Does anyone want the 4th 1-seed?

Purdue, Houston, UConn. There's no doubt those teams are 1-seeds right now, and little doubt that they're very secure to stay there.

But the 4th 1-seed is still up for grabs. For some time it's been Arizona's. Then Tennessee made their move and for most—including the Dance Chance—the Vols took it over, with conference tournaments looming. Arizona was still very in play, and Iowa State was waiting in the wings, hoping a Big Twelve championship might make them a 1-seed.

Dance Chance prior to Saturday's action:

                                                 4day   7day          Seed  Seed
Rank Team                   Conf  Rec    %Odds   %Chg   %Chg  1-seed  Proj  3/03
  1. Purdue                 B10   27-3   100.0    0.0    0.0   98.3    1     1  
  2. Houston                B12   27-3   100.0    0.0    0.0   96.4    1     1  
  3. Connecticut            BE    27-3   100.0    0.0    0.0   84.3    1     1  
  4. Tennessee              SEC   24-6   100.0    0.0    0.0   60.8    1     1  
  5. Arizona                P12   24-6   100.0    0.0    0.0   35.6    2     2  
  6. Iowa St.               B12   24-6   100.0    0.0    0.0   18.8    2     2  
  7. North Carolina         ACC   24-6   100.0    0.0    0.0    4.7    2     2  
  8. Kansas                 B12   22-8   100.0    0.0    0.0    0.3    2     2  

Then today* happened.

*March 9, 2024 fyi

First, Tennessee lost at home vs. Kentucky. It was pretty ugly for a while, but the Vols closed at end to make it close, falling 85-81.

That opened the door for a surging Iowa State to move up. But it wasn't to be—the Cyclones fell at Kansas State, 65-58.

And late tonight, Arizona just needed a win over 13-17 USC to possibly reclaim their top seed.

They lost, 78-65.

What about Kansas? With a win at 1-seed Houston, the Jayhawks might be in serious 1-seed contention.

Nope. 76-46. It was ugly.

So that left North Carolina—playing at Duke—to move themselves forward. And the Tar Heels came through, winning 84-79.

Does it make them a 1-seed right now? Probably not. But with the three teams ahead of them losing, it certainly increases their odds, and if they win the ACC tournament they will probably be the favorite, though Tennessee and Arizona are still in the mix if they win the SEC and Pac-12 respectively. 

It really just made the race tighter. Instead of two main teams and a few waiting in the wings, there are three teams vying almost equally for the final 1-seed.

Bring on the conference tournaments!