As Selection Sunday falls upon us once again, here is your guide to filling out your NCAA men’s basketball bracket and choosing the best team in the country. But first, let me explain one of the rankings I will use in this article, BPI, or, Basketball Power Index, is essentially a ranking system 1-100 that takes into account factors such as, points per game, points allowed per game, rebounds per game, etc. However, what makes this ranking different is that it takes into account some “immeasurables” like an injured player, playing style, or other factors similar to these. Happy picking, and good luck, you’re going to need it.

Unquestioned tournament favorites:

University of Kentucky- What’s not to love about the Kentucky Wildcats? They haven’t lost a game yet, have beaten multiple top teams handily (Kansas, Texas, Louisville), can play all 12 players and be successful, have one of the top players in the country in Karl-Anthony Towns, boast incredible size with their average height being at a staggering 6’6”, have arguably the best coach in the country in John Calipari, and have proved they can win close games by beating two teams in overtime. AS if that wasn’t enough, they also have a BPI of 95.2. Needless to say, Kentucky is the favorite to win it all this year and rightfully so.

Duke University- The Duke Blue Devils started out the season on an absolute tear winning their first 14 games handily, following a bad loss to NC state, they went on a slight skid, but appear to have righted the ship and are hitting their stride at the right time. They have beaten top teams in the country in Michigan State, Notre Dame (a team they lost to earlier in the year), Wisconsin, Virginia, Louisville, and Virginia. Not only this, but Duke boasts arguably the best player in the country in 6’11” Jahlil Okafor and have a strong supporting cast including Justice Winslow, who is finally starting to show up on the offensive end, and Tyus Jones, a point guard who has proven he can stay composed in late game situations. With their 88.1 BPI score and battle tested players, Duke will be an incredibly tough out in the tournament.

University of Virginia- Once again, the Virginia Cavaliers are shocking the nation, winning basketball games with no overly talented star player or potent offense, but with a stingy defense. The Virginia Cavaliers are allowing on average only 50.1 points per game in the best conference in college basketball, the ACC. Also, they only have one loss against them, which was to a very good Duke team. Virginia has beaten top teams Maryland, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Louisville, also they have won numerous close games, a trait absolutely needed in order to win in the NCAA tournament. With a BPI score of 92.9, Virginia is sure to make some noise in this tournament.

Dark Horses:

The Ohio State University- The Buckeyes have had an incredibly up and down season, suffering bad losses to Michigan and Purdue, however beating teams such as Maryland and Indiana. When playing at their best, the Buckeyes can beat anyone in the nation, but that is a big if, as they have had trouble consistently winning. However, with athletic players who can shoot in Jae’Sean Tate, Sam Thompson, and Shannon Scott, as well as the best point guard, and arguably player, in the nation D’Angelo Russell. If the Buckeyes can find their consistency, and Russell can continue his stellar play, the Buckeyes could have a tournament similar to Uconn last year.

Northern Iowa- Many people in the country do not know about Northern Iowa yet, however, after this tournament, expect that to change. Northern Iowa has been tearing up the Missouri Valley Conference with their incredible defensive efficiency, allowing only 54.6 points per game. Also, they are led by one of the best players in the country in star forward Seth Tuttle. Although they have not had a very difficult schedule, Northern Iowa still boasts a BPI of 83.0, which speaks volumes as to how much they have dominated the lower tier teams. Watch out for Northern Iowa as a dark horse elite eight, final four team.

Wichita State-Despite the loss of star Cleanthony Early to the NBA, Wichita State still has star players Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker, and Tekele Cotton, which has kept the momentum they gained last year rolling into this year. Despite not going undefeated like they did last year, they are still dominating teams with their fundamental style of play and suffocating defense. Holding a BPI of 84.7, the shockers are proving they are still a force to be reckoned with and will definitely be looking to avenge their early exit at the hands of Kentucky this last year.

Sleepers:

Georgetown University- The Georgetown Hoyas are looking to bust some brackets in this year’s NCAA tournament. With an impressive BPI of 79.3, considering they had the sixth hardest schedule in college basketball, the Hoyas are a dangerous basketball team that are only a few bad breaks away from having one of the best looking resumes in the field. They suffered losses to top teams in the final minutes, losing to Wisconsin by only 3, Kansas by only 5, and Butler by a mere 6 points. However, it’s not all bleak, almost wins for Georgetown, they did beat a very, very good Villanova team by twenty points. Watch out for Georgetown to sneak into the race for the championship.

North Carolina State University- The NC State wildcats, much like the Ohio State Buckeyes, have had a very up and down year. They have beat top teams Duke, Louisville, and North Carolina, while losing close games to Notre Dame and North Carolina as well. However, this NC state team has had horrible losses to Boston College and Miami. NC State is a dangerous sleeper pick due to their unpredictability, however, if you pick them on the right day, they have the ability to beat nearly any team in the country.