NCAA Basketball

College basketball has been heating up as the regular season ends and teams like Duke and Arizona prepare for March Madness. Standout players like AJ Dybansta and Darryn Peterson promise to put on a show if their teams advance to the tournament as they have for the regular season.

Duke is the number one-ranked team in the nation as of March 10th. They had been led by freshman forward Cameron Boozer, averaging 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as of March 10th, all of which are the highest averages at Duke. Boozer is considered one of the best players in the nation. His brother, Cayden, is a guard for Duke, and his father, Carlos, also played for Duke and was a two-time all-star in the NBA.

Number two-ranked Arizona (as of March 10th) has proven to be a contending team heading into the NCAA Tournament. Guard Brayden Burries leads the team with 16.0 points per game, while guard Jaden Bradley has led the Wildcats in assists and steals. Their 43.0 rebounds per game is the sixth best in the nation.

“I think Arizona will win the national championship because Arizona has what people would call an almost perfect team. They have enough shooters to get them through the game, and their rebounding is solid. Also, their defense is a top defense in all of division one basketball, and look at UConn, they are missing the defense, and defense is so important that it will be the reason UConn might not win this year. In all, I think Arizona will win,” NHS sophomore Bobby DeNicola said.

Florida, the defending national champions, is ranked 4th in the nation as of March 10th. Forward Thomas Haugh leads the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game, while center Reuben Chinyelu leads the team in rebounds with 11.7 per game, both as of March 10th.

Miami University went undefeated during the regular season, going 31-0. They are the first team to do this since Gonzaga in 2021. Not everyone was convinced they deserve a spot in March Madness if they didn’t win their conference championship.

“If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country,” former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said.

While there is some backlash, other fans and media consider the historical success of undefeated teams in the NCAA Tournament as reason for Miami to make it.

“I think they should be in March Madness because if you look at the many teams in the past who went undefeated, they all went to at least the Elite 8. And if you don’t give Miami Ohio a chance, what is March Madness? Then you’re going to give the chance to a team that is worse than them all because they may have lost to a top ten team in their regular season by 20+, they should have a chance like anyone else, good or bad schedule,” DeNicola said.

UConn, after winning back-to-back national championships, lost to Florida last year 77-75 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Dan Hurley has helped the Huskies rebound this year to a 6th-ranked team in the country as of March 10th, with many fans eager to see them succeed in the NCAA Tournament.

“I think anything is possible [for UConn], especially with the team they have with Dan Hurley as their coach, they've proved it before. Alex Karaban, Braylon Mullins, and Solo Ball are great shooters who score points, and Tarris Reed is an athletic big man who dominates the paint. And even their bench is stacked, they have so much depth,” NHS sophomore Ethan Freylikhman said.

One of the projected top picks in the NBA draft and a candidate for the Wooden Award is BYU freshman forward AJ Dybansta. Dybansta has been averaging 25.2 points per game, the highest average in division one basketball. BYU is unranked as of March 11th; they are projected by the media to make the NCAA Tournament despite this. 

“I think the best player this year is AJ Dybantsa because he is a very strong and talented true freshman, probably the best player in the upcoming draft if he declares. But I think he is the best because as a true freshman he is already averaging 24 to 25 points, leading his team and also being one of the best, most athletic players in college basketball. I really do think he is maybe another Cooper Flagg coming to this next NBA season if he declares,” DeNicola said.

Another projected top pick for the 2026 NBA draft is Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson. Kansas is also projected to make the NCAA Tournament as of March 10th, being ranked 14th in the nation. While Peterson has played in 20 of the Jayhawks 31 games this season, he has left an impact when he has played, averaging 19.9 points per game and 1.4 steals per game. He has shown potential to stay healthy for the NCAA Tournament.

"I'm feeling good. Perfect timing, if you ask me, going into the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA. I'm feeling probably the best I've felt all year,” Peterson said.

This division one college basketball season has featured numerous examples of high-level talent across the nation. The culmination of this basketball season is sure to excite fans and crown greatness.