Kansas, Villanova, AP’s last two No. 1-ranked teams, lead South Region
For the last six weeks, only Kansas and Villanova have been ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll, and going into the weekend, they appeared strong candidates to be No. 1 seeds.
But only one is.
The Jayhawks, winners of the Big 12 regular season and tournament, landed the NCAA Tournament’s overall top seed.
The Wildcats, winners of the Big East regular season, reached the final of their conference tournament but lost out on a top seed.
As a No. 2 seed in the South, Villanova won’t get to play the regional semifinals and finals in Philadelphia if it gets that far.
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“The disappointment you see is from the fans and the families (of the players),” Villanova coach Jay Wright told Comcast SportsNet. “But I think the players understand it’s not where you play, it’s how you play.”
The teams have more in common than ranking. Kansas and Villanova have been two of the more disappointing NCAA Tournament teams of the last two years. Neither has advanced past the first weekend. The Jayhawks lost in the second round as a No. 2 seed in 2014 and 2015. Villanova lost in the second round as a No. 2 seed in 2014 and as a No. 1 seed last season.
If the Wildcats defeat No. 15 UNC-Asheville in the opener, a meeting with Philly neighbor Temple could await. No. 10 seed Temple takes on No. 7 Iowa.
Best matchup
It’s the play-in game between Vanderbilt and Wichita State. According to the seed list, Wichita State was the next-to-last team in the field (Tulsa was last). The Shockers are making their fifth straight NCAA appearance, the final one for seniors Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, and take on the Commodores, who overcame a midseason slump for their first NCAA appearance since 2012.
Players to watch
California is loaded with talent. Freshmen forwards Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb could be lottery picks. If the Bears and Maryland win, they’re aligned in a second-round game with plenty of star power.
Upset special
Vanderbilt over Arizona. Yes, the Commodores have to get past Wichita State on Tuesday, which will be no easy task. But Vandy seems to have regained its footing from earlier in the season and is capable of a couple of victories.
Final Four pick
Kansas over Villanova
Blair Kerkhoff: 816-234-4730, @BlairKerkhoff
South Regional team-by-team glance
Kansas
Lawrence, 30-4.
Nickname: Jayhawks. Coach: Bill Self.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: Big 12 champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 1.
Tournament Record: 97-43, 44 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (81.6);Perry Ellis 16.7;Wayne Selden Jr. 13.3;Frank Mason III 13.1;Devonte Graham 11.7.
Rebounds: Team (37.7);Laden Lucas 6.3;Perry Ellis 5.9;Frank Mason III 4.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.9/12.6);Frank Mason III 4.7/1.9;Devonte Graham 3.8./1.6;Wayne Selden Jr. 2.5/1.8.
3-pointers: Team (.426);Wayne Selden Jr. 69;Devonte Graham 68;Frank Mason III 41;Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk 33;Brannen Greene 31.
Last Ten: 10-0.
The Skinny: The Jayhawks won their 12th straight Big 12 title thanks to talent and experience, two factors that play well in the NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Perry Ellis and junior guards Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden Jr. make everything go, but this is a deep team that expects to be playing on the final weekend.
Austin Peay
Clarksville, Tenn., 18-17.
Nickname: Governors. Coach: Dave Loos.
Conference: Ohio Valley. Bid: OVC champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 16.
Tournament Record: 2-7, 6 years. Last appearance: 2008.
Scoring: Team (76.0);Chris Horton 18.9;Josh Robinson 16.7;Khalil Davis 11.2.
Rebounds: Team (36.8);Chris Horton 12.0;Kenny Jones 5.3;Khalil Davis 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.5/14.0);Khalil Davis 2.8/2.6;Josh Robinson 2.6/2.7.
3-pointers: Team (.348);Josh Robinson 69;Jared Savage 52;Khalil Davis 34.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Governors opened the season 0-4, but their first two losses were at Vanderbilt and Indiana. Austin Peay won four games in four days to take the OVC tournament title — and in doing so inched above .500 for the first time all season.
Colorado
Boulder, 22-11.
Nickname: Buffaloes. Coach: Tad Boyle.
Conference: Pac-12. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 8.
Tournament Record: 10-15, 13 years. Last appearance: 2014.
Scoring: Team (76.0);Josh Scott 16.1;George King 13.8;Josh Fortune 10.4.
Rebounds: Team (42.2);Josh Scott 8.7;Wesley Gordon 7.6;George King 4.8;Tory Miller 4.7.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.8/13.4);Dominique Collier 2.7/2.1;Josh Fortune 2.3/2.2.
3-pointers: Team (.396);George King 67;Josh Fortune 55;Dominique Collier 40;Tre’Shaun Fletcher 35.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: The Buffaloes bounced back from a rare down year to tie the school record with 21 regular-season wins heading into the Pac-12 tournament. Their signature victory was a 75-72 thriller over then-No. 9 Arizona in February.
UConn
Storrs, 24-10.
Nickname: Huskies. Coach: Kevin Ollie.
Conference: American Athletic. Bid: AAC champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 9.
Tournament Record: 58-29, 32 years. Last appearance: 2014.
Scoring: Team (73.4);Shonn Miller 12.8;Rodney Purvis 12.5;Daniel Hamilton 12.4;Sterling Gibbs 12.0.
Rebounds: Team (36.5);Daniel Hamilton 8.9;Shonn Miller 5.4;Amida Brimah 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.9/11.1);Daniel Hamilton 4.8/2.4;Sterling Gibbs 2.4/1.5;Jalen Adams 2.4/1.7;Rodney Purvis 2.1/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.362);Sterling Gibbs 73;Rodney Purvis 66;Daniel Hamilton 44.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Foul the Huskies at your peril — they shoot 79 percent from the line. Connecticut won the AAC tournament after beating Cincinnati in four overtimes in the quarterfinals.
Maryland
College Park, 25-8.
Nickname: Terrapins. Coach: Mark Turgeon.
Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 5.
Tournament Record: 39-24, 25 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (76.1);Melo Trimble 14.4;Diamond Stone 12.9;Robert Carter 12.8;Jake Layman 11.2;Rasheed Suliamon 11.1.
Rebounds: Team (35.5);Robert Carter 6.8;Diamond Stone 5.5;Jake Layman 5.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.1/12.9);Melo Trimble 5.1/2.7;Rasheed Suliamon 3.6/1.9.
3-pointers: Team (.374);Melo Trimble 56;Rasheed Suliamon 55;Jake Layman 52;Jared Nickens 47.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: The Terrapins reached No. 2 in the country before going into a late-season tailspin. They enter the NCAA Tournament with five losses in their last eight games, including a defeat against lowly Minnesota and an 18-point drubbing at Indiana.
South Dakota State
Brookings, 26-7.
Nickname: Jackrabbits. Coach: Scott Nagy.
Conference: Summit League. Bid: Summitt champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 12.
Tournament Record: 0-2, 2 years. Last appearance: 2013.
Scoring: Team (76.3);Mike Daum 15.2;George Marshall 14.9;Deondre Parks 14.7;Reed Tellinghuisen 9.1.
Rebounds: Team (37.9);Mike Daum 6.1;Reed Tellinghuisen 4.9;Jake Bittle 4.8;Deondre Parks 4.7;Keaton Moffitt 4.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.3/11.8);George Marshall 2.7/1.3;Jake Bittle 2.2/2.0;Keaton Moffitt 2.0/1.2.
3-pointers: Team (.357);George Marshall 61;Reed Tellinghuisen 58;Deondre Parks 48.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Jackrabbits are back in the NCAAs for the third time in five years. They are led by first-team all-Summit selection George Marshall.
California
Berkeley, 23-10.
Nickname: Golden Bears. Coach: Cuonzo Martin.
Conference: Pac-12. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 4.
Tournament Record: 20-18, 18 years. Last appearance: 2013.
Scoring: Team (75.1);Tyrone Wallace 15.3;Jaylen Brown 15.0;Jordan Mathews 13.2;Ivan Rabb 12.5;Jabari Bird 10.4.
Rebounds: Team (40.0);Ivan Rabb 8.5;Jaylen Brown 5.5;Tyrone Wallace 5.4;Kameron Rooks 4.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.0/12.2);Tyrone Wallace 4.4/2.7;Sam Singer 2.7/1.4.
3-pointers: Team (.369);Jordan Mathews 86;Jabari Bird 61;Jaylen Brown 30.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Heralded freshman Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb helped the Golden Bears make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. Cal is one of the top defensive teams in the nation, holding opponents to 39.3 percent shooting.
Hawaii
Honolulu, 27-5.
Nickname: Rainbow Warriors. Coach: Eran Ganot.
Conference: Big West. Bid: Big West champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 13.
Tournament Record: 0-4, 4 years. Last appearance: 2002.
Scoring: Team (77.6);Stefan Jankovic 15.7;Aaron Valdes 14.6;Roderick Bobbitt 13.3;Isaac Fleming 9.5.
Rebounds: Team (37.4);Stefan Jankovic 6.6;Aaron Valdes 5.5;Michael Thomas 5.4;Roderick Bobbitt 4.2;Stefan Jovanovic 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.8/13.2);Roderick Bobbitt 5.5/2.9;Quincy Smith 2.5/1.4;Aaron Valdes 2.5/1.5;Isaac Fleming 2.2/2.9.
3-pointers: Team (.322);Roderick Bobbitt 54;Aaron Valdes 42;Sai Tummala 42;Stefan Jankovic 30.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Rainbow Warriors made the most of their opportunity to reach the NCAA Tournament — they’re facing NCAA sanctions that ban them from the 2016-17 postseason. Hawaii averages 26 free throw attempts per game but shoots only 68 percent from the line.
Arizona
Tucson, 25-8.
Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Sean Miller.
Conference: Pac-12. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 6.
Tournament Record: 54-31, 32 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (81.2);Ryan Anderson 15.5;Gabe York 15.2;Allonzo Trier 15.0;Kaleb Tarczewski 9.4.
Rebounds: Team (40.2);Ryan Anderson 10.1;Kaleb Tarczewski 9.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.4/12.8);Kadeem Allen 3.6/1.8;Parker Jackson-Cartwright 3.5/1.5;Gabe York 2.3/2.1.
3-pointers: Team (.383);Gabe York 96;Allonzo Trier 38.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Injuries hampered the Wildcats all season, yet they are a group that could make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. This may have been Sean Miller’s best job coaching since arriving in Tucson.
Vanderbilt
Nashville, Tenn., 19-13.
Nickname: Commodores. Coach: Kevin Stallings.
Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 11.
Tournament Record: 10-14, 13 years. Last appearance: 2012.
Scoring: Team (76.8);Wade Baldwin IV 14.3;Damian Jones 14.2;Matthew Fisher-Davis 9.9;Jeff Roberson 9.5.
Rebounds: Team (38.6);Luke Kornet 7.2;Damian Jones 6.9;Jeff Roberson 5.6;Wade Baldwin IV 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.9/11.7);Wade Baldwin IV 5.2/2.7;Riley LaChance 2.5/1.3.
3-pointers: Team (.388);Matthew Fisher-Davis 79;Riley LaChance 42;Wade Baldwin IV 41;Jeff Roberson 30.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Commodores start a pair of 7-footers in Damian Jones and Luke Kornet, and they play some of the best defense in the country. They beat Kentucky, but a propensity for too many shooting droughts led to a roller-coaster season.
Wichita State
Wichita, Kan., 24-8.
Nickname: Shockers. Coach: Gregg Marshall.
Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 11.
Tournament Record: 15-13, 12 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (73.2);Ron Baker 14.2;Fred VanVleet 12.0;Anton Grady 8.0;Markis McDuffie 7.3.
Rebounds: Team (37.5);Ron Baker 4.8;Anton Grady 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.3/9.9);Fred VanVleet 5.7/1.7;Ron Baker 3.2/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.330);Ron Baker 59;Fred VanVleet 40;Connor Frankamp 31.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: The Shockers struggled early in the year without star guard Fred VanVleet, who was injured. He returned and Wichita State resumed winning, only to be stunned by eventual MVC tournament champion Northern Iowa in the semifinals. That led to an uneasy wait for Selection Sunday.
Miami
Coral Gables, Fla., 25-7.
Nickname: Hurricanes. Coach: Jim Larranga.
Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 3.
Tournament Record: 6-7, 7 years. Last appearance: 2013.
Scoring: Team (78.1);Sheldon McClellan 15.8;Angel Rodriguez 11.7;Davon Reed 11.3;Ja’Quan Newton 11.1.
Rebounds: Team (35.9);Tonye Jekiri 8.9;Kamari Murphy 5.8;Davon Reed 3.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.2/11.0);Angel Rodriguez 4.4/2.3;Ja’Quan Newton 2.5/2.1.
3-pointers: Team (.366);Sheldon McClellan 49;Angel Rodriguez 47;Davon Reed 42;Ivan Cruz Uceda 39.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: The Hurricanes began the season unranked but climbed into the top 10 and finished tied for second in the ACC during the regular season. They have a senior-dominated team, and leading scorer Sheldon McClellan is among the most efficient players in the nation.
Buffalo
Buffalo, N.Y., 20-14.
Nickname: Bulls. Coach: Nate Oats.
Conference: Mid-American. Bid: MAC champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 14.
Tournament Record: 0-1, 1 year. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (77.6);Lamont Bearden 13.6;Blake Hamilton 13.1;Willie Conner 12.1;CJ Massinburg 11.3.
Rebounds: Team (39.1);Blake Hamilton 7.0;Rodell Wiggington 5.4;Ikenna Smart 4.4;Nick Perkins 4.2;CJ Massinburg 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.7/13.7);Lamonte Bearden 4.2/2.2;Blake Hamilton 2.5/2.9;Jarryn Skeete 2.2/1.3.
3-pointers: Team (.337);Jarryn Skeete 60;Blake Hamilton 50;Willie Conner 47;CJ Massinburg 44.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: Coach Nate Oats found out in November that his wife, Crystal, was diagnosed with cancer. Oats maintained his focus, and Buffalo finished tied for third in its division before winning the MAC tournament. Crystal Oats has completed her chemotherapy and was cleared by doctors to attend the MAC tournament final.
Iowa
Iowa City, 21-10.
Nickname: Hawkeyes. Coach: Fran McCaffery.
Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 7.
Tournament Record: 28-26, 24 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (78.1);Jarrod Uthoff 18.9;Peter Jok 16.2;Anthony Clemmons 9.0;Adam Woodbury 8.3.
Rebounds: Team (38.4);Adam Woodbury 8.5;Jarrod Uthoff 6.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.0/10.4);Mike Gesell 6.3/1.9;Anthony Clemmons 3.6/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.382);Peter Jok 75;Jarrod Uthoff 62;Dom Uhl 25;Nicolas Baer 25.
Last Ten: 4-6.
The Skinny: The Hawkeyes were a legitimate national title contender as recently as a month ago, but they’ll sputter into the tournament on a 2-6 skid capped by a loss to Illinois in the Big Ten tournament. Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok are among the nation’s top scoring duos, but Iowa’s confidence level is a major concern.
Temple
Philadelphia, 21-11.
Nickname: Owls. Coach: Fran Dunphy.
Conference: American Athletic. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 10.
Tournament Record: 33-31, 31 years. Last appearance: 2013.
Scoring: Team (68.7);Quenton DeCosey 15.6;Obi Enechionyia 11.2;Jaylen Bond 10.2;Devin Coleman 9.3.
Rebounds: Team (36.8);Jaylen Bond 8.3;Quenton DeCosey 6.0;Josh Brown 4.7.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.5/9.2);Josh Brown 4.9/1.4;Quenton DeCosey 2.6/2.1.
3-pointers: Team (.340);Devin Coleman 64;Obi Enechionyia 56;Quenton DeCosey 48.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: The Owls won the AAC regular-season championship. The regular-season conference title was Temple’s first since 2012, when it was in the Atlantic 10.
Villanova
Philadelphia, 29-5.
Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Jay Wright.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 2.
Tournament Record: 51-35, 35 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (77.0);Josh Hart 15.5;Kris Jenkins 13.3;Ryan Arcidiacono 11.9;Jalen Brunson 9.9;Daniel Ochefu 9.7.
Rebounds: Team (35.6);Daniel Ochefu 7.6;Josh Hart 6.9;Darryl Reynolds 4.7.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.1/11.1);Ryan Arcidiacono 4.4/1.5;Jalen Brunson 2.6/1.9;Phil Booth 2.3/1.6;Kris Jenkins 2.1/1.2.
3-pointers: Team (.344);Kris Jenkins 83;Ryan Arcidiacono 60;Josh Hart 50;Jalen Brunson 42;Phil Booth 32.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Big East regular-season champion lost in the conference tournament title game. The Wildcats haven’t advanced out of the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2009, when they reached the Final Four.
UNC Asheville
Asheville, N.C., 22-11.
Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Nick McDevitt.
Conference: Big South. Bid: Big South champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 15.
Tournament Record: 2-3, 3 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2012.
Scoring: Team (75.6);Dylan Smith 13.5;Dwayne Sutton 12.0;Kevin Vannatta 11.7;Ahmad Thomas 11.2;Sam Hughes 10.9.
Rebounds: Team (37.8);Dwayne Sutton 7.8;Ahmad Thomas 6.5;Sam Hughes 4.5;Will Weeks 4.3;Kevin Vannatta 4.2.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.5/13.0);Kevin Vannatta 2.7/1.7;Ahmad Thomas 1.9/2.1.
3-pointers: Team (.324);Dylam Smith 77;Kevin Vannatta 36.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: A team picked to finish seventh in the Big South ended up taking down the top two seeds in the league tournament to make it back to the NCAAs for the first time since 2012. It’s the first time under coach Nick McDevitt, who was a former Bulldogs player and assistant coach.
The Associated Press
This story was originally published March 13, 2016 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Kansas, Villanova, AP’s last two No. 1-ranked teams, lead South Region."