NCAA Bracket 2015: March Madness Schedule, Bracket Predictions for Marquee Teams

In preparation for predicting a series of March Madness outcomes, let's predict the starting spot for some championship hopefuls.

First, let's get the obvious out of the way: Kentucky is the best team in college basketball. The undefeated juggernaut would have to end the season with a 100-0 loss against Florida to question its crown. The Wildcats get a No. 1 seed.

Brandishing a 28-1 record and KenPom.com's top-rated defense, Virginia also has the inside track to a top spot. After that, it's a mess.

A handful of other teams will joust for the remaining No. 1 seeds, and several others will push and shove for No. 2 consideration. With the regular season winding down, let's take a look at some interesting cases heading into March Madness.

Duke

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Pedigree will help head coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils, who place No. 8 in KenPom.com's team ratings yet are projected by ESPN's Joe Lunardi to grab a top seed. That's not to belittle their recent achievements, as they possess the second-best adjusted offense behind Wisconsin and ESPN.com's second-best non-conference RPI. 

The Badgers also boast a higher defensive rating, but they hold an identical three losses on the year, one of which came at Duke's hands. That, along with a recent misstep against Maryland, pushes them to a No. 2 seed. 

Duke, on the other hand, accentuated a 10-game winning streak by dismantling Wake Forrest, 94-51, on Wednesday. And that stampeding came with only six points from star big man and expected lottery pick Jahlil Okafor, who is averaging 17.8 points per game on a blistering 66.5 field-goal percentage. 

Expect a beloved program riding a hot streak with a legendary coach and superstar freshman to receive preferential treatment. That is, of course, assuming Duke takes care of business against nemesis North Carolina, which provided another classic in a losing effort on Feb. 18's overtime thriller.

Prediction: No. 1 seed (No. 5 overall)

Villanova

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One more No. 1 spot dangles above the rafters for someone to grab. As of now, Villanova and Arizona are the prime contenders for the distinction.

On the precipice of disaster, the Wildcats escaped Tuesday night with a four-point victory over Creighton. Despite sinking six of their 22 three-point attempts, they salvaged a win with 23 points from Ryan Arcidiacono. 

"They just made it an ugly game, and we had to be willing to play ugly and gut it out, and we did," Villanova coach Jay Wright said after the game in an Associated Press report, via ESPN.com.

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Due to playing in a diminished Big East, their legitimacy is questioned. Yet they're riding high with 11 straight wins, and the numbers back up their credibility. They average a 14.4-point margin of victory, helping them earn a No. 4 RPI and No. 5 KenPom.com rating. 

Without one dominant scorer, they field a well-rounded offense with five players averaging at least 9.6 points per contest. They're also defensively sound with junior Daniel Ochefu patrolling the paint, so don't discount the Wildcats.

Prediction: No. 1 seed (No. 4 overall)

Arizona

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This leaves Arizona out of a luck as the top No. 2 school. That sets up a potential Elite Eight bout between both Wildcats. (Seriously, why is everyone the Wildcats?)

These Pac-12 Wildcats are peaking at the right time, winning their last six games by a combined 125 points. According to The Hoop Vision's Jordan Sperber, they're one of basketball's most efficient teams after a sluggish start:

They shoot a noteworthy 48.6 percent from the floor, but they won't make much noise from downtown, posting a pedestrian 35.1 three-point percentage. Their 69.7 percent free-throw clip also offers a path to an upset like Feb. 7's loss to Arizona State.

Yet its towering size has procured enough success on both ends to value Arizona as a top-five club. Unfortunately, there are only four top seeds to dispense.

Prediction: No. 2 seed (No. 5 overall)

Kansas

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Kansas' 24-6 record doesn't line up with college basketball's heavy-hitters, costing Bill Self's squad any chance of landing a No. 1 seed. Although currently ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25, the Jayhawks still deserve to enter the tournament with a No. 2 billing.

A cray comeback win on Tuesday ensured Kansas will enter the Big 12 tournament with the conference's best record. It's standard procedure by now, as pointed out by SportsCenter's Twitter account:

The Big 12 leaders have suffered a brutal schedule. Both KenPom.com and ESPN.com credit them with the toughest strength of schedule, which culminates with No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday. No team has amassed more than Kansas' seven victories against top-25 RPI schools, and only Kentucky—which slayed Kansas by 32 points in November—has tallied more than its 11 wins against top-50 crews.

Such tough sledding has the Jayhawks No. 2 in RPI behind Kentucky. Impressing in their conference tournament should solidify prominent seeding despite their six losses.

Prediction: No. 2 (No. 8 overall) 

Advanced stats, courtesy of ESPN.com and KenPom.com, are updated as of Thursday night.