College basketball is coming to an end, and that means March Madness is right around the corner. The best teams in college basketball will fight for the chance to win the big dance. But this year, it may not be the team fans think.
Purdue is a team that has been highly ranked all year but had some questionable losses. It lost two games in a row, losing one to a solid Northwestern team and a mildly solid Maryland team.
These two losses are not terrible losses, but such a high ranked team like Purdue should not be losing to these teams.
Purdue is led by their 7-foot 4 inches center Zach Edey. Edey is averaging 22.1 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game. He is also adding 2.4 blocks per game, according to ESPN.
Watching him play, fans will see the offense run through him. The game plan is to get him the ball. Teams have to double him, often leaving other players open for Edey to pass out to.
Purdue will have a very high seed in the tournament, but it will be interesting to see who they are matched up with. Purdue is a team that can struggle with a good matchup.
Another team that is very highly ranked is Alabama. Alabama will more than likely take a No. 1 seed in the tournament and is a team that can go very far. It is currently ranked second in the country and has a 24-4 record, according to ESPN.
The Crimson Tide have gone through a lot of controversy this year, as junior player Darius Miles was released from the team after facing murder charges for an altercation.
Freshman Brandon Miller faced a lot of backlash from all people across the world. Miller allegedly brought the firearm to Miles that was used during the crime. Due to lack of evidence, no charges can be pressed on Miller, and he continues to play basketball for the university, According to the Tuscaloosa police department.
Miller responded to this drama with a 41-point performance against South Carolina on Feb. 22. He also added eight rebounds and shot 56 percent from the field, according to ESPN.
Miller is averaging 19.7 point per game and eight rebounds per game, according to ESPN. He has been one of the best freshmen in college basketball and if he can stay out of trouble, he will be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
A dark horse team so far in the tournament is North Carolina. Talent wise, North Carolina is a top five team in the nation. The excitement fans had for this year after their historic tournament run last year has faded as the team has struggled all year.
This team is full of talent. It has big names such as Armando Bacot, R.J. Davis and Caleb Love and great role players, such as Puff Johnson, Pete Nance and Leaky Black.
These players alone can make the case as the best team in the country, but something has been very off this season. Whether it is the chemistry, or the team is in a slump, it has not had a great season. It has struggled all year and currently has a record of 18-11.
Senior Armando Bacot is having a similar season to last year, averaging 17 points per game and 10.9 rebounds according to ESPN. His rebounding numbers have gone down, as last year he averaged 13 rebounds per game.
Caleb Love is averaging 16.9 points per game, and R.J. Davis is averaging 15.7 points per game according to ESPN. These are very solid numbers, so without looking at the record, it would be very hard to guess they lost 11 games so far.
North Carolina has a very solid team, and it is definitely possible for it to turn things around. It has all the right pieces and if it can get its chemistry and team play back to par; it can be legitimate tournament contenders.
Any of these teams can win with the right matchups. Upsets are bound to happen, and there should be lots of them this year. There are lots of inconsistencies in the big teams, and it will show during the tournament.
