NCAA Bracketology 2013: Can Kansas earn a 1-seed?

Kansas slots in as a two-seed right now -- how can they improve? And where do bracketologists have Kansas State and Mizzou?

By Rodger Sherman Mar 13, 2013, 5:19pm CDT

Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri are all going to be going to the NCAA Tournament, regardless of how they perform in the Big 12 and SEC Tournaments -- well, maybe Mizzou could be in some trouble with an early loss -- so the question turns to where they'll be. Can Kansas eke out a 1-seed? Will Missouri be on the top half of their bracket?

Let's take a peek at how each team stands, per Joe Lunardi of ESPN, Jerry Palm of CBS, and Chris Dobbertean of SB Nation.

Kansas (26-5, 14-4)

Lunardi: 2-seed, vs. No. 15 Montana
Palm: 2-seed, vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast
Dobbertean: 2-seed, vs. No. 15 Long Beach State

It seems the Jayhawks are stuck as a second seed right now, and that will fall unless they do as expected and win the Big 12 Tournament. As of now, they'll need one of the first-liners -- Louisville, Gonzaga, Indiana, and Duke, generally -- to drop a game. The good news is that with a No. 2-seed, they'll have a strong chance of being placed in Kansas City, which would provide a home atmosphere that could almost guarantee them a spot in the Sweet 16.

Kansas State (25-6, 14-4)

Lunardi: 4-seed, vs. No. 13 Bucknell
Palm: 4-seed, vs. No. 13 Akron
Dobbertean: 4-seed, vs. No. 13 San Jose

Bruce Weber's squad has more room for improvement. Although they tied for a share of the Big 12 title with Kansas, they didn't get the same rep, thanks to less signature wins and a pair of losses to the Jayhawks in conference. A run at the conference tourney here in KC could push them higher.

Missouri

Lunardi: No. 8 seed vs. San Diego State
Palm: No. 8 seed vs. Cincinnati
Dobbertean: No. 8 seed vs. Belmont

Being slotted in as an 8-seed means that it's pretty likely that Missouri holds on to their bid in the tournament, even if they lose in the first round to either Texas A&M or Auburn. However, Mizzou was supposed to do bigger things than finish sixth in conference upon their move to the SEC, so we'll see how Frank Haith's squad plays in Nashville.