By: Jeff Arnold

It’s that time of year again. Time for upsets, buzzer-beaters, busted brackets, and more than a few Cinderella stories. 68 teams enter, only one will be crowned victorious as a National Champion. The four #1 seeds are Florida, Arizona, Wichita State, and Virginia.

The strongest of the bunch are the Florida Gators. Led by a slew of upper-classmen, this team is ranked #1 in the country and has improved progressively as the year has gone on on the backs of muscular big man Patric Young and SEC player of the year, Scottie Wilbekin.

Wichita State went undefeated this season and has only gotten better since making it to the Final Four last year as a #9 seed. Led by Ron Baker and Cleanthony Early, this team is again looking to make waves int hte tournament despite being in one of the most punishing regions.

Arizona was one of favorites to win the title to begin the year because of the combination of talented returning players along with the athletic freshman, Aaron Gordon. Although he has struggled from the field and from teh free throw line, Gordon is looking to lead the Wildcats to their first title since 1997.

Lastly there is Virginia. Coming into the year with high hopes in a tough conference, Virginia struggled early with losses to mediocre teams like Green Bay and VCU. However, upon the beginning of ACC conference play, they seemed to flip a switch and finished with a 16-2 conference record, good enough for the outright regular season ACC Title. They then went on to win the ACC tournament with an impressive win over star-studded Duke. Looking to build on that momentum, the Cavaliers will have to navigate a daunting region which includes a hot Michigan State Team.