NCAA Tournament tickets are being punched, shots are falling through the hoop at the buzzer and 12-seeds are wreaking havoc. It must be March.
And, oh, how sweet it is to be back. If you’re choosing to catch up on college hoops now, you’ve picked a good time and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. Here’s our final Power 16 of the regular season as the major conference tournaments kick off this week with Selection Sunday just around the corner.
1. Duke (28-3)
UNC had the Blue Devils on the ropes late in the second half, but Jon Scheyer’s group showed why they’ve been the top team in our power rankings for the better part of two months. Cooper Flagg continues to do his thing and the players around him are only getting better as the season goes on.
2. Auburn (27-4)
The Tigers lost as many games this week as they had all season previously and will now enter the postseason on a sour note. A No. 1 seed is already locked up, so while the losing streak won’t cost them that, they’ll need a strong showing at the SEC Tournament to regain momentum heading into March Madness.
3. Houston (27-4)
Houston finished the regular season with a 23-1 record since November and three of its four losses on the year coming in overtime. This is a tough team to beat and a true contender for a national championship once again. It’s time Kelvin Sampson and his team came through in March and proved it.
4. Florida (27-4)
The fourth and final No. 1 seed should go to the Gators after a second-place finish in the nation’s top conference and two wins against AP No. 1 teams. The year got off to a brutal start with a scandal against coach Todd Golden, but he deserves a ton of credit for turning things around in Gainesville amidst turmoil.
5. Tennessee (25-6)
It’s go time for Rick Barnes and the Volunteers who have had more success in March recently but still no Final Four appearances in Knoxville. He’s never had a team earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament but that’s within reach with a strong SEC Tournament showing and could be the key to breaking through in the Big Dance.
6. Alabama (24-7)
The Crimson Tide were going to enter the postseason on a three-game losing streak or they were going to take down the No. 1 team in the nation on the road. They chose the latter with a dramatic buzzer-beater by Mark Sears that could provide far more than just another number in the win column as the team prepares for a fun few weeks ahead.
7. Michigan State (26-5)
Faced with three losses in a four game stretch and the toughest part of its schedule ahead, Michigan State was in for a defining final three weeks of the regular season. As he does so often, Tom Izzo got his team locked in at the right time and the Spartans won their final seven games to clinch a Big Ten Championship.
8. St. John’s (27-4)
The Rick Pitino party continued in the final game of the regular season as the Red Storm capped an improbable turnaround with a buzzer-beating victory at No. 20 Marquette to end the year. It might not be pretty, but they continue to win close games, which is a dangerous yet often effective recipe in March.
9. Clemson (26-5)
The ACC, rightfully so, doesn’t get much respect, but Clemson doesn’t deserve to be a part of that criticism. The Tigers made a deep run in last year’s NCAA Tournament and look poised to do the same riding an eight-game winning streak headed into the ACC Tournament.
10. Iowa State (23-8)
The Cyclones are far from surging heading into the Big 12 Tournament. They went 2-3 to finish the regular season and the health of Keshon Gilbert is the key as he missed two of those three losses. Getting healthy is step one. Step two is righting the ship to prepare for a run in two weeks.
11. Texas Tech (24-7)
Speaking of getting healthy, Texas Tech finally is. It showed in an impressive 3-0 finish to the year that helped the Red Raiders earn the second seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Good on Grant McCasland for getting this team back in national contention in year two in Lubbock.
12. Maryland (24-7)
No one seems to be talking about the Terps despite as strong of a finish to Big Ten play as anyone besides Michigan State. And the only reason it wasn’t better was because of a half-court heave by Tre Holloman in College Park. Keep an eye on Kevin Willard’s group, because they’ve been in every game this season and a real threat to bust your bracket in just over a week.
13. Memphis (26-5)
It’s time to pay attention to Memphis again. Every conference tournament is worth watching and it’ll be good to get one final look at the Tigers before their seed is finalized next Sunday. Anything, from a first-round upset loss to a surge to the Final Four, is in play with this team, so good luck figuring out which it will be.
14. BYU (23-8)
One guy getting no love for coach of the year who absolutely deserves consideration is Kevin Young. The Cougars are winners of eight in a row entering the Big 12 Tournament and finished third in a league with a handful of underperforming national powers. A big reason they’re underperforming is the success of Young in his first year leading the charge in Provo.
15. Kentucky (22-7)
Mark Pope did wonders for the BYU program and in his first year outside of Provo, he also deserves coach of the year consideration. The Wildcats have dealt with horrific injury luck and just lost BYU transfer Jaxson Robinson to the season as well. Guard play will be difficult to trust, but the Cats just keep winning big games and did so again to close the season in Columbia.
16. Texas A&M (22-7)
After losing four in a row, the Aggies snapped back into shape with a win over No. 1 Auburn and another win over LSU to cap the regular season. It was looking bleak for a bit there, but Buzz Williams has righted the ship and is gearing toward another great run in March. His team has the tools to do it and will be fascinating to monitor as the bracket reveal approaches.
Next 5: Saint Mary’s, Oregon, Louisville, Wisconsin, Drake
Players of the Week:
JT Toppin, No. 9 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Toppin capped a breakout sophomore season with a bang, posting a pair of double-doubles including a 30-point effort against Colorado on Wednesday. He remains the highest-ranked non-freshman in our mock and is an intriguing prospect to check out in the upcoming postseason.
Nate Bittle, Oregon Ducks
Bittle had a lot of hype coming out of high school and deserves a ton of recognition for sticking with the school he chose four years ago despite a sluggish start. He reaped the rewards this season and fittingly closed the regular season with one of his best efforts – a 36-point, 12-rebound performance to send the Ducks into the Big Ten Tournament on a seven game winning streak.
Darius Johnson, UCF Knights
At one point UCF looked like a dangerous sleeper team in March and while things fell apart in the middle of the conference campaign, Johnson closed it on a heater. The senior put up 36, five and five in a win over Oklahoma State Wednesday and his 27 points came up short against West Virginia on the weekend. Still, Johnson is a dynamic scorer who had a terrific final season in Orlando.
Brice Williams, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska fumbled any chance of an at-large NCAA Tournament berth with a five game skid to close the year but not without Williams putting on yet another show on Tuesday. The Cornhuskers dropped a 116-114 decision to Ohio State in double overtime, but Williams was unbelievable with 43 points on terrific efficiency (16-29 FG, 5-9 3PT).
Alex Condon, No. 5 Florida Gators
Condon’s return from injury was a huge boost for the Gators and he showed why this week in a pair of dominant efforts. First, he helped his team take down No. 7 Alabama with a 27-point double-double before adding 17 and 15 against Ole Miss on Saturday. A fully healthy Florida team is as dangerous as anyone this postseason as a special season continues in Gainesville.
Play of the Week
From helping knock off Virginia in the 2021 NCAA Tournament with Ohio to leading Alabama to the Final Four last season, Mark Sears is already a legend in March. He just became an even bigger one with a game-winning floater at the buzzer to knock off No. 1 Auburn on its home floor to cap an unbelievable regular season. Here’s the play that Crimson Tide fans won’t soon forget!
Video Credit: ESPN
