Storyline: If I could reseed, then here are my rankings for the 16 teams left in the NCAA tournament.
Seeding in the March Madness tournament is almost never perfectly accurate. Some dominant teams don’t play their best basketball and other teams just get hot. Seeding is only important for the Round of 64.
But what if I could reseed the tournament teams left in the Sweet Sixteen? If I could, then here are my rankings for the 16 teams left in the tournament
1) Kansas Jayhawks – This team already had a #1 one seed. And from what I’ve seen, they’re the clear-cut best team left in the country. KU has been phenomenal despite playing a 16-seed team (UC Davis) and a team that’s too young for a legit run at the Final Four (Michigan State). Frank Mason III is playing like the Wooden Award Candidate he is with high scoring, rebounding, and assists–just like he has been doing all season long. What makes this team even more dominant is the emergence of freshman, Josh Jackson. In both NCAA games Jackson was a human highlight reel. He has averaged 20 points a game and shot about 60% from the field. If Jackson keeps this up, Kansas will be impossible to beat.
UNC’s Kennedy Meeks (photo, CBS Sports)
2) North Carolina Tar Heels – I’m confused about UNC. They have the star power and talent to be the best team in the tournament, but they’ve not shown it so far. The front court of Justin Jackson, Isaiah Hicks, and Kennedy Meeks was solid against Arkansas and Texas Southern, but star guard Joel Berry II hasn’t shown up yet. Berry has to get out of his shooting slump and start making more threes. If he gets going, then this team can go all the way. But if he can’t, then the Tar Heels might be looking at an earlier than expected exit. UNC’s fate will come down to Berry playing at a high level.
3) Gonzaga Bulldogs – Gonzaga has been a dominant team thus far–dominating the glass and the paint. Unlike most teams, they win because of what they do inside the 3-point line. They don’t have knockdown shooters, but they can beat you by getting looks in the paint and by rebounding. In two tournament games the Zags have out-rebounded opponents 83-67. Another key to winning is defense, by limiting the number of perimeter shots, specifically.
4) Wisconsin Badgers – The Badgers have been on a tear, including taking down last year’s National Champion, Villanova. It’s becoming “the same old, same old” story. Wisconsin went to the Final Four in 2014 and lost in the National Championship game in 2015. They’re at it again in 2017. It’s safe to say that the senior Badgers–Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koening, Vitto Brown, and Zak Showalter–are hungry for a National Championship. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to see UW in the Final Four or National Championship game.
UCLA’s Lonzo Ball (photo, Jae C. Hong, AP)
5) UCLA Bruins – This high seed might come as a surprise to some fans, but not to others. I’m here to tell you this is a deep, talented team, led by star player, Lonzo Ball. The Bruins proved themselves against Cincinnati, a defensive-minded team that UCLA handled easily. The Bearcats learned the hard way that, with UCLA, it’s a matter of picking your poison: Lonzo the scorer or Lonzo the distributor. This team’s depth is a problem for teams that have star power at only one or two positions.
6) Kentucky Wildcats – It may be shocking to see this team ranked below UCLA. UK has the ability to be Dancing in Arizona. The problem? I’m not sure how far two freshmen, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, can take this team. I’m not saying that because the ‘Cats had problems with incorrectly-seeded Wichita State. I’m saying it because other teams are deeper. I predict UCLA will give Kentucky problems because of that.
7) Arizona Wildcats – What keeps this talented team from being ranked higher? It’s offense. UA can’t keep up with what I call “high-volume shooting teams.” Still, though, I pick ‘Zona to advance to the Elite Eight. Why? UA has one of the easiest match-ups (v. Xavier) in the Sweet 16. But taking 22 threes in the first two rounds isn’t a recipe for getting the Wildcats to the Final Four. Nothing jumps out to make Arizona a legit threat to go much farther.
8) Michigan Wolverines – The win against Louisville was incredible. Louisville was a deep team and a tough out. What sets the Wolverines apart? Not many teams will be able to bang with them in the last 5 minutes of a game. They have a phenomenal front court in Moritz Wagner and D.J. Wilson, and Derrick Walton Jr. is a playmaker who controls tempo in a talented offense. During crunch time this team hits jumpers, goes inside, and makes free throws. Keep an eye on the Wolverines!
WVU’s Javon Carter (photo, 247Sports)
9) West Virginia Mountaineers – History is on WVU’s side. That’s because 4-seeds often make it to the Final Four. While that may not happen this year, there’s one thing for sure: the Mountaineers know how to play with a fast-paced tempo. With players like Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles Jr., and Esa Ahmad, it’s hard to keep up with the boys from Morgantown. My concern is how WVU will play in close games against an increasingly tougher competition. That’s why I think a fast-paced opponent will keep the Mountaineers from dancing.
10) Florida Gators – Here’s another 4-seed that could make the Final Four. But I also have questions about the Gators. Even though UFL held Virginia to 39 points last Saturday, I think Virginia had a bad night. That’s not saying Florida’s defense isn’t good, but I don’t believe the Gators’ D is to the point where teams will only score 60 or less in either the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight. And while the Gators are a good interior team with Justin Leon and Devin Robinson, I’m not sure those two players alone can lead Florida to a Final Four. One thing we do know is that Florida vs Wisconsin is going to be a big-time game. The winner has a good chance of making it to the Final Four.
11) Oregon Ducks – Oregon was down double-digits and battled back to beat Rhode Island. The problem is that the Ducks won’t be able to that against teams left in the tournament. Heck, they were lucky to beat the Rams. Rhode Island couldn’t hold on because its top-tier shot blocker, Hassan Martin, was in foul trouble most of the game and played only 14 minutes. With no disrespect to high-level play from Tyler Dorsey, it’s just that RI isn’t a deep team. UO’s performance against the Rams raises questions about just how far this team can go.
Courtesy: Pinterest
12) Butler Bulldogs – My take is that Butler is the dark horse to make noise in this tournament. Beating 13- and 12- seeds doesn’t tell the story of what this team is about. The “Butler Mentality” is simply outdoing the things their opponents do. Consider this. Butler was able to down Villanova twice this year. They also beat beat Arizona and Xavier. Just because they’ve had it easy so far doesn’t mean you can overlook the Bulldogs.
13) South Carolina Gamecocks – Did anyone see this coming? An elite, fast-paced defense has brought the Gamecocks to the Sweet Sixteen. The USC offense does concern me, though–an offense that did ‘just enough’ to beat Duke. Yes, it was a terrific win, but Duke kept jacking up shots. Does USC have what it takes to pull out another close game? Time will tell.
14) Xavier Musketeers – X beat a very talented Maryland team in the Round of 64 and trounced Florida State in the Round of 32. Wow! Depth has helped the Muskateers get to this point with 57 points coming from the bench in two games. Everyone is actively rebounding, too, and that’s what you want to see from a deep team. Shooting about 43% from deep as a team is also impressive. I like what I’ve seen from Xavier, but also think a great season ends against Arizona.
15) Baylor Bears – The Bears are a good team that has had to face tough competition all season long in the Big 12. But beating New Mexico State and USC in the tournament didn’t show me much. The Committee seeded Baylor too high at 3. and I don’t think this team has done enough to prove they can perform in the Sweet Sixteen or beyond.
Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan (photo, Sporting News)
16) Purdue Boilermakers – One team has to be the worst of sixteen. But it’s odd for the worst team to have a Wooden Award finalist–Caleb Swanigan–on the squad. Swanigan has been a beast this season. So what’s the problem? I just don’t think he’ll get enough help to beat the Jayhawks. Purdue has the star power for sure, but to advance they’ll need depth–something the Boilermakers just don’t have.
