Ahh, March Madness.
There are upsets, there are surprises, and then there are the rare times when a school like Eastern Polytechnic Institute defeats a top-three seed to shake up the entire NCAA Tournament and college basketball world.
As it stands, a No. 1 seed (Villanova), two No. 2 seeds (Duke, Louisville) and a No. 3 seed (Florida State) have all been knocked out. So, with just 16 teams left that have a shot at winning a national title, let’s re-seed the top 10 teams, ranking the most likely winner to the team who really has no shot. (Or so we think.)
Honorable mentions go to the final six.
No. 1 seed Kansas (previously a No. 1 seed)
The No. 1 seed probably could’ve gone a number of different ways. Multiple teams are deserving.
Call it a hunch, but I like Kansas as the favorite to win it all.
Senior guard Frank Mason III leads the Jayhawks with 20.8 points per game, followed closely by talented freshman Josh Jackson at 16.6 points per game.
Plus, Kansas is one of the most efficient teams in the nation, with a team field-goal percentage of nearly 50 percent (49.1).
No. 2 seed Gonzaga (previously a No. 1 seed)
Gonzaga deserves the No. 2 seed just because of the sheer amount of games it won this season.
The Zags (34-1) only lost once back on Feb. 25, and have since decimated their opponents, winning by an average of 17 points over their last five games.
No. 3 seed UNC (previously a No. 1 seed)
Stop me if this sounds familiar: The North Carolina basketball team is crazy talented. They rank 10th in the nation in points per game and can score alongside any remaining teams in the field.
No. 4 seed UCLA (previously a No. 3 seed)
Lonzo Ball.
No. 5 seed Arizona (previously a No. 2 seed)
I’ll be honest: I haven’t watched one second of Arizona basketball this season.
But with a matchup against No. 11 seed Xavier on Thursday, the Wildcats might have the easiest Sweet 16 matchup of any team, and freshman forward Lauri Markkanen (15.8 points per game, 43.3 three-point percentage) can score with the best of them.
No. 6 seed West Virginia (previously a No. 4 seed)
Never underestimate Press Virginia. The Mountaineers lead the country with an insane 724 turnovers forced, 136 more than the next closest team. That’s ridiculous.
No. 7 seed Baylor (previously a No. 3 seed)
Have you seen those uniforms? Those highlighter-green jerseys can distract even the most locked-in college athlete.
No. 8 seed Kentucky (previously a No. 2 seed)
As always, they’re young. But also as always, they’re incredibly talented. That makes them dangerous in March.
No. 9 seed Florida (previously a No. 4 seed)
Defense has gotten UF to this point, and it could take it even farther. Plus, leading scorer KeVaughn Allen, who has yet to reach his points-per-game average in the NCAA Tournament so far, is due for a breakout game.
No. 10 seed Oregon (previously a No. 3 seed)
Oregon gets a No. 10 seed only because it barely squeaked by No. 11 seed Rhode Island in the second round. The Ducks are dangerous, but they’re also vulnerable.
Honorable mention: No. 11 seed Wisconsin, No. 12 seed Butler, No. 13 seed Purdue, No. 14 seed Michigan, No. 15 seed South Carolina, No. 16 seed Xavier.
Ian Cohen is a sports writer. His column appears on Tuesdays. Contact him at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
Baylor guard Manu Lecomte (20) goes up for a shot in front of Southern California forward Chimezie Metu (4) and guard De'Anthony Melton (22) during the second half of a second-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Tulsa, Okla., Sunday, March 19, 2017. Baylor won 82-78. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
