We are only a few weeks away from the start of the madness of men's college basketball and the NCAA tournament. In true fashion, the top of the deck is starting to form.
There's been a lot of talk about how Zion Williamson and the Duke Blue Devils should be a clear number one seed heading into the 2019 NCAA tournament.
I don't buy it. And no, it's not because the Blue Devils lost the other night to the North Carolina Tar Heels and nearly lost their star player in the process.
Zion Williamson's Nikes explode 😱 pic.twitter.com/ER0OZLRsNM— TOM MARTIN (@TomKCTV5) February 21, 2019
It's true the Blue Devils looked a lot less invincible without their star player and presumed number one pick in this summer's NBA draft. As good as they are -- with a team full of talented players -- Duke wasn't as unbeatable as some made them out to be.
Many have given the title to Duke already. They still may very well win it, but there are other top teams to consider. The Blue Devils aren't a cut-and-dry choice, aren't levels beyond the other top teams in the nation, and certainly aren't an unbeatable force between the two baselines.
Here are a few thoughts on teams who may be standing tall when confetti falls in Minneapolis on April 8.
Blue Chips
The first-ranked Duke Blue Devils (23-2, 11-2) still top this list, with or without Williamson. Of course, their future looks a lot brighter when the freshman phenom is on the court.
Williamson averages 21.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He's a mainstay on highlight reels for gravity defying dunks, but Williamson also shines on the defensive end. He averages 2.2 steals and nearly 2 blocked shots per game.
It's freshman R.J. Barrett, however, who leads the Blue Devils in scoring (23.1 ppg). Throw in Cam Reddish's 14.3 ppg and the Blue Devils probably have the best trio of stars in men's college basketball.
Ranked 8th, North Carolina (21-5, 11-2) is playing some of their basketball as of late and the Tar Heels full array of talent was on display in their 88-72 victory over Duke.
A key factor in March will be senior Luke Maye. Maye is no stranger to the Duke-North Carolina rivalry and even more accustomed to NCAA tournament victories. Perhaps an round of 32 exit in 2018 is one reason he returned to his school for his senior season.
He's again been rock solid, averaging 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Those numbers are both down from last season (16.9, 10.1 respectively) his leadership will be invaluable down the stretch.
The Tar Heels average 87.5 points per game, with three of their losses coming to Michigan, Virginia, and the fourth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats.
The Wildcats (22-4, 11-2) started slow as well -- in terms of normal Kentucky starts -- but last weekend picked up a huge win over Tennessee. Their losses against Duke and LSU can be deemed "good losses", though a loss against Seton Hall is a mark against them.
To improve on last year's Sweet 16 exit, Kentucky will rely on forward P.J. Washington and freshman guard Ashton Hagans. Washington leads the team at 14.9 points and 8 rebounds per game. Hagans controls the action with 4.4 assists and 2 steals per game.
17th-ranked Villanova (20-7, 11-3) is included in this first part mostly because they are the defending national champions. After early season struggles, things had turned around for the Wildcats and they seemed primed to make a late-season climb up the rankings.
'Nova, however, has lost three of their last four games and, as with North Carolina, lost to Michigan. They also lost to Kansas, who is having a down year in the Big 12.
Guard Phil Booth is the leading scorer for the Wildcats, dropping 18.6 points and 3.8 assists per game. Head coach Jay Wright has done a great job in his tenure, but 'Nova likely lost too much talent from last year's team to repeat.
Coming at you hard
The second-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-2, 13-0) are having another remarkable season and making mincemeat of the rest of the West Coast Conference. The difference this year? The Bulldogs have out-of-conference wins over Duke and Texas A&M, among others.
Gonzaga races to the tune of 90.3 points per game. The Bulldogs have scored 90 or more points in 16 of their games, with their closest conference game a 12-point margin.
Rui Hachimura leads the team as the Bulldogs hope to improve on last season's Sweet 16 exit. Hachimura averages 20.4 points per game, while transfer Brandon Clarke puts up 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Gonzaga's two losses were in back-to-back games, falling to North Carolina and the fifth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.
The Volunteers (24-2, 12-1) have mostly been rolling through the season, with their losses coming to Kansas and Kentucky. The duo of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield combine to average 35.6 points and 13.9 rebounds. They are two of five players to average double figures in points for Tennessee.
Tennessee carries with them depth and experience and the scars of a 63-62 loss to Loyola-Chicago in last year's Round of 32.
A team looking for ultimate redemption from last year's tournament is the third-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (23-2, 11-2). No one in that program needs to be reminded they became the first number one seed to ever lose to a 16-seed in the men's tournament.
Virginia is right back doing damage and playing tenacious defense, allowing only 54.6 points per game, tops in the nation. Virginia's only two losses have come at the hands of Duke.
Kyle Guy and De'Andre Hunter combine to give the Cavaliers 30.2 points per game and Virginia commits only 9.4 turnovers per contest.
Last year's runner-up and 7th-ranked Michigan Wolverines (24-3, 13-3) are using a stingy defense to succeed as well. Thanks in large part to Zavier Simpson, the Wolverines allow only 57.7 points per game, good for third in the nation.
All three of their losses have come in conference play, including to the team currently in last place in the Big Ten, Penn State.
Mid-Majors
Teams from the mid-major conferences usually find ways to pick up a couple of wins in the NCAA tournament. This year should be no different, with familiar faces abound hoping to clinch spots next month.
The 9th-ranked Houston Cougars (25-1, 12-1) appear to have the inside edge as a team to make noise come March. Houston lost to Michigan 64-63 in the Round of 32 in last season's tournament.
This year's iteration has won ten games in a row, with their only loss a four-point one to the Temple Owls. They also own wins over Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma State, and BYU.
Defense is emphasized in Houston as well, with the team holding opponents to 60.3 points per game. Experienced guards Corey Davis, Jr and Armoni Brooks combine for 29.8 points per game.
A Sweet 16 team a year ago, the Nevada Wolf Pack (24-2, 11-2) are likely to fall from their ranking of sixth after a mid-week loss at San Diego State. Nevada's only other loss was in conference as well, a road loss to New Mexico.
A breadth of talent lines the Nevada roster, led by the Martin twins (Caleb and Cody) and do-everything senior Jordan Caroline. Caroline had a 40-point game earlier this season but it is Caleb Martin (19.1 ppg) who leads the team in scoring.
Nevada has wins against Arizona State, Utah, and BYU, all wins that looked better earlier this season.
Murray State (22-4, 13-2) is racing through games behind the play of Ja Morant. Morant is scoring 24.5 points and dishing out 10.2 assists as the Racers are hoping to make up for last season's first-round exit.
The Racers will likely need to win the Ohio Valley conference tournament to appear in the NCAA tournament. Though this year's bubble isn't exactly bursting with teams, Murray State really holds no significant win with close losses to Auburn and Alabama.
And who can forget about the 25-ranked Buffalo Bulls (23-3, 11-2). The Bulls defeated Arizona in last season's tourney and are back on top of the Mid-American conference this season.
Buffalo owns a 12-point win over Syracuse, but will face stiff competition from Bowling Green to clinch the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
These are just a handful of teams to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. In the meantime, keep your shoes on.
Others to consider: Marquette, VCU, Louisville, Purdue, Cincinnati
Others to consider: Marquette, VCU, Louisville, Purdue, Cincinnati
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