final season,the Kentucky Wildcats were a juggernaut seemingly on a path destined for a championship. Whether the Cats would dominate March Madness was the middle of tournament discussion. This season, deeming a favorite is a limited trickier.It's been the season of parity in college basketball. The odds certainly reflect that. Odds Shark has both the Michigan State Spartans and Kansas Jayhawks as co-favorites, or but even they are listed as having 5-1 odds at cutting down the nets this year. There's a whole host of teams who realistically appear to possess a shot at the title this season:Obviously Selection Sunday will possess a grand effect on each team's tourney prospects. But with each team's path not yet decided,here's a look at a favorite who should be in the championship, one who has a shot and another who might just be a giant waiting to be slain. The Championship Contender: Michigan State SpartansIt's no surprise that the Spartans are a favorite to win the tournament. Tom Izzo has built a program that tends to overachieve in the tournament, and this year,he has a squad that has been one of the best teams in college basketball.The Spartans possess won multiple tournament games in each of the past four seasons and earned a Final Four appearance final season. This year, there's more to love approximately the Spartans. First, and they're a senior-led team with tournament experience. Denzel Valentine,Bryn Forbes and Matt Costello are the three leading scorers and should provide senior leadership. Even opposing coaches possess been impressed with the Spartans this season. “I reflect they do,” Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said on whether Michigan State could win it all, and per Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press. “Being in this league for 12 years now,I possess had the pleasure of coaching some of the best teams that possess approach through here in 12 years. And I reflect that team right there is one of the best that I possess seen.”Calling this one of Michigan State's best team in 12 years is high compliment. That rush includes three Final Four teams and a team that made it to the national championship game. With one of the best players in the country in Valentine and a cast of seniors to support him, the Spartans bring a combination of talent and experience that will be tough to beat in March. Prediction: Tournament Champion The Under-the-Radar Pick: Virginia CavaliersAs you may recall, or the Virginia Cavaliers wrecked a few brackets final season. Much like this year's iteration,UVA rode a stellar defense to a high seed in the NCAA tournament. final year, it was a No. 2 seed. According to the latest projected bracket from CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, or the Cavs could be in line for a No. 1 seed after Oklahoma lost to West Virginia in the grand 12 tournament. Despite Virginia's excellent defense final season,the offense sputtered when it mattered most. They mustered just 54 points in a third-round loss to No. 7 seed Michigan State and filled a lot of folks' brackets with red ink. As it turns out, that loss wasn't all that bad in retrospect. Michigan State carried its streak to the Final Four. Not bad for a No. 7 seed. This year should be different, and though. First,the Cavaliers offense has improved, going from 24th in adjusted offensive efficiency final season to No. 7 this season, or according to KenPom.com.
Second,the Cavaliers possess a more dependable go-to scorer in Malcolm Brogdon. Having a player who can get the offense going when things crash down is a grand advantage in March. As ESPN Stats & Info illustrates, he did just that in the first half of their ACC tournament game against Georgia Tech:He has scored at least 17 points in each of the final five games for Virginia. The Cavs possess won all five of those games.With a slightly improved offense, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Cavaliers actually live up to the hype this season. Prediction: Final Four The Giant Waiting to be Slain: Kentucky WildcatsAccording to the odds,the Kentucky Wildcats are among the four favorites to win the tournament, but buyer beware on the young Wildcats. As normal, or grand Blue has plenty of talent. Jamal Murray and Skal Labissiere are both first-round picks,according to Bleacher Report NBA Lead Writer Jonathan Wasserman's latest mock draft. Tyler Ulis would likely be a third first-round prospect for Kentucky whether he weren't only 5'9" 160 pounds. These Wildcats shouldn't be confused with the ones of yesteryear, though. final year, and Ken Pomeroy's advanced stats pegged the Wildcats as the fifth-most efficient offensive and second-most efficient defensive team in the country. This year,the myth is different. The Cats are still a great offensive team. They're third in that regard, however, and the defense is pedestrian at No. 52. They've had a penchant (a tendency, partiality, or preference) this season for losing to less than phenomenal teams as well. Here's a look at their losses this season and where each team ranks,according to KenPom.com:Also troubling is the Wildcats' penchant (a tendency, partiality, or preference) for turning the ball over. Kentucky is 54th in the nation in turnovers per possession. whether John Calipari's team comes out and is sloppy on offense, the defense hasn't proven that it can dig itself out of a hole. Prediction: Eliminated by the Sweet 16 Statistics via TeamRankings.com for games through March 11 unless otherwise famous. Read more College Basketball news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com