number one seed
Tournament's highest-ranked entrant
The number one seed is the top-ranked competitor in a tournament bracket, having earned the most favorable position through prior performance.
Seeding determines matchups so that the strongest competitors theoretically meet only in later rounds.
The number one seed typically faces the lowest-ranked opponent first: Duke is the number one seed in the East region.
Being the number one seed carries expectations but no guarantee of winning.
- top pickPreferred selection above others
- favoriteMost liked option
- frontrunnerLeading candidate or competitor
- best in classHighest quality among peers
- championTop competitor, or advocate
conference champion · ranking · tournament · bracket · tennis · March Madness · Final Four · sweet sixteen · pole position · contender · upset · draw · first place · dominant · elite · powerhouse · wildcard · playoff
- tournament favoritesfavorites, frontrunners, defending champions
- tournament bracketsbracket, seedings, unseeded, bye, matchup
- playoffsbracket, brackets, elimination, playoff bracket, playoff game
- rivalsrival, opponent, adversary, competitor, foe
- Sports honorsOlympic medal, World Cup trophy, Ballon d'Or, Golden Boot, MVP award
number one seedbottom seed
Worst-positioned tournament entrant
unseeded · unranked · wild card · qualifier · cellar dweller
number one seedunderdog
Presumed loser beforehand
long shot · dark horse · Cinderella · no-hoper · rank outsider
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