THE OUTSIDERS
[ 1 GONZAGA ] The Bulldogs, who have never reached the Final Four, lead the nation in scoring margin (plus-23.4 points) and are second in field-goal percentage (51.8%).
[ 2 ARIZONA] The Wildcats, who last got to the Final Four in 2001, beat Kentucky for the 1997 national championship, the most recent Pac-12 team to win it all.
[ 3 FLORIDA STATE] The Seminoles tied a school record this season by beating seven ranked opponents. They need two more victories to tie the school record for wins in a season.
[ 4 WEST VIRGINIA] The relentless Mountaineers, who thrive on scrappy defensive pressure, have made the tournament three years in a row under Coach Bob Huggins.
Cinderella search
Although Bucknell hasn’t won a tournament game since 2006, the Bison can get hot offensively behind the play of big men
Zach Thomas and Nana Foulland.
Top players Jonathan Isaac, forward, Florida State
Isaac, a 6-10 freshman, is a projected NBA lottery pick who is uncommonly smooth for his size and runs the floor like a guard.
Lauri Markkanen, forward, Arizona
A native of Finland, the 7-foot freshman averages 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and makes 43% of his shots from three-point range — and that includes an 0-for-11 drought in late February.
Nigel Williams-Goss, guard, Gonzaga
The WCC player of the year, Williams-Goss leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.9), assists (4.8) and steals (1.8).
Rim shots
South Dakota State lost five of its first six league games and came into the conference tournament seeded No. 4. Sophomore forward Mike Daum is second in Division I scoring, averaging 25.3 points per game.
Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt features a pair of coaches whose dads were coaches too. Northwestern’s Chris Collins is the son of former NBA coach Doug Collins, and Vanderbilt’s Bryce Drew succeeded his father, Homer, as Valparaiso’s coach before taking his current job a year ago.
Although he’s only 6-5, Notre Dame’s
Bonzie Colson can mix it up with the big men. He has 19 double-doubles, and in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament scored 21 against Virginia, 18 against Florida State and 29 against Duke. All those teams have qualified for the NCAA tournament.