March Madness Primer

With March Madness beginning one month from today, we give you a list of one team from each of the major conferences that could make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

American: Cincinnati Bearcats (17-9)

This team will only go as far as Jarron Cumberland takes them. Cumberland is an All-American caliber player and leads the Bearcats in both points and assist. He is also a versatile defender, rebounder, and the leader of Cincy. The Bearcats don't rank high in many statistical categories but they are a tough team that knows how to win close games. Cincy does have four players that average double figure points and a talented forward in Tre Scott who averages eleven points and ten rebounds per game. Chris Vogt is also a top level rim protector averaging 1.7 blocks per game. The Bearcats do struggle to shoot from the outside shooting only 31 percent as a team from beyond the arc. If Jarron Cumberland continues his hot play though, the black and red could be a tough out come March.

A-10: Dayton Flyers (24-2)

Ever since their loss to Colorado in OT, the Flyers have ripped off fifteen straight wins and are showing no signs of slowing down. Dynamic high flying forward Obi Toppin leads the Flyers with 19.4 points per game and he is the headliner of an offense that averages 80.6 points per game, good for twelfth in the nation. Dayton is also a very unselfish team sharing the ball at an elite rate ranking seventh in the nation at assists per game with 17.8 a contest. The Achilles heel for the Flyers is on the glass though where they rank 261st in rebounds per game and if they get matched up against a bigger team that gets a lot of second chances it could cause issues for them.

ACC: Florida State Seminoles (22-4)

The Seminoles are a team that nobody will want to see come March. Their length, height, and athletes make them a tough team to prepare for. Trent Forrest is a dynamic lead guard who can score the ball and averages 2.1 steals per game on defense. Florida State's downfall though could be their lack of three point shooting, as only one member of their rotation shoots over 40% from beyond the arc.

Big 12: Kansas Jayhawks (23-3)

Many people would have the number one team in the nation, the Baylor Bears at the top of this list. But, I'm not sold on them due to their lack of people who can score consistently. Kansas is led by star guard Devon Dotson who averages 18.8 points per game, and Udoka Azubuike who shoots 73% from the field and is pretty much automatic around the rim. The Jayhawks also have Marucs Garrett who is an elite defender and can match up against most guards/wings in the country. If Garrett can score more consistently and be an outside threat the Jayhawks might be the favorite to win it all. Allowing only 60.7 points per game (8th in the country) the Jayhawks are an elite defensive team. The Jayhawks only shoot 66% from the line though and that could come back to haunt them come late in games in March.

Big East: Creighton Bluejays (21-6)

Not Seton Hall or Nova here? Well, the Bluejays recently beat both on the road. These guys are a Final Four darkhorse for sure. Creighton can score the ball and shares it as an unselfish rate, ranking 34th in both points and assists per game. The guard duo of Ty-Shon Alexander and Marcus Zegarowski is as good as it gets in the country as both average over fifteen points per game and shoot over thirty-seven percent from three. Creighton is a very guard oriented team though which leads them to struggling on the glass, ranking 245th in the country in rebounds per game. If Creighton's guards and veteran led team continue to shoot the ball at a high clip, they can beat anybody.

Big Ten: Michigan State Spartans (17-9)

The Spartans were the preseason number one team in the country, and have been a disappointment. I'm not giving up on them though as they have a recipe for success come March. They are led by a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo and one of the best guards in the country in Cassius Winston. The Spartans share the ball well on offense ranking ninth in assists per game and control the glass averaging 40.8 rebounds per game, good for 22nd in the nation. The Spartans though need someone other than Winston to step up and produce consistently on offense if they want to make a run.

Missouri Valley: Loyola Chicago Ramblers (19-9)

This isn't the same Loyola team as a few years ago that made a run to the Final Four. This team is built on defense, rather than outscoring their opponents in a shootout style game. The Ramblers allow only 61.9 points per game which is good for nineteenth in the nation. The head of the snake for this squad is center Cameron Krutwig who leads the team in points, assists, field goal percentage, rebounds, and blocks per game. The Ramblers are going to slow the game down, feed the big man, and rely on their defense to win ball games. If they run into a fast pace team that also has a solid post presence as well like Iowa or West Virginia, that could be their demise.

Mountain West: San Diego State Aztecs (26-0)

The only undefeated team left in the NCAA at the D1 level is the Aztecs. The Aztecs have a great balance in the way they play as they are an elite offensive and defensive unit. They allow 58.2 points per game which is ranked fourth in the country, and they can put the ball in the cup as well averaging 75.9 points per game which is sixty-eighth in the country. The Aztecs are led by a dynamic guard in Malachi Flynn. Flynn is great on offense shooting 44.5% from the field while averaging 16.7 points per game. He is also great on defense as he leads the Aztecs in steals per game with 1.9 per contest. San Diego State averages a measly 2.9 blocks per game, and could struggle to defend a team full of slashers without true rim protection.

Pac 12: Colorado Buffaloes (20-6)

The Buffs are a battle tested team having played Kansas, Dayton, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, Clemson, and Northern Iowa. That is a schedule that gets you ready to play come March. Combine that with a team that allows only 62.3 points and has their top five scorers all shooting over 35% from three and that makes for a team that is a tough out. McKinley Wright IV averages 13.6 points per game, shoots 45% from the field and 77.6% from the line. Wright is a player that changes games come March and could get hot in a hurry lifting the Buffs to some late March victories. Colorado's downfall could be their lack of consistency as they have lost games to bad teams like UCLA and Oregon State.

SEC: Florida Gators (17-9)

After a disappointing start to the season, the Gators are beginning to play strong. The Gators don't rank very well in much metrics, but they have a talented roster and a good coach and that is a recipe for success when a team starts to gel. The frontcourt duo of Kenontae Johnson and Kerry Blackshear Jr are a rugged combo that each average thirteen points and seven rebounds per game. Freshman wing/guard Scottie Lewis is also playing better and is dynamic on defense averaging 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Point guard Andrew Nembhard is a solid veteran point guard, and if he can elevate his play to another level it opens up more windows for the Gators. Florida has a 3-5 record on the road and their inability to play away from the Swamp could be the fault of their demise.

WCC: Gonzaga Bulldogs (27-1)

Here come the Bulldogs, yet again. With matchups still looming against BYU and St. Mary's, the Zags still have some tough challenges ahead. At 87.9 points per game Gonzaga ranks second in the country in points per contest. They have seven different players who average double figures. Out of those seven players, five of them shoot above 37% from three point range making them a dangerous team from the outside. Killian Tillie is versatile forward who has plenty of experience in the tournament and will look to lead this Bulldogs bunch. It is hard to find a fatal flaw in this Bulldogs team, but their somewhat soft conference play schedule could have them unprepared for the big boys in the tournament.

*ALL STATS VIA ESPN.COM*