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The NCAA selection committee always makes it fun. It doesn't always make sense, and when the Pac-12 Tournament Champion Oregon Ducks were announced in the early portion of the Selection Sunday bracket as a No. 12 seed, it was a sign that the conference wasn't viewed well by the committee.
But behind the scenes, it's a wonder if the drama factor has a priority, especially regarding the Arizona Wildcats. UA will sit as a six seed in the West tournament bracket and will begin against Belmont in Salt Lake City on Thursday. And in the West, they're joined by No. 1 seed Gonzaga, the Ohio State Buckeyes and former UA point guard Momo Jones' Iona squad in the region.
Talk about drama.
While Ohio State faces Iona to open the tournament, making the Momo-reunion unexpected, the Wildcats will have their work cut out for them either way. During the selection show, CBS Sports' Seth Davis said the Belmont Bruins were a threat to drop the Wildcats, but as for Arizona's resume, the Wildcats did beat the No. 2 seed Miami Hurricanes, No. 3 seed Florida Gators and No. 7 seed San Diego State Aztecs.
The New Mexico Lobos would presumably be next up should UA beat Belmont. Steve Alford's team, a three seed, plays No. 14 Harvard to open the tournament.
About that Pac-12 disrespect: UCLA got a tough first game against a Minnesota team that was once a top-10 squad, while the California Golden Bears got a 5-12 matchup against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Colorado grabbed a No. 10 seed against Illinois.