Conference tournaments are done, the selection committee has picked the 68 teams to play in the NCAA tournament, and starting on Tuesday, we will get some of the most exciting weeks of basketball in the entire calendar.
If you haven’t already, get your bracket in and fasten your seatbelts because March Madness is about to ensue. With so much excitement surrounding college basketball, here are some of the biggest stories of the week.
Gonzaga Gets The Top Spot In The Tournament
For the second time in as many years, Gonzaga is on top. On Sunday, Bulldogs were announced as the top overall No. 1 seed in the tournament.
This is of little surprise, given how stellar they have been this season. On the year, Gonzaga finished 26-3 overall and 13-1 in the West Coast conference. They have been stellar whether playing at home (16-0) or on the road (5-1).
As the top seed in the West Region, they will play No. 16 Georgia State in the opening round on Thursday. They are -10000 to win that game while the spread features Georgia State +23.5.
Overall, the Zags have the best odds of winning the National Championship at +300.
The other three No. 1 seeds include Arizona (+600), Kansas (+1300), and Baylor (+1000).
Virginia Tech Takes Home ACC Tournament
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was able to win the ACC regular-season title in his final season, but he wasn’t able to win the ACC tournament. On Sunday, the Virginia Tech Hokies upset the Blue Devils in a bit of a blowout, 82-64.
In the win, Hunter Cattoor had a game-high 31 points in the win for the Hokies, while Keve Aluma had a double-double with 19 points and ten rebounds.
In the loss, freshman phenom Paolo Banchero had a team-high 20 points for Duke, but the team just had no answer for the Hokies in the second half as they were outscored 40-28.
With the win, Virginia Tech guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament. As an 11-seed, they will take on No. 6 Texas to start the tournament. Duke, on the other hand, received a second seed and will face CSUF on Friday.
The Blue Devils are +1700 to win the National Championship, while the Hokies are +17000.
Iowa Wins Big Ten
Despite coming into the Big Ten tournament as a No. 5 seed, the Iowa Hawkeyes are leaving as champions. On Sunday, they were able to take down the Purdue Boilermakers in convincing fashion, 75-66.
In the victory, forward Keegan Murray led the Hawkeyes with 19 points. He ended with a double-double as he had 11 rebounds and three assists to go along with the scoring.
With the win, the Hawkeyes moved to 26-9 for the season and were selected as a No. 5 seed for the upcoming NCAA tournament. In their first-round matchup, they will take on No. 12 Richmond.
The Hawkeyes are -430 to win their first-round matchup, and they are +2500 to win the National Championship.
For Purdue, they were led by Jaden Ivey in the loss, who had a game-high 20 points. Zach Edey (12 points, 14 rebounds) and Trevion Williams (13 points, 11 rebounds) had double-doubles in the loss.
Purdue will now focus on the NCAA Tournament, where they are a No. 3 seed, and take on No. 14 Yale. The Boilermakers are tied for the sixth-best odds of winning the entire tournament at +1600.
Spartans Could Be Shorthanded
Sticking in the Big Ten, Michigan State could be a bit shorthanded for the NCAA Tournament as starting point guard Tyson Walker is questionable for Friday’s game against No. 10 Davidson as he suffered a sprained ankle in the Big Ten tournament.
In 34 games this season, Walker is averaging 8.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. While there are other leading scorers, Walker is a catalyst that helps the Spartans’ offense click. Without him, it could be a short tournament for head coach Tom Izzo.
As the No. 7 seed, the Spartans are just -118 to beat Davidson. They are +25000 to win the National Championship.
For more NCAAB betting picks and previews, check out our picks page.