March Madness: Which NCAA men's No. 1 will go furthest? And will the South Carolina women go all the way?

How’s your bracket looking?

Sorry, had to ask. Force of habit and all.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on the site formerly known as Twitter, we began by simply wanting to know which NCAA Tournament men’s No. 1 seed will go furthest. UConn? Houston? North Carolina? Purdue?

“UConn was the most consistent team all year,” @JeffreyCanalia commented.

But @00723maui went with Purdue, which he called “due,” and @DeyoSahler with UNC “because that’s who everyone least expects.”

Next, we asked if you’d take unbeaten South Carolina or the field — meaning every other team — to win the women’s tournament.

“Just give South Carolina the trophy,” @JBIRD1268 wrote.

“It’s [Iowa’s] Caitlin Clark season,” @ProhibitionRiot disagreed.

Last, we asked how long it will take new DePaul men’s coach Chris Holtmann to get the Blue Demons to the Big Dance.

“I just want the Demons to matter again in college basketball,” @mikewalsh4609 wrote.

But @JurgenFrank6 was more confident: “It will happen. The school and the fan base are committed.”

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Which NCAA Tournament men’s No. 1 seed will go furthest?

Upshot: Defending national champion UConn is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and that standing clearly was no joke with our voters. Meanwhile, not a lot of belief in Purdue, the powerhouse of the Big Ten. It’s almost like the Boilermakers have a way of not coming through in March. That can’t be true, though, can it?

Poll No. 2: You can bet on unbeaten South Carolina or the field in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Which are you taking?

Upshot: The Gamecocks were 36-0 when they ran into Clark and Iowa in last year’s semifinals. If they clash again this time, it won’t be until the title game. Lordy, would that be exciting.

Poll No. 3: How long will it take new DePaul men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann to get the Blue Demons to the NCAA Tournament?

Upshot: It has been 20 years since DePaul went dancing. What’s a few more? But if it never happens on Holtmann’s watch, that’ll be quite a bummer.