NCAA Tournament Supportology with March Madness, Sunday Selection near

Shelby Mast and Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

Posted at 8:24 am ET on March 15, 2019 | Updated at 9:14 am ET on March 15, 2019

Editor's Note: This story was updated with the latest NCAA tournament screenings played on March 14th.

Lost in the electrifying return of Zion Williamson on Thursday in Duke's victory over Syracuse, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will have to evaluate the Blue Devils (27-5) in the selection on Sunday.

Williamson's highlights and perfect ground shot at 13-for-13 reminded us of why Duke was once the number one overall favorite to beat a dominant Virginia team twice. However, committee members do not necessarily select the best teams based on the net cutting potential of April, but review the overall work.

So much emphasis has been placed on the fact that the committee actually takes into account the injuries when sowing the teams and that Duke's seeding line will be based on the team examined on the Sunday of the selection. . And the Blue Devils are definitely a contender for the national title with Williamson in the mix. But Duke does not have the # 1 seed blocked, thanks to a 3-3 record with Williamson out – results that will be treated with some leniency, but which will nonetheless be considered detrimental to the profile. Otherwise, Williamson could have missed half of the season, Duke could have lost every game without him and they would still have a seed? No chance.

Duke's investment prospectus is fairly straightforward at this point: beat North Carolina in the ACC tournament semi-finals or you're a No. 2 seed. Certainly, this Duke team with two contenders for the National Player of the Year title Year at Williamson and RJ Barrett may well be the best-seeded No. 2 in tournament history, but the fact is that three defeats against North Carolina – though two of them they were without Williamson – would be ranked unfavorably for the Blue Devils when they would accumulate their titles with those of the UNC, Gonzaga, Kentucky or Tennessee – assuming that one of these two last seeded No. 2 wins the SEC tournament.

MARS MADNESS: Complete schedule of conference tournaments

BUBBLE WATCH: Winners and losers of conference tournaments

If Duke lost to the Tar Heels, the United Kingdom would have the same number of defeats and more wins in quadrant 1 (top 30 at home, top 75 on the road), including a neutral victory over North Carolina. Yes, Duke crushed the Wildcats early in the season, but other profile considerations would come into play.

Duke is surely in a precarious situation, since he just found his best player and looks like a No. 1 seed. But UNC is not an easy way out. The fate of Sunday's selection of the Blue Devils will likely be determined here Friday.

► N ° 1 seeds: Virginia, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Duke

► Last four in: Temple, Alabama, Belmont, Florida

► Four first on: UNC-Greensboro, Xavier, Georgetown, Indiana

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• Other candidates selected for a global offer (in no particular order): Creighton, NC, Clemson, Lipscomb, Texas, Furman

• On the support of life: South Carolina, Memphis, Dayton, Davidson

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Conferences at multiple offers: Big Ten (8), SEC (8), ACC (7), Big 12 (7), Big East (4), American (4), Mountain West (2), Ohio Valley (2), Pac-12 (2) ) West Coast (2).

Leaders or Highest RPI Planned Conferences to an Offer – (22 in total): VCU (Atlantic 10), Vermont (East America), Liberty (Atlantic Sun), Montana (Big Sky), Gardner-Webb (Great South), UC Irvine (Big West), Northeast (CAA) , Old Dominion (United States), Northern Kentucky (horizon), Yale (Ivy), Iona (MAAC), Buffalo (MAC), Norfolk State (MEAC), Bradley (MVC), Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast) , Colgate (Patriot), Wofford (South), Sam Houston State (Southland), Prairie View A & M (SWAC), Wofford (South), State of North Dakota (Summit), State of Georgia (Sun Belt), State of New Mexico (WAC).

• Transitional schools not eligible to participate: Baptist Cal, North Alabama.

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Note: Most statistical data is used on WarrenNolan.com. The new NET classification of the NCAA is also taken into account; this was put in place early in 2018-19.

About our bracketShelby Mast has been fielding since 2005 on its website, Bracket W.A.G. He joined USA TODAY in 2014. In his sixth season as a national farmer, Mast was ranked among the top three archivists in the last five madnesses of March. He is also predicted for the Indianapolis Star, collegeinsider.com and is an inaugural member of the Super 10 Selection Committee. Follow him on Twitter @BracketWag.

Follow college basketball journalist Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.