How do you rank the top teams in the nation when the top six teams in the nation, and eight of the top 10 lose in one week? You treat it as a clean slate. I’m not interested in what each team did this week, as I’m sure most of the teams won’t complain about. With March right around the corner and Selection Sunday two weeks away, I will rank the top teams purely based on who I believe can cut down the nets in March.
1. Gonzaga (24-3)
Despite their first conference loss since 2020, I still believe Mark Few and the Zags have the team that is best equipped to win a national championship this season. They have experience in the backcourt, capable shooters at every position and a sensational shot-blocker who can extend the floor and create space for Drew Timme in the post.
2. Kentucky (23-6)
This team was able to overcome double-digit deficits against Alabama and LSU without their starting backcourt and nearly did it again at Bud Walton Arena with this duo coming off the bench already down 10. It seems this team is finally starting to get healthy, and I expect them to win the SEC Tournament in two weeks and earn one of the two one seeds that is completely up in the air.
3. Auburn (25-4)
If Kentucky doesn’t win the SEC Championship, expect these Tigers to be the team that takes it from them and earn their first one seed since 1999. Much like Gonzaga, this team has experience in the backcourt and an incredible shot-blocker who can force opponents to shoot outside the paint because of how well he protects it.
4. Duke (25-4)
What started as a major weakness for the team is starting to turn into a strength as the Blue Devils are finding their rhythm from beyond the arc. This team is loaded with talent and already proved they can beat Gonzaga, making them a legit contender to win it all in April.
5. Arizona (25-3)
The Wildcats entered the week ranked second, and while I believe they’ll most likely stay there, I can’t put them ahead of any of the four teams above them when I think about national championship contenders. Tommy Lloyd could easily bring the Cats a title in his debut season, but none of his players have ever suited up for this team in a NCAA Tournament game, which could become costly in a few weeks as the pressure starts to mount.
6. Purdue (24-5)
You need to be able to play solid defense if you want to win a national championship, and this team simply doesn’t do that. They can outscore you, but put them in a physical, grind-it-out game and I just don’t trust them to get the job done on the defensive end. It would be silly to count out a team as talented as this one, so I’ll put them at the six spot for now.
7. Texas Tech (22-7)
If you’re looking for the opposite of everything I just said, look no further than the Red Raiders. Defense travels anywhere and that makes this team the most dangerous in the Big 12. We saw them suffocate opponents all the way to the National Championship in 2019 so don’t be surprised if they do it again.
8. Kansas (23-5)
You need closers if you’re going to make a run in March and the Jayhawks have the best in the nation in Ochai Agbaji. Depth and experience are equally important in the NCAA Tournament and this team is loaded in both of those departments as well. Bill Self is no stranger to deep runs in the tournament and he could easily get this team to do it once again.
9. Villanova (21-7)
Great closer? Check. Experience? Check. Depth? Not a chance. The lack of depth will be the downfall for this team one way or another, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make some noise anyway. They reached the Sweet 16 last season without [Player: Collin Gillespie but they should have him this season as they prepare for another deep run into March.
10. UCLA (21-6)
This team returned everyone from a Final Four run and even added some depth, which is why they could find themselves back at the national semifinals a year later. They busted your bracket last year, so why make the same mistake and doubt them again this year?
11. Baylor (24-5)
There are few things in sports more difficult than winning back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. We haven’t seen it since the mid-2000s when Florida did it in 2006-07. That was also the last time a reigning champion reached the Elite Eight in the following tournament. The Bears have the talent to snap that streak, but their injuries are not helping the cause.
12. Illinois (20-8)
The interior presence of Kofi Cockburn, combined with the perimeter prowess of Trent Frazier and Alfonso Plummer is a lethal combination that can take this team all the way to New Orleans. Andre Curbelo provides a playmaking spark off the bench and there are several other players who fill and flourish in a perfect role for the Illini. I wouldn’t want to face this team with my season on the line.
13. Wisconsin (23-5)
A lot of people are saying that this team can only go as far as Johnny Davis takes them. But these Badgers, consistently built around a cohesive unit and not one individual player, continue to prove that other guys can step up. Davis is a special talent who can certainly take over a game, but you don’t get to 23-5 in the Big Ten with only one good player, as good as he might be.
14. Connecticut (21-7)
You know Kemba Walker and you know Shabazz Napier, but prepare yourselves for RJ Cole. The next great Connecticut guard in March is right before our eyes, and he just welcomed himself to the national spotlight with a gutsy, game-winning layup to knock off No. 8 Villanova. When you’re filling out your brackets in a few weeks, keep in mind that this team was not at full strength for three of their losses, but they’re playing their best basketball at just the right time.
15. Arkansas (23-6)
It’s difficult to find a team hotter than the Razorbacks are in all of college basketball. With wins over Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee in the past three weeks, the Hogs are back in the hunt for an SEC Championship. JD Notae is a superstar who just dropped 30 on the Wildcats and he can lead this team back to the Elite Eight and possibly even further in a wide-open NCAA Tournament.
16. Alabama (19-10)
In terms of championship contenders, you can’t compose a list without the Crimson Tide on it. They’re undoubtedly inconsistent, but they’ve proven time and time again that they can beat anyone, and if they can escape a first weekend upset, I don’t know who will be able to slow them down from there.
Next 5: Houston, Ohio State, Tennessee, Providence, Iowa
Players of the Week:
Keegan Murray, SF/PF, No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes
If the Hawkeyes weren’t up nearly 30 with 10 minutes remaining, Murray might have scored 40 on the Spartans. Instead, he settled for 28 points in 30 minutes, extending his scoring average on the season to 23.2 PPG. You can’t have Wooden Award conversations without mentioning Murray, especially with the Hawkeyes surging into the rankings and competing for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Scotty Pippen Jr., PG, Vanderbilt Commodores
The Commodores might have dropped both games this week, but Pippen played like the conference player of the year in both contests. He nearly helped his team knock off No. 24 Alabama with 26 points and 6 assists and followed that up with 32 points in another loss to Mississippi State. The future is bright for the 6’3 junior who will only benefit from a transfer or an early entry to the 2022 NBA Draft.
Malaki Branham, SF, No. 22 Ohio State Buckeyes
There is no freshmen playing as well as Branham right now and the list of players, regardless of class, is getting smaller and smaller every game. The 6’5 freshman is fresh off a 31-point explosion to knock off No. 15 Illinois on the road and he compiled 27 and 22 points in his previous two games, raising his conference average to 16 PPG. The Columbus native could very easily work his way into the lottery conversation if he continues on the tear he is on in conference play.
KJ Williams, PF/C, No. 19 Murray State Racers
The best player you’ve never heard of? KJ Williams. The 6’10 senior played with Ja Morant in 2018-19 and he’s blossoming as a star of his own for the 28-2 Racers. He demolished Belmont on Thursday with 30 points, on 4-4 shooting from the perimeter, and dropped 23 more to complete an unbeaten conference season heading into the OVC Tournament.
Sincere Carry, PG, Kent State Golden Flashes
The second-best player you’ve never heard of? Sincere Carry. The MAC Tournament promises to be mayhem with five true contenders to win the tournament and Carry can become the next household name in March if he’s able to get his team to the NCAA Tournament. He did all he could on Tuesday with 42 points against Ball State, making 10 of his 16 threes on his way to a career best output.
Play of the Week:
Xavier vs. Providence had absolutely everything to classify it as the game of the year in college basketball from big shots to great calls on the broadcast. Jared Bynum’s dagger 3-pointer, followed by an unforgettable call by Andrew Catalon, provided us with the play (and call) of the week in an unforgettable mid-week matchup.
Jared Bynum Cold-Blooded Three (via ATG MVP Top Plays)
