Pair of Wildcats clawing their way to the top in college hoops

The Arizona Wildcats and the Kentucky Wildcats are distancing themselves from the rest of the teams in college basketball. At this point, they seem to be the only two teams that are locked for number one seeds in the NCAA Tournament, but there is a pack of teams trying to claim the remaining two spots. Here is a run-through of all the teams at the top of the selection committee's lists (By the way, for these teams it is not a question of whether or not they will get in, but just how high a seed they will receive and in which region.):

Arizona has been everyone's number one all year long. They were the preseason number one and they will most likely be number one in the polls in the final week before the tournament begins. The Wildcats have been close to perfect this year making all of their key shots during clutch moments of games, with the exception of two slipups against the LSU Tigers in Louisiana, and at home to the Stanford Cardinals. Luke Walton's return from injury has helped this team cut right through their PAC-10 opposition. Saturday night's 72-69 victory over previously 19th ranked Stanford helped to avenge the Wildcats' earlier season loss to their conference rival. This win clinched the regular season PAC-10 title for Arizona, and showcased its dominance over its league and the rest of the nation. Without question, Arizona's blend of talent, youth, and experience makes it the team to beat in this year's tournament.

The other Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky have also been playing great ball as of late. They hold the nation's longest current winning streak with victories in 18 straight games. Their domination over the newly appointed number one Florida Gators proved that they are for real, as has their undefeated record in SEC play. Kentucky still remains the best team in the state of Kentucky after the Louisville Cardinals' recent string of three straight losses and fall from the top ten. Kentucky was again tested on Sunday against the ranked Georgia Bulldogs, coming out on top 74-66 in the highly touted SEC match-up.

The Oklahoma Sooners of the Big 12 are also primed for a number one seed provided they do not suffer any bad losses in the next week and are able to get deep into their own conference tournament. Lead by senior guard Hollis Price and the team's experience, the Sooners have a good chance to shine in the NCAA tournament. Although they suffered a conference loss to the Missouri Tigers, losses suffered by other teams in the top ten negate that defeat.

Senior forward Matt Bonner has helped the Florida Gators stay atop the polls, even after their one week debacle as the nation's number one team. The strong mix of underclassmen stars Matt Walsh, David Lee, and Anthony Roberson combined with seniors Bonner, Justin Hamilton, and Brett Nelson will help lead this potential number one seed far into March Madness.

The Duke Blue Devils have rebounded nicely since their four straight ACC road defeats to pull within one game of the conference lead behind the Wake Forrest Demon Deacons. Throughout the course of their late season stretch, the Devils have found a balance of inside and out play with the emergence of freshman Shelden Williams as a legitimate scoring threat and rebound machine. With their 72-71 loss to the mediocre St. John's Red Storm on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, the Devils most likely squashed whatever chance they had at a number one seed. However, this probable number two seed will be very dangerous as this young team gains more and more experience. It may not be their year, but Duke is most certainly going to dominate once again in the near future.

Another team near the top of the Big 12 mix are the Texas Longhorns lead by sophomore point guard sensation T.J. Ford. If the Sooners and the Gators collapse during the final two weeks of the season, look for Texas to sneak in to grab the last number one seed.

The Kansas Jayhawks could be a final four contending team, as most analysts say they have the best starting five in college basketball. Yet after regaining power forward Wayne Simien from an early season injury, the Jayhawks will lose the bruiser for the rest of the year. Simien dislocated his previously injured right shoulder in the 1st half of dominating 84-45 win over the Texas A&M Aggies. Even without Simien, Kansas was able to defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys, a highly ranked conference foe, 79-61 on Saturday's Senior Day in Lawrence, Kansas. Seniors Kirk Heinrich and Nick Collison still form a great inside-outside duo and should carry the Jayhawks far as a number two or three seed.

The Big East is loaded with a number of teams at the top of the conference that could earn high seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Whichever of the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Syracuse Orangemen is the most consistent over the next two weeks, or is able to win the Big East tournament, is most likely to earn a number two seed in one of the regions. The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Wisconsin Badgers are atop the Big 10 and are also in line to earn some of the higher seeds in the tournament.