While many college basketball teams are putting the finishing touches on an excellent campaign and moving into March with tons of momentum, not every squad has lived up to preseason expectations.
Though some tournament hopefuls from way back in November are long gone from contention, there's still a group of teams that have done enough to hear their names called on Selection Sunday, even if we expected more from them.
Here, we break down five programs that have a chance to live up to the hype if they turn up their play in the campaign's final months.
BYU
Just a few weeks ago, BYU had seemed well on its way to one of the best seasons in program history. On Jan. 17, the Cougars were 16-1, with their only loss a two-point defeat to UConn. However, they've struggled since, going 2-5.
Of course, context is important here. Four of BYU's losses were to surefire NCAA Tournament teams in Texas Tech, Arizona, Kansas, and Houston. But with shaky defense, a continued lack of depth, and a concerning loss to Oklahoma State, it's fair to question the Cougars' upside.
Projected as a top pick in the NBA draft, AJ Dybantsa has remained a constant for BYU. Outside of a tough 6-for-17 outing against Texas Tech, he's scored at least 16 points in every game this season, including 20-plus in 14 of the last 16 contests. However, unless the pieces around him improve or the bench provides any level of production, all of Dybantsa's immense success won't lead to a deep March Madness run.
The good news for the Cougars is that the schedule gets easier, and they aren't in danger of missing the Big Dance. Still, it's worth keeping an eye on how this group bounces back from the rough stretch.
Kentucky
Kentucky's season has been a whirlwind, starting the year 0-4 against high-major teams and Gonzaga, with two of those coming in blowout fashion. Since then, the Wildcats are 10-3 against power-conference foes and have won eight of their last nine games.
Despite the surge, you'll certainly find some issues with Big Blue Nation if you pull up the hood. Kentucky trailed by at least 14 points in three of its SEC victories, including both wins over Tennessee. While credit is due for the late-game heroics, falling behind by double digits multiple times highlights the roster's issues.
Notably, Kentucky lacks a true second option next to Otega Oweh. The second-year star leads the team in points per game by nearly five, a margin that widens to 7.6 points in just SEC play.
Injuries are also building up in Lexington. Projected starting point guard Jaland Lowe is out for the season after playing just nine games, and potential first-rounder Jayden Quaintance's campaign is potentially done after four contests. To make things worse, 3-point specialist Kam Williams recently went down with a broken foot. Depth was supposed to be a strength coming into the year, but it's been thinning as the season has progressed.
Wins are wins, so there's no cause for panic as there was earlier in the season. But with matchups against six projected NCAA Tournament teams in their last seven SEC regular-season contests, the Wildcats might be turning up the panic meter if they can't put together consistent 40-minute performances.
UCLA
UCLA entered the season with sky-high expectations after adding former New Mexico star point guard Donovan Dent in the transfer portal to pair with three key returning starters from last season's NCAA Tournament team. While things haven't been horrible, UCLA fans were likely hoping for something better than a 17-7 record and one win over a projected March Madness squad.
Much like last season, the Bruins have been really poor on the road when traveling away from the West Coast in the new Big Ten. They're just 1-3 in those contests, with their only win coming against a 1-12 Penn State. UCLA still has tough matchups at Michigan, Michigan State, and Minnesota - all in different time zones.
Dent also hasn't fully lived up to expectations as a scorer this season, with his scoring average dropping from 20.4 last year to 13.7 and his efficiency tanking across the board.
That said, once backcourt starter Skyy Clark returns from injury, the Bruins regain a key contributor and maintain a high ceiling. UCLA flashed that upside in a narrow two-point win over Purdue at home on Jan. 20. If Dent finds his scoring touch and Mick Cronin's defensive approach continues to strengthen, the season won't be fully lost for this squad.
Wisconsin
You can't talk about Wisconsin without mentioning the Badgers having one of the best wins of the entire season: walking into Michigan's building and handing the Wolverines their only loss of the season, a thrilling 91-88 victory.
However, that win was the only leg this team's postseason resume stands on before Tuesday's victory at Illinois. Wisconsin has no bad losses, but its subpar defense and lack of two-point offense have led the program to falter in every other big-game scenario. The Badgers rank 352nd in percentage of points scored from inside the arc, a weakness illuminated by the fact that their win over Michigan came courtesy of a red-hot 15-of-33 from deep.
Wisconsin will have loads of opportunities for a third signature victory in the loaded Big Ten, with Michigan State, Iowa, and Purdue all on tap. But if the Badgers lose all those contests, the question of whether the victories over Michigan and Illinois were just a fluke will start to arise.
Though the starting backcourt of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell can compete with any pairing in the Big Ten, the Badgers' biggest wins have come when role players like Aleksas Bieliauskas, Austin Rapp, and Braeden Carrington have stepped up. Wisconsin needs a full team effort for this group to maximize its offensive firepower.
Ohio State
Ohio State has the least likely chance to make the Big Dance of all the teams listed here, yet there's still hope in Columbus. The Buckeyes' only win over a top-50 KenPom team this season came at home against UCLA, and we've already talked about how much worse the Bruins are when they make cross-country trips.
While Ohio State boasts one of the country's best Big Threes in Bruce Thornton, John Mobley, and Devin Royal, it's getting help from everyone else that's been the issue. Forwards Amare Bynum and Christoph Tilly have been solid, but they've combined for 24-for-104 from beyond the arc this season. Additionally, no healthy player on the team's bench is averaging more than 3.9 points per game.
You can't deny the top-end talent of Ohio State, but this marks the fourth straight season in which a Thornton-led team has talent but projects to fall short of the NCAA Tournament. Despite ranking in the top 50 in Ken Pom all four years of Thornton's storied career, the Buckeyes have never broken through to March Madness.
Ohio State has at least six more chances against projected NCAA Tournament teams, with even more if it advances in the Big Ten tournament. The program will likely need at least two huge wins to finally give its star his first taste of March hoops.
