The 25th ranked Tigers are one of the most underrated teams in the nation. Behind star guards Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown, the Tigers have been virtually unstoppable, with their only loss a 65-64 defeat to Illinois. With a simple game against Long Beach State and then an easy SEC schedule left, the Tigers should come into March with a top seed and high confidence. When confident, this Missouri team may be unbeatable.
Oregon- 12-0
Oregon has a shot to go undefeated this season. They aced their non conference schedule, and the only teams that can challenge the Ducks are Arizona (13-0), Colorado (11-2) and UCLA (11-2). The Ducks are led by high scoring transfers Joseph Young (20.2 points per game) and Mike Moser (14 points per game). Senior point guard Johnathan Loyd and sophomore Damyean Dotson are leaders for the Ducks, and the Ducks can win the championship easily.
UMass- 11-1 Loss to Florida State
UMass is the next A-10 team to make the Final Four. Led by 5'9" stud Chaz Williams and surprise center Cady Lalanne, the Minutemen have proven tough to beat with victories over LSU and New Mexico. The Minutemen will be able to compete in the A-10, giving them a good seed in March.
Illinois- 12-2 Lost to Georgia Tech, Oregon
Rayvonte Rice and Tracy Abrams have been a two-man show for the Fighting Illini this season. Rice is leading the charge with 19 points per game and Abrams is not far behind with 13 points per game. The Illini have to survive a trying Big Ten schedule if they want to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Once in the tournament, the Illini are set to wreak havoc.
Oklahoma- 11-2 Lost to Michigan State, Louisiana Tech
First of all, the Louisiana Tech loss was a bad loss for Oklahoma. Second, they still show promise. They are competing with Texas and Kansas State for the fifth best team in the Big 12 (Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Baylor, and Kansas are ahead). It will be tough, for the Sooners will have to play every Big 12 team twice. With luck, they will make the tournament, where Buddy Hield (above) will lead the Sooners on a deep run.
Kansas State- 10-3 Lost to Northern Colorado, Georgetown, Charlotte
When you look at Kansas State's losses, you see Northern Colorado, a team that they should have beat. But when you look at their wins, you see they beat Gonzaga, which is a team that Kansas State shouldn't have beat. The player you see above, Marcus Foster, is leading the Wildcats with 13 points per game. He is helped by three-point sniper Will Spralding and assist machine Shane Southwell. If the Wildcats can survive the Big 12 and make the tournament, they are poised to make a deep run.
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