Get ready, college basketball fans. The annual extravaganza that is March Madness is upon us. In mere days the big tournament begins and we take a look at some of the top squads.
Selection Sunday beckons, the big event when the NCAA Selection Committee creates the men’s and women’s NCAA brackets. It’s a somewhat complicated affair that involves the inclusion of 32 teams that won their respective division playoffs (automatic bids) and another 36 that are invited by said committee (at-large bids).
Hence, 68 total teams will duke it out in single-round elimination games with specific regional seeds – four regions with 16 sides each after an initial round during which four teams are sent home early. This goes on for the rest of the month (hence, March Madness) with the Final Four and the championship game typically played in the first week of April.
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There’s a lot to take in, but for our purpose today we’ll limit the conversation to some of the top teams many envision could win it all this year. Who are the top dog’s in this year’s men’s edition?
NCAAB 22/23
Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars have roared into the ranks of the top teams in the country alongside stalwarts like UCLA, Kansas, and Purdue. For now, their bid to claim college supremacy seems quite legitimate. Their inclusion in the conversation is a breath of fresh air, although history is not necessarily on their side. The school has never won an NCAA championship, and the last time they were runners-up was 1984. Houston was present in last year’s Elite Eight and the previous year’s Final Four, so the program is clearly ascending.
This year Kelvin Sampson’s young men have compiled an overall record of 30-2, which includes a 17-1 tally in their own conference. Houston’s success is largely predicated on defence, as they concede only 56.6 points per outing, good for second-best in the NCAA rankings. In fact, their ability to keep opponents’ shooting at a minimum is also ranked second with regard to overall field goal efficiency (36.5 per cent) and three-point firing (28.0 per cent). Guard Marcus Sasser leads them in points with 17.1 per game.
Kansas Jayhawks
Of course, the defending champion Jayhawks are jostling for supremacy too. A year ago, they defeated Michael Jordan’s alma matter, North Carolina, 72-69 on the final day. Kansas had won it all on three previous occasions: 2008, 1988, and 1952. This year Bill Self has guided the unit to a strong 26-6 win-loss record, albeit a few steps behind the Cougars.
There were some bumps in the road in late January, when they stumbled against Kansas State, TCU, and Baylor in three straight games, but other than that it’s been smooth sailing. Jalen Wilson leads the squad in points per game with 19.8. Speaking of scoring, they net 75.7 points per contest, good for fourth in the Big 12 and only 0.6 out of third, held by West Virginia.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Another club that’s never won it all but has high hopes this season is the Alabama Crimson Tide. The school’s best showing in the tournament came almost 20 years ago in 2004 when they reached the Elite Eight. Two years ago they made it as far as the Sweet Sixteen.
Nevertheless, odds makers have a lot of faith in the Crimson Tide, and with reason. The SEC side currently sits with a 27-5 record, although they suffered a defeat just a few days ago when they visited Texas A&M. Their offence is sensational and has them ranked first in their conference (82.8 points per tilt), but they’re only ninth defensively in the SEC. If anything might sink them this year, it would be their struggle to sometimes limit an opponent’s damage on offence. Forward Brandon Miller is having himself a great campaign with 19.6 points per outing and is second on his team in rebounding, only behind Noah Clowney. All that said, Miller is currently linked (NOT as a suspect) to a shooting that happened in January and took the life of a woman, thus a shroud hangs over the club.
UCLA Bruins
Ah, the team of all teams. The Bruins are, ironically, much like the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. A terrific program from a historical perspective, but they haven’t won it all in many years, not since 1995. They came achingly close in 2021 with a Final Four appearance, but prior to that, we must go back to 2008 for the last time they got that far. Last year saw them bounced out in the Sweet Sixteen.
Still, 28-4 is 28-4, making them a force to be reckoned with, regardless of whether it’s in the Pac-12 or anywhere in the country. They’ve rattled off 11 consecutive wins and haven’t lost since late January. Not only is their defence good for first in the Pac-12, but seventh in the nation. Offensively, their efforts (74.3 points) are good for second. Incidentally, only the Arizona Wildcats have a more efficient attack and they happen to be another one of the 2023 tournament favourites. Guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads them with an average of 17.4 points for every contest.
Purdue Boilermakers
We conclude our introductory discussion with another regularcontender, Purdue. The Boilemakers have never actually won an NCAA tournament. Their most memorable outing came in 1969 as a runner-up. The school hasn’t even been to a Final Four since 1980. Conversely, they’ve reached the Sweet Sixteen four times in the last six years.
Matt Painter has them looking good this year at 27-5, which places them first in the Big Ten. They survive via very even-keel performances. Even within the Big Ten they aren’t the top-scoring side (fourth) or the best defensive unit (third). But being first in a bunch of stats doesn’t count for as much as sitting in first place. The only worry is that the side has trailed off slightly in recent weeks. They currently ride a three-game win streak, but that halted a sequence during which they fell four times out of six. Zach Edey handles most of the scoring, earning 21.9 a game to go along with a whopping 12.8 rebounds.