The NCAA March Madness basketball tournament is one of the more unique sporting events in college sports. Over the course of two weeks, 67 teams are systematically eliminated until one remains.
The main draw for the millions of fans that tune in every year is the promise of upsets, and Cinderella stories. Rather than being a rare occurrence, it is almost expected due to the large pool of teams playing.
As a result, it is difficult to know which teams to root for, as it is entirely possible they could be gone within days of the tournament starting.
Here are a shortlist of teams worth keeping an eye and who have the best odds of winning it all.
Duke University Blue Devils
No stranger to spotlight, Duke’s basketball program has been elevated to another echelon in the past year. Featuring the consensus top three picks in this year’s draft class—Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish, and Toronto-born R.J. Barrett—this team is considered the favourite to win it all. However, despite boasting the most talented group since the 1992 Michigan Wolverines’ “Fab Five,” Duke has struggled with creating a balanced offence around their three young stars, instead relying on inefficient isolation plays. As a result, the team is currently just third in their division. However, if they are able to come together before the tournament, they will be poised for a deep playoff run.
University of North Carolina Tar Heels
Despite being separated by a 10-mile stretch of highway, Duke and the University of North Carolina (UNC) are worlds apart. While Duke is considered flashy and affluent, UNC is known for its local, down-to-earth roots. This is reflected on the basketball court. While Duke relies on a high tempo offence, centered around elite young talent, the UNC game plan is defence-focused and led mainly by its upper-year players. Their only lottery calibre player, two-way shooting guard Nasir Little, has struggled to find a consistent place in the lineup this year—a rare occurrence in the NCAA. Despite their 2018 run ending abruptly after a disappointing loss to the seventh-seeded Texas Tech University Red Raiders, they enter this year’s tournament with an almost unchanged roster—one looking to compensate for the past and prove themselves the superior team in Carolina.
Murray State Racers
Any good Cinderella story team needs a sparkplug, something or someone the team could rally around. This role is typically filled by one player, coach, or basketball playing dog (looking at you, Airbud) that inspires the rest of their team. This year, Murray State’s point guard Ja Morant has been the penultimate underdog story. Overlooked during his entire basketball career, Morant was discovered by Murray State’s scouting team during a Junior Varsity high school game. Being one of only two offers he received, Morant started his collegiate career at the historically weaker Murray State. However, in the past 12 months, the elusive point guard has elevated the Racers to the top of the Ohio Valley Conference. While Murray State has been mainly a one-man show on offence this season, veteran seniors Shaq Buchanan and Anthony Smith have helped maintain a cohesive defensive-oriented unit. Morant, averaging 24-10-5, has saved his best performances for big games, dropping 38 points on the superior University of Alabama team. If the defence stays strong, and Morant continues to shine, it is possible for this Murray State team to find itself competing with the top dogs by the end of March.
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats—reigning 2018 champions—come into this tournament having been drained of all talent. After boasting the top offensive team in the 2017-2018 regular season, they breezed through their playoff bracket, winning every game by double digits. However, success comes at a cost. Losing four of their top five players to the NBA draft, they have been forced to stray from their patented fast pace offence, in favour of a more well-rounded game. In turn, Coach Jay Wright has relied on returning role players to carry the load on offence. While this led to a slower start, posting a 3-6 record, they rebounded, and have since gone 19-3. At the forefront of this, returning senior Phil Booth has emerged as the team’s number one option, doubling his made three-pointers from last season. While repeat champions are rare, occurring only twice since 1990, the Wildcats have shown this season that they thrive when the odds are stacked against them.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been on a torrid pace since opening night. An undisputed one-seed, the Bulldogs have been able to dominate the weak West Coast Conference, posting a record of 29-2. This is a direct result of their high pace efficient offence. With an average point differential of 25, a figure not surpassed since 2000, they have been far above the rest of the competition and enter the tournament as a clear front runner.
Playing a high energy transition game, they are in the top five in both offensive rebounding, and average possession time. This, in turn, could be attributed to their unique frontcourt. Featuring veterans Rui Hachimura, and Brandon Clarke, the team has developed its offence around the two athletic forwards, and their ability to create mismatches on offence. Neither forward fits the archetype of slow, lumbering big men, and instead have used their athleticism to exploit other teams’ slower forwards. However, in spite of their regular season success against intra-conference teams, their ability to compete with elite teams out of their conference is still a question mark.
