Pound for pound, the toughest region.

Florida may be the final No. 1 seed, but nobody is playing better than the SEC Tournament champions, who just overwhelmed Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee over the weekend by a combined 45 points.

Second-seeded St. John’s hasn’t lost a game at full strength since New Year’s Eve, and Texas Tech is the highest-ranked third seed by the analytic website, KenPom.com.

St. John’s guard RJ Luis Jr. drives the ball in the first half against Butler on March 13, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Maryland is a dangerous No. 4, led by superstar freshman Derik Queen, and No. 7 Kansas is still Kansas, featuring stud center Hunter Dickinson.