NCAA bracket 2017: No. 1 seeds are Villanova, Kansas, UNC, and Gonzaga

The 2017 NCAA Bracket was released on Sunday evening, and with it we learned who the four No. 1 seeds are. The group of teams isn’t all that surprising, as Villanova, Kansas, North Carolina, and Gonzaga took the No. 1 spots, earning the 128-0 history that comes with facing a 16-seed in an opening game. Villanova earned the top overall seed after a 31-3 season in which they won a competitive Big East.

Sunday’s only drama came down to whether North Carolina and Kansas could overcome conference tournament losses to retain their status as top four programs. The Tar Heels suffered an excusable defeat against Duke in the ACC semifinals, but a seven-loss season made their inclusion questionable. The Jayhawks finished with only four losses, but the most recent was a Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal stunner against unheralded TCU.

It will be tough for all four teams to advance into the Final Four, but not impossible. 2008 saw each No. 1 seed run to college basketball’s most famous weekend, including a pair of familiar faces: UNC, Kansas, Memphis, and UCLA.

Earning a spot at the top of the regional bracket is no guarantee of success, either. Since 2000, 10 Final Fours have featured one No. 1 seed or fewer. Two tournaments -- 2011 and 2006 — failed to place a single top seed in the national semifinal.

Check out the complete 2017 NCAA Bracket here, with a printable version available as well.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels won the ACC regular season title, but their inability to hold off arch-rival Duke in a conference tournament rubber match threw their viability at the top of the bracket into question on Selection Sunday. UNC’s stellar regular season -- in which it beat top 25 staples like Wisconsin, Florida State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Louisville, and the aforementioned Blue Devils — was enough to draw a 16-seed in the Big Dance.

This marks the second year in a row that the Tar Heels have earned a No. 1 seed. They rode that seed to last year’s championship game before losing to Villanova.

Villanova

Villanova’s quest to defend its national championship will start off on a high note after earning a top seed in the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats carried an undefeated record until January before losing to Butler, 66-58. Another loss to the Bulldogs and a defeat in Milwaukee to Marquette are the only blemishes on the team’s otherwise spotless record.

Guards Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson have been instrumental in the team’s stellar 2017. The dynamic backcourt duo has combined for nearly 34 points per game this winter, providing the scoring punch that’s helped Villanova record quality victories over teams like Purdue, Notre Dame, Virginia, Xavier, and Creighton.

Gonzaga

The Bulldogs were the country’s last undefeated team, and at 32-1 have a record unparalleled in the NCAA. While Gonzaga doesn’t have the litany of quality wins the other No. 1 seeds have, victories over Pac-12 champion Arizona, Big 12 champion Iowa State, and a three-game sweep of Saint Mary’s prove just how dangerous it can be.

Junior guard Nigel Williams-Goss leads the way offensively, averaging 17 points per game. The Bulldogs have proven they can survive -- and even improve — after losing standouts like Kyle Wiltjer, Domantas Sabonis, and Eric McClellan from last year’s Sweet Sixteen team.

Kansas

The Jayhawks rattled off a series of impressive wins this winter en route to their 13th straight regular season Big 12 title. Kansas dispatched blue blood opponents like Duke and Kentucky to earn a spot on the bracket’s top line. Frank Mason III, the conference player of the year, has averaged nearly 21 points per game to emerge as one of the nation’s deadliest scorers.

The Jayhawks opened the season with a loss to Indiana, but proceeded to rattle off 17 straight wins before losing to West Virginia in late January. Kansas stumbled in the Big 12 tournament, dropping a quarterfinal game, 85-82, to put its No. 1 on shakier ground. In the end, that fourth loss wouldn’t be enough to cost them a premier seed.