Ladies and gentlemen, we have a bracket. The most thrilling and impactful week of the college basketball season, before March Madness of course, did not disappoint in 2022 with fans back in the stands and incredible atmospheres complementing the sensational play we saw all week.
But this is just the beginning. We still have a long way to go this season and the 68 teams remaining are 40 minutes away from their season ending and six (or seven) wins away from capturing the ultimate prize in college hoops.
The final edition of the Power 16 Rankings will list the teams who have the best chance of cutting down the nets in New Orleans based on team talent and the path that awaits them in their respective regions. This is your ultimate cheat sheet for filling out your brackets, but when madness ultimately ensues and eliminates half of these teams by the second weekend, just know it isn’t my fault. It’s March’s fault.
1. Gonzaga (26-3)
The draw wasn’t very favorable for the Zags, placing two of the three teams that beat them during the season in their region, but this is still the most talented team in the country, which is why they are the No. 1 overall seed. Don’t be afraid to go with some chalk and make Gonzaga your winner when you fill out your bracket.
2. Arizona (31-3)
If Kerr Kriisa is healthy, this will be my pick to cut down the nets in New Orleans. Tommy Lloyd is potentially the best coach in the country in his first season at the helm of the Wildcats and he has a team that is built for March. They have depth in the frontcourt to survive foul trouble, several ball-handlers who can create for others, and a superstar in Bennedict Mathurin who can take over this tournament and carry the Cats to a National Championship.
3. Kansas (28-6)
The Jayhawks are playing as well as any team in the country and they received an incredibly favorable draw in the Midwest. Iowa is the only team in the region who is coming in with confidence as each of the 2, 3 and 4 seeds lost in the quarterfinals of their conference tournament. I don’t think Kansas is the third best team, but they have the third best chance to cut down the nets in a month.
4. Auburn (27-5)
At the other end of the Midwest region is a team that is playing some of their worst basketball, but can build some momentum due to a weak region. I believe if the Tigers can reach the second weekend, they won’t be stopped until the Final Four. All Bruce Pearl and the Tigers need is an ounce of confidence and they will transform into the most dangerous team in the country.
5. Kentucky (26-7)
The East region is a gauntlet, but the Wildcats struggle against great defensive teams, which they should be able to avoid until the Elite Eight. By that point, they should have a ton of momentum, which we’ve seen transform their offense more than anyone else in the nation. The chemistry, depth and experience are rare assets for Coach Calipari who loves this team and he knows he can win his second National Championship in Lexington because of it.
6. Duke (28-6)
When you have five first-round picks, you will always have a legit shot to win a championship. If destiny has a say in picking a winner, Duke has a severe advantage and you know Coach K will do anything to win one last title before he retires in Durham. They’ve beaten Gonzaga before and if they can do it again, they have a great shot to win a title.
7. Baylor (26-6)
Although the Bears lost in the Big 12 Tournament, they won the national championship last season after suffering the same fate in their conference tournament. A team hasn’t reached the Elite Eight in the season following a championship since 2007, but those Gators were the last team to win back-to-back titles.
8. Purdue (27-6)
There’s been one national champion since 2014 who won their conference tournament, so Purdue’s loss on Sunday could have been a blessing in disguise. It all comes down to how they defend, because offense hasn’t been a problem all season for the Boilermakers. If they can keep opponents under 70 throughout the NCAA Tournament, I won’t be surprised if they snap the Big Ten’s drought with national champions.
9. Villanova (26-7)
With two titles since 2016, it would be foolish to count out Jay Wright when the calendar turns to March. He already has a conference championship and his 2018 team was the last team to win both a conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament. With the experience he has and a superstar in Collin Gillespie, he can do it again in 2022.
10. Tennessee (25-7)
I’d argue the hottest team in the country is the Tennessee Volunteers. Their backcourt rivals any team in the nation and Kennedy Chandler is playing like the five-star player he was recruited to be. Success in the NCAA Tournament has been hard to come by for Rick Barnes, but he has all of the pieces to break that streak this season.
11. Texas Tech (25-9)
The Red Raiders are one of the four most recent teams to appear in a national championship and they have another ferocious defense to get them there again. Defense travels wherever you go in the NCAA Tournament, which gives Mark Adams a huge advantage ahead of his first appearance in the tournament as a head coach.
12. Iowa (25-9)
If anyone is hotter than Tennessee, it’s the Hawkeyes who just ran through the Big Ten Tournament with four wins in four days. It’s a robbery that they are a 5-seed as they have looked more like a 2-seed than any of the teams who earned one, but an easy region could help the Hawkeyes use their momentum to get to their first Final Four since 1980.
13. Houston (28-5)
UAB is arguably the toughest matchup on the 12-seed line, but the Cougars are built to avoid upsets with defense and physicality that travels anywhere. They reached the Final Four without a star player last year, and they can do it again with an imposing frontcourt that grabs more offensive rebounds than anybody, which can make up for a tough shooting night on the perimeter.
14. UCLA (25-7)
It took a Jalen Suggs buzzer-beater to knock out the Bruins last season and the committee wants to see them back in the Final Four, placing a banged-up Baylor squad in their way as the biggest threat to keep them out of the Elite Eight. The entire team is back and knows how to make a run in the tournament, so don’t be surprised if Mick Cronin can repeat the magic that took his team to the Final Four a season ago.
15. Wisconsin (24-7)
You need players who love the big stage if you want to win in March. Johnny Davis is that player. The sophomore guard is made for March and is no stranger to putting on a show in the biggest games of Wisconsin’s season. There are plenty of solid pieces around him who can pick up the slack when he ultimately struggles in one of the games, and I truly believe they can do enough to complement Davis on their way to a national championship.
16. Memphis (21-10)
You know you have to throw in a sleeper when filling out your March Madness bracket. Why not make Memphis that team? Jalen Duren can match Holmgren’s size in the paint and the physicality of the Tigers can put the Zags off balance and shock them in the Round of 32. And if they can upset Gonzaga, they can go all the way and shock the world.
Final Four Prediction:
1 Gonzaga over 2 Kentucky
1 Arizona over 2 Auburn
National Championship Prediction
1 Arizona over 1 Gonzaga
