A FAB DRIVE TO TOP
[ 1 MICHIGAN ] The Wolverines rose from the depths of the preseason unranked to win the Big Ten regular season title and earn the program’s first No. 1 seed since 1992-93. Head coach Juwan Howard was a sophomore at the school at that time.
[ 2 ALABAMA ] With Michigan lacking a senior leader, Alabama might be the favorite. It was the only team from a power conference to win its regular season and tournament titles.
[ 3 TEXAS ] The Longhorns regressed after a 10-1 start but have found their rhythm again with five straight wins, which included their first Big 12 tournament title in school history.
[ 4 FLORIDA STATE ] The Seminoles finished second in the ACC and lead the conference in scoring with 78.9 points per game behind a balanced attack topped by M.J. Walker (13 points).
Cinderella search
St. Bonaventure proved the saying about defense and championships to be true by riding a suffocating defense to the school’s first regular-season Atlantic 10 title, then doubling down at the conference tournament. The Bonnies are eighth in the country in opponent field goal percentage at 38.7%.
Top players
Hunter Dickinson, center, Michigan Dickinson was named the Big Ten freshman of the year after leading the Wolverines in scoring (14.2 points per game), rebounds (7.6) and total blocks (33). He becomes even more important for Michigan, which is without second-leading scorer in Isaiah Livers.
James Bouknight, guard, Connecticut
If not for an elbow injury that kept him out almost six weeks, Bouknight would be ranked as the Big East’s second-leading scorer at 19 points a game.
Herbert Jones, forward, Alabama
Jones averaged 11.2 points per game, fourth on the Crimson Tide, but the versatile senior leads the team in rebounds (6.5), assists (3.4) and total blocks (30).
Rim shots
Big Ten foes Michigan and Maryland are in the same region after tempers flared Friday, when Howard was ejected after a shouting match with Terrapins coach Mark Turgeon.
Iona made a splashy choice by hiring Rick Pitino a year ago, but the controversial coach’s return to college paid off. When Selection Sunday came, the pettiest corners of the internet didn’t miss a chance to point out that two of Pitino’s former schools, Louisville and Kentucky, failed to make the tournament.