Bracketology: Ranking the Bracket Preview teams – Duke, Gonzaga ahead

2. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Committee Ranking: No. 1 seed (No. 4 overall)

Gonzaga is the best offensive team in the nation, in my opinion. And while many fans might immediately write off the Bulldogs because they play in a weak conference, this would be a mistake. Even without Killian Tillie for potentially the rest of the season, this is head coach Mark Few’s best roster ever in Spokane it should not surprise anyone if they make a deep run in the Big Dance. Gonzaga’s roster is absolutely stacked with scorers and they are rolling through conference play in a way that no team should be able to do.

Brandon Clarke is arguably the most underrated superstar in the entire nation and he is surrounded by an abundance of talent that should not go unnoticed. Gonzaga’s defense, which was a little porous compared to others early in the year, has looked great in recent weeks as their adjusted efficiency on that end has climbed to 20th in the nation. The Bulldogs are for real and it is time to buy in.

1. Duke Blue Devils

Committee Ranking: No. 1 seed (No. 1 overall)

Duke is the best team in the country and it is about time that everyone agrees with that. The Blue Devils have had their stumbles along the way so far this season but they hold one of the best records in the country and are easily the most talented team. With the human highlight reel of Zion Williamson leading the way, Duke is always an exciting squad to watch and they will be the team to beat come March. For those who have now followed college basketball all that closely so far this season, I want to make it clear, though, that this team is more than just dunk highlights.

The Blue Devils, thanks to the elite on-ball abilities of Tre Jones and the length of their wings, are one of the best defensive teams in the nation and they can clean the glass better than just about anyone. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski always puts together a strong roster and this year is no different. Their 3-point shooting struggles (except in Charlottesville) may come back to hurt them but this is a darn good team.

That concludes ranking the 16 teams from the Bracket Preview. These are all legit title contenders at this point in time and it is reasonable to think that one of them will be cutting down the nets in about two months from now.