Bracketology 2018: Latest Expert Predictions for Top 4 Seeds

The men's college basketball regular season is done and dusted, and just about every conference tournament has crowned a winner. That leaves most college hoops fans with one thing to look forward to: the men's NCAA tournament.

With nearly every resume set in stone, the major focus for hardcore bracketologists and casual observers alike is figuring out which teams will get at-large bids and which ones will be left out of the 68-team field. That aspect of Selection Sunday will no doubt set off a firestorm of debate.

Figuring out which four schools in the 68-team field get the coveted No. 1 seeds also tends to give folks plenty to ponder and even more to argue about once they are revealed. But this year could be different.

Based on the latest expert predictions, it looks like there might not be any big surprises at the top come Selection Sunday. A few teams have separated themselves from the rest, although that doesn't mean the selection committee will agree.

Expert Predictions for Top 4 Seeds

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller: Virginia, Villanova, Kansas and Xavier.

CBS Sports' Jerry Palm: Virginia, Villanova, Kansas and Xavier.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi: Virginia, Villanova, Kansas and Xavier.

Sporting News (via Yahoo Sports): Virginia, Villanova, Kansas and Xavier.

Anyone noticing a theme here? If the experts have their way on Selection Sunday, there will be nothing in the way of controversy because this small sample size shows a rock-solid consensus for the top four spots in the NCAA tournament.

This agreement even extends to the No. 2 seeds, as all four of the above brackets show North Carolina, Purdue, Duke and Cincinnati getting the second spots in their respective quadrants.

It is hard to argue against any of these teams' top positions. Virginia is 31-2 on the year, and went 17-1 in ACC play. The Cavaliers spent all season slowing the game down and grinding opposing offenses into dust, allowing just 53.1 points per game, tops in the nation.

They were up to their usual standard in the ACC tournament title game Saturday, defeating an excellent North Carolina team 71-63. Head coach Tony Bennett has his team finely tuned and ready to take on all comers. They are a lock for the No. 1 overall seed.

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Villanova and Kansas pretty much wiped out any arguments against them by winning their respective conference tournaments. Villanova got 31 points from Jalen Brunson and another 25 from Mikal Bridges to beat Providence in the Big East tournament final. With the conference title in hand and their No. 2 showing in the Associated Press poll (No. 3 in the Coaches Poll), it's hard to argue with swapping in another team for them.

The Jayhawks defeated West Virginia 81-70 to win the Big 12 title, and although they are ninth in the two major polls, they seem to be considered guaranteed to get a No. 1 seed (winning the Big 12 title will do that for you).

That leaves Xavier, which would appear to be the most vulnerable after losing to Providence in the Big East tournament semifinal. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller explained his thinking: 

UNC did at least manage to reach their conference tournament title game, so that could give them something of an argument over the Musketeers and Blue Devils. Duke has a better season record than the Tar Heels and some solid wins over the likes of Clemson, Florida and Michigan State, but it did lose two out of three to its bitter rivals this season.

It would be something of a stunner if Purdue or Cincinnati got the nod over Xavier, but both those teams are deserving of placements near the top. It all comes down to Sunday's big reveal. Once that is done, then the work begins for the squads with championship dreams.

Stats courtesy of NCAA.com unless otherwise noted.