NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 2021 NCAA Tournament teams

Feb 20, 2021; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Anton Watson (22) flexes after a basket and foul during a game against the San Diego Toreros in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs won 106-69. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

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NCAA Basketball Uros Plavsic Tennessee Volunteers (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Just Misses

15. LSU: The Tigers have a good draw, and they have three pros in Cameron Thomas, Trendon Watford, and Ja’Vonte Smart. Defensive rebounding and defending inside the arc are concerns.

14. Oregon (20-6): The Ducks had their six-game winning streak snapped with their loss to Oregon State in the semifinals of the PAC-12 — the setback was just their second in 13 games overall. Oregon is highly efficient on the offensive end as they shoot and handle the rock well. While they are good at forcing turnovers, getting to the foul line and team defense is an issue for the veteran-laden club. Eugene Omoruyi and Chris Duarte lead the way for a club whose top six players are either juniors or seniors.

13. Tennessee (18-8): The Volunteers are exceptional on the defensive end, and they get to the foul line plenty. But UT is only an average shooting team, and while they have seven quality players there top two — Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer are freshmen, and 6-9 forward John Fulkerson had his face shattered against Florida in the SEC Tournament.

12. Creighton (20-8): CU was surprisingly whipped by Georgetown in the Big East Conference Final as they were awful defensively and weren’t able to knock down many perimeter shots. The Bluejays are an extremely experienced defensive-oriented and well-balanced squad that can shoot the ball. While defense is a strength, Creighton struggles on the offensive boards, getting to the free-throw line and free-throw shooting.

11. Kansas (20-8): KU is also dealing with Covid issues, with center David McCormack currently out indefinitely. Defense is that the Jayhawks hang their hats on. Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji, and Marcus Garrett can handle the offensive scoring load, but they need McCormack if they are going to be serious contenders.

10. Virginia (18-6): The Cavaliers have been surprisingly inconsistent this year and are currently dealing with several players in quarantine. UVA plays at their typical slow pace, and they are an excellent shooting team. Sam Hauser and Jay Huff are the stars here, but it is the play of point guard Kihei Clark that will be key. Offensive rebounding getting to the free-throw line, depth, and the Wahoos’ inability of forcing turnovers are concerns.

9. Michigan (20-4): The Wolverines nearly came up with a come-from-behind victory despite being without the injured Isaiah Livers. UM is just 2-3 in its last five games is also only 3-2 in close games. While the injury to Livers is most concerning, depth is also an issue, as is their inability to force turnovers. However, they are extremely experienced and get quality production from their top seven players. P.S. if Livers was healthy, they would be a title contender.

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