The 2019-20 NCAA Men's Basketball season is coming to a close as we are just two short weeks away from the chaos that is March Madness. Teams like San Diego State and Gonzaga have everything to prove, while teams like Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas enter the tournament as seasoned veterans and favorites to win it all.
The NCAA Tournament kicks off March 15 with Selection Sunday at 6 pm ET.
Schedule of Events
- Selection Sunday - March 15, 2020
- First Four - March 17-18, 2020
- NCAA Tournament Round 1 - March 19-20, 2020
- NCAA Tournament Round 2 - March 21-22, 2020
- Sweet 16 - March 26-27, 2020
- Elite 8 - March 28-29, 2020
- Final Four - April 4, 2020
- 2020 NCAA championship game - April 6, 2020
Early Favorites to Win the Tournament
Kansas (26-3)
According to SBS March Madness odds, the Jayhawks are the probable No. 1 seed in the Midwest, posting a 26-3 overall record and a 15-1 record in Big 12 competition through March 2. Kansas has an awful lot of momentum working in its favor, as the Jayhawks can potentially enter the Big 12 tournament on a 16-game win streak pending matchups against TCU and Texas Tech.
The Jayhawks' defense ranks ninth in the country, allowing opponents just 60.5 points per game.
Dayton (27-2)
This is Dayton's first time being back in the tournament since 2017. The Flyers will be either a No. 1 or 2 seed depending on the final two weeks of the regular season.
Dayton is still playing as somewhat of an underdog as the Flyers have very little experience when it comes to playing in March. Dayton scores 80 points per game and can potentially enter the Atlantic 10 tournament on a 20-game win streak.
Duke (24-6)
Year in and year out, the Blue Devils are a good bet to win it all. In his 40th season at Duke, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to five National Championships, 12 Final Fours, and 18 Elite Eight appearances.
Just two weeks ago, the Blue Devils were 22-3 and the favorite to win the tournament. Duke has struggled of late, however, with losses to North Carolina, Virginia, and Wake Forest over a 10-day span. The Blue Devils offense ranks fourth in the country, averaging 82.1 points per game.
Underdogs to Watch
Auburn (24-5)
The Auburn Tigers are projected to be a No. 5 seed and have Texas A&M and Tennessee remaining on the schedule. Auburn has only struggled against SEC competition this year, as the Tigers are a perfect 13-0 against non-conference opponents this season, which works in their favor.
However, if you watch college basketball, then you know about the "bad juju" behind the No. 5 seed. No. 5 seeds have been upset 31 times since 1985 and have an overall NCAA tournament record of 141-121 in the first round.
Arizona State (19-10)
The Sun Devils are projected to be a No. 9 seed right now with a 10-7 record in Pac-12 conference play. Arizona State has Washington and Washington State still left on its schedule, so the Sun Devils could work their way up to a No. 7 or 8 seed.
As a Wild Card don´t discard the Maryland Terrapins. They have an interesting team this season.
