6 favorites to win the NCAA tournament

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Now that the dust has settled and the brackets have been released, it's time to breakdown just who will win the 78th edition of March Madness.

Arizona - No. 2 Seed (West Region)

Not as flashy on the national stage this season as conference foes Oregon and UCLA, the Wildcats beat both in the Pac-12 tournament to claim the conference title to go along with their regular-season championship as well.

There were many question marks at the beginning of the season, when Ray Smith retired after his third ACL surgery, star guard Allonzo Trier was suspended 19 games after a positive PED test, and no one knew the impact 7-foot Finnish freshman Lauri Markkanen would have.

Fast forward and the Wildcats are rolling, having won 24 of their last 26 games, with Trier leading the team in scoring and Markkanen second.

Also, the path to the Final Four sets up well, as the Wildcats slide in nicely as the No. 2 seed in the West Region, where they would play in nearby San Jose in the Elite 8 before a trip just up the I-10 from campus to Phoenix for the Final Four.

Duke - No. 2 Seed (East Region)

No team is hotter than the Duke Blue Devils, after taking down Louisville, North Carolina, and Notre Dame en route to their 20th ACC tournament title. Taking down three ranked teams had many thinking of Duke as a potential No. 1 seed.

Now having answered many of those questions, Duke is now the betting favorite to win their sixth title, which would be a remarkable feat after what the program had to deal with during the season.

From Grayson Allen being suspended for a game, star freshmen not living up to their hype, and more importantly, head coach Mike Krzyzewski being sidelined a month after back surgery, the pieces seem to be all coming back together.

The team is as healthy as possible, with Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard being one of the strongest duos in the country. Five-star freshman Harry Giles is starting to find himself after summer knee surgery, and Allen seems to have regained his form, averaging 15.3 points in his last three games.

Kansas - No. 1 Seed (Midwest Region)

Kansas looked like it was going to cruise through the Big 12 conference tournament, much the same way it cruised to its 13th consecutive regular-season title, earning a No. 1 ranking in the polls led by senior Frank Mason III.

However, the Jayhawks were upended by TCU in the quarterfinals, raising some eyebrows. In their game against the Horned Frogs, Kansas was without star freshman Josh Jackson, who was suspended after vandalizing a car.

Learning that the line separating success from failure is razor thin was a wake up call to both the Jayhawks and Jackson.

With an extra few days to regroup and get healthy, Kansas will be looking to earn their fourth title. The Jayhawks starting five consists of four upperclassman, while their sixth man, Lagerald Vick, is a sophomore, making them one of the most experienced teams in the country.

North Carolina - No. 1 Seed (South Region)

North Carolina lost in the most heartbreaking way a year ago. After Marcus Paige made an out of this world 3-pointer to tie Villanova, Kris Jenkins followed it up with a buzzer-beater three of his own to win.

A year later, the Tar Heels bullied their way to an ACC regular-season title, leading the country in rebounding and offensive rebounding. North Carolina has the size to dominate down low, but can also hit the three thanks to ACC Player of the Year Justin Jackson, along with Joel Berry II.

Three starters from last year's second-place team return, in Jackson, Berry, and Kennedy Meeks. While Isaiah Hicks and Theo Pinson played a combined 32 minutes in the title game off the bench and are now starters.

UCLA - No. 3 Seed (South Region)

The Bruins' high flying offense made a return this season, after UCLA did not qualify in 2016.

Led by star freshmen Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf, UCLA took down Kentucky in Lexington, giving them a lot of confidence in the event the Bruins and Wildcats meet again in the Sweet 16.

Ball may have been overshadowed by his father LaVar's comments this year, but that doesn't take away from the fact the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 assists, and 6.1 rebounds.

Leaf led the Bruins in scoring, but his injured ankle is cause for concern and the Bruins are hoping he will be at full strength come tournament time, as UCLA will have to get through Kentucky and North Carolina en route to the Final Four.

Still, with the most talented Bruins team since the Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook era, UCLA has the players to go on a run and win their nation leading 12th national championship.

Villanova - No. 1 Seed (East Region)

Like North Carolina, the Wildcats return as a veteran team who was able to avoid a championship hangover, winning the Big East regular season and tournament titles.

Villanova also returns three starters from last year's title game in the likes of Jenkins, Josh Hart, and Jalen Brunson. Joining them this year in the starting five are Darryl Reynolds and Mikal Bridges, who played 25 combined minutes in the heartbreaker against North Carolina.

The defending champs are hoping to be the first team since Florida (2006-07) to win back-to-back titles, and Jay Wright has his club looking like they very well might be able to pull of the feat.

Earning the top seed by the selection committee, Villanova will get to play close to home, as their trip to the Final Four goes through New York and Madison Square Garden, where the Wildcats just won the Big East conference tournament.