Answering the Biggest Questions on the 2022 Men's NCAA Tournament

It's the most wonderful time of the year, as March Madness is finally upon us. As we get closer to Selection Sunday, it's still unclear who the No. 1 seeds will be since there are plenty of talented teams with conference tournament games left. But we'll get into all that in a bit. 

There are a number of interesting storylines to keep an eye on heading into the 2022 tournament. Which NBA prospects can make the most noise? Can Mike Krzyzewski add to his tournament resume?

Let's try to answer those and some of the other biggest questions surrounding the NCAA men's tournament field.

The front-runners for a No. 1 seed include Gonzaga, Auburn, Arizona and Baylor, though the top seed line isn't set in stone, with most of the conference tournaments yet to be decided.

Following Gonzaga's 82-69 win over St. Mary's to win the WCC tournament, the Bulldogs shouldn't have a problem getting the No. 1 overall seed. 

But there are some challenges for the Nos. 2 through 4 spots. Depending on what happens in the SEC tournament, the winner could get a top seed. Per DraftKings, Auburn and Kentucky are the two betting favorites—Kentucky lost to Auburn 80-71 on Jan. 22. 

In the Pac-12, if Arizona wins the conference tournament, the Wildcats will likely lock up a No. 1 seed. But if they fall in Las Vegas, that would open the door to some other teams, especially because their strength of schedule ranks 73rd, according to ESPN. 

The Big 12, meanwhile, might get two No. 1 seeds. Baylor is the favorite to win the conference tournament, but if Kansas were to take down the Bears for the auto-bid, that could put both teams on the top seed line. 

There is an outside shot for a squad like Purdue to snag a No. 1 seed, too. The Boilermakers would not only have to win the Big Ten tournament—which would require them to beat the top two seeds in Illinois and Wisconsin—but Arizona, Baylor, Auburn, Kentucky and Kansas would likely have to stumble early in their conference tournaments as well.

Some mid-major teams have earned auto bids via conference tournament titles, but quite a few league brackets still need to be settled. 

It looked as if Northern Iowa was primed to get a bid out of the Missouri Valley Conference as the top seed there, but Loyola-Chicago dashed those hopes with a 66-43 win in the semifinals. The Ramblers then took down Drake 64-58 for the conference title and the auto bid. Loyola-Chicago made a surprise run in 2018, reaching the Final Four as a No. 11 seed, and B/R's Kerry Miller predicts the Ramblers will get the same seeding Sunday.

Murray State is also in, having won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament by downing Morehead State 71-67. The Racers have an impressive resume behind a 30-2 record, which puts them at a No. 23 NET ranking thanks in part to a 5-1 record against the top two quadrants. And one of their two losses came against Auburn on the road in December by 13 points.

Longwood won the Big South tournament Sunday and will head to the Big Dance for the first time in school history.

The SoCon's Chattanooga, the Sun Belt's Georgia State and the Atlantic Sun's Jacksonville State have earned auto bids. Bellarmine actually won the Atlantic Sun's conference tourney but is still transitioning to Division I and is ineligible for the Big Dance, handing the berth to regular-season champ Jacksonville State.

The Northeast's Bryant, the CAA's Delaware, the Horizon League's Wright State and the Summit's South Dakota State have earned bids as well. 

North Texas has a chance to make it in as a No. 12 seed with a 23-5 record. The Mean Green will start Conference USA tournament play Thursday, getting the winner of Rice vs. Charlotte. 

Davidson, 25-5, is on the bubble, but a stumble in the A-10 tournament might cost the top-seeded Wildcats. Notably, No. 2 seed Dayton defeated Davidson 82-76 in the regular-season finale last week.

It's still surreal to think there can be college basketball without legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. But this will be his last hurrah.

The 26-5 Blue Devils will likely get a No. 2 seed, though they do have some bad losses, including to a Quadrant 3 opponent in Virginia. Not to mention a 94-81 regular-season finale loss to unranked UNC last weekend—Duke's third-largest loss to such a foe under Coach K.

But playing on the road for the NCAA tournament might help the Blue Devils. On the season, some of Duke's worst losses have come at Cameron Indoor.

"On the road and everywhere else we've been hungry, and we won't be playing the NCAA tournament here," star forward Paolo Banchero said, per ESPN's David Hale. "We're looking forward to going on the road and making up for it."

Even if Duke wins the ACC tournament this week in Brooklyn, it's unlikely it can steal a No. 1 seed. The ACC isn't quite as strong as it has been in years past, checking in at sixth among conferences in average NET rankings (ht/ USA Today's Scott Gleeson).

Still, Krzyzewski holds the NCAA tournament record for games won (97) and coached (127) for a reason. Duke has some key guys who just might help the Blue Devils make a run too. Banchero is averaging 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Forward Wendell Moore Jr. is averaging 13.1 points and shooting 50.9 percent from the floor. Mark Williams has 87 blocks, and Coach K has gotten valuable minutes from freshmen AJ Griffin and Trevor Keels.

Duke hasn't looked as dominant as it has in the past. But the legendary head coach has the weapons to make a deep run.

A number of notable teams are trying to make a late-season impression on the committee during conference tournament week. 

Xavier lost to Butler 89-82 in overtime in the Big East tournament on Wednesday, and right after the game Miller had it as his last team in. The Musketeers have dropped eight out of their last 10 games. They check in at 36th in the NET rankings and rank 33rd in ESPN's strength of schedule.

Wyoming boosted its tournament hopes with a 68-64 overtime win over Fresno State on Saturday. Similar to Xavier, the Cowboys have lost some games late in the season. So beating UNLV in the Mountain West tourney Thursday would likely help the Cowboys avoid missing out. 

Rutgers had three straight losses in Big Ten play in late February, which made the Scarlet Knights' tournament hopes look doubtful. But they started March with wins over Indiana and Penn State to give themselves a boost heading into conference tourney play. The Scarlet Knights' victories over the top two seeds in the Big Ten tournament, Illinois and Wisconsin, last month paired with a deep run in Indianapolis should set them up nicely.

SMU looks like a last-four-in team—it defeated Tulane and Cincinnati last week to finish 22-7 and 13-4 in AAC play. A loss in the first round of the conference tournament would make the Mustangs' Big Dance chances murky, however.

A number of big-name programs are on the outside looking in.

For the first time since 2013, Virginia could miss the Big Dance. The Cavaliers are 18-12 (12-8 ACC), finishing sixth in the conference. UVA probably has to take the ACC tournament to get in.

Florida has made 23 appearances in the dance. But with a 19-12 record, including home losses to Arkansas and Kentucky in recent weeks, the Gators will likely miss the festivities for the second time in six chances under head coach Mike White. 

Mid-majors Dayton and VCU will both likely need big conference tournaments to make it in. Dayton's 82-76 win over Davidson helps the Flyers, whereas VCU's 69-65 road loss to St. Louis could've been a death knell for the Rams. VCU and Dayton are 51st and 52nd, respectively, in the NET rankings.

A number of talented guys could shine in March, and a lot of them are freshmen. We already mentioned Banchero, Duke's standout forward who has an outside shot at becoming the No. 1 pick in June's draft.

Per Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo, "Banchero has drawn comparisons to mid-career Carmelo Anthony and current Julius Randle. He's more unselfish with the ball than both players, but those names speak to the quality and breadth of his offensive skill set." Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman noted Banchero could finish March as the draft's "most complete offensive player."

Elsewhere, Auburn freshman forward Jabari Smith is Wasserman's projected top pick. The 2021 5-star prospect out of Georgia is a huge reason the Tigers are eyeing a No. 1 seed. He is averaging 17.1 points per game along with 6.9 rebounds.

He's already won the SEC Freshman of the Year Award and is Auburn's first All-American since 1999. Smith has played some of his best basketball late in the season, too, as he's averaged 23.6 points in the Tigers' last five games. His 21-point performance against South Carolina last Saturday helped his team clinch the SEC regular-season title.

If Smith keeps playing like he has, it might be hard for any team to stop Auburn. 

A big reason Gonzaga is expected to get the No. 1 overall seed? True freshman Chet Holmgren. The 7-foot, 195-pound center is averaging 14.2 points per game and 9.6 rebounds, and he's shooting 61 percent from the floor. 

While his size makes him a threat to score, he's impressive on defense as well. On the year, he averages 7.9 defensive rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. Holmgren's size paired with his ability to make plays on both ends are unlike the skill sets of prospects many have seen in recent years.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz noted:

"The 'problem' with Holmgren is he's a one-of-a-kind prospect, the likes of which we have simply never seen before. There are no great NBA comparisons that truly capture his rare skill set on both ends of the floor, and that's unnerving in many ways, as we're operating in unfamiliar territory."

Purdue shooting guard Jaden Ivey is also rising up draft projection boards. The sophomore is posting 17.2 points per game, is a talented passer and can get hot from three. A deep run in the tournament for Purdue could only solidify a top-five draft spot for the star guard.

Iowa forward Keegan Murray, who Wasserman projects at the No. 5 pick, has been a bit inconsistent. In the Hawkeyes' first 14 contests, he averaged 24.7 points. That dropped to 16.7 during a six-game stretch featuring losses to Rutgers, Purdue and Penn State.

But in February and March, Murray is averaging 25.2 points per game and could further enter the national consciousness with a tournament push.

Junior Drew Timme is Gonzaga's best player and will be one of the bigger-name forwards in this year's tournament. The Texas native is averaging 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. A preseason All-American, Timme was named the WCC Player of the Year earlier this month as the Zags continued to dominate the conference. Timme's efforts and Holmgren's dominance at center are huge reasons Gonzaga is the odds-on favorite to win it all. 

For Kentucky to make a deep run in this year's tournament, it needs forward and National Player of the Year favorite Oscar Tshiebwe to maintain his stellar form. The transfer from West Virginia took home the SEC Player of the Year Award earlier this month. Tshiebwe is putting up huge numbers, including 17.3 points, 15.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. 

Meanwhile, Illinois forward Kofi Cockburn has had a standout year. The junior from Kingston, Jamaica, is averaging 21.0 points along with 10.6 rebounds per game. The 7-foot, 285-pound forward was named an All-Big Ten first-teamer for the second straight season earlier this month. He finished the regular season second in scoring and first in rebounds in the conference. 

If they keep playing as they have been, all three of these guys can help their teams go far in this year's tournament. 

Stats via Sports Reference unless otherwise noted. Prospect ratings via 247Sports.      

Gambling Problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.