# NCAA Tourney details **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2008, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752 "2008-03-18T09:07:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752/1 "2008-03-18T09:07:55Z")
Some people, when discussing the NCAA Basketball Tourney, they sometimes mention that this or that team is the highest or lowest Nth seed. For example, UNC is the highest number 1 seed and UCLA the lowest (I think). Where do they get this kind of info? I checked the NCAA site and couldn’t find anything. Is it somewhere else in the net? ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752/2 "2008-03-18T11:36:20Z")
I don’t think this is explicity listed anywhere. We know that UNC is the number one overall seed because it was announced during the selection show. After that I think it’s just a guess by the analysts. My list would be: 1. UNC 2. UCLA 3. Memphis 4. Kansas ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752/3 "2008-03-18T14:21:28Z")
The regionals are positioned so that if all #1 seeds advance to the final four, the #1 overall seed plays the #4 overall seed and of course #2 plays #3. The committee also generally ranks other seeds in the bracket so that the #1 overall would be matched up against the weakest #2 seed in the Elite 8 round if the seeds hold true. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752/4 "2008-03-18T14:30:08Z")
[QUOTE=fiddlesticks] The committee also generally ranks other seeds in the bracket so that the #1 overall would be matched up against the weakest #2 seed in the Elite 8 round if the seeds hold true. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard that the committee didn’t use the S-curve this year. I find it hard to believe that Tennessee is the weakest #2 seed. I believe on CBS it was mentioned that the committee tried to find balance in the top 4 seeds in each region without using the S-curve. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752/5 "2008-03-18T14:38:57Z")
[QUOTE=Kid\_A] I’ve heard that the committee didn’t use the S-curve this year. I find it hard to believe that Tennessee is the weakest #2 seed. I believe on CBS it was mentioned that the committee tried to find balance in the top 4 seeds in each region without using the S-curve. [/QUOTE] I thought that was a little odd, but I turned the selection show off after I learned where Wisconsin was headed so I didn’t hear them justifying the bracket. So I retract my 2nd sentence. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752/6 "2008-03-18T15:37:42Z")
Found the quote…it’s from an ESPN article. > [@](#): > > \*\*On Tennessee being a No. 2 in No. 1 overall North Carolina’s East bracket: \*\* > “The first eight teams in the country were really strong teams, and we looked at them as teams that could win the national championship. We’re projecting and seeing any of them going to the Final Four. We tried to balance the top four lines in each region, and it made geographic sense to have Tennessee in Charlotte [as a No. 2].” ---
**Author:** ![Outpits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4bbf92/32.png) [@Outpits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outpits)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ncaa-tourney-details/441752/7 "2008-03-18T15:37:55Z")
[QUOTE=Kid\_A] I’ve heard that the committee didn’t use the S-curve this year. I find it hard to believe that Tennessee is the weakest #2 seed. I believe on CBS it was mentioned that the committee tried to find balance in the top 4 seeds in each region without using the S-curve. [/QUOTE] It was my understanding that Tennessee was placed in the East due to the geography of the region. In the East region they would play the sectionals in Charlotte. If, however, they had used an S-curve, Tennessee would have played in Detroit, most likely. The advantage of playing closer to home outweighed the value of playing the softest 1 seed. Edit: Alas, too late