Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
March 1st,
Folks, it is March, the absolute best time of the year for a college basketball fan. The joy we’re about to experience throughout this next month as we prepare for the unimaginable to happen. The time to fill out dozens of brackets just for none of them to come close to perfection because of all the wild upsets that are inevitable.
As we get closer to Selection Sunday there’s a good understanding and idea of teams that are structured and built to make a final four run. Here I give my top major contenders to punch their tickets to New Orleans to play in the final four.
Gonzaga Bulldogs:
It should come as no surprise that the No.1 ranked team in the Bulldogs are easy final four contenders and could be making back-to-back final four appearances. Led by their frontcourt of potential All-American Drew Timmie who leads the team in scoring averaging 17.6 points a game, and potential No.1 draft pick in 2022 Chet Holmgren, this team is dangerous when playing at their best. This team has a balanced attack with four guys averaging double-digit scoring. On the defensive side of the ball, Holmgren is averaging a monstrous 3.6 blocks a contest which ranks 4th in all of Division I. This team gets a lot of scrutiny for the conference they play in as it’s not considered a Power 5 conference, but with some early impressives wins against Texas, UCLA, and Texas Tech along with them doing what they’re supposed to do in conference play, you can’t deny that this is one of the best teams in the nation regardless.
Duke Blue Devils:
A final four appearance would be a great way for Coach K to go out, with it even better winning the whole thing, and this Duke team is more than capable of it. This team has had a couple hiccups along the road including two home losses to Miami and Virginia, but when you look at their four losses this season, they have only lost by a combined 9 points. Led by freshman phenom Paolo Banchero who’s leading the team in scoring and rebounding, the Blue Devils are starting to play some really good basketball at the right time. A major factor for Duke has been the play of another freshman in AJ Griffin who has really come into his own during conference play averaging about 13 points a night. Having multiple ball handlers and guys who can guard multiple positions has been a huge plus and can be deadly going into the tournament. This team seems to play its best when it’s facing the best competition hence their early season wins over teams like Kentucky and Gonzaga.
Kentucky Wildcats:
Kentucky has bounced back from their off year and are back as one of top teams. It helps when you have a Player of The Year candidate in Oscar Tshiebew who’s leading the country in rebounding at 15.3 a game and it’s not even close. This team has struggled to stay healthy with key guys except Tshiebew and Kellan Grady missing time. The Wildcats aren’t led by a bunch of freshmen this time around even though they certainly have a good one in Tyty Washington. Transfers, Juniors and Sophomores seem like to be the new recipe for success in Lexington this year. When it’s all set and done the true factor that will come into play is will this team be able to stay healthy. Over time as this team has progressed we’ve rarely seen this team at full strength, but when we have they undoubtedly have looked like a final four team.
Auburn Tigers:
Another team with a phenomenal frontcourt, this Auburn squad is led by freshman forward Jabari Smith who may have the best spot-up jump shot in basketball. His frontcourt mate Walker Kessler leads the nation in blocking shots averaging almost 5(!) a game. The swagger and confidence this team plays with is unmatched and an absolute joy to watch. The guys around Smith and Kessler are crucial for this team to make a run. Who’s going to step up in the big moment when needed? Who can get their shot when Smith is having a rough game and can’t get his? KD Johnson, Wendell Green Jr and Allen Flanigan are all possible answers but they have to prove it. This team has struggled recently going 3-3 in their last 6 games for the fact that guys around Jabari Smith have struggled to step up. I don’t look too much into though with how well Bruce Pearl has dealt with the egos and situations with this team this far into the season, and by tournament time they’ll have it all figured out and be ready to make a run.
Purdue Boilermakers:
In the first month into the season this Purdue team was the best team in the country, no questions asked. A few losses in conference play including a 24-point loss at Michigan has really made people question what really is this teams’ ceiling. I am still a big believer in this Boilermaker squad though as they are still a final four and possibly national championship team. With the duo of potential lottery pick Jaden Ivey and 7 '4 big man Zach Edey, Purdue still has what it takes to make a tournament run. Having a guy like Trevion Williams who comes off the bench and be top three in almost every major statistical category for the team while only playing 20 minutes a game is uncommon. The factor that could really push them is getting more production from either Mason Gillis or Isaiah Thompson. If Purdue can get back to the level they played at early in the season beating teams like Villanova and North Carolina, I think they’re virtually unstoppable.
Villanova Wildcats:
This may come as a shock putting the Wildcats on the list over so many others, but I for one still like this Nova team a lot. When healthy, they have one of, if not the best six-man rotation in college basketball. The problem is that there have been some health issues and sometimes you do have to go more than six deep in a game. It’s rare that Jay Wright goes as far as giving 7th and 8th man minutes, and it’s simply because this team just can’t afford to go that deep to their bench. This is obvious concerns once tournament times rolls around because of foul situations and always having to deal with the possibility of injuries. I’m confident in this team though because it’s an experienced group that is dangerous when one or more of their main six guys get going. Collin Gillespe came back this year to make a deep run and he’ll do anything and everything for it, and with the guys like Justin Moore and Jermaine Samuels around him, do not be surprised if this team makes that run.
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