NCAA Basketball: My thoughts as March Maddness Nears(Part 1)

We are now in the month of March. We all know what that means: we are approaching March Madness.  I thought it would be a good idea if I would give out my thoughts on who I think the best teams in the country are, and also who I think is overrated/underrated, and teams who I think could turn a lot of heads in a few weeks.

Let's get into it.

Top Teams

Florida

#1 for a reason. Have 4(almost 5) players averaging 10 or more points per game. Have a good combination of size and athletic ability.  The Gatos are lead by senior forward Casey Prather, who is averaging close to 15 points per game, and Michael Frazier, who hit 11 3 pointers in Tuesdays blowout win over South Carolina. They also have one of the best coaches in the country in Billy Donavon. The interesting thing about Florida is, statistically they are not what one would think of when they are thinking of a #1 team. They only rank in the top 100 nationally in 1 major offensive statistic, and that is field goal percentage at a underwhelming #83. One big statistic in their favor is the fact that they have allowed only 58.2 points per game, good for 6th fewest in the country. One thing that should be noted however, is rebounding. The Gators are only 169th in the country in rebounds per game, at 24.2, and that could hurt them in the tournament. Nevertheless, a 28-2 record and #2 RPI does not lie.

Wichita State

31-0. A lot of teams have played in crap conferences over the years, but none has ever accomplished that feat in the regular season. I think that the Shockers are very much for real, and it should not be a shock to anyone if they are in the Final 4 once again(sorry, had to do it.) The Shockers are defensive minded, and are 13th in the country in points allowed per game (59.9) and 17th rebounds per game (26.8). Another thing that helps them beat teams is offensive rebounding. The Shockers are 25th in offensive rebounds per game. Very solid team all the way around, and Greg Marshall is one of the better coaches in the country. Cleanthony Early is also a player to watch, as he averages nearly 16 points a game and is a 6'8 beast. Statisticaly, the Shockers are ready for a deep run in the tournament, but one factor plays against the: 1 team in history has gone undefeated for a full season, and that was Bob Knight's Indiana Housiers, in 1975-76. Stranger things have happened though.

Arizona

I said Florida was ''#1 for a reason'', and it is true, because there is a reason behind everything in life. That being said, I believe the best team in the country resides in Tuscan. I just love the way these guys play. Duquense legend TJ McConnell(pictured at top of post) is a old school point guard. Far from the being mentioned among the nations most physically gifted players, as he averages less then 10 points a game, McConnel makes great use out of the talents that he does posses: getting the ball to the players who do possess great physical talent, being a leader and playing hard as hell. McConnel does all of these things very well, and does exactly what coach Sean Miller wants him to do, and any fan of another team who has a brain would love to have this kid running the point for their team. Aaron Gordon, part of this years very talented Freshman class around college basketball, has been very effective, averaging 12.2 points and 8 rebounds per game. Nick Johnson is the teams leading scorer, averaging 16 points a game. The only 2 games Arizona has lost this year were on the road, both at Cal and Arizona State. Since the Wildcats destroyed both of those teams in Tuscan, maybe they were just flukes. The loss of Brandon Ashley is a problem, and may hurt this team down the stretch, but they have not proven me yet that they can not overcome it. They may not be the best team in the country after all, but for now, this is my opinion.

Wisconsion

On fire. 25-5, a few very quality non-conference wins. Bo Ryan's team always plays together, rarely having a standout player. Much like Florida, the are not a great team statistically, for example they are 270th in the country in offensive rebounding. But, they play great defense and are hot at the most important time of year.

That concludes part 1. Part 2 will deal with other top teams and potential bracket busters. Thanks for reading.