Despite only one team being the National Champion every year, both men’s and women’s college basketball teams across the country are trying to secure their spot in March Madness, one of the most unpredictable and best times of the year.
On the men’s side of things, several teams have already secured a spot in the tournament, including Queens representing the Atlantic Sun Conference, High Point representing the Big South, Northern Iowa representing the Missouri Valley Conference, Long Island representing the Northeast Conference, Tennessee State representing the Ohio Valley Conference, and North Dakota State representing the Summit League. Tennessee State is making its first appearance in more than 30 years, while Queens defeated Central Arkansas in overtime to clinch their first appearance in the school’s program history. There are still 25 automatic bids remaining, which means plenty of schools still have a chance to make it to the big dance from various conference tournaments. If a team doesn’t win its tournament, there are 37 at-large bids where teams can get in based on how they performed against different teams throughout the season.
Currently, Duke is the number one team in college basketball; their resume includes a 27-2 record, but questions remain about the team, with their only big win coming against Michigan. Despite losing to Duke, Michigan has been one of the deepest teams in College Basketball and finished their season 29-2, with their only other loss to Wisconsin in a game where the Badgers made 15 threes. Arizona, UConn, Florida, Iowa State, Houston, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Texas Tech are also in the top ten, yet the gap between them and the other teams is very small.
One of the most intriguing teams in the game is Miami (Ohio), who has finished the season undefeated with a 31-0 record, despite averaging 90.9 points per game and shooting 52.6% from the field which are both ranked in the top three of all teams in college basketball respectively, critics argue they don’t deserve as much praise as they have gotten since they have zero quad one wins and a lot of games they have won have been close, making it difficult to see where the committee puts them before Selection Sunday. Currently, lots of teams remain on the bubble heading into official conference tournament week. The most intriguing teams to watch will be Auburn, Indiana, Saint Louis, Dayton, and Seton Hall. All those teams are right on the cusp, and it will be close to see which teams make the tournament and which ones don’t.
Michigan and Michigan State are both heading into March Madness as top seeds who are both capable of making a big run. Aday Mara has averaged 2.6 blocks per game for the Wolverines, which is tied for fourth in the country. A big reason why Michigan has been so successful, though, is its defense, which has held opponents to 38% from the field, ranking second in the country, and 29.6% from three-point range, ranking them eighth in the country. Their offense scores 88.4 points per game, which is also in the top ten of college basketball. With a deep roster including Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Roddy Gale Jr., the roster is made up to be a very scary team.
Michigan State might not be considered as deep as Michigan, but they also have a very deep team capable of making a run. Led by a very experienced coach in Tom Izzo and being one of the best rebounding teams in the country, the Spartans are set. Love or hate him, Jeremy Fears Jr. also leads College Basketball, averaging 9.1 assists per game. Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper are both threats in the paint, and Coen Carr is one of the most entertaining players to watch in the game. The Spartans are set yet again to make a run, but they will need all the firepower possible if they want to beat the best teams and make a run.
On the women’s side, several teams have clinched automatic bids. One of the biggest stories is Rhode Island, which will be making its first appearance since 1996 by defeating George Mason 53-51. However, because the gap between teams is so large, no team ranked lower than a three seed has ever won the women’s tournament. This can make it more boring and less predictable to watch. In fact, women’s number one seeds are 167-1 in first round games, two seeds are a perfect 124-0, three seeds are 120-0, and four seeds are 114-10. The gap is so big that if you aren’t a top team, you’re not very likely to go far unless a lot of things go the right way. Currently, UConn, UCLA, Texas, South Carolina, LSU, and Vanderbilt are the top six teams in the country; after that, the gap is very big.
Michigan and Michigan State’s teams are both expected to make the NCAA tournament on the women’s side, and both teams are capable of making deep runs. Michigan and Michigan State both average more than eighty points per game, putting them in the top sector of the league. Both teams also have high shooting percentages. Michigan State can also shoot 36.9% from three, putting them tenth in the nation. Defense for both teams remains an issue, though. Both Michigan and Michigan State are very good at forcing turnovers; they will both have to do that a lot to even have a chance. Olivia Olson leads the Wolverines, averaging 19.2 points per game and has shot 47.9% from the field, while Michigan State is led by Grace VanSlooten, who averages 15 per game. Both teams have shown at times they can compete with top-tier teams such as UCLA or Iowa, but neither has been consistent enough yet this season. If either makes a deep run, a lot of things will have to go right.
This year should be fun for March Madness in both men’s and women’s basketball. On the men’s side, several teams can make a run, and depending on the matchups, it could be a very interesting year seeing how things play out. While women’s basketball is usually more lopsided, there are interesting teams in the field, such as TCU or Princeton, that could win a few games and possibly make a short run. However, UConn, UCLA, and South Carolina have had dominant programs for years, and I don’t see that stopping any time soon.
The beauty of March Madness is how unpredictable it is, which will make it once again one of the most fun days of the year to watch and see how things unfold. And maybe this is the year someone will finally get a perfect bracket. But time will tell; for now, we will have to wait and see how things play out for the remainder of the season.
