KenPom Rankings:

1.  Gonzaga (#1 West)
2.  Arizona (#1 South)
3.  Kentucky (#2 East)
4.  Houston (#5 South)
5.  Baylor (#1 East)
6.  Kansas (#1 Midwest)
7.  Tennessee (#3 South)
8.  UCLA (#4 East)
9.  Texas Tech (#3 West)
10.  Auburn (#2 Midwest)

KenPom Offense:

1.  Gonzaga (#1 West)
2.  Iowa (#5 Midwest)
3.  Purdue (#3 East)
4.  Kentucky (#2 East)
5.  Arizona (#1 South)
6.  Kansas (#1 Midwest)
7.  Duke (#2 West)
8.  Villanova (#2 South)
9.  Baylor (#1 East)
10.  Houston (#5 South)

KenPom Defense:

1.  Texas Tech (#3 West)
2.  San Diego State (#8 Midwest)
3.  Tennessee (#3 South)
4.  VCU (Not In Field)
5.  LSU (#6 Midwest)
6.  Oklahoma State (Not In Field)
7.  Gonzaga (#1 West)
8.  Auburn (#2 Midwest)
9.  St. Mary's (#5 East)
10.  Iowa State (#11 Midwest)

According to KenPom, 3 of the top 7 teams in the Field are in the South: Arizona, Houston, & Tennessee.

Just now, Randy Parker said:

According to KenPom, 3 of the top 7 teams in the Field are in the South: Arizona, Houston, & Tennessee.

Before the Tournament field was announced, I had these 3 teams pegged as potential Final Four teams.  I was comfortable with Arizona and Tennessee, but not so much Houston.  Because they're Houston, I guess.  I didn't really have a fourth team in mind.

3 hours ago, 9068 said:

Much harder to win a league championship than a tournament.

 That was part of Bilas's point. It puts added value on the regular season over winning a tournament. He also made the point that the tournaments favor the big conference teams by giving them additional opportunities for high quality wins.

KenPom's past rankings for National Champions pre-tournament:

2021 - Baylor (#4)
2019 - Virginia (#1)
2018 - Villanova (#2)
2017 - North Carolina (#3)
2016 - Villanova (#5)
2015 - Duke (#6)
2014 - Connecticut (#25)
2013 - Louisville (#2)
2012 - Kentucky (#1)
2011 - Connecticut (#16)
2010 - Duke (#2)
2009 - North Carolina (#3)
2008 - Kansas (#1)
2007 - Florida (#2)
2006 - Florida (#6)
2005 - North Carolina (#2)
2004 - Connecticut (#5)
2003 - Syracuse (#20)
2002 - Maryland (#3)

- 16 of the last 19 Champions were ranked in the Top 6 in the rankings just before the Tournament.

2022:

1.  Gonzaga (#1 West)
2.  Arizona (#1 South)
3.  Kentucky (#2 East)
4.  Houston (#5 South)
5.  Baylor (#1 East)
6.  Kansas (#1 Midwest)

Sorry for all the KenPom stuff but it has always interested me.

I've always heard that the National Champion is almost always ranked in the Top 20 KenPom Offense & Defense.  I believe that has proven true 12 of the last 19 years, but I'm not positive.

How odd that 2 of KenPom's 3 biggest misses were Connecticut.

A lot of people are questioning about Kentucky getting a #2 seed and Tennessee getting a #3 seed. Which even through blue colored glasses I understand.? However, I think it was ever worse when you compare Tennessee to Duke.

Duke (2-seed):

NET - 13

KenPom - 12

SOS - 67

Q1 Wins - 6

Q2-4 Losses - 4

 

Tennessee (3-seed):

NET - 8

KenPom - 7

SOS - 4

Q1 Wins - 11

Q2-4 Losses - 0

8 hours ago, Randy Parker said:

How odd that 2 of KenPom's 3 biggest misses were Connecticut.

Those two teams sure got hot at the right time and had a guard playing out of their minds haha!

Four saints make the tournament.  Three in the East bracket.  Now that's a meaningless stat.

13 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Jay Bilas said that the at large field and the top seeds should be completed before the conference tournaments even start.  Then if a team that is not in the at large field wins a conference tournament, you start bumping teams off the bottom. I agree with him.

Heard that too and also agree.

As it stands at this moment, I'd say UK makes the Final Four and loses to Gonzaga. 

5 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

As it stands at this moment, I'd say UK makes the Final Four and loses to Gonzaga. 

Who do you have the Zags playing in the finals?  And who do you have winning?

5 minutes ago, Randy Parker said:

Who do you have the Zags playing in the finals?  And who do you have winning?

My Final Four right now would be Gonzaga, UK, Arizona and Auburn with the Zags beating Arizona to cut down the nets.