March Madness bracket 2024: Why each of the 68 teams won't win a national championship
19. Florida Gators
The Gators have come on strong late in the season, but they were dealt a serious blow against Auburn in the SEC Tournament final when center Micah Handlogten went down with a gruesome leg injury. Handlogten isn't one of the highest usage players on the Gators, but he's second on the team in rebounding and in important defensive presence. Florida has looked good in beating Alabama twice this month, but they only have one six-game winning streak on the season, and that was in December and consisted of wins over Merrimack, Richmond, East Carolina, Michigan, Grambling, and Quinnipiac. Winning six straight in the tournament is going to be a touch more difficult than beating that murderer's row.
20. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Mark Few has turned Gonzaga from an also-ran into one of the most dominant programs in the country, but he's yet to break through with a national championship. There's no shame in that, as the Zags have had a slew of transcendent moments in the tournament throughout the years. Twice Gonzaga has reached the title game, but unlike those teams, this one just simply isn't as good. After years of lording over the West Coast Conference, they were finally overtaken by Saint Mary's this year, and other than a win over Kentucky, they failed every notable out-of-conference game they played this year, losing to Purdue, UConn, and San Diego State. Maybe it would be poetic for the Cinderella-turned-juggernaut to finally cut down the nets as a 5-seed, but this doesn't feel like the year for them.
21. Grambling Tigers
Congratulations are in order for Grambling reaching the first NCAA Tournament in school history. The HBCU won the SWAC regular season title and followed it up with a tournament win, but they're the team most likely to fall into the category of "just happy to be here." The Tigers get credit for challenging themselves in non-conference play, but they took their lumps the hard way, losing nine straight by some crooked numbers to the likes of Iowa State, Dayton, Washington State, Drake, and Florida. Maybe they can win their play-in versus Montana State, and Purdue did lose to a 16-seed last year, but any thoughts of a real run are just a pipe dream.
22. Grand Canyon Antelopes
It just feels good to have Bryce Drew in the tournament, doesn't it? The Grand Canyon coach has built a winner in the desert, having guided the Antelopes to three tournaments in the last four years. It seems like it won't be long until GCU breaks through with their first tournament win, and it could even be this year, as their outstanding defense and ability to get to the line could give them a chance against Saint Mary's. A 12-seed has never won a national championship, though, and while Florida Atlantic reached the Final Four last year after winning their first-ever NCAA Tournament game, most teams don't share similar success after getting the first punch on their Big Dance card.
23. Houston Cougars
Houston has been a top-five team all season, and they've earned the right to be a 1-seed for the second year in a row after passing their first Big 12 test with flying colors. All the good vibes of the season dissipated quickly on Saturday, though, as the Cougars endured a full-on mollywhopping at the hands of Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament title game. Was it a blip on the radar? A horribly timed anomaly that doesn't hold much import? You can bet that the teams in the South region are studying that game and making blueprints of their own on how to replicate the Cyclones' success. Possible second-round opponent Texas A&M has already seen Houston this year, and they nearly beat Kelvin Sampson's team on a neutral court. The Aggies are playing their best ball of the season and the Cougars are not, so just reaching the second weekend is no guarantee. Even if they survive to the Sweet 16, the Cougs get to the line much less than their opponents, a stat that is bound to bite them sooner or later.
24. Howard Bison
It's not overly arduous to describe why a 16-seed is not going to win the national championship, but here goes. Howard has one of the worst defenses in the country. They also turn the ball over more than almost anyone. They also foul a ton, which is going to be an issue if they beat Wagner and face Armando Bacot and North Carolina in the round of 64 in Charlotte. Howard's three-point shooting is good, and they did hang with Georgia Tech, a team that beat UNC, earlier in the season, but this is an entirely different level with much larger stakes.
25. Illinois Fighting Illini
Like boxing, basketball is all about matchups. Styles make fights, as they say, and with very few exceptions, every team has an Achilles heel that could be exploited by the wrong team. Illinois has been playing its best ball of the season lately, winning three straight games to claim the Big Ten Tournament crown, but they have a glaring weakness, and a potential Sweet Sixteen matchup with Iowa State could be their Kryptonite. Illinois consistently loses the turnover battle, and nobody is better at forcing opponent mistakes than the Cyclones. Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert are master pickpockets, and they'll make life hell for the Illini.
26. Iowa State Cyclones
Speaking of Iowa State, what could keep the Cyclones from cutting down the nets? TJ Otzelberger's team had a legit case for the final 1-seed after crushing Houston en route to the Big 12 Tournament title, and it was no fluke, as they also finished second in the most competitive conference in the land in the regular season standings. We mentioned above how Iowa State's defense can cause problems for their opponents, but if they face a team that knows how to take care of the ball, the Cyclones could be in trouble, as they rank just 55th in offensive efficiency according to KenPom. A strong backcourt, such as UConn or UNC, could end ISU's hopes.
27. James Madison Dukes
James Madison went 31-3 this year, so they are not used to losing. They shoot almost 10% better from three than their opponents, and they have one of the nation's best turnover margins. Wisconsin, who just wrapped up playing four games in four days, can not overlook this team. Can the Dukes make a serious run, though? The only real team they faced was Michigan State, and although their season-opening overtime win is extremely impressive, there's never been a team that cut down the nets after playing such a weak schedule. Here's the possible list of opponents James Madison could face in the South region: Wisconsin, Duke, Houston, and either Marquette or Kentucky. The Dukes are a program on the rise, but that's asking a little much.
28. Kansas Jayhawks
In most years, you have to really grasp at straws to find reasons why Kansas can't win another national title. Through the first half of the year, the Jayhawks again looked like the team to beat, but lately, they've been an injury-riddled disaster. Hunter Dickinson dislocated his shoulder 11 days ago, and Kevin McCullar Jr. has been dealing with a bone bruise in his knee. Kansas wasn't playing well even before the injuries, losing by eight points each at home to BYU and at Baylor four days later. It's been even worse without them, as the few healthy Jayhawks got beaten by 30 at Houston and then got bounced from the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals (remember that no team has ever won it all after doing that) by 20 to Cincinnati. Kansas needs to get healthy, stat, if they want to be taken off life support..