Everyone has their eyes on the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world. Here are five teams that could make the trip to San Antonio at the end of March.
A month into the college basketball season, the juggernauts have emerged for a Final Four run (outside of Arizona). Duke and Villanova have yet to lose a game prior to Saturday’s action, while Michigan State’s only loss is to the Blue Devils on a neutral court.
So much for parity.
But through a month, some teams have been quietly setting themselves up for a run in the NCAA Tournament. These teams lurk in the shadows, remaining on the fringe of the AP Top 25, but staying in the hunt for a decent March seeding.
Here are five teams that could surprise the college basketball world with a Final Four run to San Antonio.
1. Arizona State Sun Devils
Through the first month of the season, the Sun Devils have been the most positive surprise team. They’ve outshone their state counterparts significantly, winning their first eight games, including a huge victory over Xavier.
The Sun Devils are getting it done on offense. Only twice this season has Arizona State failed to reach 90 points in a game.
Arizona State’s backcourt is arguably the best in the nation. Senior Tra Holder is an early favorite for Pac-12 Player of the Year, leading the league with 22.1 points per game to go along with 5.1 assists per game. Meanwhile, backcourt mate Shannon Evans II is also averaging 5.1 assists per game and scoring just a tad less than Holder.
The frontcourt is strong too. Junior De’Quon Lake is shooting .789 from the field, while freshman Romello White is making a case for Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year with 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
This school has never made a Final Four, but it’s clearly one of the most talented squads to ever assemble in Tempe.
They travel to Allen Fieldhouse to take on the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday, where they’ll have an opportunity to prove that they’re for real — which they did.