Auburn is the top team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the country right now, and it is a highly talented and tough conference to succeed in. Auburn is an all-around good team with rock-solid defense. They average 84.8 points per game and give it 67.7 points per game. Johni Broome is key to the Tigers’ offense, averaging 18.1 points per game.
Marquette is sitting in third place in the Big East conference. However, the Golden Eagles are a good team with a great defense, only giving up 67.5 points per game. Kam Jones helps out the Golden Eagle’s offense averaging 19,2 points per game. The Warrior can envision the Golden Eagles making a Final Four run.
The next team is the Florida Gators who are third in the SEC right now. They average 83.6 points per game and give up 66.5 points per game. Walter Clayton Jr. averages 17.5 points per game. Their conference competition will sharpen them for a trip to the final four.
Gonzaga is sitting second in the WAC and is a hard team to beat. The Bulldogs average 87.2 points per game but give up 70. Graham Ike averages 17 points per game and shoots 59.3 percent from the field. Fans expect Gonzaga to appear in the final four this year.
These next teams are sleeper teams that can make a surprise run in the tournament.
UConn (University of Connecticut) is up now, and they are a well-rounded team, sitting in fourth place in the Big East. They score approximately 78.5 points each game and only give up 68.5. Solo Ball is shooting 78.8 percent from the field.
Texas is sitting at 11th place in the SEC but is red hot. This is because of Tre Johnson, averaging 19.3 points per game.
Mississippi State is in eighth place and a tough team to beat. Josh Hubbard is having a great season, averages 17.6 points per game and is a great player.
Vanderbilt is 10th place and overall a solid team. They have a great offense and average 80.6 points per game — Jason Edwards averages about 17.4 points every game. These scores suggest that this upcoming tournament will be a significant one.
Cam Duddy, Staff Writer