Who are going to be the #1 seeds in the NCAA march madness tournament?

In 1997, Arizona achieved a record that can only be tied, when it became the only team to beat three #1 seeds in a single tournament. In 2011, the highest seed to advance to the Final Four was #3 seed Connecticut, making the 2011 tournament the only time that neither a #1 seed nor a #2 seed advanced into the final weekend of play. In the same tournament, Butler made history as the first program to make consecutive Final Fours while not being seeded #1 or #2 in either season.

There have been sixteen teams that have entered the tournament undefeated. Four of those teams were from UCLA, and those four UCLA teams won each of those tournaments. However, of the other twelve teams entering the tournament undefeated, only three went on to win the tournament.

In 1980, 1981, and 1982, when the tournament was 48 teams, DePaul was seeded #1 but was defeated in the first round. The University of Maryland in 2002 is the only #1 seed who has won the championship by defeating a #16, 8, 4, 2, and 1 seed- the highest possible seeds they could have faced in each round- en route to the final. The NCAA tournament has undergone dramatic expansion since the 1970s, and since the tournament was expanded to 48 teams in 1980, no undefeated teams have failed to qualify.

But before that, there were six occasions on which a team achieved perfection in the regular season, yet did not appear in the NCAA tournament. During 1939, Long Island University finished the regular season undefeated but decided to accept instead an invitation to the NIT (which they won) instead of the NCAA tournament, as the NIT was more prestigious at the time. It wasn't until the mid-1950s that the NCAA required that its tournament would have "first choice" in determining teams for their field.

Before then, many of the more successful teams during the regular season chose to play in the NIT instead of the NCAA tournament. During 1940, Seton Hall finished the regular season 19–0, but their record had been built largely against weak teams and thus did not earn them an invitation to the postseason tournament. During 1941, Milwaukee finished the regular season 16–0, but their record had been built largely against weak teams and thus did not earn them an invitation to the postseason tournament.

During 1944, Army finished the regular season undefeated. But owing to World War II, the Cadets did not accept an invitation to postseason play. During 1954, Kentucky finished 25–0 and were invited to the tournament, but declined the invitation.

During 1973 the North Carolina State Wolfpack finished the regular season 27–0 and ranked #2 (behind undefeated and eventual tournament champion UCLA) but were barred from participating in the NCAA tournament while on probation for recruiting violations. During 1979, the Alcorn State University Braves finished the regular season 27–0, but did not receive an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The Braves accepted a bid to the NIT, where they lost in the second round to eventual NIT champion Indiana.

1978 champion Kentucky went 19–12 in 1979. The Wildcats accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, losing their first round game in overtime to Clemson, 68–67. Both 1979 champion Michigan State and 1979 runner up Indiana State failed to qualify for the 1980 NCAA tournament.

Furthermore, neither was invited to the National Invitation Tournament. 1983 champion North Carolina State went 19–13 in 1984. The Wolfpack accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, losing their first round game to Florida State, 74–71 in Reynolds Coliseum.

1986 champion Louisville went 18–14 in 1987. The team declined an invitation to the postseason National Invitation Tournament. 1988 champion Kansas went 19–12 in 1989.

However, the team was ineligible for participation in the 1989 NCAA tournament due to NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations. Both 2007 champion Florida and 2007 runner up Ohio State failed to qualify for the 2008 NCAA tournament. Both accepted invitations to that year's postseason National Invitation Tournament.

Each made it to that tournament's final four. Florida fell to the University of Massachusetts in the semifinals, and Ohio State defeated UMass in the NIT Championship Game to win the tournament. 2009 champion North Carolina went 16–16 in 2010.

The Tar Heels accepted an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament, in which they reached the finals and were defeated by Dayton. Rick Pitino and John Calipari have been to the Final Four with three different schools. Pitino: Providence (1987), Kentucky (1993, 1996, and 1997), and Louisville (2005 and 2012).