats have continued to produce on a consistent basis.

Villanova is the No. 1 seed in the Big East tournament, and while that league has regularly produced upsets in its conference tournament, it would be somewhat of a shocker if the Wildcats didn't make it to the title game. If they face second-seeded Butler, it could be a tight game that goes down to the wire because Butler has already beaten Villanova twice. If it is any other Big East team, the Wildcats would be a significant favorite.

The Wildcats have a pair of seniors that Wright can count on in nearly any situation. Guard Josh Hart leads the team with an average of 18.7 points per game and is shooting an impressive 50.7 percent from the field. Forward Kris Jenkins is averaging 13.4 points per night and is connecting on 88.2 percent of his free throws.

Jenkins, of course, hit the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer against North Carolina in last year's title game.

The pair combined for 40 points in Villanova's 81-55 victory over struggling Georgetown in the regular-season finale, and both Washington, D.C.-area products were effective throughout the game. 

"You want to come back, you want to play great," Wright told Joe Juliano of Philly.com. "But they come in and lead their team, do the little things and not play to the crowd. It's really impressive. I'm really proud of them, and I'm a little bit amazed every time they do it."

Sophomore guard Jalen Brunson is averaging 14.8 points and is converting 53.6 percent of his shots from the field, while Mikal Bridges is scoring 10.6 points per game.

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

North Carolina (26-6, 14-4) ended its season in satisfying fashion as the Tar Heels took out chief rival Duke 90-83 in the regular-season finale, and they go into the ACC tournament with five wins in their last six games.

Roy Williams and his team have been playing with the motivation that comes from losing the NCAA title game brings, especially in the heartbreaking manner that took place a year ago.

Junior forward Justin Jackson is the player that Williams knows he can depend on, and he is averaging a team-best 18.3 points per game. He gets plenty of support from junior guard Joel Berry II, who is scoring 15.1 points per game and connecting on 83.2 percent from the free-throw line.

Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks are both averaging in double figures and give the Tar Heels plenty of scoring depth.

Jackson was named the ACC's player of the year Sunday, and the Tomball, Texas, native has impressed Williams with his consistency. Williams said (h/t Andrew Carter of the Charlotte Observer).

"

Justin has been really good from day one. To have the kind of success shooting the ball and making big plays in key situations like he did against Duke is a credit to him and the amount of work he put in to improve his game.

We went through a very difficult ACC schedule and Justin gave our players a lot of confidence knowing that he would consistently be putting up 18-20 points, about five rebounds and some key assists each game.

"

Kansas (28-3, 16-2) is one of the sport's giants, and head coach Bill Self once again has a powerful team capable of making it to the Final Four.

The Jayhawks go in the Big 12 tournament with an eight-game winning streak. Throughout the years, Kansas has dominated the conference in the regular season, but it hasn't always flexed its muscles in the Big 12 tournament.

The Jayhawks defeated West Virginia in the championship game last year, but they have failed to win three of the last five conference tournaments.

Senior guard Frank Mason III is Self's leading scorer, averaging an impressive 20.2 points per game and connecting on 49.3 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

The Jayhawks are connecting on 40.8 percent of their three-points shots as a team, and that ability to shoot from distance allows them to spread defenses out and create open looks at the basket.

Junior guard Devonte' Graham is averaging 13.3 points per game and playing 35.4 minutes each night. He said the Jayhawks will have a fresh mindset as the team gets ready for the postseason.

"Right now, we're just focused on resting and getting prepared for March Madness and all the craziness that's coming along with it," Graham told Matt Tait of the Lawrence Journal-World. "We've gotta refocus real quick and get ready for the tournament."

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Gonzaga (30-1, 17-1) was undefeated for much of the season before the Bulldogs dropped their only game to a good-but-not-great Brigham Young team in February.

The Zags rebounded in strong fashion with an 82-50 victory over Pacific, and their loss could end up helping them because they won't go into the NCAA tournament with the added pressure of having an undefeated season.

Gonzaga features five players who average in double figures, and its ability to find the open man has been one of the key ingredients to its success. Junior guard Nigel Williams-Goss is averaging 16.4 points per game and is connecting on 51.3 percent of his shots from the field, while senior center Przemek Karnowski is scoring 12.3 points per night and hitting 60.5 percent of his shots from the field.

Gonzaga has reached the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament, and it will play Santa Clara Monday night. 

Guard Jordan Mathews is averaging 10.7 points per night, and he says that the Zags have to keep an aggressive personality if they are going to play their best basketball.

"If we have problems, it's because we lack aggression," Mathews told John Blanchette of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. "Turn up the heat. The most aggressive teams usually get the calls and turn teams over. If you're aggressive, good things happen."

While the conference tournaments could play havoc with the tournament committee's seedings, Villanova, North Carolina, Kansas and Gonzaga appear solid as the tournament's top seeds.