Last year gave us the second-ever all-1-seed Final Four. Will we see that trend continue this year? There’s a chance. Last year, the top four teams in the country separated themselves not only on the court, but also when looking at advanced metrics. They were clearly the best. This year is a little more balanced. I truly believe we have a clear top eight this year, and I will not be shocked to see those eight exclusively end up in the Final Four. Here is how we see those eight (and 17 more) shaping up in our latest college basketball rankings.
Top 25 College Basketball Rankings
1. Michigan
The Wolverines are about as convincing as a No. 1 overall team can be at this point in the season. They’re 22-1 against the ninth-most difficult schedule in the nation. Ten of those wins have been against top 45 ranked teams on KenPom. And most of them have been by double digits. Dusty May has created a buzzsaw that will likely be the number one overall seed on Selection Sunday.
2. Arizona
I don’t think any less of Arizona after their loss to Kansas, but I don’t think any more of them either. It will probably be better for them in the long run to not have to worry about an undefeated season. It was definitely a growth opportunity for freshmen Koa Peat and Brayden Burries to play in a hostile environment like Allen Fieldhouse.
3. Houston
If I had to pick a national champion today, it might just be the Houston Cougars. This program under Kelvin Sampson has always been elite at defending and rebounding, but never had enough offense to take home a title. That will not be the issue this year with star freshmen Kingston Flemings and Chris Cenac leading the way.
4. Duke
I view this Duke team as being quite similar to last year’s, with Cameron Boozer taking the Cooper Flagg role and Isaiah Evans in Kon Kneuppel’s. Like last year, I worry about their ability to close out tight games, and that may prove to be their Achilles heel (again) in the NCAA Tournament.
5. Illinois
Keaton Wagler finally looked mortal against Michigan State on Saturday, but the defense of Jeremy Fears will do that to people. The loss against Michigan State doesn’t change my viewpoint a whole lot – but it does underscore the need for Kylan Boswell if this team wants to make a run to the National Championship.
