It is finally the NCAA tournament and March Madness bracket time. After a long and challenging 2021-2022 college regular season and conference tournament season the field has been set. The field of 68 is made up of nine Big Ten teams which is the most of any conference. This conference is followed by the Big 12, The Big East, and the SEC with six teams in the tournament. The ACC has five teams in the tournament and the PAC-12 is represented by three teams which is lower than normal for both conferences. The WCC has three teams and the Mountain West has four teams for the tournament. The rest of the field is built with mid-major conferences and smaller schools that won their respective conference tournaments. The first four games, which are games that drop the field from 68 to 64, will be played Tuesday and Wednesday. Then the official first round of March Madness will start on Thursday, March 17. The first and second round games will be played in Indianapolis, Buffalo, Portland, Fort Worth, Pittsburg, Greenville, San Diego, and Milwaukee. The Sweet Sixteen and Elite eight will be played in San Antonio, San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The NCAA tournament will conclude on April 4 in New Orleans.
Now, filling out a bracket and the immense spectacle of March Madness as a whole can be overwhelming but I am here to help. I will give out my top teams that I think have a good chance at cutting the nets down in April as well as some sleepers that can pull off upsets in the first weekend of the tournament. I will also mention teams with fun or interesting storylines that one can root for even if they are more of a casual fan.
Possible National Champions
Gonzaga Bulldogs 1 seed
No shocker here but I think Gonzaga has a great chance to be the National Champions. They are the overall number one seed in the entire tournament. I picked them last year to win it all behind future lottery pick Jalen Suggs but the Bulldogs fell short in the National Championship game. In the last six years, Gonzaga has advanced to the sweet 16 every year, advanced to the elite eight twice, and they have lost in the National Championship twice. I think this can be the year they finally get over the hump and set their name in stone among the blue bloods of college basketball. Gonzaga comes in to this tournament the same way they arrive every year with one of the best offenses in all of college basketball. The Bulldogs average 87.8 points per game, which leads division l basketball, and they surrender only 65.3 points per game. Gonzaga is led by junior forward Drew Timme (17.5 PTS, 6.3 REB), freshman center Chet Holmgren (14.2 PTS, 9.6 REB), and senior guard Andrew Nembhard (11.7 PTS, 5.7 AST). Timme who was a big factor in last year’s tournament run and Holmgren who is a possible number one overall pick in next years draft are both Wooden award finalists. This truly great front court paired with a backcourt that has all three guards averaging double digit points is a scary sight. However, the defensive side of the ball is why I believe in the bulldogs a little more this year. They have a better defensive team then they have had in past tournaments as they can defend the perimeter as well as match up with other teams bigs. Timme does not have to be an undersized five since they have the seven foot Holmgren who is fourth in the nation in blocked shots per game. I think head coach Mark Few can get the most out of his team and bring Gonzaga a National Championship. If Gonzaga were to become National Champions it would be the first AP #1 in the final poll before the tournament to win the tournament since Kentucky in 2012.
Arizona Wildcats 1 seed
Arizona is led by first year coach Tommy Lloyd who was previously an assistant coach at Gonzaga under Mark Few for many years. Arizona does not have history on their side as no first time head coach, who coached the full season, has ever won the tournament in their first year and the PAC-12 has not had a National Champion since Arizona in 1997. However, this team has been exceeding expectations all year. Arizona is a top to bottom great team but as of right now due to injuries they rely heavily on their top three players. The Wildcats are led by sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin (17.4 PTS, 5.6 REB, 37.6 3PT%) who is another Wooden award finalist and he will be a possible lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Their other main contributors are junior center Christian Koloko (12.1 PTS, 7.1 REB, 62.5 FG%) and sophomore forward Azuolas Tubelis (14.5 PTS, 6.4 REB, 2.4 AST). They also have sophomore guard Kerr Kriisa (10.1 PTs, 4.9 AST) but he is injured right now and his NCAA tournament status is not certain. Arizona averaged 84.6 points per game which is enough for the third best scoring offense in division l basketball and they averaged 67.5 opponent points per game. The Wildcats have been an extremely consistent team with no ugly losses on their résumé which can be seen in their impressive 31-3 record. Arizona is looking to stay hot in the NCAA tournament coming off the heels of a PAC-12 regular season title and a tournament championship.
Kansas Jayhawks 1 seed
My third and final team that I think has a good chance to win the tournament is Kansas. Kansas finished with a 28-6 record and a 14-4 conference record. The Jayhawks have been strong all year with wins over Baylor, Texas tech, Michigan State, and Iowa State. One of those Texas Tech wins was in the Big 12 championship game. Kansas averages 78.6 points per game and concedes 68.1 points per game. The Jayhawks are lead by Wooden award finalist senior guard Ochai Agbaji (19.7 PTS, 5 REB, 47.7 FG%). I think what separates Kansas from some of the other strong teams in the field is that Kansas not only has four starters that average double digit points but they have reserves that can come off the bench and score. Junior guard Christian Braun (14.6 PTS, 6.4 REB, 37.7 3PT%), senior forward David McCormack (10.1 PTS, 7.1REB, 49.2 FG%), sophomore forward Jalen Wilson (10.9 PTS, 7.0 REB, 49.2 FG%), and senior guard Remy Martin (7.3 PTS, 44 FG%), who comes off the bench, are the support system that surrounds Agbaji. This is one of the better squads that head coach Bill Self has had at Kansas in recent years. Kansas had a final four appearance in 2017-2018 but since then they have had back to back early exits in the round of 32. I think Kansas should be a fairly easy sweet sixteen write in but they then have to face teams like Iowa, Auburn and/or Wisconsin to win the Midwest. Kansas plays with a certain energy and grit that I think will help them sustain a long tournament run. This would be Kansas’s second title under Bill Self and first title since 2008.
Possible Upset Picks
I want to preface this by stating I don’t believe 8-9 and 7-10 games are true upsets since a lot of the times the teams are very close in BPI or basketball power index rankings. In fact the seven seed vs eight seed matchup is 71-73 all time essentially meaning the game is a pickem. I will be looking at 11 seeds and higher for real Cinderella teams.
Virginia Tech Hokies 11 seed
This is probably going to be one of the most popular upset picks but that is for a reason. The college BPI has Texas ranked at 18 and Virginia Tech at 19. That is not normal, that means the selection committee severely under-seeded the Hokies. Texas has not been impressive this year and they were 3-8 against top 25 opponents. They are definitely a good squad but they are also a very beatable sixth seed. Virginia Tech started out slow in conference play but they finished the season 12-2 and defeated Duke for the ACC conference championship. The Hokies are led by skilled senior forward Kevin Aluma (15.8 PTS, 6.5 REB, 53.4 FG%) and senior forward Justyn Mutts (10.1 PTS, 7.4 REB, 53.6 FG%). This is a red hot team right now that can hopefully keep their momentum going into the tournament. Finally, since 2010 six seeds are a lowly 21-23 against 11 seeds.
South Dakota State Jackrabbits 13 seed
South Dakota State has been one of my favorite teams to keep an eye on ever since they dismantled Nevada back in November. The Jackrabbits went 18-0 in their conference and are riding a 21 game winning streak into the tournament which is the longest active streak in division l basketball. South Dakota State averages 86.7 points per game which is second in division l basketball as they only trail Gonzaga. The Jackrabbits lead division l in three point percentage and they are second in field goal percentage to only once again Gonzaga. Sophomore guard Baylor Scheierman (19 PTS, 7.8 REB, 47 3PT%), senior forward Douglas Wilson (16.5 PTS, 5.5 REB, 57.4 FG%), and sophomore guard Charlie Easley ( 8.0 PTS, 3.4 REB, 50.5 3PT%) lead the jackrabbits lethal offense. Providence, while maybe a bit over seeded, is no doubt a good team. They find success scoring in the paint which is a weakness of South Dakota State. However, as people know a high powered offense with an ability to run teams off the court with the three ball has been the ingredients for upsets in past tournaments. History is on the Jackrabbits side as a 13 seed has beat a four seed in 26 of 36 tournaments.
Michigan Wolverines 11 seed
I think it would be a disservice to not list this one on here because a lot of experts think this will be an upset. This is another example of a possible under seeding for Michigan as they have an extremely talented team and a possible over seeding for Colorado State. Michigan is actually the favorite in this game according to different betting sites. I want to believe in Colorado State because they were one of the best teams in the Mountain West conference. I will end up picking them in my bracket but regardless I will put my bias aside and make a case for Michigan. The Wolverines have a BPI ranking of 28 and Colorado State has a BPI ranking of 81. Also Michigan played nine top 25 opponents compared to Colorado State’s zero. Michigan’s sophomore center Hunter Dickinson (18.3 PTS, 8.3 REB, 56.3 FG%) is one of the best big men in all of division l basketball. Dickinson’s supporting cast consists of four other starters that virtually average double digit points as one of them averages 9.5 points per game. Michigan also has a good mix of skilled freshmen and strong seniors that can bring good leadership to the team. This is a possible upset because Michigan is simply more talented and they have faced tougher competition throughout the year.
Iowa State Cyclones 11 seed
This will definitely be a hard fought battle. Iowa State was not playing their best basketball to close out the season as they lost their last three games. However, the Cyclones this season played 11 games vs top 25 ranked opponents and tallied an astounding nine quad one wins. A quad one win means they either defeated a top 30 team at home, a top 50 team at a neutral site, or a top 75 team on the road. This shows that when Iowa State is playing their best basketball they can beat any division 1 team. LSU is a great defensive team but they struggle with turnovers and shooting the three ball on the offensive side. Also LSU is a young inexperienced squad and this problem was just made worse as LSU fired head coach Will Wade less than a week before the tournament. I think Iowa State’s top tier defense and the play of senior guard Izaiah Brockington (17.2 PTS, 7.1 REB, 46.0 FG%) can help the Cyclones take advantage of the situation and pull off an upset.
Vermont Catamounts 13 seed
This upset is a little more wild compared to the other picks. Arkansas is a great team that is ranked in the top 20 defensively according to Kenpom and they have made more free throws then any team in division l basketball. They have a star in JD Notae (18.4 PTS, 4.5 REB, 3.7 AST) that can take over a game with his scoring at any time. However, Vermont is truly excellent at certain things on the court. They are a fantastic defensive rebounding team, that is actually number one in division l basketball in opponents offensive rebounding percentage. Vermont is also ranked third in effective field goal percentage and they are in the top 25 in turnover percentage. The Catamounts went 17-1 in conference play and are rolling into the tournament having won 22 of their last 23 games. They have a lot of momentum as they dismantled everyone in their path on the way to their conference championship. Senior forward Ryan Davis (17.2 PTS, 5.7 REB) and senior guard Ben Shungu (16.1 PTS, 4.5 REB) lead the Catamounts high powered offense. Ultimately, Vermont’s efficient scoring, defensive rebounding, and ability to not turn the ball over makes them a dangerous team, even to a great time like Arkansas.
Rutgers or Notre Dame as the 11 seed
Rutgers and Notre Dame play each other in the play-in game and the winner faces Alabama. I am not sure who will win the game so I will just list my problems with Alabama and how they can be upset. Alabama is a good team with some talented players, an offense that averages 80.0 points per game, and an overall strong résumé. However, they are simply not consistent and if the wrong Alabama team shows up then I think they are looking at a first round exit. They are a team that struggles on defense, which can be seen in their Kenpom adjusted defensive ranking where they sit at number 93 in all of division l basketball. Alabama is a team that shoots a lot of threes yet they only shoot 30 percent from behind the arc. This means when they go cold they do not have many other ways to win games. I think Rutgers could cause problems in that matchup because they play great defense and they seem to have a knack for beating top tier teams which is seen in their six quad one wins. I think Rutgers and Notre Dame have a chance to upset Alabama but I understand that if Alabama gets hot then they can replicate a deep tournament run like they had last year.
Tournament Storylines
These will be quick storylines that can make the tournament more interesting to watch. These topics are not necessarily the X’s and O’s but the surrounding stories and atmosphere that helps make March Madness the special event that everyone loves.
Coach Krzyzewski’s farewell tour
Coach K is one of the best basketball coaches of all time. He has been the head coach at Duke since 1980 and he has stacked many accolades in his career. He has won five National Championships at Duke which is good enough for second all time by a coach. Coach K has also led the Blue Devils to 12 final fours, 15 ACC tournament championships, and has coached a multitude of NBA draft picks. This is his last year coaching before he retires. Can he end his career with another National Championship? Regardless, everyone should enjoy a living legend while we can because Duke will look very different without Coach K on that sideline.
A possible new rivalry
Mark Few has been on the Gonzaga coaching staff since 1990. He has been the head coach for Gonzaga since 1999. Tommy Lloyd was an assistant coach under Mark Few at Gonzaga since 2001. Lloyd is in the first year of his first head coaching gig at Arizona. Both teams are one seeds in the tournament and these coaches may have to face each other in the National title game if they make it. Few is still chasing his first Championship and Lloyd can get one in his first year as a head coach. These two are good friends but this might be a competitive head coaching rivalry that everyone will watch for years to come.
Mountain West represent
The Mountain West has the second most teams in the tournament compared to all non power five conferences. The Big East is first and the Mountain West is trailing with a strong four bids. Although our very own Nevada did not make the tournament this year there are plenty of chances for the Mountain West to make a run in the tournament. Boise State is an eight seed, Wyoming is a 12 seed in a play-in game, Colorado State is a six seed, and San Diego State is an eight seed. The Mountain West could have wins over the Big Ten, the Big East, the American Athletic Conference, and the West Coast Conference all in the first round of the tournament.
March Madness stars
Gonzaga’s freshman big man Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s freshman forward Jabari Smith, and Duke’s freshman big man Paola Banchero are the favorites to be the number one pick in next year’s NBA Draft. It will be interesting to see if any of these players can possibly lock up that number one pick with an amazing tournament performance or a National Championship. The other lottery picks that people should keep their eye on are Purdue’s sophomore guard Jaden Ivey, Iowa’s sophomore forward Keegan Murray, Wisconsin’s sophomore guard Johnny Davis, and Kansas’s senior forward Ochai Agbaji. These are some names to know so people can cheer for any of these players if their respective team advances to the Sweet Sixteen or perhaps goes deeper into the tournament.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Anthony Miranda is a student at the University of Nevada and studies journalism. He can be reached at kelseymiddleton@sagebrush.unr.edu and on Twitter @kelsmiddleunr.