By Dave Lukow
March is here. The madness is close.
We don’t know how it will all end, but, early in March, Gonzaga is ranked first by the Associated Press in men’s college basketball. The Bulldogs are unbeaten at home (16-0) and are 28-4 overall.
Coached by Mark Few, the winningest active coach by percentage (.836), Gonzaga has a lineup that includes Drew Timme; A senior forward from Texas. Timme is averaging 21.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. After 31 games, he had 98 assists and 29 blocked shots.
Guard Julian Strawther, a junior from Las Vegas, averages 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Arizona, 33-4, is ranked second. The Wildcats (17-0) also haven’t lost at home. Their opponent for the PAC-12 tournament is undetermined. Arizona is coached by Tommy Lloyd, who was an assistant at Gonzaga from 2001-21, before coming to Tucson. He’s gone 58-10 as a head coach.
Ranked third, Kansas is in the midst of an 11-game win streak. The Jayhawks have a 34-6 overall mark.
Baylor (27-7) sits fourth in the AP rankings, while Tennessee (27-8) is slotted fifth. The Volunteers are 16-0 with home-court advantage.
Villanova, at 30-8, is ranked sixth. Although the Wildcats are coming off a home loss to Connecticut, they’ve won 10 games on the road. They’re set to face Georgetown in the Big East Tournament.
Kentucky, 18-0 at home and 26-8 overall, beat host Arkansas 88-79 on March 4. It’s yet to be determined who the Wildcats, ranked seventh, will meet in the SEC tourney.
According to the AP, Auburn (28-6) is eighth, Duke (32-7) is ninth and Purdue (29-8) 10th.
Jon Scheyer is in his first year as head coach at Duke. A graduate of the school, he lettered four years for the Blue Devils.
UCLA, 27-8, is ranked 11th in the poll.
Selection Sunday for March Madness is set for March 12.
2023 March Madness: Men’s NCAA tournament schedule, dates, times
