The 2022 NCAA Tournament is a month and a half away. You need to know which favorites are more likely to win the Big Dance than others. Here\u2019s a look at how that calculus is shaping up at the start of February:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Tigers have a few advantages other teams lack to the same degree, if at all. Auburn\u2019s number one advantage over the rest of the field is its depth. The Tigers have a different player step up in virtually every game. One night it\u2019s future NBA lottery pick Jabari Smith. Another night it\u2019s K.D. Johnson. Another night it\u2019s Allen Flanigan. Another night it\u2019s Wendell Green. Another night it\u2019s big man Walker Kessler, the transfer from North Carolina. Coach Bruce Pearl has assembled so many different pieces which work well together, and because of Auburn\u2019s death, players aren\u2019t asked to play too many minutes. They rotate in and out. They stay fresh. As a result, Auburn regularly plays well in the final five to six minutes of a game, so if it\u2019s close, the Tigers usually finish the job. They have lost only one time all season, and that was an overtime game (Connecticut). This team is so difficult to beat over 40 minutes. Auburn really does look like one of the best bets you can make to win March Madness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baylor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bears play great defense under coach Scott Drew. They don\u2019t have superstars, but they don\u2019t need superstars since everyone plays strong defense and is committed to winning. Baylor is unselfish and has a great culture. Players have totally bought into the system and don\u2019t need personal glory. This means they work for the best shot. No player hijacks the offense or slows down ball movement. Baylor had a brief lull earlier this season due to injuries, but the Bears have since restored order and once again look like the best team in a very tough Big 12 Conference. Baylor is a superpower in college basketball despite its lack of tradition. The Bears will play Kansas twice in the coming weeks and should be favored over the Jayhawks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gonzaga<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Zags are beating up on the West Coast Conference. We see this happen nearly every year, and people ask the obvious question: \u201cDoes beating a weak conference mean Gonzaga won\u2019t play well in the NCAA Tournament against better teams?\u201d Last year should have put that question to bed. Gonzaga is an elite team. The Zags made the national championship game in 2021, the second time in the past six seasons they have played for the national title. The program is legitimately great. It reached the Elite Eight in 2019 and would have had a great chance to make the Final Four in 2020 if that year\u2019s NCAA Tournament had been played. Gonzaga plays great offense. GU once again has the best offense in the country. Freshman Chet Holmgren has grown into his role. This team should get the No. 1 seed in the West Region and be the favorite to make the Final Four from that region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kentucky<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Though the Wildcats have lost several games, keep in mind they lost them with TyTy Washington injured. With Washington on the floor to facilitate the Wildcats\u2019 offense, this team is elite. You just saw Kentucky hammer Kansas on the road over the weekend, a huge statement few teams make in any season. That\u2019s a clear indication of how high this team\u2019s ceiling is if everyone is healthy. Kentucky was leading Auburn on the road before Washington got injured. Only then did Auburn take over. Not before. Kentucky with Washington is probably better than Auburn, and if Auburn is a frontline national championship contender, Kentucky has to be as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The 2022 NCAA Tournament is a month and a half away. 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Auburn<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n