By Aidan Joly
March has arrived and we will crown a national champion in just over a month.
That being said, there are a lot of conferences out there that can have one of its representatives lifting the trophy in Houston on April 3.
So, here is the team from each conference that has the best chance to do that – obviously, not every conference is included.
American: Houston
Self-explanatory. The Cougars have been a top-three team in the country all season are the only team in that league with a real shot at a title. Marcus Sasser has been one of the best players in the nation all season, helping lead the Cougars to a 15-1 in the league, 27-2 overall record. A first national title in program history could be in the cards, and they would be able to do it just under seven miles from campus.
ACC: Miami
You thought I would say Virginia, huh? The Hurricanes have felt like the slightly better team in the ACC all season long after a surprise run to the Elite Eight a year ago. Since that, they have hung around in the top 25 all season and look like the best team in the league right now. It’s unlikely that the ACC will bring home the title, but the Canes are seen as a dark horse Final Four threat.
Big 12: Kansas
There’s a host of teams you could go with here, but I’ll go with the Jayhawks being the first team to go back-t0-back since Florida in 2006 and 2007. There’s so much that can be said about this team’s core in Jalen Wilson, Gradey Dick, Kevin McCullar and KJ Adams. It is going to be hard to bet against these Jayhawks in your bracket pool. Kansas State, Baylor and Texas all have shots to win it all too.
Big East: UConn
Believe it or not, I’m not going to go with the Marquette team that currently sits at No. 6 in the country and could certainly by in line for a 1-seed next weekend. Instead, going with a group that has returned to its early-season form after some struggles midway through the season. The Huskies have won seven of the past eight with one regular season game to go. When this team gets hot, it can run just about anybody out of the gym.
Big Ten: Purdue
The Big Ten hasn’t won a national championship since 2000 and the Boilermakers give the league its best shot to win it in several years, even after Michigan made the national championship game since 2018 (which feels like a decade ago). Purdue has the star to pull it off with Zach Edey and a very good supporting cast in Fletcher Loyer, Braden Smith and Caleb Furst. However, the Boilermakers have struggled as of late, dropping four of the last six.
Mountain West: San Diego State
Sleeper time. If you have seen a stat on social media recently that every national title winner has been in the top 40 in KenPom offense and top 22 in KenPom defense, it’s an accurate stat. The Aztecs are right on the cusp of that bill as of Thursday, 14th in defense and 43rd in offense. Brian Dutcher’s team might surprise some people and be right in the thick of things in a few short weeks. This program nor the Mountain West Conference has won a title before.
PAC-12: UCLA
The Bruins have been one of those top three or four teams in the country through the entire season as well. Jaime Jaquez has transformed into an NCAA tournament name into one of the best players in the country to the tune of 17 points and eight rebounds per game. Jaylen Clark and Tyger Campbell have both done very well as second and third options, while freshman Amari Bailey has made a name for himself in his first season in Westwood. UCLA has the most national titles of any program, but is in the midst of a 27-year drought. Could it end this year?
SEC: Alabama
It’s been an ugly past few weeks for the Alabama program, but the team is still winning games at a rate that few teams in the country are matching. The Crimson Tide are 16-1 in SEC play and 26-4 overall and have won eight of their last nine contests. Nate Oats has built a program that is truly ready to compete for a national championship and this could be the year.
West Coast: Gonzaga
The Zags aren’t as good as years past, but it’s still a very, very good team up in Spokake. Drew Timme is having another All-American campaign with just over 21 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and Julian Strawther puts up just over 15 points per game. With the Bulldogs more than likely on the 3-line, maybe they get some good draws and make a run for a title. I almost went with St. Mary’s here, who is better than usual, but Gonzaga still gets the spot.
AJ Hoops 