Arizona basketball: Wildcats currently a 3-seed according to NCAA Tournament Selection Committee

For the first time ever, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee gave an in-season update on who the top-16 teams in the tournament are, and what their seeds would be.

As far as the Arizona Wildcats are concerned, they’re currently seen as a 3-seed, and are slated in the Midwest Region. Right now, that region has the Kansas Jayhawks as the 1-seed, the Florida State Seminoles as the 2-seed, and the Duke Blue Devils on the 4-line.

There are two other Pac-12 teams that are currently sitting in the group of 16 teams at the top of the bracket. The Oregon Ducks are a 2-seed in the West, and the UCLA Bruins are the 4-seed in the East.

Committee chair Mark Hollis said that the committee used the head-to-head matchup between Arizona and Oregon as the deciding factor between the two teams. Oregon was the overall 8-seed, while Arizona was right behind them at nine. It’s important which team ends up getting the higher seed because the highest Pac-12 seed will likely end up in the West Regional, which will be played in San Jose.

Only one of the Pac-12’s top teams will be able to play in the West Region. Arizona was placed in the Midwest because it’s the next closest geographical location.

Selection Sunday is just four weeks away. The entire 68-team bracket will be announced on March 12th. Between now and then, Arizona has potentially tough home games with Cal, USC, and UCLA, plus trips to Washington, WSU, and ASU.

That game against the California Golden Bears is Saturday night at 8 PM MT. It will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Here’s the full top-16: