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A look at the best to come in the NCAA Tournament By The Associated Press Mar 15, 2017 12:00 AM A A This year's NCAA Tournament has a chance to be just as good as 2016, when Kris Jenkins capped March Madness the most dramatic way possible with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win Villanova a title. North Carolina fans may not have liked it, but it was the perfect end to a wild tournament filled with upsets and great games. Plus, the Tar Heels are a No. 1 seed again opposite Villanova on the other side of the 68-team field, setting up the chance for a championship game rematch on April 3. And so the madness of March revs up all over again — a tournament loaded with great teams, players and marquee matchups. A few things to look for: ___ TOP TEAMS Villanova . The defending national champions are the top overall seed and on a roll. No need to start anywhere else. Kansas . The Jayhawks may have had an early exit in the Big 12 Tournament, but they have one of the most talented rosters anywhere. North Carolina . So good, even a loss to rival Duke in the ACC Tournament wasn't enough to knock them down from a No. 1 seed. Gonzaga . Call them overrated all you want, these Zags are deep, athletic and probably the best team coach Mark Few has had in the Inland Northwest. Arizona . Pac-12 Tournament and co-regular season champions have coach Sean Miller eyeing his first Final Four. Duke . Blue Devils had their share of struggles, but appear to be peaking at the right time. ___ TOP PLAYERS Frank Mason III, Kansas . Leader and go-to player for a program that won its 13th straight Big 12 title. Josh Hart, Villanova . Does it all, already has one national title. Lonzo Ball, UCLA . One-and-done star plays with poise and flair, led the nation in assists (7.7), could be the No. 1 overall NBA pick. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue . Double-double machine is doing things that haven't been done in the Big Ten for decades. Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga . Steady, clutch, engine that makes the Zags go. Monte Morris, Iowa State . Led the nation with a 6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio — and no else was even close. ___ MUST-WATCH GAMES Northwestern vs. Vanderbilt , West Region, Thursday in Salt Lake City. The Wildcats waited 78 years to play in the NCAA Tournament and the Commodores want to spoil it. UNC-Wilmington vs. Virginia , East Region, Friday in Buffalo. The Seahawks were 10th nationally with 85.2 points per game. The Cavaliers barely give that up in two games. Michigan vs. Oklahoma State , Midwest Region, Friday in Indianapolis. Two of the nation's best in offensive efficiency will put the ball in the basket. Iona vs. Oregon , Midwest Region, Friday in Sacramento. The cameras may need to stay on wide angles to keep track of these frenetic teams. Dayton vs. Wichita State , South Region, Friday in Indianapolis. Two mid-majors looking to make a major run through the bracket. Kentucky vs. UCLA , South Region final. Here's hoping they get that far. The first game in Las Vegas was epic. ___ MID-MAJOR STARS Mike Daum, South Dakota State . The Summit League player of the year is the top scorer in the NCAA Tournament at 25.3 points per game. Junior Robinson, Mount Saint Mary's . The smallest player in the bracket — 5-foot-5 — plays big. He had 23 points and the go-ahead jumper in the Mountaineers' 67-66 First Four win over New Orleans. Keon Johnson, Winthrop . Another little guy — he's 5-7 — who can score in bunches. The Big South player of the year averages 22.5 points per game. Jimmy Hall, Kent State . He declared for the NBA draft last season before changing his mind. It worked out for the Golden Flashes; he leads them with 18.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. JaCorey Williams, Middle Tennessee . Arkansas transfer was the Conference-USA player of the year after averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. ___ NUMBERS 5-1 — Odds Kansas will win the national title, according to MGM Resorts International. Other casinos disagree, listing North Carolina as the favorite. Some even opened giving No. 2 seed Duke the best odds before switching to the Tar Heels. 9 — ACC teams in the field, most of any conference. 13.1 — Rebounding average of Seton Hall's Angel Delgado, best in the field. 32-1 — Best record in the field, by Gonzaga. 79.9 percent — Free-throw percentage by Notre Dame, highest of the 68 teams. 90.3 — Scoring average of UCLA, leading the nation. 2,900 — Approximate miles of the longest road trip in the tournament, by Rhode Island to Sacramento, California, for games in the East Regional. 10.4 billion — Amount in dollars expected to be bet on this year's tournament, about $1.2 billion more than last season. In this Sunday, March 5, 2017, file photo, Winthrop's Keon Johnson (5) reacts after making a 3-point basket against Campbell in the second half of the Big South Conference championship NCAA college basketball game against Campbell in Rock Hill, S.C. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS