The Vermont Catamounts, the No. 2 seed, are trying to get back to the NCAA Tourney for the fourth time in five years after regressing last season. Vermont enjoyed a slightly better campaign in 2025-26, going 21-11, and should be able to take out NJIT in the semi-finals on Tuesday after bitch-slapping Bryant by 20 points in the quarterfinals.

Duke went 35-4 in 2024-25, going all the way to the Final Four before bowing out, and this season the Blue Devils are even better with 25 wins and just two losses as we head into the home stretch. They’ve won four straight and 14 of 15.

Council, playing for his third NCAA school in three seasons (Wagner and St. Bonaventure; and Juco ball in the two previous seasons), has been a full-time starter in each of the last two seasons, but isn’t seeing quite as much PT on deeper Kansas squad. His touches are down for the second straight season, but he’s never shot it better from downtown (although it wasn’t a big hurdle to top here) and is logging more assists than ever.

Last season was a step back for Purdue as it slipped to 24 wins and lost in the regional semifinals, but the school has bounced back so far this season. After an amazing 17-1 start, the Boilermakers hit a skid recently, dropping three straight conference games before rebounding with a convincing win over Maryland then surviving a scare against Oregon on Saturday.

Two seasons ago, the South Dakota Coyotes hit rock bottom with a mere 12 wins, but bounced back to 19 victories a year ago. Unfortunately, the traction gained hasn’t held as South Dakota got off to an 0-2 start, and despite turning things around with a 5-1 run, has gone 6-8 since, including a 3-4 mark in Summit League play.

Back in 2022-23, the Alabama A&M Bulldogs seemed to be making progress, winning 15 times for its highest total since 2004-05 – the only season the school has made the NCAA tourney. However, it’s been downhill since as Alabama A&M dropped to a dozen wins the following season and then just 10 last season.