Ever since March Madness became part of the sports vernacular, the NCAA Tournament framework pool has become a familiar matchup. Broadly speaking, participants fall into two main categories. There are also more casual fans who only pay attention to men’s college hoops during tournaments. They do some research, but mostly rely on name recognition and seeding to fill in the brackets.
And there are some enthusiasts who have been following the sport since November in hopes of accumulating more knowledge for when the brackets are finally announced.
This is for the latter group, those who have watched certain teams throughout the season and are well aware of how fiercely unpredictable they are. These are the teams that cause the most anxiety for self-proclaimed bracket experts as they consider their selections. They have the talent needed for a deep run and are a team that could probably send out the No. 1 packing. But they’re also unstable and just as likely to go up in flames the first weekend. As we consider what to do with these eight teams, all we can say is good luck.
Kansas
The Jayhawks’ history with Bill Self at the helm suggests their Final Four potential shouldn’t be ignored. However, the Big 12’s performance this season has been mixed, with impressive wins against Arizona and Iowa State mixed in with miserable losses to last-place West Virginia and Arizona State. Not all of KU’s instability can be attributed to Darrin Peterson’s precarious health, but it’s certainly part of the story. Florrie Bidunga is sometimes dominant and sometimes inconspicuous, and Melvin Council Jr. is sometimes sizzling and other times ice-cold.
Purdue
The Boilermakers were picked first in the preseason poll. They also played a role at the beginning and end of the campaign. But during that time, they established themselves as a middling team in the Big Ten, an odd situation for a team with several multi-year stars. When Purdue struggled, they had issues on both ends of the floor, at times being defensively indifferent or making bad decisions on the ball. Did the Boilermakers figure things out in the Big Ten Tournament, or will it happen again at the wrong time?
Regional breakdown and forecast: East | South | Midwest | West
arkansas
There are many reasons to support the Razorbacks in their region. Their SEC Tournament title seemed to indicate they were turning up the heat at the right time, and coach John Calipari led the team to a share going into the final weekend. However, since they no longer have to play against Florida or Alabama, their path to the SEC Championship is a little clearer. As with what Darius Acuff Jr. has done in recent weeks, only a few teams have gone that distance with talented freshman lead guards.
gonzaga
Putting the Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 is usually a safe choice, but it’s hard to predict how far this group will push, especially since they’ll face an equally volatile Purdue if their seeding holds. Gonzaga has always had a necessarily tough non-conference schedule, and results this season were mixed. The team’s defense is usually solid, but if Graham Ike inevitably has to contend with bigger post players, the Zags may not have enough perimeter scoring options to compensate.
university university
A few weeks ago, the Huskies swept St. John’s, putting them on track for the top seed and in good position to win their third national title in four years. Since then, there’s been a loss to Marquette in the Big East finals, a come-from-behind loss to the Red Storm, not to mention a number of other shaky games and another Danny Hurley meltdown. When considering how much to trust a Husky in a highly loaded area, it’s quite a challenge. When Solo Ball is at UCon, they can beat anyone, but when he’s not there, they struggle the rest of the game.
Alabama
The Crimson Tide was slated to join this wild-card list even before news of Aiden Holloway’s legal troubles broke. Either way, Alabama’s “food or starvation” approach from the 3-point arc could continue all the way to the Final Four, just like it did a few years ago. This year’s version lacks rim protection, forcing teams to rely on ball pressure to generate takeaways, and this high-energy approach may not be sustainable in the tournament’s fast turnaround settings. And missing out on one of your best players on the eve of an event may be too difficult to handle.
illinois
In early February, the Fighting Illini were on a 12-game winning streak with veteran guard Kylan Boswell returning from injury and a path to the No. 1 seed in sight. But after that, the University of Illinois finished with a record of 4 wins and 5 losses, with 4 of the 5 losses coming in overtime. All of the losses were against other tournament teams, but the thorny issue of not being able to make winning plays in close games should be on everyone’s mind as the Big Dance begins.
virginia
It’s nothing new for the Cavaliers to appear in the bracket, but this year’s version is built quite differently than Tony Bennett’s teams of recent vintage. First and foremost, fans will see the team play at a much faster tempo under first-year coach Ryan Odom. But the real mystery for UVa is how they stack up against other Power League teams. The Cavaliers played most of their games in a depleted ACC, but other than a win over Texas, their non-conference resume entering the postseason was relatively unremarkable.
