1: Purdue Boilermakers
Best Tournament Moment: Purdue’s first ever tournament appearance in 1969 was a rousing success. The Boilermakers were the top seed in the Midwest region and beat Marquette in a tight battle to make the final 4. They destroyed North Carolina but were leaking oil by the time they got to the championship game thanks to injuries. It may not have mattered anyway because they ran into a buzzsaw in John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins and lost by 20.
Why they can win it all: This is a team with a chip on their shoulder. As we all know they fell in a historic 16 over 1 upset last year and now the Boilermakers are back for revenge (I don’t want to fill this with too many images but imagine Purdue Pete glaring angerly.) They have arguably the best player in the country in Zach Edey along with some great guards. This team can matchup to and beat anybody.
Why they might not: The track record truly says it all. Purdue is on a historically bad run in the NCAA tournament in recent years, their last 3 years have been ended by a 16 seed, a 15 seed and a 13 seed. Is this in their heads at this point?? Edey can be taken advantage of by speedy players on the defensive end. When this team gets punched in the face, how will they respond this time?
Best Case: Purdue Pete’s revenge tour is on! In the first round they blow by their 16 seed with a quick 17-0 run to open the game and leave no doubt. They dispatch upset minded TCU the next round and for good measure they get yet another 13 seed when they get a surprising Samford team that they blow past. Purdue crushes Tennessee to get to the final 4 where they meet and beat Houston. Finally they win a thriller over dynasty minded UConn to follow the Virginia script and win the tournament the year after losing to a 16 seed.
Worst Case: Oh no, not again. Grambling State wins their first tournament game ever but the Tigers aren’t done. Purdue gets punched in the mouth early which is enough to keep Grambling in the game the whole way. In shocking fashion Purdue collapses AGAIN down the stretch and loses once again. It’s doom and gloom for the Boilermakers and this is officially a dark cloud they can never escape.
16: Montana State Bobcats
Best Tournament Moment: The Bobcats sadly do not have a tournament win yet, they’ve had many tries recently but their best was in 1951 when the tournament was much more exclusive. The Bobcats had a tough 1st round matchup in 1951 when they fell just 4 points short of beating an Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State) team that went on to the final 4.
Why they can win it all: If I could play this tournament in a March Madness video game Montana State is the team I’d take control of and win it all. The Bobcats are one of the most intimidating mascots in the field and the Big Sky is the people’s conference.
Why they might not: As for the actual tournament, the odds are stacked against them. A 16 seed has never made it past the 2nd round and only 2 of them have ever beaten a 1 seed.
Best Case: Montana State is ready to change their history! The Bobcats have never played a team that was close to them in seeding until now. The Bobcats handle Grambling in the first four to advance to facing Purdue. Yes only 2 16s have ever beaten a 1 but the Bobcats are feeling good and ready to become the 3rd. The Bobcats get hot from deep and seemingly can’t miss all game. America quickly falls in love with the program from Montana and the Big Sky’s awesome social media accounts keep everyone in America entertained as Montana State pulls off the incredible upset. They bow out against TCU in the 2nd round but the Bobcats are already the talk of the tournament. Best of all, despite the awesome job Matt Logie did, he somehow doesn’t get poached.
Worst Case: Montana State’s lack of tournament success haunts them again. They are run off the court by Grambling quickly before anyone even pays attention. Montana State bows out so quickly people don’t even remember whether it was them or Montana that even made it. Worst of all, Utah State ONCE AGAIN poaches their coach as they hire Matt Logie.
16: Grambling State Tigers
Best Tournament Moment: You’re seeing it in real time. The Grambling Tigers are in the tournament for the first time!
Why they can win it all: Grambling has never lost in the NCAA tournament. Consider them unbeatable until they’re beaten.
Why they might not: Grambling really struggled outside of SWAC play this year, they faced a lot of tough opponents but didn’t beat a single D1 opponent outside the conference.
Best Case: This is a program that’s been waiting a long time for their March Madness moment and they’re ready for it. The Tigers show up to Dayton and make the most of it by opening with a win over Montana State. Yet the Tigers aren’t done yet, they punch Purdue in the mouth early which is enough to keep Grambling in the game the whole way. In shocking fashion Grambling puts the pressure on Purdue late and answers the bell each time they need to in order to pull off a shocking upset. Grambling bows out in the next round but the Tigers are the toast of the college basketball world, a magical run that leads to more athletes considering going going to HBCUs. Best of all McNeese State bows out quietly in the 1st round which means Grambling can declare themselves kings of Louisiana.
Worst Case: Making the tournament and winning in the tournament are 2 different things and Grambling learns this the hard way. Montana State takes the lead from the jump and never trails. Grambling is dispatched by 24 and no one remembers they made it. McNeese State goes on a run to the elite 8 and claims superiority over the state and Howard wins their first 4 game to claim HBCU superiority.
8: Utah State Aggies
Best Tournament Moment: A lot of fun teams went on a run in the 1970 NCAA Tournament before it was ended by the wagon that was the John Wooden UCLA Bruins. The Aggies were one of them, making it to the elite 8.
Why they can win it all: Danny Sprinkle is a fantastic coach and this team of transfers have played well all season. They have multiple players that can score and have a couple studs in Great Osobor/Darius Brown II.
Why they might not: For one, history is not on the Aggies side. Despite several tournament bids they haven’t won a game since 2001. What doesn’t help is that it’s a poorly kept secret that Danny Sprinkle is already eyeing/is gone to the Washington job. It’s going to be tough for both coach and players to focus with that noise all week.
Best Case: Utah State is fortunate to land in the potential chaos region. The Aggies take advantage of this but first they roll to a win over TCU, and then make noise by upsetting Purdue in the 2nd round. It gets even more fortunate when Utah State finds themselves matched up with Samford in a 8/13 matchup, they roll past the Bulldogs and move on to face Creighton with a final 4 on the table, the Jays offense goes cold and Utah State is final 4 bound. They bow out against Houston there but Utah State has already made their statement. Just to make it better, BYU is upset in the 1st round.
Worst Case: The Sprinkle leaving noise is far too loud and it costs this team. Coaches and players are more focused on what’s next and not this game. As a result they are quickly dispatched by TCU and the narrative that they can’t win tournament games grows. It’s even tougher when they once again have to hire a new coach. BYU making a run to the final 4 only adds insult to the issue.
9: TCU Horned Frogs
Best Tournament Moment: This was a tough one, TCU has a few tournament appearances, a lot back when the tournament was much smaller and not many wins. We’ll go with 1968, the tournament was only 23 teams. TCU got a bye through the 1st round and beat Kansas State to move on to their only elite 8 in program history.
Why they can win it all: TCU has an experience group with a lot of speed. They aren’t just fast but they can play fast too and quickly overwhelm opponents if they aren’t ready for it. TCU has battled through a tough schedule all year so this battle tested team is ready for a run.
Why they might not: When TCU can’t run out in space their offense has a tendency to disappear. If teams force them to play in the half court they often get cold. There’s not many guys who can shoot it well outside either.
Best Case: TCU has been inconsistent all year but fortunately they landed in a region that is wide open. The Frogs easily dispatch Utah State in the 1st round, and their speed overwhelms Purdue in a 2nd round upset. TCU draws a wounded Kansas in the sweet 16 and gets their revenge for their loss earlier this year. TCU gets Creighton in the elite 8 and upsets the Jays to move on to the final 4. Hypnotoad is everywhere once again as TCU is America’s team. They catch Kentucky in the final 4, where the Frogs take advantage of the Wildcats on the defensive end to make it to the national title. TCU succumbs to the UConn buzzsaw there but it’s already a historic run for the program. Even better Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech all make quick 1st round exits while Houston is upset by Nebraska in the 2nd round.
Worst Case: TCUs offense rears it’s ugly head. Utah State doesn’t let them run all game, forcing the Frogs to try to operate in the half court and it doesn’t go well. TCU is out quickly. Making matters worse Texas makes a surprise final 4 run, Houston wins the national title and Texas Tech goes to the elite 8. Jamie Dixon decides this is the best it’s going to get for his alma matter and retires.
5: Gonzaga Bulldogs
Best Tournament Moment: Gonzaga has 2 national title appearances and both were recent. 2021 they saw the dream of an undefeated season crumble at the hands of Baylor so I’ll go with 2017 because it was the moment Gonzaga arrived as a true national title contender. They made their 1st final 4 that year and battled the whole way with North Carolina in a tough 6 point loss.
Why they can win it all: It helps to be in a region that’s wide open. The best recent tournament success in the region is between Gonzaga and Kansas, and they are on pace to see each other in the 2nd round. Gonzaga can get on a good roll if they can make it to the sweet 16 which is something they have done every year for the last decade. Gonzaga has improved defensively as the year has went on, helped by the fact that they run a clean offense, they rarely turn it over.
Why they might not: 3 point shooting isn’t everything but to win it all you need to hit some 3s at some point and Gonzaga might be one of the worst teams in the tournament at doing so. If they can’t get on the run and make things happen inside it could be trouble.
Best Case: At one point the season was on the brink for Gonzaga but they improved as it went on and now they’re ready to run. Gonzaga easily dispatches McNeese State, runs past a wounded Kansas, and upsets Purdue in the sweet 16. The Zags are fortunate to get Creighton in the elite 8 and they win that to get to the final 4 where they get a rematch with Kentucky, but Kentucky does not get their revenge. Gonzaga wins and just like that they are back in the national title again, they lose to UConn there but it’s ok there’s a lot of hope for national title contention in the future once again. Mark Few signs another extension and all is good in Spokane.
Worst Case: This is the year Gonzaga ‘s streak of sweet 16s end. They are upset in the 1st round by a tough McNeese State team. Suddenly it feels like they are further from title contention than ever. So much so Mark Few decides he needs to move now or he will never get his shot. Kentucky surprisingly fires Calipari after a shock 1st round exit and throws the bag/promise of national title access at Mark Few and he decides to finish his career in Lexington.
12: McNeese State Cowboys
Best Tournament Moment: McNeese has yet to win a tournament game but they threatened to. In 1989 Georgetown survived Princeton by 1 in what was the closest call for a 16 over 1 upset until UMBC finally did the thing in 2018, but that wasn’t the only close 16 over 1 call that year. McNeese State battled hard with 1 seed Illinois in the first half, controlling the pace and leading by 5 at one point. McNeese would lose the lead shortly after and couldn’t get it back again losing by 6.
Why they can win it all: McNeese State comes into the tournament with one of the best records in the whole sport and that’s because this team knows how to win in a variety of ways. They can beat opponents by getting hot from deep. If they get cold shooting their defense has a tendency to step up and force turnovers that allows them to get going. They crash the boards harder than anyone else, despite a size disadvantage they do a great job snagging rebounds which makes them a threat in a tournament setting.
Why they might not: The selection committee saw this team as a threat, looked at the potential 5 seeds and tried their best to give McNeese the worst matchup possible. McNeese wants to create chaos on the court, but Gonzaga is perfectly fine with them trying that. The Zags thrive at pace and have the ball handlers to starve McNeese of the turnovers they want to force.
Best Case: The best way to neutralize a bad matchup is to get hot from deep and that’s exactly what McNeese does. Their offense opens up as a result allowing them to outscore Gonzaga. It seems the run would be over when they face Kansas in the next round but it isn’t, the Jayhawks don’t rebound well on offense and turn it over often which turns then into an easier target for McNeese. Suddenly McNeese is in the sweet 16 and the talk of the town after beating 2 huge brands, it gets even better when they luck into a game with TCU in the sweet 16. McNeese wins that one before bowing out against Tennessee in the elite 8. Will Wade still leaves for a bigger job but the folks in Lake Charles have a run for the ages to talk about.
Worst Case: McNeese falls victim to the bad matchup. They never lead or threaten as Gonzaga dispatches them easily. Will Wade leaves for a bigger job and everyone outside of Lake Charles forgets this amazing season ever happened.
4: Kansas Jayhawks
Best Tournament Moment: Tough to pick just 1 when talking about a program with 4 national titles. I’ll go with 2008 because of how memorable of a run it was. Kansas rolled to the final 4 including beating Steph Curry in a memorable elite 8 game. They beat ex-coach Roy Williams by 18 in the final 4 and then took down Memphis in an instant classic national title game.
Why they can win it all: Kansas is always a threat no matter what. The Jayhawks have one of the best starting lineups in the nation and they share the ball well. Kansas can run with anyone at any time as shown by wins over Kentucky and UConn this year.
Why they might not: Depth is an issue for the Jayhawks. They rely almost completely on just their starting lineup and it really took its toll later in the year. Kansas also turns the ball over a lot and doesn’t crash offensive boards so they don’t exactly help themselves.
Best Case: Little did we know, Kansas exiting the Big 12 tournament early is the best thing that could have happened to them. Their starting lineup finally got time to rest and they’re ready to make some noise. Kansas easily dispatches Samford, beats Gonzaga and upsets Purdue to make the elite 8. Kansas gets a tough game against Tennessee but it’s not an issue as they handle the Volunteers to make the final 4. Kansas gets their revenge against Houston in the final 4 and beats UConn a second time to win the national title. With 2 national titles in 3 seasons, College Basketball has a dominant team and it’s Kansas.
Worst Case: Kansas may have gotten time off but it doesn’t fix the fact that they give the ball away at a high rate. Samford forces a lot of turnovers and the Jayhawks are stunned in the first round. Suddenly the program is breaking at the seams with 2 early tournament exits in a row and they didn’t even win the Big 12 regular season title.
13: Samford Bulldogs
Best Tournament Moment: Samford has made the tournament twice before but wasn’t competitive in either appearance. They did make it back to back years in 1999 and 2000.
Why they can win it all: Samford plays an exciting style named “Bucky Ball” where they play a full court press with constant rotations to keep fresh legs on the court at all times to hound opposing teams. They shoot and make 3s at a high rate. This unique aggressive style of play is very difficult to go against in a tournament setting.
Why they might not: If the 3s don’t fall they are likely to fall by the wayside rather quickly. We haven’t seen Bucky Ball against many top opponents but they faced Purdue, a team you would think would be vulnerable against this style in the season opener and Samford got destroyed.
Best Case: Bucky Ball captivates the nation as Samford harasses Kansas’ turnover prone offense and helps the Bulldogs come away with the upset. Bucky McMillan has long said he wants to make Samford the “Gonzaga of the South” but the start of that process is facing the beast themselves. Samford gets hot from deep against Gonzaga and pulls off the upset. They get a nice bracket break game against TCU in the sweet 16 and with an upset over the Horned Frogs Samford has advanced further than any 13 seed has ever gone. The run ends in the elite 8, but Bucky McMillan has his moment to build off of and remains committed to making Samford the “Gonzaga of the South”
Worst case: On the surface Kansas appears to be a vulnerable 4 seed, but they have the starting lineup of a 1 seed. Kansas’ starting lineup quickly overwhelms the Samford full court press and the Bulldogs 3s don’t fall. Samford makes a quick exit before anyone realizes what Bucky Ball is. Bucky McMillan may love the area but he gets a lucrative offer elsewhere and can’t turn it down.
6: South Carolina Gamecocks
Best Tournament Moment: South Carolina doesn’t have an extensive basketball history, but the last time the Gamecocks made the tournament in 2017 was a memorable one. It started with a 2nd round upset over Duke. From there the Gamecocks used that momentum to charge to a surprise final 4 run.
Why they can win it all: South Carolina is a tough team that plays a strong grind it out style of basketball. You aren’t going to out-muscle this team, and they are good at forcing teams into an uncomfortably slow pace. This can help keep the Gamecocks in any game.
Why they might not: South Carolina’s weaknesses were on full display against Auburn in the SEC tournament. If you have an athletic team that can force a faster tempo, the Gamecocks get very uncomfortable on the defensive end, combine that with the shots not falling and it’s a quick exit for South Carolina.
Best Case: South Carolina is determined to go on another run now that the program is back in the tournament. South Carolina dispatches Oregon easily in the 1st round and they grind out an upset win over Creighton in the next game. The Gamecocks catch Texas in a bracket break game and beat the Longhorns to move on to the elite 8. It gets even better because they get Gonzaga, a team they match up well with thanks to their interior size. South Carolina makes the Zags uncomfortable forces them to their pace and wins to return to the final 4. South Carolina loses there but it’s clear Lamont Paris will have this program as a contender moving forward.
Worst Case: South Carolina is dealt a bad hand thanks to a matchup with a red hot Oregon team. Oregon’s offense overwhelms the Gamecocks early to a quick exit. Early tournament exits in the SEC and NCAA tournament turn a great season into a quickly forgettable one.
11: Oregon Ducks
Best Tournament Moment: It may be a long time ago but Oregon won the national title in 1939, also known as the first ever NCAA tournament. Yes, the Ducks are the first ever national champs in basketball, something no one else can say.
Why they can win it all: Oregon always had the talent and they are hot at the right time. Dana Altman is very good at doing this, his teams did something similar in 2013 and 2019. They made it to the sweet 16 both times, once you get there who knows what can happen. This offense is unreal lately.
Why they might not: Inconsistency was the Ducks problem all season. They got hot in the Pac 12 tournament but they’ve been cold shooting at times too. Oregon has been taken advantage of defensively many of the year. The consistency needs to be there to go all the way.
Best Case: Oregon remains red hot. They easily beat both South Carolina and Creighton to return to the sweet 16, but they’re not done yet. Oregon manages to upset Tennessee and they beat Gonzaga in the elite 8 to move onto the final 4. Oregon loses to Houston there but it’s clear the Ducks are back on the right track before moving to the Big 10. Even better they’re the only team in the new big 10 to make it this far.
Worst Case: Oregon’s hot run in the Pac 12 tournament proves to be a fluke. They don’t shoot it well from 3 which forces them to battle South Carolina’s size inside and it’s a losing battle. Oregon loses in the first round and everyone forgets they even made it here.
3: Creighton Blue Jays
Best Tournament Moment: Creighton has 2 elite 8 appearances but the first was in 1941 when only 8 schools made it. That makes last year their best one when Creighton rolled to the elite 8 and came just 1 point short of a final 4 when they lost to San Diego State.
Why they can win it all: Creighton has a very offense heavy reputation but it’s their defense that leads the way. The Blue Jays hassle teams away from the 3 point line and force them to go through their big man Ryan Kalkbrenner instead. That doesn’t mean Creighton doesn’t have shooters, they still do. Even the best team (UConn) can find themselves losing by 20+ to this team if they’re hitting shots.
Why they might not: Creighton has a great lineup but this isn’t a deep team. If they get into foul trouble things can go south for them. If you can take the Jays out of their offensive sets they can really struggle on that side of the ball. Colorado State early in the year was the best example of where things can go wrong.
Best Case: Creighton isn’t getting enough credit as a national title contender but this was a favorable draw. The Blue Jays easily beat Akron/South Carolina, and jump all over Tennessee to move to the elite 8. The Jays beat Gonzaga in the elite 8 to move on to their first final 4 but they aren’t done. Creighton hits their 3s to open things up on Houston for a final 4 upset and from there the Jays finish the job by beating North Carolina behind a big game from Baylor Scheierman for their first ever national title. The cherry on top is when Nebraska exits the tournament in the 1st round, leaving the Huskers without a tournament win still.
Worst Case: Creighton’s inability to make shots proves to be a struggle for the Jays. Akron’s defense can make them uncomfortable for an entire game and thanks to some late game heroics from Enrique Freeman, Creighton is stunned by the Zips in the first round. Originally it feels like the pressure is off when Kentucky also loses as a 3 seed but the blessing turns into a curse when Kentucky fires Calipari and throws the bag at McDermott, yes he just signed an extension but money becomes no object to a suddenly impatient Kentucky program.
14: Akron Zips
Best Tournament Moment: Akron has yet to win a tournament game but the Zips came so so close to taking down UCLA in their last appearance in 2022.
Why they can win it all: Akron is a team built on multiple elements that can win in the tournament, they have experience, this is a lot of the same team that nearly beat UCLA 2 years ago and they are tough on the defensive end. They have a future pro in Enrique Freeman who can take a game over.
Why they might not: Their offense goes into long slumps without scoring and it’s a huge problem. This resulted in some bad losses at the end of the regular season, it got better in the conference tournament but wasn’t all the way fixed. Akron can’t have any sort of stretch without scoring against Creighton or the game will fall out of control fast.
Best Case: Akron’s defense proves to be enough in the first game as they make Creighton uncomfortable the entire game and some amazing late game heroics turns Enrique Freeman into a march hero forever. This team isn’t consistent enough offensively to continue any further but this is a moment the Zips fanbase will remember forever.
Worst Case: Akron’s defense keeps them in the game for a decent part of the first half but eventually against Creighton’s tough defense the offense flatlines for a 6 minute stretch, and by then the game is over before anyone pays attention.
7: Texas Longhorns
Best Tournament Moment: Texas has 3 final 4s in program history but 2 of them were in the 1940s. Texas’s only recent final 4 was in 2003, the Longhorns matched to the final 4 as a 1 seed before losing to eventual national champion Syracuse in the final 4.
Why they can win it all: Texas has a lot of talent and experience, particularly in the tournament. Dylan Disu and Max Abmas are studs, and we’re very familiar with Abmas’ stardom in the tournament before. There’s a lot of other good pieces here too to make a run.
Why they might not: Texas has all these pieces but they just never seemed to connect together. Their defense isn’t as good as it should be and Texas can’t rebound.
Best Case: Max Abmas making March magic wouldn’t be as fun this time around but that’s not his problem. He helps the Longhorns overwhelm their 1st round opponent and sinks game winning dagger for Texas to upset Tennessee. Suddenly the pieces are coming together at the right time as Texas continues on beating Creighton and Purdue on the way to the final 4 where they beat Duke. Texas loses in the championship to UConn but it’s still an amazing run. Even better is the fact that Texas Tech, Texas A&M and TCU all lose quietly in the 1st round while Houston is upset early too. Longhorn fans feel even more validated because Shaka Smarts Marquette squad loses in the 1st round to Western Kentucky.
Worst Case: There’s no march magic to be had. An underachieving team is knocked out for the 1st round in an ugly rock fight against Virginia. Texas fans angst grows on whether Rodney Terry was the right route to go. Shaka Smart leading Marquette to the final 4 just makes matters worse, a long with both TCU and Texas A&M going on surprise tournament runs.
10: Colorado State Rams
Best Tournament Moment: There’s not a lot of tournament success for the Rams unfortunately, but they had a nice run in 1969. The Rams upset rival Colorado on their way to the elite 8 where they fell 7 points short of Drake with the final 4 on the line.
Why they can win it all: Colorado State has one of the best Point Guards in the country in Isaiah Stevens, he’s the engine that makes this offense flow. With his abilities they have many ways to get it to the rim for easier shots. Colorado State is strong on the defensive side also, especially lately.
Why they might not: Colorado State struggles to rebound which hurts in tournament play. Another issue for the Rams that hurt them down the stretch was they got cold from outside which put them in trouble if they couldn’t find openings inside. This draw includes a lot of teams that will challenge them in that aspect, almost as if the selection committee wanted them to lose.
Best Case: Colorado State played well when challenged out of conference earlier in the year and they’re ready to thrive again. The Rams shut down Virginia to win in the first four and move on to face Texas, who fortunately is just as bad as rebounding. The Rams upset the Longhorns and get a very fortunate matchup thanks to St Peter’s upsetting Tennessee. Colorado State handles the Peacocks to move on to the sweet 16, Creighton does not get their revenge and Colorado State beats the Jays once again. The run ends in the elite 8 but it was impressive nonetheless. There’s so many good coaches out there that bigger programs don’t wait on Nico Medved so he’s around another year.
Worst Case: The tournament woes continue for the Rams. They were screwed by the draw from the committee and the Rams are stifled by Virginia in the first four. Suddenly they’re left with nothing after such a promising season. ACC fans chirp “see we told you they were overrated all along!” Medved is poached away by a bigger school so the Rams are back to the drawing board.
10: Virginia Cavaliers
Best Tournament Moment: This one we all know. Coming off their worst tournament moment in 2018, Virginia rallied in the 2019 tournament on their run to their first ever national title. Truly a triumphant championship coming off what happened the year before.
Why they can win it all: Defense travels and Virginia has that. They are once again one of the best defenses in all of college basketball, and overall rates as their best since that national title team.
Why they might not: Ok, so you need to have a little offense. Virginia capsized on that side of the ball to end the regular season, finishing with under 50 points in 3 of their last 5 regular season games. It’s fair to wonder if they forgot how to win tournament games, that national title was the last time they even won a game in the tournament and their player yeeting the ball to nowhere good, only for Furman to get it and hit the winning shot was a spectacular collapse last year.
Best Case: Virginia is ready to prove the doubters wrong and show they belonged in the tournament. They open with a win over Colorado State, and frustrate Texas to move on to the 2nd round. From there Virginia upsets Tennessee and moves onto the sweet 16. The Cavaliers are fortunate to draw South Carolina there, both teams make the nation feel like they’re watching a game in slow motion, the Iowa football jokes and Kirk Ferentz memes rain all about but Virginia doesn’t care as they come out with the win. They lose to Purdue to end their run in the elite 8 but they made their point.
Worst Case: Colorado State held Creighton to 48 points earlier this year, if their defense plays like that how bad will it get for Virginia?? They find out the hard way as they struggle to crack 40 in an ugly loss. Everyone feels justified saying Virginia doesn’t belong and they start to wonder if Tony Bennett has lost it.
2: Tennessee Volunteers
Best Tournament Moment: If you’re younger you may not realize this but Tennessee basketball surprisingly does not have much history. They’ve been really good lately but tournament success still alludes them. They only have one elite 8 appearance which was in 2010 which ended in a heartbreaking 1 point loss to Michigan State with a final 4 appearance on the line.
Why they can win it all: Tennessee as always has an elite defense but this year they have some more offensive pop thanks to Dalton Knecht who’s been one of the best players in the country this season. He’s helped add some pop next to Zakai Zeigler on that side of the ball. This might just be Tennessee’s best team ever and the bracket is certainly in their favor.
Why they might not: Despite the improved offense this is a team that can still go cold at times and fall behind. As we saw in the SEC tournament this was truly problematic especially because it’s a pattern that’s hurt them before.
Best Case: Tennessee may have faltered out of the SEC tournament, but this is the one that matters and they make the most of it. Tennessee rolls past St Peter’s, allowing their fans to continue making jokes at the expense of Kentucky and Purdue. It doesn’t stop there, Tennessee easily beats Texas, and Creighton to get to the elite 8. Once they get there they go up against Purdue, Knecht makes huge plays down the stretch to get the Vols to their first final 4 ever. Tennessee gets a surprise final 4 game against Duke, but bullies the Blue Devils to win. Finally Tennessee gets in a back and forth national title classic with UConn and Zeigler hits a game winning 3 to give the Vols their first ever national title. No one can deny their new blood status any longer. Just to make things better, Kentucky and Alabama both fizzle out in the 1st round, Vanderbilt gets turned down by 5 coaches before turning to a NBA assistant and Nico Iamaleava looks awesome in spring practice.
Worst Case: Tennessee’s bad tournament history strikes yet again as they are matched with St Peter’s an all time Cinderella program. Tennessee falls victim to the Peacocks magic in the 1st round, Kentucky and Purdue fans get to make fun of them for falling victim to the Peacocks as well. It’s gets even worse because both Kentucky and Purdue make it to the final 4 with Kentucky beating Alabama to win it all. Tennessee fans grumble but quickly turn their attention to spring practice only to find Nico Iamaleava is surprisingly struggling.
15: St Peter’s Peacocks
Best Tournament Moment: We all know this. 2 years ago the Peacocks stunned Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue to become the only 15 seed to ever reach the elite 8, captivate the nation and completely transform their program.
Why they can win it all: This program arguably went on the most magical match run of all time, surely they can do it again right? They have a new coach, and new players but the bedrock of this team (defense and forcing turnovers) is the same as the one that went on the magical run.
Why they might not: It’s a lot easier to go on a tournament run when no one expects you. What’s going to happen when everyone has their name circled once they draw them? St Peter’s also struggles on the offensive side of the ball too often.
Best Case: St Peter’s does it again! The Peacocks defense troubles Tennessee and forces the Vols to take bad shots. St Peter’s makes the plays down the stretch and America is ready to celebrate this team again! The run they went on last time won’t be possible because teams are more aware of them this time around so they lose in the 2nd round but everyone still celebrates the Peacocks triumphant return.
Worst Case: Tennessee bullies St Peter’s and they are dispatched quickly before anyone can pull back the memories of their run from 2 years ago.
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