Duke Triumphs Over Top Rivalry: Wildcats Secure Championship Victory!
Duke’s reward for grabbing the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA men’s tournament? The Blue Devils now have the most difficult road to winning the championship.
That’s at least according to an analysis of KenPom ratings. Duke has UConn and Michigan State — two of the 11 KenPom-certified national championship contenders — before even reaching the Final Four. And Kansas is a rugged No.
4. UConn ranks 28th in KenPom offense and 11th in defense. Michigan State's profile is strong enough to be labeled a title contender by KenPom.
Kansas, meanwhile, is one of just 11 teams in the nation with eight Quad 1 wins, with a defense-only rating that qualifies for the Sweet 16 KenPom tier. [ Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem: Fill out brackets for your shot at $50K ] No other No. 1 seed faces that stacked of threats in their region on the road to Indianapolis.
Duke is the best team in the country and has the hardest path to the championship — a rough combination. Who has the second-toughest region as a No. 1?