NCAA Tournament: Ranking all 68 teams in the Big Dance

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 19: The Cameron Crazies taunt Ty Jerome #11 of the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half of their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 19, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 72-70. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: The Wisconsin Badgers bench reacts. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Rivals next to rivals.

20. Wisconsin Badgers (23-10, 14-6 B10) – No. 5 seed

Similar to Wisconsin teams of old, this is a bruising defensive team that plays at a “deliberate” pace. With an elite big man in Ethan Happ leading the way, the Badgers have one of the tougher players in the country to defend but not a whole lot of scoring options on the whole. Wisconsin, in general, rarely turns the ball over and plays fundamental defense, making them a difficult team for anyone to take down. With that said, though, they can go long stretches without scoring on the offensive end and that can be their downfall.

19. Marquette Golden Eagles (23-8, 12-6 BE) – No. 5 seed

Marquette is absolutely stumbling into the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles have lost five of their last six games and are currently in a bit of a tough spot. With that said, though, they have one of the most potent scoring guards in the entire nation in Markus Howard to go with a solid supporting cast. Marquette’s defense is as good as it has ever been under Coach Wojo and that makes them dangerous. For the most part, though, the Golden Eagles go as Howard goes, so they have “boom or bust” potential in the dance.

18. Kansas Jayhawks (25-9, 12-6 B12) – No. 4 seed

It feels really weird having Kansas this far down on the list. But, realistically, this is about where they belong considering how inconsistent the Jayhawks have been throughout the year. Head coach Bill Self is not someone who I want to bet against, especially not in March, but the team is not up to its usual standards at this point in the year. With that said, all it takes is one or two guys catching fire from distance and this is a whole different ballclub.

17. Kansas State Wildcats (25-8, 14-4 B12) – No. 4 seed

Dean Wade‘s availability really determines just how successful Kansas State can be in the NCAA Tournament. If he is on the court and healthy, they are a very dangerous No. 4 seed who can make a huge run in the dance. If not, though, they could easily be upset in the first round. Behind the stellar play of Barry Brown, the Wildcats own one of the best defenses in the country and they play at a pace that is very difficult to find any rhythm in. Both their expected first (UC Irvine) and second-round (Wisconsin) matchups could be absolute slugfests.

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