It's officially March, so you know what that means! It's time to get ready for the 2023 NCAA Tournament as college basketball takes center stage in the sports world for March Madness. Before Selection Sunday comes and you enter those March Madness bracket pools, let's take a look at the top NCAA Tournament Final Four contenders. Which college basketball teams have the best shot at winning it all? Which teams will avoid busting brackets with a loss to a Cinderella story? Is Houston really that good? Is Purdue for real? Check out breakdowns of some of the top college basketball teams with Final Four potential before the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed. Note that the college basketball rankings, projected seeds, records, and CBB stats referenced below are as of Wednesday, March 1st. The relevant rankings are also as of March 1st and include the NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings, KenPom.com's College Basketball Ratings, ESPN's College Basketball Power Index (BPI), and BartTorvik.com's rankings. The odds to reach the NCAA Tournament Final Four are via DraftKings Sportsbook. 

 

2023 NCAA Tournament March Madness Preview: Top Final Four Contenders

Houston Cougars

  • Projected Seed: 1
  • Record: 27-2 (15-1 in AAC)
  • Rankings: 1st in NET, 1st in KenPom, 1st in BPI, 1st in Torvik
  • Best Wins: Virginia, Saint Mary’s, Memphis
  • Notable Losses: Alabama
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – Elite Eight loss to Villanova as No. 5 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +130

After reaching the Final Four two years ago and the Elite Eight last season, Houston is back as a legit national title contender and ready to make another deep run. The Cougars boast top 10 offensive and defensive efficiencies while being the only college basketball team that can claim that combination this season. Head coach Kelvin Sampson’s squad is led by a talented, veteran guard trio of Marcus Sasser, Jamal Shead, and Tramon Mark – who’ve all been there for these past two Tournament runs. True freshman big man Jarace Walker, a future NBA lottery pick, can dominate on both ends and gives Houston an X-factor down low. Some might fault the Cougars for dominating their easier competition in the American Athletic Conference, but they’re still plenty capable of winning it all and can compete with anyone in the country. 

Kansas Jayhawks

  • Projected Seed: 1
  • Record: 25-5 (13-4 in Big 12)
  • Rankings: 6th in NET, 7th in KenPom, 9th in BPI, 12th in Torvik
  • Best Wins: Texas, Baylor, Indiana, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas State, NC State, Iowa State, TCU
  • Notable Losses: Tennessee, Baylor, Kansas State, TCU, Iowa State
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – National Championship win over North Carolina as No. 1 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +190

The reigning national champs are back as a top team in college hoops. It really is remarkable that Bill Self has Kansas competing at an elite level yet again after losing four key players from last year’s title squad. All-American candidate Jalen Wilson is back, though, and he’s among the best college hoops players in the country this season. The Jayhawks are also getting big contributions from stud freshman Gradey Dick, senior transfer Kevin McCullar, and veteran point guard Dajaun Harris. All in all, Kansas has a top-20 offense and a top-10 defense while boasting the most Quad 1 wins in the country. It’s especially impressive that the Jayhawks have beaten so many quality non-conference opponents this season, including Indiana, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina State, and Wisconsin – not to mention yet another Big 12 regular season title.

Alabama Crimson Tide

  • Projected Seed: 1
  • Record: 25-4 (15-1 in SEC)
  • Rankings: 2nd in NET, 3rd in KenPom, 3rd in BPI, 2nd in Torvik
  • Best Wins: Houston, Michigan State, Memphis, Arkansas (twice), Kentucky
  • Notable Losses: Connecticut, Gonzaga, Tennessee
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – 1st Round loss to Notre Dame as No. 6 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +200

Alabama is in the midst of arguably its best season in program history and looks poised to reach a first-ever Final Four. The Crimson Tide play at one of the quickest tempos in the country, have a top-5 defense and can light up the scoreboard with the best of them. They’re led by stud freshman wing Brandon Miller, who’s one of the best scorers in college hoops. Of course, any conversation involving the potential NBA lottery pick and Alabama has to include Miller’s alleged involvement in a recent murder by former teammate Darius Miles. That dark cloud may prove to be a big distraction come Tournament time. Still, Alabama has the talent on both ends to make a deep run into March. Former transfer guards Mark Sears and Jahvon Quinerly bring a veteran presence to the backcourt while freshman big man Noah Clowney provides upside in the paint. 

 

UCLA Bruins

  • Projected Seed: 1
  • Record: 25-4 (16-2 in Pac 12)
  • Rankings: 4th in NET, 2nd in KenPom, 4th in BPI, 4th in Torvik
  • Best Wins: Maryland, Kentucky, USC
  • Notable Losses: Arizona, Baylor, Illinois, USC
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – Sweet 16 loss to North Carolina as No. 4 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +300

Two years ago, UCLA made a run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed. This season, the Bruins aren’t taking anyone by surprise and have the potential to make it back to college basketball’s biggest stage. Senior wing Jaime Jaquez is a first-team All-American candidate and brings steadiness to Mick Cronin’s squad. True freshmen Amari Bailey and Adem Bona are future NBA picks who are excelling in their secondary roles. Plus, senior point guard Tyger Campbell brings veteran experience from that 2021 Final Four team. UCLA has the second-best defense and a top-25 offense in the country with a perfect balance to beat anyone. Cronin led the Bruins to a regular-season Pac-12 title this year for the first time since 2013.

Purdue Boilermakers

  • Projected Seed: 2
  • Record: 24-5 (13-5 in Big Ten)
  • Rankings: 5th in NET, 6th in KenPom, 7th in BPI, 5th in Torvik
  • Best Wins: Gonzaga, Marquette, Duke, Maryland, Michigan State (twice), West Virginia
  • Notable Losses: Indiana (twice), Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – Sweet 16 loss to Saint Peter’s as No. 3 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +260

Purdue is a top-tier college basketball team mainly because of its dominant center Zach Edey. At 7-foot-4 and 305 pounds, Edey presents a major mismatch against almost every opponent as he anchors the Boilermakers on both ends of the court. The favorite to win National Player of the Year is averaging 22.1 PPG and 12.7 RPG while literally putting the team on his back. Edey’s presence down low is why Purdue has a top-10 offense and a top-20 defense in the country. Outside of him, the Boilermakers have gotten surprising contributions from true freshmen Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. While that inexperience in the backcourt could cause an early exit in the bracket, Edey alone makes Purdue a title contender. It's worth noting that Matt Painter’s team lost in the first round in 2021 and then got bounced by Saint Peter’s last year in the Sweet Sixteen – both as higher seeds. 

Texas Longhorns

  • Projected Seed: 2
  • Record: 22-7 (11-5 in Big 12)
  • Rankings: 10th in NET, 9th in KenPom, 6th in BPI, 13th in Torvik
  • Best Wins: Gonzaga, Creighton, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, TCU, West Virginia (twice)
  • Notable Losses: Kansas, Baylor, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas State
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – 2nd Round loss to Purdue as No. 6 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +450

Despite head coach Chris Beard getting arrested in December and subsequently fired in January, the Longhorns are still among the top teams in college basketball. Acting head coach Rodney Terry has the squad living up to preseason expectations while challenging Kansas for the Big 12 regular season title. Senior point guard Marcus Carr leads Texas’ top-15 offensive attack that loves to play fast and score in transition. The Longhorns’ roster is loaded with impactful transfers like Timmy Allen, Tyrese Hunter, Dylan Disu, and Sir’Jabari Rice. All have the ability to be real difference-makers in any given game and the talent across the lineup rivals any team in the sport. Texas also has a top-30 defense and its balance on both ends cannot go overlooked come bracket time. 

 

Arizona Wildcats

  • Projected Seed: 3
  • Record: 24-4 (13-4 in Pac 12)
  • Rankings: 12th in NET, 12th in KenPom, 11th in BPI, 9th in Torvik
  • Best Wins: UCLA, Tennessee, Creighton, Indiana, San Diego State
  • Notable Losses: Oregon, Utah
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – Sweet Sixteen loss to Houston as No. 1 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +350

In his first season on the job at Arizona last year, former Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd led his team to a No. 1 seed in the bracket. After getting bounced in the Sweet Sixteen by Houston, the Wildcats are poised to go deeper this time around and contend for a national title. Lloyd’s team boasts a top-5 offense that plays at one of the fastest tempos in the country. Arizona’s high-scoring attack can beat anyone in the country at its best. The Wildcats’ excellent frontcourt duo of Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo presents a tough matchup for teams that lack size or skill down low. Arizona also has a talented backcourt of Kerr Kriisa, Courtney Ramey, and Pelle Larsson who all can step up to be X-factors in any given game.

Baylor Bears

  • Projected Seed: 2
  • Record: 22-8 (11-6 in Big 12)
  • Rankings: 11th in NET, 13th in KenPom, 8th in BPI, 10th in Torvik
  • Best Wins: UCLA, Kansas, Texas, Gonzaga, Arkansas, TCU
  • Notable Losses: Kansas, Texas, Marquette, Virginia, Kansas State (twice), TCU, Iowa State
  • Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2022 – 2nd Round loss to North Carolina as No. 1 seed
  • Odds to Reach Final Four: +450

When Baylor started out 0-3 in Big 12 play, there were real questions surrounding the program’s place in the upper echelon of college basketball – let alone its own conference. Since then, though, the Bears have gone 12-3 with impressive wins over Final Four contenders like Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, and TCU. Don’t forget about the Bears’ early-season non-conference victories over UCLA and Gonzaga on neutral courts. Plus, all of Baylor’s losses this season have come against NCAA Tournament teams with no bad L’s on the resume. Scott Drew’s squad is led by a talented backcourt duo of senior Adam Flagler and freshman sensation Keyonte George. They’ve led Baylor to the second-best offensive efficiency in the sport, according to KenPom. The below-average defense is a slight worry and could cause some problems depending on bracket matchups. 

 

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If you want more College Basketball content, check out our CBB DFS picks and lineup advice from Dan Servodidio and Pete Cole. Plus, stay tuned for more NCAA Tournament March Madness previews.