Florida
It is no secret the SEC is known as the premier conference for Division I football, and as much as Big Ten fans may hate to admit, the same could be said for men’s college basketball this year.
Leading the charge for the SEC in the national poll is No. 3 ranked Auburn, but Florida is lurking right behind the Tigers at No. 4.
The Gators have wins against top-ranked teams such as No. 1 Auburn, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Texas A&M, and No. 22 Mississippi State. These impressive wins against conference foes will surely do the Gators justice come late March.
Headlining for the Gators offense is a trio of guards led by Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard.
All three guards are averaging over double-digit points per game, with Clayton Jr. averaging 17.5 points per game, Martin with 14.5, and Richard close behind with 13.6.
The Gator “trifecta” accounts for roughly 51 percent of the team’s assists this season and collectively accounts for 70 percent of Florida’s made three-pointers.
If this trio finds their stride from behind the arc, then they are more than capable of making a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Standing at a slightly different elevation and holding down the paint is starting center Alex Condon.
The 6-foot-11 big man currently averages 11.2 points per game alongside 7.9 rebounds per game. Condon is also the engine behind the top-20 rated defensive efficiency team in the nation, locking down the paint with 1.4 blocks per game this season.
Listen, we all know March Madness is as unpredictable as it gets in the sports world. However, I believe the grueling schedule of the SEC has prepared the Gators for internal glory at the end of March.
Houston
For the past handful of seasons, the Houston basketball team has started to establish themselves as one of the premier programs in college basketball.
The Cougars have flexed a 62-9 record and have won two consecutive Big 12 regular season titles the past two years, but have yet to push over the hump and cut down the nets in March Madness.
But head coach Kelvin Sampson has arguably his most talented roster since taking the job in 2014.
Cougar basketball is typically known for its soul-sucking defense that forces turnovers and suffocates opponents. While the defense remains in the upper echelon of college basketball this season, the offense that Sampson’s team creates is some of the best in recent program history.
Houston uses a guard tandem of LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharpe to give the team a spark on that side of the court. The duo combines for nearly 30 points per game while each shooting above 42 percent from beyond the arch.
As a whole, the team shoots 39.8 percent from the three-point line, good for second-best in college basketball.
The defense, as mentioned before, remains one of the best units in the sport. Holding opponents to under 60 points per contest on 38 percent shooting, this Cougar unit denies opponents any opportunity for an easy look.
With the mix of outstanding defense and improving offense, especially from the three-point line, Sampson and Houston are a serious threat to win the school’s first national championship in program history.