Bracketology 2022: Latest Expert Predictions for Top 4 Seeds

In the 2022 NCAA tournament, there likely isn't going to be a No. 1 seed from the SEC. Earlier this week, that would have been a surprise. But Texas A&M's upset run through its conference tournament has made a big impact on bracketology for March Madness.

The Aggies, who are the No. 8 seed in the SEC tourney, have knocked off both No. 1 Auburn and No. 3 Kentucky this week. The Tigers appeared to be heading toward a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament before their quarterfinal loss. Then, the Wildcats seemed to be in the running until they fell in the semifinals.

That opened the door for a team from another conference to get a No. 1 seed for March Madness. And while the projections are typically accurate, we won't know for sure which four teams will have the best seeding for the NCAA tournament until after all the conference tournaments are over on Sunday.

Which four teams appear to be the favorites for the No. 1 seeds, though? Here are the latest predictions by several bracketology experts.

Expert Predictions for No. 1 Seeds

ESPN's Joe Lunardi: Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, Kansas

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller: Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, Kansas

Stadium's Jeff Goodman: Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, Kansas

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish: Gonzaga, Arizona, Baylor, Kansas

There doesn't seem to be much debate among the college basketball analysts. It seems to be a general consensus that these four teams are the most deserving of the No. 1 seeds for the 2022 NCAA tournament, and it would be a surprise if the selection committee doesn't feel the same way.

Gonzaga is likely going to be the No. 1 overall seed in the tourney for the second consecutive year. The Bulldogs were dominant last season, as they won their first 31 games of the season before losing to Baylor in the national championship game.

This year, Gonzaga has faced a bit more adversity because it lost three regular-season games. But the Bulldogs went on to win the West Coast Conference tournament title for the ninth time in the past 10 years. And they're again going to be a difficult team to beat during March Madness.

Like Gonzaga, Arizona should also be a lock for a No. 1 seed. The Wildcats have been on a tear this season under first-year head coach Tommy Lloyd, who has guided the team to a 31-3 record thus far. They also won the Pac-12 tournament for the first time since 2018.

Upsets are always possible in March, and anything could happen once the NCAA tournament begins. But there will likely be plenty of people who have either Gonzaga or Arizona winning the national title when filling out their brackets, and for good reason.

As for the other two No. 1 seeds, it appears the experts believe they'll go to a pair of Big 12 teams. And it's hard to argue that either Baylor or Kansas doesn't deserve one of those spots.

The Jayhawks proved that they should be a No. 1 seed with their impressive run at the Big 12 tournament this week. After going 25-6 during the regular season, they defeated West Virginia, TCU and Texas Tech in the conference tourney, which they won for the first time since 2018.

If Kentucky hadn't lost in the semifinals of the SEC tournament or Duke hadn't lost in the ACC tournament championship game, perhaps one of those two teams would have an argument over Baylor to be a No. 1 seed. But both those schools lost, and the Bears were a bit more impressive during the regular season.

Although Baylor lost to Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, it went 26-5 during the regular season and recorded 10 wins against Quad 1 opponents. The only team with more was Kansas, and that was tied for the second-most with Gonzaga.

So not only did the Bears play well all season, but they did so while facing tough competition. That's why they're more deserving of a No. 1 seed than both the Wildcats and Blue Devils.

Considering none of the four projected No. 1 seeds are playing on Sunday, it's unlikely that anything happens to change this. Of course, it's always possible that the selection committee feels differently about something, but that doesn't seem probable about these four strong teams.