NCAA Tournament

A basketball tournament is just about the smallest of concerns at a global level during this COVID-19 pandemic, but it's still sad that there will be no March Madness to carry us through these difficult times.

In case you somehow haven't heard, the NCAA canceled the men's college basketball tournament Thursday afternoon, as well as what seems to be every sporting event for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.

Who knows if we'll end up hearing from the tournament selection committee about what the field would have looked like, but just in case, we're keeping this projected bracket posted.

Speaking on behalf of all bracketologists, it would be nice to be able to make comparisons and try to continue to learn how the committee is utilizing the still fairly new NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. And on behalf of fans, theorizing how the tournament might have played out would be a nice little reprieve during this tragic news cycle.

We'll see what they decide on that front, but here's our take on what the tournament field might have been.

Last Updated: 6:20 p.m. ET on Thursday

Play-In Games

Midwest No. 16: North Carolina Central vs. Prairie View A&M
South No. 16: Siena vs. Robert Morris
Midwest No. 11: Richmond vs. Wichita State
West No. 11: UCLA vs. Texas

Last Five In (from safest to least safe): Indiana, Richmond, Wichita State, Texas, UCLA
First Five Out (from first out to fifth out): Northern Iowa, Xavier, Stanford, NC State, Purdue

                            

Kerry Miller covers men's college basketball and college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @kerrancejames.

After the final buzzer, the big man known as "Doke" addresses the crowd at center court. It's tradition at Kansas for the seniors to speak on Senior Night, and as the only senior who has been with Kansas for his entire career, Udoka Azubuike does the heavy lifting moments after the Jayhawks polish off a 75-66 win over TCU at Allen Fieldhouse.

The Nigeria native is a storyteller. He speaks to the capacity crowd of 16,300 for more than 13 minutes, recalling personal anecdotes about every coach, trainer and manager in the Kansas program. He thanks coach Bill Self for teaching him about hard work and consistency, and he thanks assistant Norm Roberts for recruiting him so aggressively—even when a 16-year-old Azubuike didn't want to talk on the phone.

Azubuike's story then takes an emotional turn as he thanks his host parents, Harry and Donna Coxsome, with whom he lived while attending high school in Jacksonville, Florida, and who are in attendance for his final home game. "I had a hard time when I first came to the States," Azubuike tells the crowd. "I had a hard life. My father had just died. But they took care of me. When I felt like giving up, they kept me strong."

Then, the finisher. Doke talks about his mother, and there's not a dry eye in the house.

"My mom, she's back in Nigeria," the 7-foot, 270-pound center explains. "The only time I got to see her was the [2018] Final Four. That was the only time I've seen her in a minute. ... I want to tell you guys that we'll go to the Final Four this year, I'll get to see her.

"So Jayhawks Nation, let's go to Atlanta!"

Azubuike thanking Self on senior night: "You taught me a lot about life. You taught me a lot about hard work, about being consistent, and about never giving up." #kubball pic.twitter.com/VxOcszSZbX

— Marleah Campbell (@MarleahKCTV5) March 5, 2020

While that may be a reasonable expectation for a Kansas team that heads into the Big 12 tournament having won 16 consecutive games, the expectations for the Jayhawks' senior big man are far more uncertain.

---

The youngest of five siblings (two brothers and two sisters), Udoka was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1999. His father, Fabian, a police officer and his mother, Florence, a middle school teacher, raised the family in Delta, a southern state along the Gulf of Guinea coast. Despite record oil revenues in the early 2000s, the Nigerian government was riddled with corruption. In 2009, a militant Islamic organization called Boko Haram waged an insurgency against the Nigerian government.

Amid the upheaval, the Azubuike family's financial situation deteriorated. Udoka told Bleacher Report's Jason King in 2018 that his mother frequently went without a paycheck in her teaching position. Eventually, his parents resorted to selling whatever they could—valuables, services, even furniture—to generate some income.

"A lot of people didn't have jobs because the government was so bad," Azubuike said in 2018. "For a lot of them, the only way to eat was through violence. They would just walk up to people in the street and attack them and rob them just so they could have money for food."

Making matters worse for the family, Fabian became ill in 2009. What was initially just some swelling in the feet spread across his entire lower body, which gave rise to itchy, tumor-like bumps that made it difficult for Fabian to sleep. Doctors were unable to diagnose the illness, and Fabian died in 2010. Udoka was just 10 years of age.

Two years later, Udoka's life would take another turn, this time at a Basketball Without Borders camp in Nigeria. Azubuike had only just begun playing basketball, but his sheer size (he was 6'8" by the summer of 2013) prompted one of the scouts in attendance to contact Steve McLaughlin, the head coach at Potter's House Christian Academy in Jacksonville. McLaughlin was interested, and soon Azubuike set off for high school in the States.

In Florida, the Coxsomes proved to be a welcoming presence. They ushered him from store to store to find clothes that fit and worked to find food that he liked as he transitioned to life in the U.S. The fact that the Coxsomes were devout Christians also helped ease the worries of Udoka's mother, who was deeply religious herself.

Almost from the moment he stepped on the court, Azubuike got a glimpse of his basketball future. In his first game as a high school freshman, according to B/R's story in 2018, Azubuike went up against future Kansas star and Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid. A senior at The Rock School in Gainesville, Embiid had moved from Cameroon to Florida the year before.

Azubuike went on to become a four-year starter at PHCA and averaged 16.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game his senior year. A member of the National Honor Society—a point of pride for the big man—he played in the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic, becoming ESPN's No. 22 player in the class of 2016. With offers from Kansas, North Carolina and Florida State to choose from, Azubuike settled on the Jayhawks, thanks in large part to the relentless recruiting by Roberts. When Embiid called Harry Coxsome on behalf of Kansas, the decision was all but made.

Chances for Azubuike to reunite with his family have been few since he moved to America. The NCAA provides $3,000 to $4,000 stipends to assist players' families in attending the Final Four, so Azubuike hopes that a deep tournament run would allow for another reunion in Atlanta. In 2018, it took a nonimmigrant travel visa, obtained with some help from Kansas U.S. Representative Kevin Yoder, to get Florence Azubuike to the States. Even if his mother doesn't make it back this year, Udoka could already count one special family moment earlier in the year.

In late February, one day before Azubuike's 19 points and 16 rebounds led KU to a rout of Oklahoma State, he found out that his older brother Chima Azuonwu would be in attendance to watch the game in person. The brothers hadn't seen each other in 10 years, and the game was the first time Chima had ever seen his "little" brother ball. Azuonwu, a 6'11" center, received a scholarship to play at Tennessee State, but a knee injury ended his career. Now living in Nashville, Azuonwu surprised Azubuike with the trip to Lawrence.

"Doke was proud," Self said after the game. "I left the locker room area at 11ish. Doke still had his brother in there. They were taking pictures. They were the only two left. That was fun to see."

---

Azubuike is a college basketball anomaly: the dominant college senior. With a game that is based almost entirely on his overpowering size and strength, Azubuike has figured out how to be an exceptional offensive college center without possessing tremendous skill or touch.

His evolution hasn't come without tribulation.

After playing sparingly in an injury-shortened freshman season, projections of potential became reality in Azubuike's sophomore season. He led the nation in shooting with a 77 percent mark only to miss the Big 12 tournament with a sprained MCL. That summer, he declared for the 2018 NBA draft, measuring out with the second-longest wingspan at the combine (7'7", behind only Mo Bamba). But injury concerns gave some scouts pause, and Azubuike returned to school.

Udoka Azubuike had himself a night in his final game at Allen Fieldhouse.

31 points
14 rebounds
5 blocks pic.twitter.com/say2Ned54c

— Stadium (@Stadium) March 5, 2020

An honorable mention All-Big 12 preseason pick entering the 2018-19 season, Azubuike severely sprained his right ankle in early December 2018. He returned four games later, only to tear a ligament in his right hand, which required season-ending surgery.

As the 2020 NCAA tournament beckons, though, Azubuike—named the Big 12 Player of the Year over the weekend—makes a more convincing case for his NBA future with each passing game. Entering this season, he shed nearly 20 pounds. He's stronger, and his endurance has improved. Always one of the best interior scorers in college basketball, Azubuike leads the nation in field-goal percentage (.748), and he has surpassed Tacko Fall for the best career field-goal percentage in NCAA history (.746).

Perhaps most notable for his future, he has shown an improved ability to not only defend the rim, but also to guard players on the perimeter.

"When you've got the big fella changing the game it seems most every possession on both ends, that bodes well for you," Self told reporters after a Feb. 22 win over then-No. 1 Baylor. "Nobody else in America has a guy like that. Nobody."

Along with sophomore point guard Devon Dotson, a leading candidate for the Naismith College Player of the Year Trophy, Self has a point guard and big man combo that reminds him of some of the most dynamic duos in Kansas basketball history.

"You're looking at Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich or Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur," Self told reporters after the Baylor win. "I don't know that we've ever relied on two guys more than what we rely on those two."

As it does so often this time of year, Kansas has discovered its identity. The Jayhawks are a dominant defensive unit with an efficient four-out, one-in offense predicated on great guard play (Dotson), typical athletic Kansas wings (Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji) and one immovable, inimitable force in the middle. After the 12-game suspension of junior forward Silvio De Sousa for his role in the Jan. 21 brawl at Kansas State, Self has placed even more responsibility on Azubuike's broad shoulders. In his quest for a second national title, the head coach's best hope for hardware is Azubuike.

"You don't realize how big he is until you see him in person," CBS analyst Clark Kellogg says. "Kansas isn't as proficient as they've been in the past because they're missing a dynamic wing like Andrew Wiggins or Brandon Rush, but with Azubuike, they punish you for 40 minutes."

A national championship in Atlanta may be Azubuike's sole focus of the present. But there's basketball life beyond April 6, and Doke knows his NBA future likely depends on a run of sheer dominance through the NCAA tournament.

But as opportunities in the NBA keep drying up for players of his ilk, no one knows for sure what his role will be as a professional. A career 41.6 percent free-throw shooter, Azubuike has his share of doubters about whether he'll develop a reliable enough mid-range jump shot to make him a rotation player. Still, his size and strength are intriguing.

Bleacher Report NBA analyst Jonathan Wasserman does not have Azubuike included in his latest first-round mock draft, but ESPN has him No. 33 overall on their best available player rankings. One thing going for the big man? His age. At 20, he may have more upside than older college seniors.

"He's not highly skilled, but he's good with the ball when he catches it, and he's a great finisher," one NBA scout says. "He's a force. When you're that big and strong, teams are going to want to give you a shot. He could be an effective rebounder and rim-runner in the NBA."

Just eight years after he first touched a basketball, Azubuike's skills are improving. In previous seasons, a bulkier iteration sort of bumbled through the paint, uncomfortable with the ball in his hands anywhere farther than four feet from the basket. Now? He catches the ball in the post and assesses the defense. He has a better understanding of pick-and-roll reads, passing out of the low post and knowing when to back-cut from the weak side for an easy alley-oop. In short, his instincts have improved, and his movements are more natural.

Whether that's the product of six months of film study while sidelined, his increased athleticism thanks to weight loss or both, no one knows for sure. But it's a fact. And it's made him the most overwhelming physical force in the nation.

"I wouldn't have been able to do this my freshman year," Azubuike told reporters after the win over Baylor. "... I've had a lot of people say, 'He can't do this, he can't do that,' All my life I have been looked down on on everything. So coming out here and playing the way I played and giving it all to my team just made me emotional."

Despite what he can't do, the heights that Azubuike can climb have never been more apparent, his ceiling never higher. Will he lead Kansas to another national title? Is he a capable starter in the modern NBA? Some answers only come in time.

   

Matthew Foley is a writer based in New York. His freelance work has been featured in SLAM, the New York Times, Ozy and theScore. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyfoles.

For weeks, the talk regarding the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA men's basketball tournament revolved around which order the Kansas Jayhawks, Baylor Bears, Gonzaga Bulldogs and San Diego State Aztecs would be placed. 

After San Diego State fell to the Utah State Aggies in the Mountain West tournament final, there is some conversation about the Dayton Flyers taking over the fourth spot on the top seed line. 

The Aztecs did not have the best finish to the regular season, as they were upset by the UNLV Rebels at home and they beat the Colorado State Rams and Nevada Wolfpack by single digits. 

On the other end of the top seed line, Kansas appears to have the No. 1 overall seed locked up barring an upset in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals. 

              

Projections For Top Seeds

Kansas

At the moment, the easiest decision the selection committee has is placing Kansas into the No. 1 overall seed position and sending it to Omaha, Nebraska for the first two rounds. 

Bill Self's team completed a 28-3 regular season by knocking off the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the road Saturday, which extended its winning streak to 16 games. 

The Jayhawks put together a 17-1 conference record, with the only blemish being a home loss to Baylor, who is expected to be the second-or-third-best team when the committee ranks the field of 68.

In nonconference play, Kansas defeated Dayton, the BYU Cougars and Colorado Buffaloes, all of whom are safely in the NCAA tournament field. 

The only losses suffered by Kansas were against the Duke Blue Devils, Villanova Wildcats and Baylor. 

With no bad defeats and a collection of strong wins that look even better if the Jayhawks beat Baylor in the Big 12 tournament final, Kansas is the best choice to top the overall rankings. 

With double-double machine Udoka Azubuike patrolling the paint and Devon Dotson, Marcus Garrett and others shining in the backcourt, Kansas will be one of the top picks to cut down the nets on the first Monday of April at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 

Since they have been immune to bad upsets all season, the Jayhawks appear to be a team you can trust to make it to the Final Four.

             

Baylor

Trust in Baylor making a deep run in March has wavered a bit over the last two weeks after it suffered losses to the TCU Horned Frogs and West Virginia Mountaineers. 

The February 29 road loss to TCU was the worse of the two since the Horned Frogs had lost six of eight games dating back to February 1 before the win.

Losing to West Virginia on the road is not terrible since Bob Huggins' team is 14-2 on its home court. 

Scott Drew's Bears may have a chance to avenge both losses in Kansas City, as they are in line for a potential quarterfinal meeting with TCU and could face West Virginia in the semifinals. 

As long as Baylor reaches Saturday's final, there should be no doubt in its credentials to be a No. 1 seed. 

A second loss to Kansas would not hurt the Bears' resume, and a second win might not be enough to climb up to the No. 1 overall seed because of the Jayhawks' near-perfect teamsheet. 

Baylor will likely be slotted into the South region, which means if it wins two games, it will stay in Texas to play the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight in Houston. 

The Bears were 14-1 at home and would likely have a home-court advantage at the Toyota Center. 

                

Gonzaga

The good news for Gonzaga is there is separation between itself and San Diego State going into Monday. 

That is important because the Bulldogs are currently in position to earn the top seed in the West region, which would keep them in the Pacific time zone until the Final Four. 

The Bulldogs would play the first two rounds just a few minutes from their campus in Spokane, Washington before heading to Los Angeles for the second weekend. 

Before that is finalized, Gonzaga has to win a pair of games at the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas. 

Mark Few's team faces the San Francisco Dons in Monday's semifinal and will take on either BYU or the Saint Mary's Gaels if it advances to Tuesday's championship. 

A neutral-site meeting with BYU would provide the biggest boost to Gonzaga's resume since it has a chance to avenge one of its two defeats. 

Even if Gonzaga falls in the final, it could make a case that it has a stronger resume than San Diego State. 

The Bulldogs had a 5-1 record against power-conference teams in nonconference play, including wins over the Oregon Ducks and Arizona Wildcats. 

San Diego State was 3-0 in such situations, with all of the wins coming on a neutral floor. Gonzaga's wins over Arizona and the Washington Huskies were true road contests. 

The Zags appear to be poised for an extended March Madness stay thanks to their scoring depth, which is led by Filip Petrusev. 

Gonzaga has six players who average over 10 points per game, and it can spread any defense out with its three-point shooting and strength down low.

            

San Diego State

The top seed in the East region will be debated at length over the next week. 

San Diego State put itself in a vulnerable situation by failing to secure the Mountain West's automatic bid. 

However, the Aztecs still have enough on their resume to beat out Dayton for the final spot on the top seed line. 

Brian Dutcher's team owns nonconference wins over the Creighton Bluejays, Iowa Hawkeyes and BYU.

Dayton lost to Kansas and the Colorado Buffaloes outside of the Atlantic 10 and all but one of its nonconference victories occurred against programs not projected to make the field of 68. 

Dayton's best win occurred against Saint Mary's, who is the third-best team in the WCC behind Gonzaga and BYU. 

A perfect 18-0 mark in A-10 play is commendable, but the quality of teams in the league has not been as high as expected. 

The Richmond Spiders are the only other A-10 squad in contention to make the NCAA tournament, as they sit on the first four out line in the latest projection from ESPN's Joe Lunardi. 

If Obi Toppin propels Dayton to the A-10 tournament crown, the debate will become more heated, but at the moment, San Diego State still holds an edge because of its resume. 

                   

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com

From 68 teams to one, there are few sporting spectacles as thrilling and exciting as March Madness.

This year's NCAA Tournament is nearly here, and the field will be set Sunday evening. There are 32 teams that will receive automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments, while the remaining 36 spots will be decided on by the selection committee.

Five schools have already secured an automatic bid—Liberty (Atlantic Sun), Winthrop (Big South), Bradley (Missouri Valley), Utah State (Mountain West) and Belmont (Ohio Valley).

Here's everything you need to know with March Madness just around the corner.

                 

2020 NCAA Tournament Schedule

March 17-18

First Four games in Dayton, Ohio.

      

March 19-20

First-round games at eight sites.

          

March 21-22

Second-round games at eight sites.

          

March 26-27

Sweet 16 games in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and New York City.

           

March 28-29

Elite Eight games in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and New York City.

             

April 4

Final Four in Atlanta.

           

April 6

National championship game in Atlanta.

             

Early NCAA Tournament Preview

A lot can change during conference championship week. Perhaps teams that would currently make the NCAA Tournament end up missing it after losing in the first or second round of its conference tourney. On the flip side, a team on the outs could move in with an impressive showing.

However, past NCAA Tournaments and this year's regular season can give us an idea of what to expect from March Madness this time around.

One of everybody's favorite aspects of this part of college basketball season is the emergence of Cinderella teams. There are frequently lower-ranked teams that surprise everybody by knocking off a powerhouse in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament, then perhaps going on a deep run through March Madness.

But over the years, Cinderella teams lose before the tournament is over. Four No. 11 seeds, one No. 10 seed and one No. 9 seed have reached the Final Four, but none of those teams reached the national championship game.

The lowest seed to win a national title is No. 8, as Villanova went all the way in 1985. That was also the year that the tournament was expanded to 64 teams.

Over that span, March Madness has typically been dominated by No. 1 seeds, which have won 22 of 35 national championships.

So, it goes to show just how important seeding is for the NCAA Tournament. Or perhaps that the teams that are the best for most of the year truly are the best.

This season, there has been a lot of parity around college basketball as a lot of top-ranked teams have lost to unranked opponents. That's led to schools being unable to hold the top spot for long and a lot of movement in the AP Top 25 poll.

However, teams such as Kansas, Kentucky and Florida State have emerged as top contenders after each won its respective conference's regular-season championship. If those three schools win its conference tournaments, then it should likely be among the No. 1 seeds for March Madness.

With so much uncertainty surrounding much of the bracket, though, anything can happen in March. And that's what makes it a top-tier sporting event.

Less than a week remains for teams sitting on the NCAA men's basketball tournament bubble to impress the selection committee.

A handful of power-conference teams, like the Texas Longhorns, need to perform well at their respective conference tournaments to make the field of 68. UT is one of the more remarkable stories on the bubble, as it has reversed its form in the last month to have a chance at hearing its name called Sunday. 

Other squads, like the Xavier Musketeers, have been teetering on and off the bubble for weeks. 

Some squads may not be able to determine their own fate due to bid thievery in leagues in which the top team is considered a lock to make the Big Dance. 

The first few automatic bids have either gone to teams projected to be in the field or in one-bid leagues, so the bubble contenders are safe for now. 

               

Predictions

Texas Makes the Field by Beating Texas Tech

There are differing opinions on the Longhorns ahead of the Big 12 tournament. 

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Shaka Smart's team among his last four in, while CBS Sports' Jerry Palm and SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean have the Longhorns as part of their first four out. 

According to Bracket Matrix, Texas appears in 53 of 99 projections and is a No. 11 seed in most of them.

Texas strung together a five-game winning streak just to reach the bubble conversation, but it suffered a blowout loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys in its regular-season finale. 

The bad loss to the struggling Cowboys hurt some of the momentum Texas gained during the streak that included wins over the Texas Tech Red Raiders and West Virginia Mountaineers. The good news for the Longhorns is they can earn another quality win in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals over Tech. 

If that occurs, Texas will be in line for a chance to upset the Kansas Jayhawks, who are viewed as the front-runner for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. 

As long as the Longhorns beat TTU, they will have an opportunity that no other bubble teams can come close to matching in the next week. Texas beat the Red Raiders by 10 on the road February 29 and lost to them by five at home in their first meeting, so there is a path to victory Thursday. 

The key for Texas is to receive scoring from each member of its backcourt. Matt Coleman III, Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey all average over 10 points per game. In the loss to Oklahoma State, the latter two were held to a combined 13 points, but if those numbers improve, they can lead Texas into the Big 12 semifinals. 

A victory over Texas Tech and a competitive 40 minutes versus Kansas should be enough to push Texas into the field of 68, but it may have to go to Dayton, Ohio, for the First Four as one of the final at-large teams.

             

Xavier Fails to Make Impact at Big East Tournament

Xavier also lost its regular-season finale, but it did so in a close game. 

The Musketeers fought hard against the Butler Bulldogs but fell short after Kamar Baldwin hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired. 

At the moment, Xavier is on Lunardi's first four out line, but it is in Palm's field as a No. 10 seed and Dobbertean as it among the last four in. 

Bracket Matrix recorded the Musketeers in 96 brackets, with a No. 11 seed their most likely landing spot. 

The problem facing Xavier is it has lost three of its last five games and has a less-than-favorable first matchup at Madison Square Garden with the DePaul Blue Demons. Xavier can't help its chances with a win over the worst team in the Big East.

There is a chance the Musketeers leave New York City without improving their resume since they are in line for a quarterfinal matchup with the Villanova Wildcats. 

The Big East's No. 7 seed lost both regular-season meetings with Nova, and if a third defeat occurs, it will go through a few nervous days. In that scenario, Xavier needs a handful of teams to lose in order to feel secure, but there is always a chance the UCLA Bruins, Richmond Spiders, Wichita State Shockers or others go on a run in their respective conference tournaments. 

Additionally, Xavier has to worry about bid thieves in the Atlantic 10 and American Athletic Conference, among others, that could shrink the margin for error on the bubble. 

The Musketeers did not play a great nonconference schedule, with their best win coming over city rival Cincinnati.

An 8-10 Big East mark and a 1-5 record against the league's three best teams do not help Xavier make a convincing argument to make it as an at-large team if it fails to advance past Villanova. 

                  

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

Could Virginia win back-to-back national championships? Will a program such as Duke or Kentucky return to the pinnacle of men's college basketball? Or will this be the year a Cinderella team makes a run all the way to the title?

March Madness is nearly here, which means there will be unpredictable outcomes and exciting matchups as a field of 68 teams gets narrowed to one in this year's NCAA tournament. It's one of the best sporting events of the year, as fans will fill out their brackets and then sit back and watch a plethora of thrilling college hoops contests.

Selection Sunday is still a week away, and the majority of conference tournament championships still need to be handed out. But it's still clear which schools are the early favorites to end the NCAA tournament by cutting down the nets and celebrating a national title victory.

Here are five teams that could be favorites to make a run through March Madness and win the national title.

     

Kansas

Entering the Big 12 tournament, the Jayhawks are the No. 1 team in the country after winning 16 straight games to end the regular season. It's been a dominant stretch as they've rolled through their Big 12 competition, notching impressive victories over Baylor and Oklahoma along the way.

On Feb. 22, Kansas won at Baylor, which was ranked No. 1 at the time, to move into the top spot in the AP poll. The Jayhawks have been powered by sophomore guard Devon Dotson (18.1 points per game) and senior center Udoka Azubuike (13.7) as they've emerged as perhaps the favorite to win this year's national title.

If Kansas wins the Big 12 Tournament title, then it should be the No. 1 overall seed for March Madness. And if the Jayhawks continue to play the way they have the past two months, they could easily win the fourth national title in program history and their first since 2008.

     

Kentucky

Although the SEC has had a down year, the Wildcats are again one of the top teams in the country in early March.

Not only does Kentucky own impressive nonconference victories over Michigan State and Louisville, but it has also won nine of 10 games heading into the SEC tournament. The Wildcats are the No. 1 seed for the tourney after they handily secured the conference's regular-season championship.

With four players averaging double-digit point totals, Kentucky is a balanced team that can be difficult for opposing teams to guard. The Wildcats haven't reached the Final Four since 2015, and they haven't won a national championship since 2012. Perhaps this will be the year they get back to reaching those levels.

     

Duke

After winning 22 of their first 25 games, the Blue Devils had a recent rough patch as they dropped three of four games, falling to a trio of teams that were unranked at the time—NC State, Wake Forest and Virginia.

Since then, Duke has bounced back with wins over NC State and North Carolina, so it has some momentum entering the ACC tournament as the No. 4 seed. It may not have been the best regular season for the Blue Devils, but they have a balanced scoring attack led by freshman guard Vernon Carey Jr. (17.8 points per game) and sophomore guard Tre Jones (16.2) that can power them to impressive victories.

Whether or not Duke wins the ACC tournament title, it will be in the NCAA tourney and will be a difficult matchup for most teams. The Blue Devils last reached the Final Four in 2015, when they won the national title, so head coach Mike Krzyzewski is due to lead his program back to the top.

     

Oregon

There hasn't been a Pac-12 team to win a national title since Arizona in 1997. This Oregon team may be the one capable of ending that championship drought.

The Ducks won six of their last seven regular-season games to secure the Pac-12 regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. They've been powered by senior guard Payton Pritchard, who is averaging a Pac-12-best 20.5 points per game.

Pritchard has the ability to take over games as a dynamic scorer and all-around talented player. If he gets hot and Oregon's supporting cast plays well, the program could reach the Final Four for the second time in four years and perhaps win the school's second national title and first since 1939.

     

Virginia

On Feb. 8, the Cavaliers were 15-7 after losing at Louisville. They weren't playing nearly as well as last season, when they lost only three regular-season games and went on to win the first national championship in school history.

Things got better from there, though, as Virginia is now on an eight-game winning streak entering the ACC tournament. That stretch included an impressive home win over Louisville in Saturday's regular-season finale.

There hasn't been a team to win back-to-back national titles since Florida in 2006 and 2007. Now that the Cavaliers have some momentum, they could utilize their effective low-scoring, defensive-minded style of play to make another run to the end of March Madness and win another national championship.

Buzzer-beaters. Major upsets. Cinderella stories. March Madness is known to have it all.

The best part of college basketball season—and one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports—has nearly arrived, as Selection Sunday for the NCAA men's basketball tournament takes place as soon as March 15. The 68 teams chosen will all have aspirations of winning the national championship, but only one will end the season by cutting down the nets in celebration at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

On Saturday, Utah State and Belmont became the first teams to secure spots in the NCAA tournament by winning their respective conference tournaments. Over the next week, 30 more teams will receive automatic bids by winning conference tourneys. Then the selection committee decides the rest of the field.

Although the complete field is not yet known, it's not too early to start looking ahead to some games that could be the highlights of the opening round of March Madness.

Based off recent bracket projections, here are some potential first-round matchups that could be epic.

                      

Iowa vs. UCLA

Can one of the Pac-12's hottest teams down the stretch stop the Big Ten's leading scorer? We may find out the answer shortly.

Iowa junior center Luka Garza has been one of the best players in the country this season, playing an integral role in the Hawkeyes' success and their likely path to March Madness. He's averaging 23.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the floor.

Although Iowa has been inconsistent of late, losing five of its past 10 games, Garza has the potential to take over on any given night, which could bode well for the Hawkeyes.

UCLA was 12-11 after its loss at Arizona State on Feb. 6. But the Bruins reeled off seven consecutive wins thereafter to emerge as a legitimate contender to reach the Big Dance. Although they narrowly lost at USC in their regular-season finale Saturday, they played well during the final month of play.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi has these two teams lined up to face off in his Bracketology. If that happens, then the Hawkeyes and Bruins should have an exciting matchup that could go either way.

             

Arizona State vs. Xavier

If Arizona State had played better of late, it would have the potential to be a top seed in the NCAA tournament. Instead, it will be a mid-tier team that will likely have to face a team like Xavier, which has had past success in March Madness.

The Sun Devils have had some recent struggles, dropping three straight games heading into their regular-season finale. However, they bounced back with a win prior to the Pac-12 Tournament, beating Washington State at home Saturday.

Four Arizona State players are averaging double-digit point totals, led by junior guard Remy Martin's 19.2 points per game.

Xavier has lost four of its past seven games, but it's played well throughout the season, notching a win over Seton Hall and playing Villanova close twice. The Musketeers recorded at least one NCAA tournament win every year from 2015 to 2018, which included a run to the Elite Eight in 2017.

Should it come to fruition, these teams could contest one of the most competitive first-round matchups this year.

                      

Marquette vs. Oklahoma

Sometimes in March Madness, one dynamic scorer can power a team to a deep run through the NCAA Tournament.

Marquette senior guard Markus Howard has the potential to be that player this season.

A prolific scorer throughout his college career, Howard is averaging 27.7 points per game, which ranks first in the nation. He led the Golden Eagles to a strong start, although they have lost six of their past seven games. As long as they get back on track, they could be a Cinderella team this year.

Oklahoma has played a challenging schedule, but it has momentum after winning two of its last three regular-season games—quality victories over Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Sooners have a trio of players averaging at least 13.8 points per game, which could make them a strong team this March.

Lunardi is also projecting this first-round matchup, which would be worth watching to see how Oklahoma would fare against an elite scorer such as Howard.

If this college basketball season has foreshadowed anything for March Madness, it's to expect that nothing will go as planned.

Sure, there are some familiar names topping the NET, KenPom and other rankings. But if anyone tells you they had San Diego State and Dayton, neither of which made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, as potential No. 1 seeds, they're either lying or immediately need to be buying Powerball tickets. 

The tournament, even in some of its more chalk years, always has a few surprises in store. Think UMBC in 2018, George Mason in 2006, Middle Tennessee State in 2016 and Missouri in 2015. This year, no upset would be all that shocking considering the volatility of nearly every top team in the country. But we think there's a few teams to look out for when you begin filling out your bracket. 

      

Stephen F. Austin

The Lumberjacks burst on to the sleeper scene in 2013-14 with an upset of No. 5 seed VCU in just their second tournament appearance in school history. What Brad Underwood started—before bolting to Illinois—has been kept running by head coach Kyle Keller, who has SFA rolling this year.

The 'Jacks are 27-3 overall and 18-1 in the Southland. Oh, they also beat top-ranked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in November. But don't write this group off as one-hit upset wonder. 

Keller's squad leads the country in steals, averaging a touch above 10 of them per game. They're seventh in both field goal percentage and scoring offense, and they get to the free throw line at a rate higher than all but three Division I teams. They're led by two experienced scoring guards—Kevon Harris (17.8 PPG) and Cameron Johnson (11.3 PPG)—who can fill it up on any night. For the wrong top-four seed, SFA could be a matchup nightmare. 

     

North Texas

There have been few better freshmen this year, in or outside of the power conferences, than North Texas guard Javion Hamlet.

The Memphis native has been an absolute terror for opposing defenses in Conference USA, averaging 17.9 points and 5.3 assists, while shooting 53 percent from the field, 40 percent from the three-point line and 88 percent at the charity stripe.

His scoring ability, along with that of running mate Umoja Gibson's (14.5 PPG) make the Mean Green exactly the type of team you don't want to see in the round of 64. 

    

Belmont

A significant drop-off was expected when legendary Belmont coach Rick Byrd retired last April. He led the Bruins from Atlantic Sun pretender to a perennial NCAA Tournament contender, winning at least 20 games in 13 of his final 14 seasons helming the program.

But new head man Casey Alexander, previously the head coach at Winthrop, has picked up where Byrd left off, leading Belmont to 25 wins and a regular season Ohio Valley Conference title. This year's iteration is led by sharpshooting guard Adam Kunkel, who has knocked down 82 three-pointers while averaging 16.6 points per game. 

The Bruins share the ball better than anyone in the country—they're No. 1 in assists—and are in the top-20 nationally in field goal percentage, three-pointers made, defensive rebounds and scoring.

Much like North Texas or Stephen F. Austin, the Bruins present a dangerous matchup for potential No. 4 and No. 5 seeds with their shooting ability. And as shown by UMBC knocking off No. 1 Virginia two years ago, it takes just the right shooting night to get Cinderella's slipper to fit. 

      

Follow Keegan on Twitter @ByKeeganPope. Statistics courtesy of Sports Reference. 

For those basketball fans looking to see college basketball's elite NBA prospects during the men's NCAA tournament, March Madness will undoubtedly be a disappointment.

The 2020 class is considered by many draftniks to be one of the weakest in recent years, especially in comparison to the past two classes, which produced the likes of Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Worse yet, the majority of this year's top-tier prospects are either overseas players or are on teams that won't—without a miracle run in their respective conference tournaments—make it to the Big Dance.

Georgia's Anthony Edwards, the No. 2 prospect on B/R lead scout Jonathan Wasserman's big board, has been the lone bright spot for the 15-15 Bulldogs. James Wiseman (No. 10) played just three games for Memphis, in which he averaged a dominant 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He left the team after being suspended because of an NCAA rule violation.

Cole Anthony (No. 6), once considered the best available prospect in this class, has struggled to carry the load for a severely underachieving North Carolina squad, which is on pace to miss the Big Dance for the first time in a decade.

Of Wasserman's top four prospects, three are playing outside the U.S.: LaMelo Ball, Deni Avdija and Killian Hayes.

Fret not, though, seasonal college hoops fans. Among the teams certain—or at least very likely—to make the tournament are numerous high-level prospects who have the chance to raise their draft stock with an impressive run through March.

                       

Patrick Williams, 6'8", F, Florida State

NBA front offices love the "P" word, and there's no one in this group who has shown more potential than Florida State forward Patrick Williams. Despite averaging a somewhat pedestrian—at least for first-round picks—9.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, Williams' offensive production has been severely inconsistent, but his body and occasional scoring outbursts will give teams something to think about.

Over the past nine games, he's scored in double figures six times. He has the ability to drive his 6'8" frame to the hoop but also to stretch defenses with his ability to shoot. With an impressive postseason, Williams could easily move himself into the late-lottery conversation.

                

Cassius Winston, 6'1", G, Michigan State

The Spartans' do-it-all point guard, Cassius Winston, isn't going to blow anyone away with his athleticism. But even as a semifinalist for the Naismith Award, it seems like he is still undervalued. His scoring and field-goal percentage numbers are down a bit from a dynamic junior campaign, but his three-point shooting has improved substantially.

NBA organizations are always a little hesitant to spend a first-round pick on four-year college players for a number of reasons, but the success of players like Fred VanVleet, whom Winston has been much more productive at the college level than, should open some potential spots later in the first round.

                   

Onyeka Okongwu, 6'9", F, USC

While his three teammates, each with the last name Ball, received the lion's share of the attention playing for Chino Hills High School, Onyeka Okongwu put together a dominant high school career, capped off by winning California's Mr. Basketball award as a senior in 2019. At USC, he's been nothing short of a force in the Pac-12, averaging 16.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on 61 percent shooting. Initially expected to share the spotlight with Isaiah Mobley, it's been Okongwu who has rocketed up into the first round of nearly every NBA draft board.

He's yet to show much of an ability to stretch the floor—shooting just 26 percent from behind the arc—but like Williams, he's another prospect who oozes potential. He's among the biggest reasons USC has played its way into the tournament over the past month, and based on the Trojans' seed line (No. 9), he could have a chance to show off against some of elite big men in college basketball in the round of 32.

                     

Isaac Okoro, 6'6", F, Auburn

In a typical draft year, a player like Isaac Okoro would likely end up somewhere in the 15-20th pick range. Think Matisse Thybulle with the Philadelphia 76ers or Josh Okogie with the Timberwolves. But in this year's group, Okoro is a likely lottery pick—and possibly a high one.

His athleticism and defensive range are as impressive as any forward's in this class, even if his offensive game—particularly outside the arc—needs a good deal of work. Guard Samir Doughty has emerged as Auburn's go-to scorer, but Okoro, just a freshman, has scored in double figures in 19 of the Tigers' 27 games.

Auburn has the pieces to go on a run similar to last year's Final Four march, and Okoro's scoring would play a big part in that. If he can flash the offensive skills teams have been waiting to see, it's not beyond the realms of possibility to think he could move into the top five of a draft group like this one.

                 

Follow Keegan on Twitter, @ByKeeganPope.

In under two weeks, Selection Sunday will be in the books and so will some actual NCAA tournament tilts.

Breathe it in, folks. Savor the sweet aroma of March Madness, because it will be bracket-busting time before you know it.

While the early fun revolves around Cinderella sleepers, the real action arrives late when the marquee clubs separate from the rest of the pack. So after we lay out the tournament schedule, we'll shift our attention to the elites and provide bracket predictions on three of the nation's top teams.

                

March Madness 2020 Schedule

Selection Sunday: March 15

First Four: March 17, 18

First Round: March 19, 20

Second Round: March 21, 22

Sweet 16: March 26, 27

Elite 8: March 28, 29

Final Four: April 4

National Championship: April 6

                 

Bracket Predictions

Dayton Makes the Final Four

There are two ways to react to this prediction. It all depends on how much you've been paying attention this season.

If you've spent the campaign under a rock—or are one of those, "Wake me up when it's March," casual fans—then we'll apologize for making you spit out your beverage of choice. Dayton isn't exactly a powerhouse. The Flyers didn't even make the Big Dance the last two seasons, they last won an NCAA tournament game in 2015 and they've only made the Final Four once...in 1967.

But if you have been keeping up to speed, then you know this makes sense for a couple of reasons. For starters, this team is really good. Dayton holds down the No. 4 spot in KenPom.com rankings, and it has the second-best adjusted offensive efficiency. It sports a pristine 28-2 record, hasn't lost a game since December and took Kansas to overtime during the Maui Invitational championship.

But the biggest motivation here is Obi Toppin, a 6'9" sophomore forward who occupies the No. 8 spot on the latest NBA mock draft from B/R's Jonathan Wasserman.

"It's getting harder to keep downgrading Toppin due to the level of competition or defensive questions," Wasserman wrote. "He's been too effective offensively given the improved shooting and advanced passes that continue to pop."

Toppin has a good shot at taking home the John R. Wooden Award given to the outstanding college player of the year. His per-game contributions include 19.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.9 steals. He's also shooting 62.9 percent overall and 39.0 percent from range. There's a non-zero chance he's the best player in this tournament, and our crystal ball sees Dayton following his lead to the Final Four.

            

Duke Doesn't Survive the First Weekend

Momentum can carry a red-hot team deep in this tournament. Conversely, cold spells can prove disastrous for the field's most frigid teams.

As ESPN's Myron Medcalf explained, it's been a brutally cold stretch of late for Mike Krzyzewski's bunch:

"After a 1-3 slide, Duke entered Monday's win over NC State ranked sixth in the NET and fifth on KenPom.com. But the Blue Devils have been ranked 61st overall in efficiency since Feb. 19, when the slide began with a loss at NC State, and they connected on just 43% of their shots inside the arc and 30% of their 3-point attempts, according to barttorvik.com data. Yes, it's a snapshot that might not define the team's season. But it's also a funk Duke has to shake before the NCAA tournament."

The Blue Devils can play with anyone when they're right, but a cold stretch from distance can sink this ship.

They are tied for 206th with 207 threes and tied for 99th with a 34.7 three-point percentage. Their 71.2 free-throw percentage (tied for 168th) is another indicator this is not a good shooting team. And if Duke's shooters can't keep defenses honest, that makes it easier to bring extra help toward top scorer (and rebounder) Vernon Carey Jr.

Maybe the talent and coach are enough for this club to overcome its flaws, but this stretch has us thinking twice about a long run awaiting the Blue Devils.

                 

Kansas Takes the Title

Bill Self has something special brewing in Lawrence.

This may not be the deepest, or best-shooting Jayhawks team we've ever seen, but it is elite at the top. Sophomore guard Devon Dotson is a nightly source of 18.2 points, 4.0 assists, great decision-making and feisty defense. Senior center Udoka Azubuike provides 270 pounds of brute force, plus 13.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 75.1 percent shooting.

They're both Wooden Award candidates. There isn't another two-man tandem quite like this.

"Few can match the inside-outside combo of Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike, arguably the best point guard and the best low-post big man in the Big 12 and perhaps the nation," ESPN's Jay Bilas wrote.

If Kansas squeezes enough out of its support shooters—looking at you, Isaiah Moss, Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun—this club could be unstoppable. Already, it's the country's only team with top-eight adjusted efficiency ranks on offense (seventh) and defense (second).