Quick Takes: UK-UNC go after a possible No. 1 seed

It might be December, but the race for No. 1 seeds is already underway.  Case in point: Kentucky and North Carolina battle Saturday in Las Vegas.  The winner gains an upper-hand should both teams remain top line contenders in March.  It could also be critical for location.  For example, let’s say UNC and UK both finish as top-flight seeds.  Who gets placed in the South Region?  Saturday’s tilt could prove to be a tie-breaker for the Committee’s Seed List.  If Joel Berry is healthy for Carolina, expect a fast-paced, back-and-forth affair.  And given UK’s home loss to UCLA, the outcome is probably more critical for the Wildcats.  A loss to the Tar Heels would leave Big Blue 0-2 against its toughest competition, with a game against rival Louisville as the only headliner left on its non-conference docket.

Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s other Bracket games …

Bracket Headliners:

• Purdue vs. Notre Dame
• Butler vs. Indiana
• Texas AM at Arizona

Bracket Seed-Liners:

• Ohio State at UCLA
• Oklahoma State vs. Wichita State

Bracket Bubble-Games:

• Georgetown at Syracuse
• Illinois vs. BYU
• Dayton vs. Northwestern
• Middle Tennessee State at VCU
• Memphis at Oklahoma
• Arkansas vs. Texas

Bracket Watchers:

• Texas Tech at Richmond
• Northern Iowa vs. Iowa
• Wake Forest at Xavier
• Indiana State at Valparaiso
• Chattanooga at Vanderbilt

Enjoy a great Saturday of college hoops.  Sunday, keep an eye on Alabama and Clemson.  That’s a nice under-the-radar Bracket Watcher game, too.