Kentucky Wildcats
Conference: Southeastern
Coach: John Calipari
Record: 32-2, 16-0 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 1 AP/Coaches: 1/1
How’d they get here? At-large. The Wildcats couldn’t pull off the sweep of the SEC titles when it lost to Vandy in the SEC final.
Names to know:Anthony Davis (14.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 4.7 bpg), Marquis Teague (9.7 ppg, 4.7 apg), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg), Doron Lamb (13.3 ppg, 47 percent 3-point shooting)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Kentucky boasts the top defensive effective field-goal percentage (41.4), the highest block rate (21.3) and is an excellent shooting team as well (it makes 38 percent of its 3s and 52.6 percent of its 2s). The only thing it doesn’t do well? Create turnovers. It’s slightly below average there.
Tendencies: The Wildcats can run when needed or play a half-court style. It hits from outside, it can get to the rim. It can press, it’s balanced and has even managed to expand its depth. It can do just about anything to win games. It’s a young team (three freshmen and two sophomores start) so it can struggle at times, but it doesn’t happen often.
Big wins, bad losses: No bad losses. Lots of good ones, including Kansas, North Carolina, Louisville and Florida (three times).
Outlook: This is the favorite. The ‘Cats didn’t rip through the SEC tournament as some expected, but that doesn’t take away from what they’ve done all season. This team features three NBA draft lottery picks, three players who stretch defenses with their perimeter shooting and the game’s ultimate defensive game-changer in Davis. The best hope vs. Kentucky is to put the onus on Teague’s shoulders and make him create for others and for himself. The less involved Davis, Lamb and Darius Miller are, the worse it is for the ‘Cats. Size also helps against the ‘Cats. Davis is great, but can be pushed around down low. Perhaps the wild-card in all of this is sophomore Terrence Jones, who entered the season as the team’s best player, but has vanished during games and deferred to the others. If he ever decides to play smart and take over a game, Kentucky will roll to the title.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Conference: Sun Belt
Coach: Ray Harper
Record: 15-18, 7-9 (7th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 191
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? WKU went from being the seven-seed in the Sun Belt tournament — a distinction it earned by upsetting MTSU in its last game — to the automatic bid.
Names to know: Derrick Gordon (11.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg), George Fant (10.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: There is nothing that Western Kentucky does well. So how about this: two. Western Kentucky is on their second coach of the season, as Ken McDonald was fired after he lost a game where the Hilltoppers’ opponent had six players on the court for the final possession.
Tendencies: WKU likes to get out and run. It has some decent big men, which plays to its advantage as it is one of the nation’s worst shooting teams. The Hilltoppers attack the rim.
Big wins, bad losses: The win over Middle Tennessee State on the last day of the regular season was easily WKU’s best win. There were 18 losses, so there were a lot of bad ones.
Outlook: The only way Western Kentucky wins a game is if it plays in one of the First Four games. That’s it. No more questions.

Connecticut Huskies
Conference: Big East
Coach: Jim Calhoun
Record: 20-13, 8-10 (tied for 9th)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 33
AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The defending champs got the nod after winning two games in the Big East tournament, then taking Syracuse to the wire in the quarterfinals.
Names to know: Jeremy Lamb (17.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Shabazz Napier (12.6 ppg, 5.9 apg), Ryan Boatright (10.7 ppg, 4.2 apg), Andre Drummond (10.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: UConn blocks shots at a rate just behind Kentucky and Syracuse, which also extends to its interior defense. Teams make just 40.4 percent of their 2s vs. the Huskies.
Tendencies: When Napier, Lamb and Boatright aren’t hitting, the offense relies on Drummond and Alex Oriakhi to grab offensive rebounds. That’s not always a bad thing, but it never seems to come off as planned. The defense can be intimidating, provided the Huskies communicate. Just like last year, they’re long, athletic and can disrupt a lot of shots.
Big wins, bad losses: Wins over Florida State and Harvard were ages ago; West Virginia is the best recent victory. Two bad losses – at Rutgers and at Providence.
Outlook: The Huskies actually have more NBA-talent than when they won last season. But something’s missing – beyond Kemba Walker – that’s prevented them from fully jelling. There are glimpses of greatness – ask Syracuse – but repeating as champs is a lot to ask. Still, this is the team no top seed wants to face. UConn’s got talent, a Hall of Fame coach and seems to have been playing better of late. Messing up the bracket with a massive upset might be the best the Huskie can do.

Iowa State Cyclones
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Fred Hoiberg
Record: 22-10, 12-6 (3rd)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 31
AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The Mayor delivers! New coach Fred Hoiberg – an Ames native who starred at Iowa State – led the Cyclones to their first berth since 2005.
Names to know: Royce White (12.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.2 apg), Scott Christopherson (12.6 ppg, 45 percent from beyond the arc), Chris Allen (12.0 ppg, 2.4 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Opponents only grab one in every four offensive rebounds vs. Iowa State, 9th best in D-I. The Cyclones also don’t foul (25.3 % FTRate) and hit a whopping 38.2 percent of their 3-pointers.
Tendencies: Iowa State’s an interesting team. It takes and makes a lot of 3s, while opponents don’t make many against it. It also takes care of the ball, but doesn’t force many turnovers. It’s great at defensive rebounding, bad at grabbing its own misses. Do they have a style? Let’s say they hang around, then sink you with 3s.
Big wins, bad losses: It beat Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State (twice) and Texas. Losses to in-state schools Drake and Northern Iowa are the standout setbacks
Outlook: Everything revolves around White. He’s their leading scorer, rebounder and offensive distributor. If there’s a player who can negate White – no easy task given his size and skill -- that’s kryptonite for the Cyclones. But here’s the thing: he doesn’t have to score for Iowa State to win. He’s gone for long stretches without shooting and Iowa State’s done just fine because he’s controlling the game. Now, if the 3-pointers don’t fall, they’ll have issues. But this is a team that’s underseeded. By a fair margin.

Virginia Commonwealth Rams
Coach: Shaka Smart
Conference: CAA
Record: 28-6, 15-3 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 41
AP/USA Today: Unranked
Names to know: Brad Burgess (13.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Juvonte Reddic (10.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Darius Theus (8.6 ppg, 4.8 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats

Stats to know: VCU’s defensive is ranked 27th in adjusted efficiency, and it is almost entirely due to how effective their press is. The Rams lead the nation in turnover percentage and in steal percentage. They have also
become a deadly team in the open court; there are not many clubs able to transition from offense to defense as quickly as VCU does.
Tendencies: Shaka Smart calls the system he runs “Havoc”, and it’s pretty similar to the “40 minutes of hell” made famous by ex-Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson. Smart plays a smaller lineup — 7-0 D.J. Haley starts alongside 6-9 Juvonte Reddic, but 6-6 Brad Burgess sees a lot of time at the power forward spot — that allows his defense to pressure unapologetically for 94 feet. On the offense end, VCU spreads the floor and attacks off the dribble, hoping to finds mismatches like a slower power forward guarding Burgess.
Big wins, bad losses: The Rams don’t really have any bad losses — Georgia Tech? — but they also don’t have much in the way of great wins. South Florida is their best win out of conference.
How’d they get here?: The Rams rolled through Richmond, beating George Mason by 10 before holding on to beat No. 1 seed Drexel in the final by three.
Outlook: You do not want to play VCU right now. Now one does. The Rams are paying their best basketball at the right time, and when their press gets into a groove and they start knocking down some threes, watch out. What’s more is that this group is not going to be fazed by the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament. Sure, they may have lost four players off of the Final Four teams from a year, ago, but Smart was smart — he had a deep bench and made sure to use them. Depending on the matchups, I wouldn’t be surprised to see VCU in the second weekend again.

Wichita State Shockers
Coach: Gregg Marshall
Conference: Missouri Valley Record: 26-5
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 13
AP/USA Today: 16/16
Names to know: Joe Ragland (13.4 ppg, 50 percent 3-point %), Toure’ Murry (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.3 apg), Garrett Stutz (13.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg).
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: If you think Michigan State grabs every defensive rebound, just wait until the Shockers take the court. Foes corral one in every four offensive rebounds vs. WSU, far better than the D-I average.
Tendencies: Their tendency is winning. The Shockers excel at shooting, limiting opponents’ looks, they take care of the ball and do a great job on the boards. Thery play seven guys, all of whom are juniors or seniors and focus on their man-to-man defense and they push the pace on offense when needed. If you take away one thing, they go to another. They’re that good.
Big wins, bad losses: Beating UNLV and Creighton are the biggies, but don’t overlook a win at Davidson. That’s a biggie. But losses to Drake and Illinois State? Ouch.
How’d they get here? A loss in the Mo Valley tournament quarterfinals prevented the automatic bid, but WSU earned an at-large berth.
Outlook: Don’t think of Wichita State as a mid-major. It plays and produces like a team from a high-major conference. Consider this: It outscored conference foes on a per-possession basis nearly as well as Kenrucky did. The question is, can they rebound from their Illinois State loss? Their experience and résumé says yes. You’ll hear that no team that’s ever lost its conference tournament opener has won the NCAA tournament. But the Shockers are perfectly capable of putting together a Final Four run. They might not win, but if there’s a non-BCS school most likely to reach New Orleans, this is it.

Indiana Hoosiers
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Tom Crean
Record: 25-8, 11-7 (5th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 10 AP/Coaches: 15/15
How’d they get here? At-large. The Hoosiers won their first Big Ten tournament game during Crean’s tenure, but was ousted in the quarterfinals by Wisconsin.
Names to know: Cody Zeller (15.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Christian Watford (11.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Victor Oladipo (11.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Indiana can shoot. It makes free throws (76.1 percent, top 20), its 2s (50.9 percent, top 50) and is lights out from deep. It makes 43.2 percent of its 3-pointers (2nd best in D-I), but doesn’t shoot a lot of them. Only 28.2 percent of its field-goal attempts are from beyond the arc, below the average.
Tendencies: This team hustles, scraps and does its best to make the game fast and loose. The Hoosiers commit a few turnovers and are OK on the boards, but much of that doesn’t matter when their shots are falling (often) and Zeller is the offensive focal point (usually, but sometimes not enough). Consider it an extension of Crean’s energetic, engaging personality.
Big wins, bad losses: This is the only team to beat Kentucky, and also boasts wins over Michigan State and Ohio State. Maybe that’s why the loss to Nebraska is so puzzling.
Outlook: Indiana’s first NCAA appearance since 2008 should last through the first weekend. This isn’t a supremely talented team – Zeller’s the only surefire NBA player – but it’s jelled and established roles for its experienced group through years of toiling at the bottom of the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have been waiting for this. They’ve earned it. A looming question? How will it adjust to the loss of senior wing Verdell Jones, who tore his ACL in the Big Ten tourney? He’s not a focal point, but it’ll hurt.

New Mexico State Aggies
Conference: Western Athletic
Coach: Marvin Menzies
Record: 26-9, 10-4 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 67
AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The Aggies crushed Louisiana Tech in the WAC final for the second trip in the last three years under Menzies.
Names to know: Wendell McKines (18.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg), Hernst Laroche (12.1 ppg, 3.8 apg), Hamidu Rahman (10.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg).
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: No team gets to the free-throw line more often (on 53.4 percent of its attempts) and few hit the offensive glass harder, grabbing 40 percent of its misses. The Aggies don’t shoot well from the free-throw or beyond the arc – and they love to run, getting out for 71 possessions a game.
Tendencies: New Mexico State runs, but it’s not a team filled with outside gunners. McKines, a 6-6 senior, and Laroche are the only ones who even attempt 3-pointers. Not that it matters The Aggies get into the lane and either get to the line or get the rebound. The defense is mostly man. The Aggies pressure shooters, but don’t generate a lot of turnovers. They’re more intent on playing fast and getting points in spurts when the other teams misses.
Big wins, bad losses: A win against New Mexico in the second game of the season is the only impressive victory. The Aggies have lost to the likes of Hawaii, Idaho and UTEP.
Outlook: This isn’t a team you want to see across from you. The Aggies have been on a roll, dumping 90 and 100 points on teams thanks to their style and a bench that only sees two players play a ton of minutes. They’ve got great size and a talent in McKines. Also, five of the regulars are upperclassmen, so don’t expect them to be swayed by any BCS schools. They’re not a dominant team – they did finish behind Nevada, after all – but is certainly capable of winning a game.

Colorado Buffaloes
Conference: Pac-12
Coach: Tad Boyle
Record: 23-11, 11-7 (5th, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 71 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The Pac-12 tournament’s sixth seed beat Arizona in the final for an unlikely bid.
Names to know: Carlon Brown (12.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg), Andre Roberson (11.6 ppg, 11.1 rpg), Spencer Dinwiddie (10.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: They’re good on the defensive boards (opponents only snag 28.5 percent of missed shots, 46th in D-I) and they get to the line fairly often (on 43 percent of shots), but are just average (68.7 percent) from the stripe.
Tendencies: It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what the Buffs want to do on offense, probably because they’re still working out the kinks. Brown, Dinwiddie and Asia Booker create most of the shot opportunities, though the Buffs aren’t looking to jack a lot of shots, just good ones. They’re patient, even when things aren’t falling. They’re sound defensively, but they lack a shot blocker or a great on-ball defender. It’s a team that relies on switches and versatility.
Big wins, bad losses: Beating Cal twice and Washington once counts for good wins. Bad losses would be Maryland and Oregon State.
Outlook: Boyle’s a magician. It’s that simple. The Buffs played over their heads throughout the Pac-12 season, faded a bit toward the end, then clicked at the end. This team probably shouldn’t be here, but it earned a spot. There’s some talent here – Roberson’s wildly underrated nationally for his work on the glass – but probably not enough to make it to the first weekend. Next season though? That’s a different story.

UNLV Runnin’ Rebels
Conference: Mountain West
Coach: Dave Rice
Record: 26-8, 9-5 (3rd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 11 AP/Coaches: 20/20
How’d they get here? At-large. A loss in the MWC semifinals didn’t keep the Rebs out.
Names to know: Mike Moser (14.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg), Chace Stanback (12.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Anthony Marshall (12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.6 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Yep, these are the Runnin’ Rebels. They average nearly 70 possessions a game. They’re not the fastest team in the field, but they’re one of the top five. It’s an unselfish team, too. They log assists on 65 percent of their baskets, second-highest total in D-I.
Tendencies: This isn’t a team that forces a lot of turnovers or uses outlandish amounts of pressure to force an up-tempo game. They just get out and run and shoot. Simple as that. They love the 3 – a third of their points come from beyond the arc – and they connect quite often (37.3 percent). But the defense is what’s most noticeable. UNLV’s long, athletic and does an excellent job making life tough inside the arc.
Big wins, bad losses: The only odd loss was a setback to TCU. Maybe Wyoming. But the good wins – UNC, Cal, SDSU, New Mexico – outweigh those .
Outlook: It’s tempting to call UNLV a Sweet 16 team, maybe even Elite Eight. It’s beaten great teams, but every one of those cam at home. This team isn’t nearly as good on the road (like most college basketball teams.) One wonders if the tempo combined with the relatively thin bench – the starters all play a ton of minutes – has worn down UNLV’s legs and sapped its defense a bit. Advance the Rebels at your own risk.

Baylor Bears
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Scott Drew
Record: 27-7, 12-6 (3rd, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 8 AP/Coaches: 12/11
How’d they get here? At-large. Baylor lost to Missouri in the Big 12 final. It’s in the field for the third time in last five years.
Names to know: Perry Jones III (13.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg), Pierre Jackson (13.4 ppg, 5.8 apg), Quincy Acy (12.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Baylor hits the offensive glass, grabbing 37.7 percent of its misses (21st in D-I), which shouldn’t be a surprise. The frontcourt is HUGE. The Bears block shots (12.3 of team’s attempts) and limit good looks inside the arc (45.5 percent).
Tendencies: The biggest tendency is to drive onlookers crazy when watching. Baylor’s loaded with talent, but can be lackadaisical in its approach at both ends of the floor. Its zone defense can be soft, but difficult to solve when the Bears are motivated. Offense is a chore when they focus on too much one-on-one play. It’s a team full of wanna-be NBA players, and it shows.
Big wins, bad losses: A stellar non-conference schedule (wins at BYU, Northwestern, then vs. St. Mary’s West Virginia and Miss State are more than most teams schedule, let alone win. No bad losses. None.
Outlook: How far the Bears go is largely up to them. Few teams feature more talent, most noticeably in Jones. He delivered during the Big 12 tournament, scoring 65 points in three games, easily his best output of the season. If Jones is on, the Bears are Final Four good, no matter the team or the matchup. Foes won’t able to compete with their size and length. If Baylor is the beneficiary of a few upsets clearing other talented teams out of its path, it’ll go very, very far. If it’s up against 1 or 2 seeds, then it’s a coin flip who wins.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Conference: Summit
Coach: Scott Nagy
Record: 27-7, 15-3 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 55
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? The Jacks were the No. 2 seed in the Summit League tournament, overcoming an 11 point deficit in the title game against Western Illinois, who knocked off Oral Roberts in the semifinals.
Names to know: Nate Wolters (21.3 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.2 rpg), Jordan Dykstra (11.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 48.6% 3PT), Griffin Callahan (10.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: SDSU sits 26th in adjusted offensive efficiency for two reasons: it shoots the ball as well as anyone and it is the fourth-best nationally in turnover percentage. When you hit 3s and don’t give away possessions, that’s an easy way to score a lot of points.
Tendencies: Nate Wolters is one of the best players that you’ve never seen play, and Steve Nagy’s club relies on him heavily. Generally speaking, its offense is essentially based around isolating Wolters at the top of the key, surrounding him with jumpshooters on the perimeter and allowing him to make a play.
Big wins, bad losses: SDSU had two really good wins this season — they beat Washington by 19 at Washington and they beat Oral Roberts by 15 at home. Their worst loss was to in-state rival South Dakota or to North Dakota.
Outlook: SDSU can absolutely beat a four or a five seed. When you can shoot the ball the way the Jackrabbits do — three starters make better than 46 percent of their threes — all you need is a good night and anyone in the country can get knocked off. Wolters is not all that quick, however, so if they run into a team with a great on-ball defender on the perimeter, they could run into some trouble.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Conference: Big East
Coach: Mike Brey
Record: 22-11, 13-5 (3rd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 37 AP/Coaches: 23/23
How’d they get here? At-large. Notre Dame lost in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know: Jack Cooley (12.4 ppg, 9.0 rpg), Jerian Grant (12.3 ppg, 4.9 apg), Eric Atkins, 12.2 ppg, 4.1 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Irish average 61.1 possessions a game, making them the 326th slowest D-I team. Combine that with their low turnover rate (16.1, 7th best) and that 36.8 percent of their field-goal attempts are 3s, and you’ve got a team whose style is built for tournament play.
Tendencies: Notre Dame runs a “slow burn” offense, which means it uses the shot clock, wears down defenses and waits until the defense messes up. The result is either a 3-pointer or a bucket by Cooley, whether it’s by design or by him grabbing an offensive rebound. The defense doesn’t force turnovers and is just OK at most spots.
Big wins, bad losses: It beat ‘Cuse. It beat Marquette. It beat UConn, Louisville and West Virginia. But Notre Dame also lost to Rutgers, St. John’s and Maryland.
Outlook: The only thing holding this team back from being a Sweet 16 contender is the lack of a consistent perimeter threat. That was forward Tim Abromaitis, but he was injured just two games into the season. Brey’s done a great job adjusting his lineup and the Irish really found their groove between mid-January and mid-February when it won nine straight. But this team has no room for error, mostly because the defense doesn’t do it any favors. Could be one game and done.

Xavier Musketeers
Conference: Atlantic 10
Coach: Chris Mack
Record: 21-12, 10-6 (3rd, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 37 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The Musketeers lost the A-10 title game, but still clinched their seventh consecutive tournament berth.
Names to know: Tu Holloway (17.0 ppg, 5.2 apg), Mark Lyons (15.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg), Kenny Frease (9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Xavier doesn’t force many turnovers (18.5 turnover rate, below the D-I average) but is good at grabbing defensive rebounds (70 percent of team’s misses) and forcing bad shots (teams have an effective field-goal percentage of 45.3).
Tendencies: The Musketeers will push the pace when needed, but can slow down and work its half-court offense with Holloway either creating for himself or others. He and Lyons can often try to do too much, which hurts Xavier. It’s best when everyone’s involved. The defense can be great. Holloway and Lyons are both good on the perimeter, but they play a lot of minutes and it occasionally shows in their legs.
Big wins, bad losses: Some bad ones. Hawaii, UMass and Oral Roberts are all odd. But Xavier beat Vandy, Purdue, Cincy and St. Louis.
Outlook: This was once seen as a Final Four darkhorse. Then it brawled with Cincinnati, the team’s chemistry went awry and Xavier couldn’t find any consistency. Beating St. Louis in the A-10 tourney should help, but it followed that up with a loss to St. Bonaventure, a team it handled during league play. The Musketeers are among the biggest question marks in the field. Treat them as such.

Duke Blue Devils
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Record: 27-6, 13-3 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 4 AP/Coaches: 6/6
How’d they get here? At-large. The Devils haven’t missed since 1996.
Names to know: Austin Rivers (15.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg), Seth Curry (13.4 ppg, 2.5 apg), Ryan Kelly (11.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Duke can shoot (37.6 percent from beyond the arc; 50.9 inside it), get to the free-throw line (on 45.3 percent of its attempts) and doesn’t commit a lot of turnovers (17.6 percent of its possessions). All are top 50 marks. The only thing it doesn’t do well? Force turnovers.
Tendencies: Duke plays slightly faster than most teams, takes a lot of 3-pointers, and rarely wavers from its traditional man-to-man defense. But it’s poor at defensive rebounding, doesn’t have any intimidating inside players and no good on-ball defenders. It’s a group of mismatched pieces, doing its best to rack up wins.
Big wins, bad losses: The Devils have beaten Kansas, Michigan State, Michigan and North Carolina. It hasn’t had any bad losses.
Outlook: Honestly, it’s a crapshoot with Duke. It’s escaped for five close wins in the last month and will have Kelly at less than 100 percent (he missed the ACC tournament because of an injury). The Devils have the personnel to make a run – Curry, Rivers and Andre Dawkins are threats to score at any time – but they don’t have anyone who excels at getting them the ball. Also, the frontcourt is pretty much just two guys who hustle (Miles and Mason Plumlee) and Kelly. Noting about Duke scares you. But … it has won 27 games. That’s not by accident.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Conference: Patriot League
Coach: Brett Reed
Record: 26-7, 11-3 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 107
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The two seed in the conference tournament, Lehigh ran through American in the semis before winning on Bucknell’s home floor in the final.
Names to know: CJ McCollum (21.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.5 apg), Gabe Knutson (11.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: McCollum has an absurdly high 32.0 percent usage rate. What that means is that a third of Lehigh’s possessions end with McCollum — whether it’s a shot or a turnover. In other words, the Mountain Hawks run their offense through him. A lot.
Tendencies: The Mountain Hawks like to get out and run. They are 52nd in the nation in pace, meaning that they are more comfortable playing at a faster tempo. They are also fairly adept at forcing turnovers. They don’t necessarily play defense in the full court, but they do put ball pressure on their opponent. Oh, and CJ McCollum takes a lot of shots.
Big wins, bad losses: Lehigh beat Bucknell twice and Wagner once. They didn’t have any notable losses.
Outlook: It is going to take a borderline-miracle for Lehigh to pull off an upset in the first round of the tournament. But CJ McCollum is a future pro, whether it is in the NBA or overseas. He can go for 35 on a given night. If he gets it going offensively and Lehigh is able to hang around for long enough … who knows?.

Long Island-Brooklyn Blackbirds
Conference: Northeast
Coach: Jim Ferry
Record: 25-8, 16-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 87
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The No. 1 seed in the NEC Tournament, LIU beat Robert Morris in the conference title game.
Names to know: Julian Boyd (17.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg), Jamal Olasewere (16.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Jason Brickman (9.7 ppg, 7.3 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: 74.5. That’s how many possessions LIU averages a game, good for third in the country. They run, they run and they run. It also should be noted that LIU is second nationally in free-throw rate and second nationally in defensive free-throw rate. The Blackbirds get fouled and they don’t foul their opponents. (To be fair, they probably don’t foul their opponents because they are too busy giving up layups.)
Tendencies: LIU doesn’t play defense. The Blackbirds are 272nd in the country in defensive efficiency. Making that stat all the more troublesome is that the Blackbirds give up, on average, more points per possession than they score, which makes one wonder how, exactly, they won 25 games.
Big wins, bad losses: LIU doesn’t have any great wins to speak of this season. It’s only truly bad loss on the season came by 28 (!!) against Monmouth.
Outlook: LIU’s first-round game is going to be fun to watch. This group runs and runs and runs. The Blackbirds have a terrific point guard in Brickman and a couple of big men who can run the floor and are high-major athletes in Boyd and Olasewere. I’m not sure if they are going to be able to pull off an upset, especially with the way they defend, but whatever happens, it will be entertaining to watch.

Michigan State Spartans
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Tom Izzo
Record: 27-7, 13-5 (1st, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 4 AP/Coaches: 8/8
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The Spartans held off Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament final.
Names to know: Draymond Green (16.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.6 apg), Keith Appling (11.5 ppg, 4.9 apg), Brandon Wood (8.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Austin Thornton (5.2 ppg, 46 percent from beyond the arc)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Rebounding still rules in East Lansing. Izzo’s team grabs 37.3 percent of its missed shots (23rd in D-I) and snags 73 percent of opponent’s misses (20th). The Spartans also force a lot of misses. Foes are 42.4 percent from inside the arc and 29.4 outside it.
Tendencies: Defense is Michigan State’s calling card, but don’t overlook the offense. It’s got a nice mix of inside and outside, finding guys on the block or kicking it out for 3s and mid-range jumpers. The Spartans don’t emphasize any one thing, which emulates Green’s game. He does everything, and so do they. Defense remains a physical man-to-man with two enforcers in the middle.
Big wins, bad losses: Illinois is the only so-so loss, while the Spartans have beaten Gonzaga, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Florida State.
Outlook: It’s Izzo’s deepest team since the early 2000s and his best on offense and defense since winning it all in 2000. Not having freshman wing Branden Dawson (gone with an ACL injury) hurts a lot as he was their most athletic player and a boost on the offensive glass. The Spartans might become a more half-court focused team, but don’t bet on it. Izzo remains a master game-planner and will adjust as needed related to the opponent, not with who his team has. He’ll motivate them and rely on Green, his senior All-American to lead the way. A Final Four is probable and a title in possible.

Memphis Tigers
Conference: Conference USA
Coach: Josh Pastner
Record: 26-8, 13-3 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 15 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The Tigers crushed the C-USA tournament field for its second straight berth.
Names to know: Will Barton (18.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Joe Jackson (11.1 ppg, 3.8 apg), Tarik Black (10.9 ppg, 4.98 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Tigers’ defense holds teams to 41.8 percent shooting inside the arc and 31 percent beyond it. They don’t rebound their misses very well (30.5 offensive rebounding percentage), but they don’t miss a lot of shots, either. Memphis makes 54 percent of its 2s and 36.9 percent of its 3s.
Tendencies: Memphis plays fast, and not just in the open court. Jackson’s a blur with the ball, Barton can get by any defender and it’s an underrated passing team, too. The defense isn’t quite at the level of when John Calipari left, but it’s close. The Tigers don’t allow many open looks and block a ton of shots. It’s a talented team that doesn’t coast.
Big wins, bad losses: Only losses to UTEP and Central Florida are puzzlers. But the Tigers have beaten Xavier, Miami and Southern Miss.
Outlook: This is a scary team. They’ve ripped off seven straight wins, all by double digits. Barton is having an All-American season and Jackson seems to have shaken off doubts that plagued his game earlier. Pastner’s gotten into his coaching groove, making adjustments where needed, managing egos and emphasizing his team’s strengths by exploiting its athleticism. If freshman forward Adonis Thomas ever regain his form now that he’s back from injury (he played a total of 20 minutes during the C-USA tourney), Memphis will be at full strength and a darkhorse pick for the Final Four.

St. Louis Billikens
Conference: Atlantic 10
Coach: Rick Majerus
Record: 25-7, 12-4 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 31 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The Billikens stumbled in the A-10 semifinals, but snagged their first NCAA tourney berth since 2000.
Names to know: Brian Conklin (13.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Kwamain Mitchell (12.1 ppg, 3.8 apg), Dwayne Evans (8.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Billikens force a high rate of turnovers (23.3 percent of possessions) and don't turn it over themselves (less than 18 percent of their own).
Tendencies: St. Louis grinds it out, plays lock-down defense and doesn't give up anything easy. It's not a huge team, but does well regardless of matchups because of solid fundamentals. The offense is underrated because the scores are often low, but St. Louis shoots well from outside (36.9 percent) and takes a lot of 3-pointers (36.3 percent of all field-goal attempts are beyond the arc).
Big wins, bad losses: Losses to Rhode Island and Loyola Marymount are tough, but St. Louis beat Xavier (twice) and Washington.
Outlook: St. Louis has the style and shooting to reach the Sweet 16, but its profile shows it hasn't beaten any other teams who are at that level. Can it muster enough offense down the stretch? Will the shots fall? Or will teams become so frustrated facing the defense that St. Louis can't help but advance. Anything's possible. But one win is what's most probable.

Long Beach State 49ers
Conference: Big West
Coach: Dan Monson
Record: 25-8, 15-1 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 38
AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The 49ers’ first bid since 2007 was a slow build for Monson’s group, which finally beat Santa Barbara in the Big West title game.
Names to know: Casper Ware (16.9 ppg, 3.2 apg), Larry Anderson (14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), T.J. Robinson (12.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg). Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The 49ers make a lot of their 2s (52 percent) and are better than average beyond the arc (35.8 percent), but wretched from the free-throw line (67.2 percent). Too bad they get there on 43.3 percent of their field-goal attempts.
Tendencies: Everything runs through Ware, the cat-quick senior point guard who’s the team’s leading scorer and two-time conference player of the year. He can get by any defender and either finishes himself or pens up shots for others. They can run, but haven’t pushed it too much. They’ve also turned up the defensive pressure lately, doing a better job at challenging shots.
Big wins, bad losses: Wins against Pitt and Xavier were once hailed as superb. Now they’re just OK. Only one bad loss, the regular-season finale vs. Cal-State Fullerton.
Outlook: The 49ers spent all season – really, the last three years – working toward this point by playing brutally tough schedules and maintain the same group of core players in that time. Now, with four seniors and a junior as starters, this experienced, balanced and talented group could win a game in the tournament. Maybe two. All those close losses? They’re OK. More worrisome will be Anderson’s health. He missed the entire Big West tournament because of a sprained ligament in his right knee. The league’s top defender is essential to any NCAA tournament wins for Long Beach.

New Mexico Lobos
Conference: Mountain West
Coach: Steve Alford
Record: 27-6, 10-4 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 31 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The Lobos earned their second berth I three years after beating SDSU in the MWC final.
Names to know: Drew Gordon (13.4 ppg, 10.9 rpg), Kendall Williams (11.9 ppg, 4.1 apg), Tony Snell (10.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Lobos pass well (65 percent of their baskets are assists) and are deadly from beyond the arc (38.5 percent). They also harass teams into wretched shooting nights (30.9 percent from deep, 42.8 percent inside the arc) and are great on the defensive glass, hauling in 72 percent of opponent’s misses.
Tendencies: New Mexico feels like a team that grinds out possessions, but it’s actually about average in terms of pace. Maybe that’s because it plays physically and challenges nearly every shot and does a good forcing turnovers. Defense is the team’s calling card, though the offense shouldn’t be ignored. Not with its shooting skills.
Big wins, bad losses: New Mexico popped UNLV and SDSU, not to mention St. Louis. But losses to Santa Clara and TCU hurt.
Outlook: This team’s scary, both for its style, talent (Gordon and Williams are future pros) and for going through most of the season as an unknown. Unlike Alford’s previous NCAA tournament team, this Lobos squad doesn’t win with smoke and mirrors. It wins because it’s better than most teams out there. It’s wildly underrated here and is a strong contender for the Sweet 16. If Gordon and Demetrius Walker were a little more reliable as scorers, this team would have Final Four potential.

Davidson Wildcats
Coach: Bob McKillop
Conference: Southern
Record: 25-7, 16-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 66
AP/Coaches: Unranked
Names to know: De’Mon Brooks (16.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg), Jake Cohen (14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg), Nik Cochran (11.0 ppg, 3.7 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Davidson can score, and better than most think. The Wildcats are 36th in the country in offensive efficiency. That number is adjusted for strength of schedule, however. When you look at their raw PPP numbers, the Wildcats are 14th in the country at 1.124, which puts them directly behind Duke, UNC and Syracuse. How do they do it? Well, they don’t turn the ball over and they hit their free throws. They’ll score on anyone.
Tendencies: Everything about Davidson is balanced. All five starters average in double figures. The Wildcats all are able to step out on the perimeter and knock down 3-pointers. They all rebound. They pass frequently and well. Davidson can get out and run the floor and they do have some athletes in its mix, which makes it an entertaining group to watch.
Big wins, bad losses: Obviously, beating Kansas is the marquee win for this group this season. But losses to Samford, Charlotte and Charleston are as bad as that win was good.
How’d they get here?: Davidson was the No. 1 seed in the SoCon Tournament, but needed double-overtime to put away Western Carolina.
Outlook: Davidson has already proven that they can play with anyone. When you go into Kansas City and knock off Kansas, there isn’t going to be a situation where you step onto the court and feel intimidated. As with any small conference team, it is all going to come down to the matchup. Who do they draw in the first round and is it someone that they can beat? Given that once you get past the top two seeds, the bracket looks like it may be a bit weak, Davidson will probably have a great opportunity to pull off an upset.

Louisville Cardinals
Conference: Big East
Coach: Rick Pitino
Record: 26-9, 10-8 (7th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 18 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The Cards claimed their second Big East title in the last four years and their sixth consecutive bid to the Big Dance.
Names to know: Peyton Siva (9.1 ppg, 5.5 apg), Russ Smith (11.6 ppg), Gorgui Dieng (9.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.2 bpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Only Ohio State allows fewer points per possession than Louisville, which is fairly remarkable given the Cards’ injuries and dearth of frontcourt players. Teams make just 41.3 percent of their 2s (4th lowest in D-I) and turn the ball over on 23.4 percent of possessions (30th). The Cards alos hit the offensive glass, corralling 36.1 percent of their misses.
Tendencies: Louisville’s success is the result of lots and lots of ball pressure. Every guard in the lineup is trying to make a steal. If they can’t , Dieng is usually in the middle ready to alter or swat the shot. Louisville’s offense is a crapshoot, though. Nobody’s a consistent scorer, though it’s not for lack of trying on Smith’s part. He takes an astounding 36 percent of Louisville’s shots.
Big wins, bad losses: The Cards beat Vandy, Marquette, Cincy and Notre Dame and have one bad loss to Providence.
Outlook: You’ll hear Louisville pegged as this year’s UConn, a team that finally found its groove late in the year, with the right mix of talent and defense that can help it win a title. Nonsense. Louisville can reel off two or three wins, but only if the opponents don’t have great size or guards who can handle pressure. Plus, the Big East tourney title was also the result of favorable matchups. Seeing Notre Dame in the semis and Cincy in the finals would be a situation for this weekend and the Sweet 16. Bottom line: The defense is great. But the offense is inconsistent, lacks cohesion and can be downright bad.

Colorado State Rams
Conference: Mountain West
Coach: Tim Miles
Record: 20-11, 8-6 (4th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 21 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The Rams just missed out on making the MWC finals, but still made the Big Dance for the first time since ‘03.
Names to know: Wes Eikmeier (15.6 ppg, 2.1 apg), Dorian Green (13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg), Pierce Hornung (8.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Rams can shoot. They make 47 percent of their shots, including a whopping 40.5 beyond the arc, 7th best in D-I. They also hit their free throws (769 percent). Opponents also fare well. They make 35.7 percent of their 3s and 48.7 from inside the arc, both above the D-I average.
Tendencies: The Rams aren’t chuckers. That’s why they shoot so well. This team plays a little slower than most, relies on Eikmeier and Green to create, or lets Greg Smith do his thing on the wing. Nobody grabs any of the missed shot except for Hornung, though. (He snags ‘em at a rate higher than anyone else in the field). And defense? The only tendency is that it’s not played very well.
Big wins, bad losses: CSU beat SDSU, UNLV and New Mexico. Had three bad losses: TCU, Boise State and Northern Iowa .
Outlook: It’s an average defensive team and great offensive one. Call it Creighton, but without Doug McDermott. The Rams rely on hitting shots and not much else to win games. When the shots aren’t falling, they’re not winning. That’s a lot to stake on a team that rarely reaches this event.

Murray State Racers
Coach: Steve Prohm
Conference: Ohio Valley
Record: 30-1, 15-1 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 25
AP/USA Today: 12/9
Names you need to know: Isaiah Canaan (19.4 ppg, 3.8 apg, 48.2% 3PT), Donte Poole (14.2 ppg), Ivan Aska (11.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats you need to know: The Racers don’t exactly play up to their nickname — they are 149th in the country in pace — but they do have a unique style of play. They are fourth in the country in 3-point percentage, led by Canaan’s ridiculous 48.2 percent, and ninth in free-throw rate. That’s a good way to make up for not having much of an interior presence.
Tendencies: The Racers are not a very good defensive rebounding team because they aren’t a big team. Ivan Aska and Ed Daniel are all of 6-7. They make up for the second-chance points they give up with their ability to cause turnovers and generate steals. They are not a fast-paced team, but they are effective when they get out in transition. And when worse comes to worst, they put the ball in Canaan’s hands and let him go.
Big wins, bad losses: Murray State has beaten Memphis at Memphis, Dayton and St. Mary’s. Their only loss came to Tennessee State.
How’d they get here?: It took a late bucket from Jewuan Long, but the Racers were able to beat No. 2 seed Tennessee State — the only team to beat them — in the finals of the OVC Tournament.
Outlook: Murray State needs the right matchup to make a run. If the Racers play a team like, say, UConn or Mississippi State — someone with a lot of size — in the first round, there is a chance they could get upset. But they are a very athletic team with two talented playmakers in their backcourt — Canaan can go for 35 on any given night — that will never be out of a game. OVC teams have confidence, too. Murray State beat Vanderbilt in the first round in 2010 and Morehead upset Louisville in the first round last season.

BYU Cougars
Conference: West Coast
Coach: Dave Rose
Record: 25-8, 12-4 (3rd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 46 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. BYU snuck into the tournament after losing in the WCC semifinals. It the Cougars' sixth consecutive appearance.
Names to know: Noah Hartsock (16.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Brandon Davies (15.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Matt Carlino (12.7 pg 4.7 apg))
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: BYU plays up-tempo (73 possessions a game, 5th fastest in D-I), excels at defensive rebounding (they grab 74 percent of teams' misses) and make a lot of their shots inside the arc (52.3 percent).
Tendencies: The Cougars run, gun and run some more, but their defense is actually better than the offense. (Call it the Jimmer effect.) They're solid on the perimeter, good inside and don't allow second-chance points.
Outlook: The game vs. Iona is a delight for viewers. It could end up in the 100s as both teams like to run and love to shoot.

Marquette Golden Eagles
Conference: Big East
Coach: Buzz Williams
Record: 25-7, 14- (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 7
AP/Coaches: 9/9
How’d they get here? At-large. Easy call for the committee despite losing their Big East tournament opener.
Names to know: Jae Crowder (17.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.4 spg), Darius Johnson-Odom (18.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 40 percent from 3-point), Davante Gardner (9.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Marquette’s team assist rate is fifth-highest in D-I. They log one one nearly two of every three made shots. That’s some unselfish play. Many come off steals. The Eagles are in the top 15 for steal percentage.
Tendencies: Marquette’s replete with athletic guards and wings, all of whom cover ground on defense – open looks aren’t common for foes – and are aggressive with their hands and in the passing lanes. The Eagles’ offense is built on ball movement and cutting, though they’re not afraid of popping a lot of jumpers. Crowder and Johnson-Odom are the focal points, but, again, it’s an unselfish team. Everyone does everything.
Big wins, bad losses: The Dec. 19 loss at LSU stands out, but that’s it. Marquette’s taken down Wisconsin, Louisville, Cincinnati and Georgetown.
Outlook: This is a Final Four-caliber team, though the Eagles’ Big East tournament loss to Louisville will give some people pause. If Marquette doesn’t move the ball and allows quicker guards to be aggressive and disrupt the offense, it can struggle. But that’s a rarity. This is group with a fine mix of experience, talent and playmakers. If Crowder and Johnson-Odom are both off (another rarity) it can lose, but the defense is capable of bailing out a bad offensive day. Sweet 16 at worst.

Florida Gators
Conference: Southeastern
Coach: Billy Donovan
Record: 23-10, 10-6 (2nd, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 29 AP/Coaches: 22/19
How’d they get here? At-large. The Gators are in for the third straight season after losing in the SEC semis.
Names to know: Kenny Boynton (16.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.5 apg), Bradley Beal (14.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Erving Walker (12.3 ppg, 4.7 apg), Patric Young (10.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg).
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know:
Florida takes care of the ball (16.7 percent turnover rate; 14th best I D-I) and shoots really well. It makes 38.7 percent of its 3-pointers (21st) and 51.9 percent of its 2s (33rd). Not surprisingly for a jump-shooting team, it’s not at the free-throw line frequently (241st highest rate in D-I). Tendencies: The Gators rely on their guards more than just about any team in the field. Boynton, Walker and Beal either take a shot or end a possession on two-thirds of the team’s possessions. That’s not a bad thing, but it does set them up for losses when those shots aren’t falling. Its strange that they’ve fallen into a jump-shooting mode, too. All three can get into the lane. They just don’t do it that often. The Gators’ defense is best described as average.
Big wins, bad losses: Florida beat Florida State, Vandy and ‘Bama (twice), while losses to Rutgers and Georgia are odd.
Outlook: Gators are a wild card. They get hot, they can match last season. Boynton and Walker were crucial cogs of Florida’s run to last year’s Elite Eight, but they had three forwards who did all the dirty work (defense, rebounding). This year, only Young’s around for any of that as the Gators play a smaller, quicker lineup that can light teams up, but fails to guard anyone. It’s a lesser version of Missouri, but without the same crisp passing and a slightly less mobile big man. Probably best not to expect too much out of Florida.

Virginia Cavaliers
Conference: ACC
Coach: Tony Bennett
Record: 22-9, 9-7 (4th, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 42 AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? At-large. The Cavs were 4-6 in their last 10, but were never in danger of missing the tournament.
Names to know: Mike Scott (17.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg) Joe Harris (11.2 ppg 3.9 rpg), Sammy Zeglinski (8.8 ppg, 2.6 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The defense rules. Teams make just 29.4 percent of their 3-pointers, 43.7 percent of their 2s and grab only one of every four misses. All three marks are among the best in D-I.
Tendencies: Only six teams play slower than the Cavs. Combine that with the stingy, unforgiving defense, and there isn’t much room for error. Virginia bleeds you, makes you work and waits until you commit a turnover. Then it relies on Scott, its senior star who’s underrated nationally, to carry the offensive load. That’s the plan. Scoring on them is less fun than a root canal.
Big wins, bad losses: A win against Michigan was back in December, while Miami was a month later. Then again, a loss to TCU was in November. There hasn’t been anything out of the ordinary with the Cavs in the last two months.
Outlook: This team looks great on paper. The defense is tough, Scott is fabulous and Bennett’s won NCAA tournament games when he was at Washington State. But Virginia just hasn’t had a finishing kick lately. It missed chance to beat the likes of UNC and FSU and the style – while infuriating for foes – doesn’t give the Cavs much room for error either. Plus, freshman Malcolm Brogdon is out with a knee injury and Harris plays with a wrap on his non-shooting hand because of an injury. An NCAA tournament win might be asking a lot.

Missouri Tigers
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Frank Haith
Record: 30-4, 14-4 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 16 AP/Coaches: 5/5
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. The Tigers won the Big 12 tournament for its fourth consecutive NCAA appearance.
Names to know:Marcus Denmon (17.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg), Kim English (14.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Ricardo Ratliffe (13.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg), Phil Pressey (9.9 ppg, 6.2 apg, 2.2 spg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Missouri boasts the nation’s most efficient offense, scoring 1.24 points per possession. It shoots exceedingly well (56.7 percent inside the arc, tops in D-I and 39.4 from beyond the arc) and turns the ball over on just 15 percent of possessions, third-lowest in the field and all of D-I.
Tendencies: The Tigers don’t run and press as much as they did during the Mike Anderson era, which produced a 30-win season in Haith’s initial season. Missouri’s unselfish with the ball, exploits mis-matches at power forward with English and does a decent job on defense thanks to its on-ball pressure.
Big wins, bad losses: Missouri beat Kansas, Baylor (three times!) and Cal – by 39. Only Oklahoma State is a confounding loss.
Outlook: Some have been waiting for Missouri’s shots to stop falling. Well, at this point, it may not happen. Denmon is an All-America player, capable of scoring in bunches, no matter what opposing defenses do. Pressey and sixth-man Michael Dixon excel at getting into the lane and finding others for easy buckets and Ratliffe makes 70 percent of his shots. The offense is great, there’s no doubt. The defense isn’t awful, but the best thing that can be said is it doesn’t needlessly foul teams. That’s not a small thing, but it’s also not enough to offset a poor shooting night. Any team that can match Missouri’s personnel and control the boards has a chance to beat it.

Norfolk State Spartans
Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic
Coach: Anthony Evans
Record: 24-9, 13-3 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 131
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? Held off Bethune Cookman in the conference title game, with a little help from regular-season champ Savannah State losing earlier.
Full team roster
Team stats
Names to know: Kyle O’Quinn (15.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg), Chris McEachin (12.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Stats to know: Norfolk State’s 3-point defense is among the best in D-I, a surprise for a low-major school. It also gets to the free-throw line frequently (on 43.6 percent of field-goal attempts). It’s horrid at free throws, though, just 65.3 percent.
Tendencies: The Spartans play an extended man-to-man defense, which makes them a pesky team to cope with on offense. They don’t do it out of necessity, either. They have size (O’Quinn is 6-10 and no regular is shorter than 6-3), but because that’s what Evans wants. They’ll push the pace and when they don’t get the break working, they lean on O’Quinn. A lot.
Big wins, bad losses: A loss to D-II Elizabeth City State is bad, as are the handful of MEAC losses. But this team beat Drexel, and that’s impressive.
Outlook: Only four 15 seeds have ever won NCAA tournament games. Half came from the MEAC. The odds of Norfolk State becoming the third are pretty slim, but the Spartans have an underrated player in O’Quinn. He’s an efficient scorer, a shot-blocker and a focal point for any team hoping to pull off a stunner. We can dream, but it’s not a good bet.

UNC-Asheville Bulldogs
Coach: Eddie Biedenbach
Conference: Big South
Record: 24-9, 16-2 Big South (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 125
AP/USA Today: Unranked
Names you need to know: Matt Dickey (16.5 ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.4 spg), J.P. Primm (15.3 ppg, 4.1 apg, 1.8 spg), Chris Stephenson (13.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats you need to know: UNC-Asheville is fourth in the country in free-throw percentage and also fourth in free-throw rate, which is a good combination because it means they are getting to the line a lot and they make a lot.
Tendencies: The Bulldogs are a guard-heavy team that likes to get out and run the floor, but unlike most guard-heavy teams, Asheville is not a great jump-shooting team. Instead, they thrive on the ability of guys like Primm, Dickey and Jeremy Atkinson to drive to the basket.
Big wins, bad losses: The Bulldogs got smoked by both Western Carolina and Ohio, which is never a good sign. Statistically speaking, UNCA’s best win is over USC-Upstate, but they did beat Utah as well.
How’d they get here?: The Bulldogs rolled fairly easily through the Big South tournament, beating No. 7 VMI 80-64 to earn the auto-bid.
Outlook: Asheville has a talented perimeter attack, a veteran roster and NCAA Tournament experience after making the dance last year. Those are good qualities for a team to have. But Asheville looks headed for, at best, a No. 15 seed. Winning a game would be a massive upset. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Syracuse Orange
Conference: Big East
Coach: Jim Boeheim
Record: 31-2, 17-1 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 1 AP/Coaches: 2/2
How’d they get here? At-large. A surprising loss to Cincinnati in the Big East semifinals didn’t keep the Orange from a No. 1 seed, though.
Names to know: Kris Joseph (14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), Dion Waiters (12.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg), Scoop Jardine (8.4 ppg, 4.8 apg), Fab Melo (7.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3bpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: ‘Cuse boasts the 2nd-best block rate (20 percent), the 3rd-best steals rate (14.5) and commits turnovers at the third lowest-rate in D-I. Trust us, those are incredible.
Tendencies: The Orange’s 2-3 zone defense is always a bear for foes. This season’s squad represents more problems than normal for opponents, too. The Orange are long, athletic and have an intimidating shot-blocker in Melo. Also, the guards are aggressive on the ball and create a lot of steals. The offense isn’t quite as sharp, but it’s also great, mostly because of the Orange’s size and offensive rebounding ability.
Big wins, bad losses: It beat Florida and every good Big East team except Notre Dame. No bad losses.
Outlook: Some people don’t trust Syracuse. That’s silly. It’s one of the teams to beat, plain and simple. The last month has been a slate of close wins, some confounding plays and a team that despite giving 34.5 percent of its minutes to the bench, even looks a little tired. But one can chalk most of that up to playing conference foes, all of whom know the 2-3 zone better than most and how to attack it. The defense is fine and will cause problems for any team that doesn’t feature a bevy of 3-point shooters. The biggest issue may be on offense, where the Orange can be inconsistent. Perhaps that relates to their lack of a designated star, but Boeheim would dispute that. He’s got a group that’s big, talented and deep. This is his best team since Carmelo was wearing Orange. Probably better.

Kansas State Wildcats
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Frank Martin
Record: 21-10, 10-8 (5th)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 44
AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. A loss in the Big 12 quarterfinals didn’t stop K-State from earning its fourth trip to the Big Dance in the last five years.
Names to know: Rodney McGruber (15.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Jamar Samuels (10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Will Spradling (9.7 ppg, 2.8 apg) Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: K-State grabs 40 percent of its misses (7th best in D-I) and gets to the line more often than 300 other schools. The downside? It only shoots 66.3 percent from the line.
Tendencies: Call it the Frank Martin blueprint – crash the offensive boards and be physical on defense to force turnovers and limit open shots. The Wildcats block shots (mostly thanks to junior Jordan Henriquez) and create a turnover on nearly one in every four opponent possessions. They want you to play ugly.
Big wins, bad losses: K-State beat Missouri (twice), Texas, Baylor and Alabama, but lost to Oklahoma twice. Yeah, can’t figure that one out.
Outlook: All of Kansas State’s recent NCAA tournament appearances have resulted in at least one win. That might end this season. There’s nothing wrong with Martin’s team; it plays hard, defends and has unselfish players committed to their roles. But it plays a little fast for its own good and fouls way too much. Both result in easy baskets for foes. There’s an opportunity for a victory, it’s just unlikely.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Conference: Conference USA
Coach: Larry Eustachy
Record: 25-8, 11-5 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 15 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. It’s just the third appearance in school history and the first since ‘91.
Names to know: Neil Watson (12.2 ppg, 4.5 apg), LaShay Page (11.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg), Darnell Dodson (11.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Southern Miss takes care of the ball (16.3 percent TO rate, 16th best) and rebounds on both ends. It grabs 36 percent of its own misses and 71 percent of opponent’s misses. Both marks are in the top 50. Good thing, too. Teams shoot really well vs. Southern Miss.
Tendencies: The Eagles don’t play fast, they don’t turn the ball over much, they rebound and they hit their 3-pointers (35.6) when they do hoist one. It also uses a fairly deep bench compared to most tourney teams, taking the emphasis off just one player. If they didn’t miss so many 2s (just 43.3 percent from inside the arc), it’d be a much better team. Well, and if it ever disrupted a few shots.
Big wins, bad losses: Beating Memphis was the high point. Losing to UTEP, Houston and UAB were lows .
Outlook: Just getting here is a win for Southern Miss. It struggled the last few weeks as poor shooting and a soft defense have just gotten worse. But underestimating the Eagles would be a mistake. They’re the type of team that sneaks up on you and you’re not quite sure why. A win would be asking a lot though. Crazier things have happened in this tournament though.

Harvard Crimson
Conference: Ivy
Coach: Tommy Amaker
Record: 26-4, 12-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 36 AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? Ironically enough, the Crimson were studying for midterms when Penn lost to Princeton to give Harvard the Ivy League’s regular-season title.
Names to know: Kyle Casey (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Keith Wright (10.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Brandyn Curry (7.8 ppg, 5.0 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Harvard’s defensive effective field goal percentage is 26th, its defensive rebounding percentage is 15th and its defensive free-throw rate is 33rd in the country. The Crimson make you miss, they get the defensive boards and they don’t put you on the line. Sometimes this game is simple.
Tendencies: Harvard wants to control the pace. It wants to limit the number of possessions and try to capitalize on the fact that it’s a very good defensive team. Offensively, it plays through its big men (Wright and Casey) and allows Curry to make plays when the clock winds down.
Big wins, bad losses: The Crimson ran through the Battle 4 Atlantis, beating Utah, Florida State and Central Florida in the process. They also beat Boston College and St. Joe’s but lost to Fordham.
Outlook: Harvard can get stagnant offensively and its frontcourt can get overwhelmed by bigger and more athletic frontlines. Its outside shooting also is streaky. But Harvard defends well, controls pace and gets to the foul line. With the right matchup, it could make the Sweet 16.

Vanderbilt Commodores
Conference: Southeastern
Coach: Kevin Stallings
Record: 24-10 10-6 (2nd, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 25 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. Vandy knocked off Kentucky in the SEC tournament title game for its fifth bid in the last six years.
Names to know: John Jenkins (20.0 ppg, 45 percent from beyond the arc), Jeff Taylor (16.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Festus Ezeli (9.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Vandy can light it up. It makes 39.1 percent of its 3-pointers, which account for more than a third of its scoring, one of the highest percentages in D-I. That’s its calling card. Jenkins, Taylor and Brad Tinsley all shoot better than 40 percent from deep.
Tendencies: OK, so Vandy can shoot. What else? When motivated, it also can be good on defense. Ezeli is the backbone of that defense, but glue guys such as Lance Goulbourne and Tinsley do their share on help defense and screen switches. When things aren’t clicking, the team can be predictable on offense, which means everyone stands around and watches Jenkins try to create.
Big wins, bad losses: Vandy lost to Cleveland State, Indiana State and Arkansas, but did beat Kentucky, Marquette and Florida
Outlook: It’s tough to know what expect out of the Commodores. They clicked in the SEC tournament, but this is the same group that’s lost first-round NCAA tournament games each of the last two years. It has NBA talent in Jenkins, Taylor and Ezeli, but no team offers up more perplexing performances more often. Part of the struggles this season were adjusting to Ezeli’s early season injury, but he seems to have recovered. If he’s effective down low, it opens up shots for everyone else and makes Vandy a Sweet 16 team.

Montana Grizzlies
Conference: Big Sky
Coach: Wayne Tinkle
Record: 26-7, 11-3 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 77
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? Auto bid. After earning the No. 1 seed in the Big Sky Tournament by beating Weber State on the last day of the regular season, the Grizzlies beat the Wildcats in the tournament finals on their home court.
Names to know: Will Cherry (16.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.4 apg), Kareem Jamar (13.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg), Matthias Ward (11.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Watching Montana play, one would think offense the team’s strength. No so. The Grizzlies rank 44th nationally in defensive efficiency and 26th nationally in defensive effective field-goal percentage.
Tendencies: Montana’s strength is its backcourt, where Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar have proven to be versatile playmakers. There is some size up front and Tinkle does like to get the ball inside, but the Grizzlies thrive on the backcourt’s ability to make plays and hit shots. They are also a good 3-point shooting team.
Big wins, bad losses: Montana beat Weber State twice and also notched a win over Long Beach State earlier in the season. Its only questionable loss was to North Dakota.
Outlook: Cherry and Jamar are going to be the best mid-major back court in the country next season. With Matthias Ward and Derek Selvig up front, the Grizzlies have a very good, very bearded front line. They defend and they can hit threes. The only problem? They’re up against a very good team. Are they good enough to pull off that kind of an upset? It’ll be close, but that’s about it

Wisconsin Badgers
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Bo Ryan
Record: 24-9, 12-6 (4th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 25 AP/Coaches: 14/12
How’d they get here? At-large. Badgers made the field for the 14th consecutive season, tied for the third- longest active streak.
Names to know: Jordan Taylor (14.5 ppg, 4.1 apg), Ryan Evans (10.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg), Jared Berggren (10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Josh Gasser (7.9 ppg, 45 percent from beyond the arc).
Team stats
Stats to know: Wisconsin’s famed slow pace – 58.9 possessions per game, third-slowest D-I team – isn’t the reason for its success. It’s just the most notable part. The Badgers also have the second-lowest turnover rate, hold teams to a miserable 41.4 effective field-goal percentage (second-lowest) and are great at defensive rebounding, corralling 72 percent of teams’ missed shots.
Tendencies: Wisconsin plays slow, but it also plays with offensive precision and an intensity on defense. The Badgers don’t allow any easy shots, but are willing to let teams do just about everything else. They won’t go for steals and don’t block a lot of shots. Taylor runs everything on offense, which usually involves taking a 3-pointer. Wisconsin takes a lot of those and makes its fair share, too.
Big wins, bad losses: Ryan’s team lost to Iowa twice, the Big Ten’s most up-tempo team. It also beat Indiana twice (another high-tempo team), along with Ohio State, Purdue and UNLV.
Outlook: After a couple season of not making the second week, Wisconsin got there last season. Two straight years of that aren’t out of the question, but it would involve Taylor getting hot or setting up someone like Gasser, Ben Brust or even Mike Bruesewitz for some outside shots. The defense will do its part and frustrate teams that aren’t used to the grind-it-out style. But unless the Badgers’ offense avoids its mid-season slump, they’ll be home before spring starts,

Cincinnati Bearcats
Conference: Big East
Coach: Mick Cronin
Record: 24-10, 12-6 (4th, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 40 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The Bearcats just missed out on their first Big East title with a loss to Louisville.
Names to know: Sean Kilpatrick (14.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Dion Dixon (13.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg) Yancy Gates (12.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Bearcats turn the ball over on just 16.3 percent of possessions, 9th best in D-I. They also crash the glass, snagging 36 percent of their missed shots.
Tendencies: Cincinnati still sues a 4-guard lineup, but not as extensively as it did after Gates was suspended six games. It can’t afford to against much taller teams. Still, it’s an effective tool for Cronin, who can tweak the lineup as needed, depending on what defenses are showing. It’s made things tougher on defense, though the Bearcats still play a physical, man-to-man defense when needed, even when the small lineup is used.
Big wins, bad losses: Cincinnati lost to Presbyterian. Somehow. But it also beat Georgetown (twice),Louisville, Marquette and Syracuse.
Outlook: It’s an experienced, balanced team with two guys, Kilpatrick and Gates, who can assume larger scoring burdens when needed, or players such as Dixon or senior Cashmere Wright step in. When shots fall for Cincinnati, good things happen. Things open up inside for Gates and Kilpatrick doesn’t have to extend out of his comfort zone on the perimeter. This should be a Sweet 16 team.

Texas Longhorns
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Rick Barnes
Record: 20-13, 9-9 (6th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 43 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The Longhorns haven’t missed the Big Dance since 1998, tied for the second-longest active streak.
Names to know: J’Covan Brown (20.1 ppg, 3.3 apg), Sheldon McClellan (11.3 ppg 3.3 rpg), Myck Kabongo (9.8 ppg, 5.3 apg).
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Can we focus on rebounding? Texas is great on the offensive glass (grabs 38.4 percent of its misses, 16th best in D-I) yet foes corral 34 percent of their misses, making Texas 250th in defensive rebounding.
Tendencies: The ‘Horns are dependent on Brown for most of their offense. He takes nearly a third of their shots and has been pretty effective at it, too. He and Kabongo form a pair that’s tough to guard off the dribble, but they’re a team that has its own issues stopping perimeter players. There’s not a lot wrong with that Texas does, it’s just not great any anything, either.
Big wins, bad losses: Texas beat Iowa State, Kansas State and Temple. Losses to Oregon State and Oklahoma State are the only real blemishes.
Outlook: It’s a young team, and often plays like it. Texas starts three freshmen and brings three more off the bench. Senior Clint Chapman and Brown are the lone upperclassmen, which often shows. Maybe that’s why the ‘Horns seemed so close to pulled off so many good wins this season, but often fell short. Getting in will be an important learning experience, but Texas won’t be around long enough to learn too much.

Florida State Seminoles
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Coach: Leonard Hamilton
Record: 24-9, 12-4 (3rd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 17 AP/Coaches: 17/17
How’d they get here? Automatic bid. FSU held off UNC in the ACC tournament final for its fourth straight berth.
Names to know: Michael Snaer (14.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Ian Miller (11.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Bernard James (10.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Deividas Dulkys (7.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg.
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Florida State’s defense remains fearsome, but it’s not as dominant as in previous seasons, allowing .88 points per possession, 11th in D-I. Part of that is allowing teams too many offensive rebounds (the ‘Noles grab 68 percent of foes’ misses, right about average). If the offense would stop turning the ball over (nearly one in every four possessions), it’d be a top 50 offense.
Tendencies: FSU is a physical, aggressive team, but it doesn’t grind it out. It just makes opponents work for every shot possible. They use their size and athleticism to frustrate teams and do a great job pushing the ball whenever possible. It’s not afraid to use a 3-guard lineup of Snaer, Miller and a combination of Dulkys and Luke Loucks, either.
Big wins, bad losses: Florida State lost to Boston College and Princeton, but has beaten UNC twice, Duke and Virginia twice.
Outlook: Another Sweet 16 appearance seems likely. It’s not a powerhouse offensive team and is prone to scoring droughts, but they’ve overcome that issue in the last few weeks. The defense has an intimidating anchor in James and an on-ball defender in Snaer who can handle just about any offensive player out there. FSU has the athletes to play up-tempo, but would probably benefit from a slower-paced game. Not that it would help opponents much. The best one can hope for is for the ‘Noles to miss shots.

St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Conference: Atlantic 10
Coach: Mark Schmidt
Record: 20-11, 10-6 (3rd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 78
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? The Bonnies were the four seed in the A-10 Tournament, but got lucky after beating St. Joe’s in the first round as Temple was upset by UMass. They beat Xavier in the title game.
Names to know: Andrew Nicholson (18.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.8 bpg), Demetrius Conger (12.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Bonnies rank 27th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. They rank 47th in two point field goal percentage and 174th in three-point field goal percentage. That should tell you what you need to know about this team — their front-line is their strength.
Tendencies: Andrew Nicholson. He wasn’t a secret to those that have been paying attention, but he made a national name for himself with his performance in the A-10 Tournament. He averaged 23.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 5.3 bpg while carrying the Bonnies to wins over St. Joe’s, UMass and Xavier.
Big wins, bad losses: The Bonnies didn’t have any notable non-conference wins, but they did lose to Cleveland State, Virginia Tech and Arkansas State in their first five games.
Outlook: This is a group that is peaking at the right time. We all know about Andrew Nicholson — who may have played his way into the first round of the NBA Draft in July — by now, but he’s not alone. Demetrius Conger had 22 points, 10 boards and eight assists in the win against UMass. Charlon Kloof averaged 12.7 ppg in the tournament. Nicholson is the key, but he’s not the only piece. They’ll be a tough matchup if they play a team in the first round that doesn’t have much size. Murray State better hope they don’t draw the Bonnies.

Gonzaga Bulldogs
Coach: Mark Few
Conference: West Coast
Record: 25-6
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 23
AP/USA Today: 24/25
Names to know: Kevin Pangos (13.8 ppg, 3. Apg, 30.5 3-point %) Elias Harris (13.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg), Robert Sacre (11.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Gonzaga shoots a lot of free throws (only 7 seven teams get to the line at a higher rate) and rarely puts teams at the free-throw line (11 teams do it a lower rate). That’ll go a long way during tournament pressure.
Tendencies: The Zags have plenty of guys who can hit the 3, but they don’t focus on it, mostly because they usually have a size advantage inside with Harris and Sacre. Both players are reliable scoring threats inside, though don’t overlook the mid-range game of sophomore Sam Dower. All three give Few’s team consistency. Not to mention Pangos’s dead-eye shooting.
Big wins, bad losses: Gonzaga beat Notre Dame and St. Mary’s, not to mention Xavier and Arizona. All but one of those was at home, though. They did lose at San Francisco, a true puzzler.
How’d they get here? After losing in the WCC title game to St. Mary’s – the Gaels swept the WCC titles – the Bulldogs snagged an at-large bid for their 14 consecutive berth in the Big Dance.
Outlook: Say what you will about the Zags – soft, underperforming, overrated – but there’s no denying they can play. Harris and Sacre have been around for ages, with games to match their experience. Pangos and Dower are rising stars who are set to be Gonzaga’s stars for future teams (freshman Gary Bell belongs in that group, too). Perhaps that’s a mix that won’t reach the Sweet 16, but it’ll certainly test any team in its way.

West Virginia Mountaineers
Conference: Big East
Coach: Bob Huggins
Record: 19-13, 9-9 (8th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 45
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? An at-large berth by the committee after losing to UConn in the Big East second round.
Names to know: Kevin Jones (20.0 ppg, 11.2 rpg), Darryl Bryant (17.1 ppg, 2.8 apg), Deniz Kilicli (10.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Here’s an old-school one for you: The Mountaineers lost eight of their last 12 games, but still made the Big Dance. Perhaps their overwhelming offensive rebounding skills – only 7 teams grab more boards – impressed them.
Tendencies: West Virginia tries to run an offense that prizes high-percentage shots, but it usually devolves into Bryant creating a shot or leaning on Jones to carry the load. The upside? It’s so good on the offensive glass that the misses are often grabbed by a Mountaineer for an easy bucket. The defense is the standard format under Huggins: physical, man-to-man.
Big wins, bad losses: West Virginia beat K-State, Cincinnati and Georgetown, but lost to Kent State, St. John’s and Pitt. Been an uneven year.
Outlook: If Jones and Bryant aren’t hitting, West Virginia’s in trouble. That much is clear. But it should be noted both excel at carrying that load. Also, the Mountaineers are probably underrated in terms of how they’re perceived. This team can play with most anyone. Can they actually pull off a win or two? Probably not. Anyone with decent size can negate Kilicli inside and take their chances with Jones.

Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds
Coach: Jimmy Patsos
Conference: MAAC
Record: 24-8, 13-5 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 80
AP/Coaches: Unranked
Names to know: Erik Etherly (13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Dylon Cormier (13.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg), Robert Olson (11.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: All you really need to know about what the Greyhounds do can be found in their offensive rebounding percentage — 38.8 percent, 14th in the country — and their steal percentage — 11.9 percent, 26th in the nation. This is an athletic group that plays hard and takes advantage of the length they have along their front line.
Tendencies: Loyola likes to press, which is a bit odd considering that they are in the bottom third of the country in terms of pace. That’s not something you generally see from slower teams.
Big wins, bad losses: Nothing Loyola has done this season will really blow you away. It beat Bucknell and Iona and lost to a couple of teams at the bottom of its league. The Greyhounds’ best performance probably came in the first half of their game at Kentucky, when they made the Wildcats work.
How’d they get here?: Loyola was the two seed in the MAAC Tournament, beating four seed Fairfield in the title game. Outlook: The Greyhounds have a team that is fun to watch because of their athleticism. They have a coach who is tremendously entertaining on the sideline and a riot during a press conference. This is a group that you are going to like once you read all of the stories about them leading up to the tournament. And they are going to be heading home after their first game. Enjoy it while it lasts, Loyola.

Ohio State Buckeyes
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Thad Matta
Record: 27-7, 13-5 (1st, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 7 AP/Coaches: 7/7
How’d they get here? At-large. Buckeyes are dancing for the fourth straight year.
Names to know: Jared Sullinger (17.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg), Deshaun Thomas (15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg), Wiliam Burford (14.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Aaron Craft (8.6 ppg, 4.6 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The most efficient defense in the country (.83 points per possession) resides in Columbus. The Buckeyes are an elite defensive rebounding team (grab 75 percent of defensive rebounds) and lights out scoring inside the arc (54.1 percent).
Tendencies: The Buckeyes play fast and slow, depending on how it matches up with the opponent. But it rarely strays from its strengths, which is getting the ball inside to Sullinger and allowing Buford and Thomas to create on their own. The defense is underrated, probably because it doesn’t have an intimidating shot blocker in the middle, but it’s good at preventing points, which is the point, right?
Big wins, bad losses: A home loss to Illinois is the only real blemish. The Buckeyes have beaten Florida, Duke, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Outlook: Another tournament, another year in which Ohio State is one of the favorites. It’s not as dominant as last season (the lack of a consistent 3-point shooter hurts), but it still features a bevy of NBA-caliber players and one of the nation’s best players in Sullinger. He’s struggled some of late, as teams collapse on him and force his hand. But Buford’s game has remained steady and Thomas can score as needed. The biggest aspect preventing the Buckeyes from reaching the Final Four centers on Sullinger. If his game’s off, they won’t make it.

North Carolina Tar Heels
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Coach: Roy Williams
Record: 29-5, 14-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 3 AP/Coaches: 3/3
How’d they get here? At-large. The Heels couldn’t sweep the ACC titles after a loss to FSU in the tournament finals.
Names to know: Harrison Barnes (17.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Tyler Zeller (16.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg), John Henson (13.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.9 bpg), Kendall Marshall (7.5 ppg, 9.7 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: UNC runs (72 possessions a game, 8th fastest team in D-I) and commits turnovers at an astoundingly low rate (16.4 of all possessions, 11th lowest) for a fast team. It also grabs a hefty share of offensive rebounds (40 percent of its misses).
Tendencies: The Tar Heels run. It’s how they like it. They run off team’s missed shots, off made shots, but they’re great when they have to play in the half-court, too. Marshall excels at finding shots for Zeller and Henson, while Barnes doesn’t really need any help creating his own shot. It’s not a juggernaut offense like Williams’ two title teams, but it’s close. And the defense is as good as any he’s had in Chapel Hill thanks to the Heels’ size.
Big wins, bad losses: No bad losses, while they’ve beaten Michigan State, Wisconsin, Texas, Duke and FSU.
Outlook: Ever since guard Dexter Strickland went down with an ACL injury, they’ve played just as fast but have been even better on offense thanks to more playing time for wing Reggie Bullock. Bullock bolsters the Heels’ one real deficiency, which is 3-point shooting. They don’t take a lot of them (with Zeller, Henson and Barnes, there’s no need), but it’ll be necessary to keep teams from sagging on Zeller down low. The concerns? Henson’s dealing with a bruised wrist and Marshall’s defense is abysmal. Teams with quick guards can get past him and create some messes if Zeller and Henson aren’t quick enough to react. Still, few teams can match UNC’s talent and experience. If it doesn’t reach the Final Four, it’s a bust.

Vermont Catamounts
Conference: America East
Coach: John Becker
Record: 22-1, 13-3 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 153
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How'd they get here? Vermont's loss to Binghamton cost it a share of the regular season title and relegated it to the No. 2 seed in the league tournament, but it ended up winning at Stony Brook in the title game.
Names to know: Matt Glass (12.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Four McGlynn (11.9 ppg), Brian Voelkell (4.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.7 spg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Vermont's strength is on the defensive end of the floor. The Catamounts don't force a ton of turnover and they don't block many shots, but what they do well is they stay disciplined on that end of the floor, forcing their opponent to take challenged shots and then going and getting the defensive rebound.
Tendencies: Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this Vermont team is that they bring their most dangerous scorer off the bench. Four McGlynn (great name, right?) is the Catamounts’ second-leading scorer and a streak-shooter whose sole purpose is to come in and knock down some jump shots. He's not a great ball-handler and he is a defensive liability, but you better get a hand up against him.
Big wins, bad losses: Vermont's most impressive win is against Old Dominion. Its worst loss? It were the only team to fall to Binghamton in the regular season.
Outlook: Vermont is a nice story and a team with a handful of capable shooters, but this isn't the same team that included Taylor Coppenrath, TJ Sorrentine and Tom Brennan. They aren't going to be knocking off an elite team this season.

Alabama Crimson Tide
Conference: Southeastern
Coach: Anthony Grant
Record: 21-11, 9-7 (5th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 32 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. The Tide won fewer SEC games than last year, but got an invite thanks to a stronger non-conference profile.
Names to know: JaMychal Green (13.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg), Trevor Releford (11.9 ppg 2.7 apg), Trevor Lacey (7.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Tide scores a whopping 60 percent of its points on 2-pointers. That’s 16th highest in D-I. Opponents also have an eFG% of 43.3, 7th lowest mark in D-I.
Tendencies: Alabama crunches you on defense. No easy shots (teams are wretched from beyond the arc and inside the arc) and many that go up get blocked anyway. The Tide also causes a fair amount of turnovers, most off steals. Offense is a different story. It usually involves throwing it to Green on the block. That’s it.
Big wins, bad losses: Wichita State, Purdue and VCU all stand as good wins. Losses to LSU and South Carolina are the exact opposite.
Outlook: What to make of ‘Bama? It doesn’t have high-flying forward Tony Mitchell (its second-leading scorer) because of an indefinite suspension, and hasn’t beaten a quality team without him. That’s an issue given the offense already has enough problems scoring. The defense will keep the Tide in most games, but it can only do so much. One NCAA tourney win would be a dream.

Creighton Bluejays
Coach: Greg McDermott
Conference: Missouri Valley
Record: 28-5, 14-4 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 26
AP/USA Today: 25; 24
Names to know: Doug McDermott (22.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 49 percent from 3); Antoine Young (12.4 ppg, 4.5 apg), Gregory Echenique (9.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: No team shoots better than Creighton. The Jays make 42.6 percent of their 3s and 55.5 percent of their 2s, both of which are among D-I’s top five. McDermott is the big gun, but five other players hit at least 40 percent of their 3s, while three make at least 60 percent of their 2s.
Tendencies: Creighton focuses on offense, and with good reason. Few teams can boast such a lineup of shooters and efficient scorers (who also manage to do a decent job keeping teams off the offensive glass; thank Echenique and McDermott for that). But the Jays also don’t play much defense. They rarely force turnovers and are soft on the perimeter. You want to beat them, you have to outgun them and limit McDermott’s attempts.
Big wins, bad losses: A win at San Diego State in November still stands as one of the best non-conference victories by any team. But the Jays also beat Northwestern and Long Beach State, not to mention a win at Wichita State during conference play. Losses to Evansville and Missouri State can be overlooked. They were MVC foes.
How'd they get here? Creighton finished second in the Missouri Valley, but held off Illinois State in the conference tournament final for the automatic bid.
Outlook: Creighton’s first NCAA tournament since 2009 has the potential for a Sweet 16 spot – and maybe beyond if the shots are falling. McDermott is one of the nation’s 10 best players and capable of carrying the Jays when needed. (RE: 33 points in the MVC final.) He doesn’t force the issue, which means he doesn’t shoot the Jays out of games, either. He’s flanked by a solid interior player in 7-footer Echenique, a glue guy in junior guard Grant Gibbs and a savvy senior point guard in Young. If the defense makes ANY stops, they’ll be playing during the second week.

South Florida Bulls
Conference: Big East
Coach: Stan Heath
Record: 20-13, 12-6 (4th, tied)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 40
AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. Bulls lost in Big East tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know: Gus Gilchrist (9.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Jawanza Poland (8.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Victor Rudd Jr. (8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: No one on the Bulls averages in double figures. Also, they commit more turnovers than 311 other D-I teams and make just 30.5 percent of their 3s.
Tendencies: The stats don’t lie – this team can’t score. Well, it can. Just not very well. But when you play defense like the Bulls, that’s OK. South Florida slows the game way down, doesn’t allow any good looks at the basket and doesn’t hack very often. It’s been a brilliant way for Heath’s team to win 12 conference games despite having a MEAC-quality offense.
Big wins, bad losses: The Bulls beat Cincinnati, Louisville and Seton Hall. It lost to Auburn and Penn State.
Outlook: Kidding aside, playing South Florida is no fun. The Bulls make everything difficult for opposing offenses. They don’t create a lot of turnovers, but do everything else to stop people from scoring. (The slow pace also helps.) If the Bulls were only better at shooting 3s (30.5 percent) they’d be able to pull off a win or two by slogging it out. They still could, but only if the other team refuses to push the pace.

Temple Owls
Conference: Atlantic 10
Coach: Fran Dunphy
Record: 24-7, 13-3 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 13 AP/Coaches: 21/24
How’d they get here? At-large. The A-10 tournament’s top seed lost its quarterfinal game against UMass.
Names to know: Ramone Moore (17.8 ppg, 3.5 apg), Khalif Wyatt (17.1 ppg, 3.3 apg), Juan Fernandez (11.4 ppg, 43 percent on 3-pointers)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Center Michael Eric has played in 18 games; Temple lost 3 of those. Also, it makes 40.2 percent of its 3-pointers (ninth in D-I). It fouls a lot, though, sending foes to the free-throw line on one of every three field-goal attempts.
Tendencies: Temple’s refined its game from an over-reliance on 3-pointers (it’s about avertage in its 3s taken per game) to being a balanced offensive team that simply makes a lot of shots, including 3s. Moore and Wyatt are the catalysts, though Fernandez and Eric all hoist a fair number of shots. The defense is mostly man, and a little soft without Eric inside.
Big wins, bad losses: Wins against Wichita State, Duke and St. Louis (the last two came without Eric) are a testament to how good the Owls can be. Though they did lose to Bowling Green and Richmond.
Outlook: This is Temple’s third consecutive NCAA tourney. It also might be the first of those with a Sweet 16 appearance. Moore and Wyatt are excellent and will be a handful for any team to guard. Teams can’t focus on stopping them, though, or others will simply knock down shots. The Owls have the personnel and the shooting to win two and get to the second week, but a quick team that passes well will give it some trouble. Also, they’re probably due. It’s superb 2009-10 team ran into a hot-shooting Cornell group and last year’s squad was an OT away from the Sweet 16.

Michigan Wolverines
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: John Beilein
Record: 24-9, 13-5 (1st, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 12 AP/Coaches: 10/13
How’d they get here? At-large. Michigan is in for the third time in the last four years.
Names to know: Trey Burke (15.1 ppg, 4.6 apg), Tim Hardaway Jr. (14.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg), Zack Novak (9.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Wolverines take more 3-pointers than any team in the field except Florida; 44 percent of their field-goal attempts are from beyond the arc. (They connect on 36 percent of those, a little better than average.) They also take care of the ball (17.3 turnover percentage is 23rd in D-I).
Tendencies: Michigan plays slow and takes a lot of 3-pointers. That sums it up. Burke and Hardaway do the heavy lifting, though Novak, Stu Douglass and Evan Smotrycz are always on the perimeter just waiting to take a 3-pointer. It worked well enough to earn a share of the Big Ten, didn’t it? The defense is mostly man, though the Wolverines are a bit undersized, which is why it’s nothing special.
Big wins, bad losses: The Wolverines beat Memphis, Iowa State, Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin and had two bad losses – Iowa and Arkansas.
Outlook: This is a team that’s perfect for a tournament run. It doesn’t hurry, shoots a lot of 3-pointers – and shoots them well – and plays decent defense. It’s not a dominating team by any stretch, but has enough talent and is disciplined enough to make it work. The biggest concerns are if Burke, who’s struggled a little bit lately, is ready for the NCAA tourney rigors and if the Wolverines’ rebounding becomes too much of a hindrance.

Ohio Bobcats
Conference: MAC
Coach: John Groce
Record: 27-7, 11-5 (3rd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 50
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? The Bobcats were the three-seed in the MAC Tournament, but they rolled through both of the top two seeds in Buffalo and Akron en route to the automatic bid.
Names to know: DJ Cooper (14.6 ppg, 5.7 apg, 2.4 spg), Walter Offutt (11.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Reggie Kelly (9.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Ohio’s strength is on the defensive end of the floor where it is second in the nation in turnover percentage and fourth in steal percentage. That aggressiveness gets them a lot of easy baskets in transition, but it is also a reason they commit a lot of fouls and give up a lot of offensive rebounds.
Tendencies: DJ Cooper is the guy you want to stop on this team. He’s small and he’s lefty and he’s a pest defensively and he’s already made a name for himself in the NCAA Tournament, going for 23 points and eight assists as a freshman in a win over Georgetown. The ball is going to be in his hands to make a play.
Big wins, bad losses: Ohio picked up wins against Lamar, Marshall and Northern Iowa and went 11-5 playing in the tough eastern division of MAC.
Outlook: Ohio is going to be a tough out for whoever it plays because of the way that it defends. If the Bobcats are forcing turnovers and Cooper is playing well, they can be tough. But if they go up against a team that has good guards and will be more athletic than them, that’s when they will run into trouble.

N.C State Wolfpack
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Coach: Mark Gottfried
Record: 22-12, 9-7 (4th, tied)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 54 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. Gottfried’s first season produced what Sidney Lowe couldn’t do in four years: get to the Big Dance.
Names to know: C.> Leslie (14.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg), Scott Wood (12.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg), Lorenzo Brown (12.6 ppg, 6.4 apg), Richard Howell (10.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Wolfpack crashes the offensive glass and shares the rock. They grab 36.2 percent of their misses (top 40 mark) and log an assist on 60 percent of its baskets, 25th best in D-I. It also doesn’t force many turnovers. Most teams cause about one in every five possessions to end badly, NC State’s at one in every six.
Tendencies: Gottfried’s in full-rebuilding mode, so he’s had to convince this team to play fast, aggressive and .
Big wins, bad losses: NC State beat Texas and Virginia. Losses to Clemson and Georgia Tech hurt.
Outlook:N.C> State snuck into the tournament, but it’s one of those teams that’s hitting its stride and could provide a surprise beyond what most expect. It’s not that the Wolfpack lacks talent; it has plenty. It lacks overwhelming talent, particularly in contract to its Triangle counterparts. Leslie’s a future NBA player and C.J. Williams is a reliable presence. The offense has been the strength most of the season, but it’s the defense that’s provided this late push. Beware the Pack.

San Diego State Aztecs
Conference: Mountain West
Coach: Steve Fisher
Record: 26-6, 10-4 (2nd)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 27 AP/Coaches: 18/21
How’d they get here? At-large. The Aztecs are making a habit of this with three consecutive berths. .
Names to know: Jamaal Franklin (17.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg), Chase Tapley (15.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Xavier Thames (10.5 ppg, 4.2 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: The Aztecs keep teams off the defensive glass, grabbing 73 percent of foes’ misses (22nd best in D-I) and don’t send teams to the line often (just 29 percent of field-goal attempts.) They’re slightly better than average at taking care of the ball and slightly worse than average at causing turnovers.
Tendencies: SDSU plays faster than it did during last season’s banner year, but has been nearly as effective. It’s still committed to getting the ball inside and not taking a lot of 3-pointers. If it had more height, it’d probably be more deliberate on offense and rebound better. The defense switches from man to zone, both of which produce the desired result – tough shots for opponents, and usually only one per possession.
Big wins, bad losses: How SDSU lost to Air Force is a mystery. Beating Long Beach State, Cal and MWC foes New Mexico and UNLV are bright spots.
Outlook: Whereas last season’s group relied on three big men and a steady guard for scoring, this year’s group turns to Franklin, the MWC player of the year, and Tapley for most everything. That pair takes almost 57 percent of SDSU’s field-goal attempts. Everyone else plays a role, whether it’s rebounding (Garrett Green and Deshawn Stephens) or distributing (Thames). The Aztecs don’t have a reliable enough offense or a sturdy enough defense to get back to the Sweet 16, but one win is likely.

Belmont Bruins
Coach: Rick Byrd
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Record: 27-7, 16-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 65
AP/USA Today: Unranked
Names you need to know: Kerron Johnson (14.2 ppg, 5.2 apg, 1.5 spg), Ian Clark (12.6 ppg), Drew Haneln (11.0 ppg, 3.9 apg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats you need to know: Belmont features one of the nation’s most efficient offenses. Why? Because it can shoot. Belmont is fifth in the country in effective field goal percentage while shooting 38.1 percent from three, 33rd best nationally.
Tendencies: The biggest difference between this year’s Belmont team and last year’s is that the Bruins aren’t forcing turnovers at the same rate. Last season, they were second in the country in defensive turnover rate. This year they are in the middle of the pack. But that hasn’t changed how they play. The Bruins still press and they still like to get up and down the floor. They are a fun team to watch because they have a talented back court and get up plenty of threes.
Big wins, bad losses: Their two best wins came over Marshall and Middle Tennessee State. Their worst loss of the season was to Lipscomb, but that is a rivalry that is as heated as any in the country.
How’d they get here?: The Bruins were the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament and cruised to a 14 point win over Florida-Gulf Coast in the title game after trailing by as much as 11 in the first half.
Outlook: Last season, the Bruins were the trendy pick to land an upset in the first round of the Big Dance. That probably won’t be the case this season as Rick Byrd’s club struggled (relatively speaking) earlier in the year. Belmont is probably playing their best basketball of the season right now, having won 14 straight games and winning its conference regular season title by three games. I’ll give this group a puncher’s chance to land a first-round upset. The Bruins have high-major size in the middle in Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth and with the way they can shoot the ball from the perimeter, if they get the right matchup on the right night, watch out. Remember, this is the same team that lost to Duke by one point in Durham.

Georgetown Hoyas
Conference: Big East
Coach: John Thompson III
Record: 23-7, 12-6 (4th, tied)
Rankings and Ratings
RPI: 10
AP/Coaches: 13/14
How’d they get here? At-large. Hoyas lost in Big East tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know: Jason Clark (14.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Hollis Thompson (12.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Henry Sims (11.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.5 apg), Otto Porter (9.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Teams only make 27.3 percent of their 3s vs. Georgetown, tops in D-I. Some will say that correlation isn’t strong, but some credit is due to the Hoyas. Also, they’re tall. Their average height makes ‘em the fifth-tallest D-I team.
Tendencies: Georgetown doesn’t play fast, but it plays efficiently on offense and defense. Nothing’s wasted. They work for good shots, take the occasional 3 and do a decent job holding onto the ball. But they’re best on defense, anchored by Sims in the middle and pesky, long-armed guards on the perimeter.
Big wins, bad losses: Pitt’s the only bad loss. The Hoyas have beaten Memphis, (twice), Louisville and Marquette.
Outlook: When JTIII’s teams are hitting their stride (like the ’07 Final Four team), they’re among the best out there. Everything on offense runs through Sims – is he the nation’s tallest point guard? – which works well when he’s spotting cutters or abusing defenders off the dribble. Clark and Thompson can score when needed and Porter’s a future star. This mix of talent, savvy and experience could make the Final Four.

Purdue Boilermakers
Conference: Big Ten
Coach: Matt Painter
Record: 21-12, 10-8 (6th)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 41 AP/Coaches: NR
How’d they get here? At-large. Purdue lost in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know: Robbie Hummel (16.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Lewis Jackson (10.3 ppg, 4.2 apg), Ryen Smith (9.6 ppg, 43 percent shooting from 3-point range).
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: No team boasts a lower turnover rate. (Take a bow, Mr. Hummel.). That, combined with their accuracy from beyond the arc (37.7 percent) should be enough o worry most coaches.
Tendencies: The Boilermakers managed to pull off something difficult – it shoots a lot of 3s (37 percent of its field-goal attempts are 3s) and it makes a lot. This isn’t a secret, but they pull it off. Combine that with the impressive ball-handling, and it’s not an easy team to play. The defense isn’t as sturdy as it used to be, but it still relies on a man-to-man that challenges shots and grabs boards. It just needs to do it better.
Big wins, bad losses: No great wins (Temple. Miami (Fla.), contrasted to two bad losses (Butler and Penn State).
Outlook: Purdue’s been a tough tournament out the last three years. This shouldn’t be any different, even without junior Kelsey Barlow, one of their best perimeter defenders. (He was dismissed from the team in February.) There isn’t anyone capable of taking over a game – Hummel does his best, but he’s limited physically after two major knee surgeries – which forces Purdue to move the ball and look for 3s. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

St. Mary’s Gaels
Coach: Randy Bennett
Conference: WCC
Record: 27-5, 14-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 30
AP/Coaches: Unranked/18
Names to know: Matthew Dellavedova (15.6 ppg, 6.4 apg), Rob Jones (14.8 ppg, 10.7 rpg), Stephen (10.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: St. Mary’s features solid shooters and takes a ton of 3-ponters, but it’s not a great 3-point shooting team. The Gaels are good, they have one great shooter in Clint Steindl and another timely shooter in Matthew Dellavedova, but they don’t win because of their long range bombing. They win because they are very efficient shooting the ball inside the arc — no long twos for the Gaels — and they are solid when it comes to protecting the ball and getting to the offensive glass.
Tendencies: The Gaels are a typical Bennett team. They aren’t looking to beat you down the floor, they are looking to win with offensive execution. When their sets break down, they rely on Dellavedova, and to a lesser extent Stephen Holt and Jorden Page, to make a play in a pick-and-roll setting.
Big wins, bad losses: The only bad loss that St. Mary’s had was against a Loyola Marymount team that was much better by the end of the season. They beat Weber State and BYU in addition to their two wins over Gonzaga.
How’d they get here?: The Gaels won the WCC outright, the first time someone other Gonzaga did that since 2000, and they rolled through the WCC Tournament as the No. 1 seed.
Outlook: St. Mary’s is a very good team that will have the chance to spring an upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, the Gaels are going to have to get lucky with their matchup — it doesn’t have the perimeter defenders to handle someone like Missouri -- but it matches up well with Ohio State or Michigan State.

Detroit Titans
Conference: Horizon
Coach: Ray McCallum, Sr.
Record: 26-4, 12-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 138
AP/Coaches: Unranked
How’d they get here? The Titans struggled earlier in the season, but they earned the No. 3 seed in the Horizon League tournament, running through Youngstown State and Cleveland State before beating Valpo by 20.
Names to know: Ray McCallum (15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.9 apg), Eli Holamn (10.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg), Chase Simon (13.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Detroit shoots 29.5 percent from beyond the arc as a team and is in the bottom fifth of D-I in terms of how many 3-pointers it shoots. In other words, this team isn’t taking jumpers. It attacks the rim, whether it’s off the bounce or by pounding the ball inside.
Tendencies: Detroit likes playing an up-tempo. The Titans have the athletes to really get out and pressure the ball, and they are capable of doing that full court. When the Titans get rolling, they are forcing turnovers and getting easy baskets off of it.
Big wins, bad losses: Detroit’s best win of the season came over a banged up Cleveland State in the Horizon Tournament, though it also beat St. John’s. Detroit lost to the likes of George Washington and Illinois-Chicago this season.
Outlook: Detroit is one of the most interesting teams in the entire tournament because of its talent. Ray McCallum is a McDonald’s All-American who ended up at Detroit because his father is the coach. Eli Holman was a center at Indiana before issues with Tom Crean boiled over. Chase Simon and Doug Anderson are both probably good enough to play at the high-major level and LaMarcus Lowe is 6-11 and a very good rebounder and shot-blocker. There is no No. 1 or No. 2 seed that is looking forward to having to play Detroit; there were people that had the Titans top 50 in the country in the preseason.

Kansas Jayhawks
Conference: Big 12
Coach: Bill Self
Record: 27-6, 16-2 (1st)
Rankings and Ratings:
RPI: 6 AP/Coaches: 3/3
How’d they get here? At-large. The Jayhawks won the Big 12 regular-season title for the eighth consecutive season, but lost in the Big 12 semifinals..
Names to know: Thomas Robinson (18.0 ppg, 11.8 rpg), Tyshawn Taylor (17.2 ppg, 4.9 apg), Jeff Withey, 9.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.3 bpg)
Full team roster
Team stats
Stats to know: Robinson grabs almost a third of Kansas’ defensive rebounds, the highest percentage among any D-I player. Kansas also features a solid interior defense, blocking shots at a high rate (15.0 percent) and holding foes to a 40.1 shooting percentage from inside the arc.
Tendencies: The Jayhawks still run a high-low offense where the post man (usually Robinson or Withey) flashes high to spot cutters or wings open for shots, but they’ve let Taylor run the show just as often, allowing him to create for others or getting his own shot. Robinson also gets his share. Everything on defense revolves around the two big men, as Kansas relies on them for blocks, rebounds and intimidation. The perimeter defense can be soft.
Big wins, bad losses: A lot of big ones – Ohio State, Georgetown, Missouri, Baylor – and only one bad one: Davidson.
Outlook: Many call this the best coaching job of Self’s career because he doesn’t have a roster filled with future pros. But his best job may be overstating it. He was simply smart enough to recognize that his starting five is nearly as good as any other team’s, so he relied on them all season. Robinson and Taylor are All-America candidates, while Withey is among the nation’s most improved players (and an elite shot-blocker). Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford do everything else, though Johnson’s offense is streaky. The defense is good, the offense knows its strengths. When Kansas is on, it’s a Final Four team. But these Jayhawks aren’t as good as Self’s last two teams – and neither of those got to the Final Four.