Cronin says UCLA seed in NCAA bracket preview is ‘comical’

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Division I men’s basketball committee has revealed its top 16 teams for next month’s NCAA Tournament. UCLA coach Mick Cronin says he found his team’s current seed to be “comical.” Top-ranked Alabama was voted as the committee’s top overall seed. No. 2 Houston, No. 3 Purdue and No. 5 Kansas were selected as No. 1 seeds — for now. No. 8 Arizona was chosen as the sixth overall seed, while fourth-ranked UCLA was eighth. Cronin says he thinks the Bruins are paying the price for the announcement that UCLA and USC are leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten in 2024. He says their seed is a “direct result” of those plans. Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament is March 12.