We're still quite a long ways away from the NCAA Tournament, but the dance will be here before you know it. In case you've missed out on the first half of the season, we're here to catch you up on all you need to know about the college basketball campaign to date.
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There's a pretty good consensus at this point who the best three teams in America are. Oklahoma, Kansas and North Carolina are clearly the three teams on the top line right now, though there's still some debate as to who the fourth top seed would be if the dance started on February 1.
That said, there's still plenty of time for other teams to make their case. The Big East has a couple really good teams in Villanova and Xavier, while the SEC has its dominant squads in Texas A&M and Kentucky. Virginia is certainly an ACC contender, while the Big Ten has a litany of teams which could ultimately make their way to the top line if given the chance.
However, as we've come to know over the course of time, it isn't all about the teams on the top line. You just know there's going to be a Final Four contender come out of nowhere, and we'll go conference by conference to talk about some of the top choices.
ACC
North Carolina is already on the verge of 20 wins this year, while Louisville, Virginia and Miami are all sure things for the dance. For our money, the interesting team is Duke.
The Blue Devils have had a tough go of it of late, as they've been beaten in four of their last five games. However, the Dookies should get back Amile Jefferson for the NCAA Tournament, and when he gets back, they'll be a completely different team.
Duke might fall on the No. 6 or No. 7 line when this is all said and done with, but the Blue Devils will still be dangerous.
BIG XII
The Big XII just whooped up on the SEC last weekend, and as a result, we see five teams ready to dance with Oklahoma, Baylor, West Virginia, Kansas and Iowa State.
Oklahoma is going to be the trendy choice with the way it has played, but Wayne Selden and the Jayhawks are our choice. They've got the ability to go all the way for sure.
BIG EAST
Quietly, the Big East has three Top 10 caliber teams with Villanova, Xavier and Providence.
This conference hasn't had a great history in the dance since the split, and this year won't be an exception. The Wildcats might be headed for the top line, but we don't love what Jay Wright's crew has done in March in year’s past and won't trust this edition of the team either.
BIG TEN
Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue are all surely dancing, but because of the depth of this conference, it's entirely possible that eight or nine teams could find their way to the tourney.
It's tough to bet against Michigan State in March, but we'd fancy the Terps with Melo Trimble, one of the top guards in America, to go on the deepest run.
PAC-12
The Pac-12 is an awfully deep conference this year as well. Only Washington State is under .500 at this point, and the argument could be made for any of the other 11 teams to ultimately dance.
However, even Oregon at 17-4 and Utah at 17-5 don't scream "Final Four" to us. UCLA might have the most talent of the bunch, but at 13-9, the Bruins aren't necessarily going to even qualify for the field.
SEC
South Carolina is the worst 19-2 team in the nation. Don't get caught up in that record, as the Gamecocks haven't beaten much of anyone this year. Texas A&M is playing great basketball at the moment, but its outside game probably isn't good enough to ultimately reach the Promised Land.
Kentucky is still the most talented team in this conference until further notice, but don't count out LSU either. The Tigers already have a win over UK to their credit, and they probably should've taken out Oklahoma over the weekend.
Ben Simmons is clearly the best player in the nation, and he's got a really talented team around him.
AND THE REST…
Who doesn't like a good Cinderella story? Dayton has historically had some good runs in the dance, and largely brings back the same team which made it into the second week of the tournament last year.
North Florida is back for yet another year, and this team is sure to be a dangerous No. 13 or No. 14 seed. The Ospreys are averaging 13 made three-pointers per game, and they're going to be a nightmare for some unsuspecting middling team from a power conference.
And then there's Monmouth-NJ, one of the rare true mid-major teams with a shot to reach the tourney with or without an automatic bid. The Hawks have made headlines with their bench celebrations, but these kids can ball, too.
They already own scalps over UCLA, USC, Notre Dame and Georgetown, and there aren't many teams in America that boast such an impressive resume.
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