ESPN has released their preseason ranking of college basketball, and they have the Wichita State Shockers as the number one team in college basketball. The bracket is not without its shortcomings however, as Gonzaga and Louisville are tied for second place. Yet the ranking of the Shockers is one of the more shocking ones to come from the preseason, as they have had a history of beating everyone else, and their run to the national championship game could very well have been the most impressive of any other team. We are still only a week away from the start of the NCAA tournament, so it is time to take a look at who might be the favorites this year.
What makes the Wichita State ranking of ESPN’s top ten so surprising is that they are one of the strongest teams in the nation right now. They are going to be well prepared to go up against the very best of the best at the next level, and it could be the year for them to take home the national title. Their resume at the moment includes victories over teams like Notre Dame, Arizona, North Carolina, and Indiana. While these are four of the better teams in the country, they are all right there with the elite teams. They may not be a perfect team though, as they do play a big part in keeping the rest of the top teams down. However, if they can bring home the first national championship in school history, it will be a major feat.
Duke is a strong team as well, but the fact that they are placed lower than the Wichita State Shockers is somewhat surprising. They also beat some of the very best teams in the country, including Notre Dame, Arizona, and UNC. However, they have not beaten any of the other top teams that were ranked near the top of the ESPN Top 10. Despite that, the Blue Devils have yet to lose, and they would like to do just that to give themselves a good chance of making it to the title game. Regardless of who the favorites are at the moment, there is a long way to go until MarchMadness begins. It will be fun to see how the tournament shakes out!