NCAA Basketball: Evaluating “blue bloods” and “new bloods” heading into March

Blue Bloods

Duke

Record: Overall: 11-8 Conference: 9-6

Rankings: Net: 48 KenPom: 29 AP: NR

Key Victories: Notre Dame (away), Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia, and Syracuse

Losses:  Michigan State, Illinois, Virginia Tech (away), Pitt (away), Louisville (away), Miami (away), North Carolina, and Notre Dame

https://twitter.com/cbbonfox/status/1364030516429660160?s=21

Kentucky

Record: Overall: 8-13 Conference: 7-7

Rankings: Net: 65 KenPom: 47 AP: NR

Key Victories: Florida (away), LSU, and Tennessee (away)

Losses: Richmond, Kansas, Georgia Tech (away), Notre Dame, North Carolina (neutral court), Louisville (away), Alabama (swept), Auburn (away), Georgia (away), Missouri (away), Tennessee, and Arkansas

https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX/status/1363216636329615362

Michigan State

Record: Overall: 12-9 Conference: 6-9

Rankings: Net: 75 KenPom: 64 AP: NR

Key Victories: Duke (away), Notre Dame, Rutgers, Indiana (away), and Illinois

Losses: Northwestern (away), Wisconsin, Minnesota (away), Purdue (swept), Rutgers (away), Ohio State (away), and Iowa (swept),

The three above-mentioned teams are playing right now just to secure an NCAA tournament bid. Usually, they are riding the momentum of a conference regular season or tournament championship and looking to at minimum make it to the Sweet Sixteen. They all have uphill battles moving forward but all three teams have talented players and veteran coaches so don’t count them out.