The NCAA basketball tournament begins this month, and Prep students are buzzing with excitement. Already lunch conversation has turned from fantasy football to potential bracket busters. The Pac-12 will make a strong showing this year, with the potential for the top 7 teams in Pac-12 standings to gain entry to the tournament. Sorry Cougs fans. On the bright side, even after their four game losing streak the Huskies still have a chance to crack the top 64 teams admitted to the tournament.

At current the Associated Press Poll top 25 ranks Kansas as the top team in the country, and while the top team certainly cannot be called a bracket buster, there is an opportunity for Kansas to knock off some of the established college basketball schools such as UNC and Villanova. Unfortunately, due to NCAA bans for behavioral and recruiting violations, Louisville and SMU, both ranked in the top 25, are eliminated from the tournament despite their deserving potential to make a deep run in the tournament. However, those absences may allow other teams to sneak in to the tournament.

Many in the Seattle area are hopeful that the Huskies could still get into the tournament and possibly make a run. The great play of several young freshman have the Huskies in competition late into the season. Local point guard Dejounte Murray, has powered the Husky team with his stellar play and great leadership along with his fifth year senior mentor, Andrew Andrews. Andrews, after leading the team in scoring for several months, has fallen into a slump due to a severe MCL strain he suffered midseason. To retain any hope of making a tournament run, the Huskies’ leading scorer will have to regain his mid season form. Along with Andrews and Murray, Marquese Chriss’ performance this season, while inconsistent, has been a great asset to Lorenzo Romar’s squad. When not raining in threes, Chirss has been making a difference in the boards and in the low post against Pac-12 opposition.

Outside of the UW, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies have been putting together a spectacular season. Standing at 20-10 in the Horizon League, the Grizzlies have a really good chance to crack the round of 64. Led by Kay Felder, their star point guard, the Golden Grizzlies stand at second in their league with a chance to reach first. On the other end of the scale, LSU has fallen greatly since the beginning of the season. The critics seem to be gaining a new target in Ben Simmons, the once highly considered prospect has fallen off many peoples radars. In any case, it is up to the committee, but if LSU even make the tournament it is a long shot for them to win.

In short, there are never any guarantees when it comes to March Madness, but bracketologists know, that anything can happen. Go Dawgs!