Defending champion odds
Baylor will have to send hate mail to the NCAA tournament selection committee if it falls victim to an early upset in its quest to defend its national championship. No team has won back-to-back titles since Florida in 2006 and 2007. And that will be a daunting task for the Bears, who could face North Carolina in the second round or UCLA in the Sweet 16 in the East.
League title droughts ending?
The Pac-12 has the longest NCAA title drought of the power conferences, with Arizona the last to be crowned in 1997. The Cats could be the one to bring championship glory back to the West again as the No. 1 seed in the South. The Big Ten tied a record with nine bids but might still be left to remember Michigan State's 2000 title run, since the league has no seed higher than No. 3 Purdue.
Toughest region
The aforementioned East Regional is so tough, we needed further discussion. Let's say top-seeded Baylor battles past North Carolina and UCLA, which made last year's Final Four. The Bears still could see No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 Purdue or No. 6 Texas in the Elite Eight. All three have been considered Final Four caliber at one time or another.
NBA talent galore
Save this statement officially for the NBA draft gurus, but this could be the most talented NCAA tourney field ever with top pro prospects. Twelve projected lottery picks in the 2022 NBA draft are in the field, including possible top-four picks Jabari Smith (Auburn), Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga), Paolo Banchero (Duke) and Jaden Ivey (Purdue).
