Minutes after his team lost to Michigan last month, Purdue coach Matt Painter offered a mildly spicy prediction that almost could be interpreted as a national championship pick.
“They ain’t losing four games,” Painter said of Michigan.
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Maybe not, but days later, Michigan lost its second game to fellow frontrunner Duke and surrendered the No. 1 ranking.
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The point here is not to question the Wolverines’ excellence, but only to say that even the most robust college basketball teams are not immune to defeat. It only takes one off night or one great performance from an opponent to get bounced from March Madness.
Undefeated mid-major Miami (Ohio) is the nation’s only team without at least two losses.
As we sit one week away from the major conference tournaments tipping off, four teams have established themselves as national championship frontrunners: Michigan, Duke, Arizona and Florida. And still, the list of national championship contenders runs deeper than that.
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Here are two teams from each of the five major conferences that could contend for the national championship, plus one familiar wild card from outside the power leagues.
Note: This is not a complete list of national championship contenders, because some conferences (the Big 12, in particular), have more than two teams that could play into April.
ACC
Best bet: Duke
Duke just smoked Virginia, the ACC’s second-place team, by 26 points. The Blue Devils’ wall of pelts includes Michigan, Florida and Michigan State. The big question: Will youth prevail? Freshman Cameron Boozer and sophomores Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba II power Duke. They must challenge the theory old teams win in March.
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One more to consider: North Carolina
The Tar Heels recovered well after a rough January. They own wins against Duke and Virginia. Caleb Wilson is a member of a sensational freshman class across the nation. He can go for 20-plus points on any given night.
Big East
Best bet: UConn
If you subscribe to the basketball belief of “get old, stay old,” then you’ll love UConn. Alex Karaban has started 140 games, all for UConn, a throwback in this portal era. Add in Solo Ball, Tarris Reed Jr. and Silas Demary Jr., and you get a veteran lineup full double-digit scorers. Oh, one more thing: Dan Hurley is 15-5 in NCAA Tournament games.
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One more to consider: St. John’s
The Big East isn’t very deep, and including Rick Pitino’s team among championship contenders is a stretch. But, the Red Storm are hot, winners of 14 of their past 15, and Zuby Ejiofor is a fabulous stat-stuffer.
Big Ten
Best bet: Michigan
Dusty May can flat-out coach, and his Wolverines can ball. To build an all-transfer team, you wouldn’t need to look much beyond Michigan. Yaxel Lendeborg, a sixth-year senior by way of UAB, shines brightest on this team that’s forged from the portal. Michigan’s dominant resume points to a team with a real chance to end the Big Ten’s national championship drought, ongoing since 2000 Michigan State.
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One more to consider: Illinois
Call them the “Balkan Boys,” and Brad Underwood’s Euro-Illini score with the best of them. They’ve reached 90 points in eight games. Of course, they lost two of those games, which says something of their streaky defense. The Illini won 12 straight during a midseason hot streak. It’s possible they peaked too soon.
Big 12
Best bet: Arizona
Arizona has a reputation for being something of a March Madness bust. Despite persistent lofty seeds, it last reached the Final Four in 2001 under Lute Olson. Put history aside, and you’ll see a team with tremendous balance and a deep list of marquee victories. Arizona shines amid the nation’s toughest conference. No team is more battle-tested.
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One more to consider: Houston
Kelvin Sampson ranks among the best active coaches to never win a national championship. He almost changed that last season. Houston stands out within a deep Big 12 for its mix of veterans who’ve been through March Madness fires (Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan and Joseph Tugler), plus freshman dynamo Kingston Flemings.
SEC
Best bet: Florida
The Gators are scalding hot and full of swamp swagger. It’s past time to take seriously their repeat potential. They’re blowing out their SEC competition, and although they lost to Arizona, Duke and UConn in nonconference play, those were down-to-the-wire games. Led by Thomas Haugh, Florida has six guys who can go off for double digits.
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One more to consider: Alabama
A funny thing happened after a judge decided former pro basketball player Charles Bediako couldn’t keep playing for Alabama: The Tide stopped losing. Never mind ex-pros, Alabama will go as far as 20-year-old Labaron Philon Jr. takes it. The Tide are streaky and a bit deficient on the interior, but when they get hot, this team can blow past 100 points.
Non-power conference wild card
Best bet: Gonzaga
Mark Few joins Sampson from Houston on a Mount Rushmore of best coaches without a national championship. Veteran big man Graham Ike fuels the engine. Truthfully, Gonzaga profiles more as a Sweet 16 team than a top-shelf national championship contender. But, hey, this is March, and the Zags need no introduction to the bracket-buster role.
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Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness national title contenders don’t stop at Duke, Michigan