NCAA Tournament 2022: Predicting Favorites for March Madness Bracket

There have been plenty of Cinderella runs by college basketball teams in March Madness over the years. And they're always entertaining to watch, considering a squad that nobody expected to make it deep into the NCAA tournament finds a way to do just that.

However, the national championship has typically gone to a team that was expected to fare well in the tourney. Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, the national title has been won by a No. 1 seed in 23 of the 36 tourneys held over that span.

The 2022 NCAA tournament has nearly arrived, as this year's 68-team field will be set on Selection Sunday on March 13. While it's possible that a surprise team could come away from the event as national champions, it seems likelier that one of the country's top squads does so instead.

Here's a closer look at several teams that should be the favorites heading into March Madness.

Gonzaga has never won a national championship, but that nearly changed in 2021. The Bulldogs had an incredible 2020-21 season, winning their first 31 games to make it to the national championship game. Then, they came up one win short of the title, falling to Baylor in the final contest of the season.

This year, Gonzaga again appears poised for a deep run through the NCAA tournament. It enters the West Coast Conference tournament with a 24-3 record, which included a 13-1 mark in conference play. The Bulldogs lost their regular-season finale to Saint Mary's, but they should bounce back and will likely win the WCC tourney title.

Not only does Gonzaga have an experienced leader in junior forward Drew Timme (17.6 points per game), but it also has Chet Holmgren, a 7-foot freshman center who is averaging 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season. With Timme and Holmgren powering the way, the Bulldogs will continue to be tough to beat.

So don't be surprised if Gonzaga ends up in the national championship game for a second year in a row. And this time, the Bulldogs may have what it takes to come away with the title.

Another team that has cruised for much of the season is Arizona. In their first year under head coach Tommy Lloyd, the Wildcats finished the regular season at 28-3 and secured the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 tournament by going 18-2 in conference play.

As the clear top team in the Pac-12 this year, Arizona should win the conference tournament title and will likely be a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tourney. And while that doesn't guarantee a deep March Madness run for the Wildcats, they've been playing a team that should be considered among the favorites to win the national title.

Sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin (17.3 points per game) is one of four Arizona players averaging a double-digit point total this season. He's a big reason why the Wildcats have won 12 of their past 13 games, with 10 of those victories coming by 10 or more points.

Arizona has been cruising, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Expect the Wildcats to make a deep run through the NCAA tournament and potentially find their way into the Final Four or perhaps even further.

Could Duke potentially make the final game of Mike Krzyzewski's coaching career a win in the national championship game? It's quite possible, considering the Blue Devils have been among the top teams in the country this season and have a history of performing well in March.

Although Duke lost Krzyzewski's last home game by falling to North Carolina in its regular-season finale, it still enters the ACC tournament as the No. 1 seed thanks to a 16-4 conference record. If the Blue Devils can reestablish their momentum, they may be poised for a deep run through the NCAA tourney.

Freshman forward Paolo Banchero (17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game) will be one of the most exciting stars to watch during March Madness, and he's one of five Duke players averaging 10.3 or more points per game. So the Blue Devils have the talent to make a national title run.

Never count out a Krzyzewski-coached squad in March, especially one that will be the final team of his career. Duke should make this a March to remember for the program.