March Madness 2017 Schedule: Bracket, Round-by-Round Dates, TV Info and More

The 68-team field for the NCAA tournament is set, but only one of those squads will be able to bring home a national championship.

There are a long list of potential contenders going into this tournament, including not only the No. 1 seeds and those who have been ranked highly all season, but also teams peaking at the right time. Still, the squads that will succeed will be the ones with the talent, experience, balance, coaching and more that separate them from the field.

Although the idea of March Madness means the eventual champion could come out of nowhere, these elite teams are likely the top threats to go all the way.

Bracket

Bleacher Report's printable bracket available here.

Schedule

Round	Date(s)	TV Networks
First Four	Tuesday, March 14 & Wednesday, March 15	TruTV
Round of 64	Thursday, March 16 & Friday, March 17	CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
Round of 32	Saturday, March 18 & Sunday, March 19	CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV
Sweet 16	Thursday, March 23 & Friday, March 24	CBS, TBS
Elite 8	Saturday, March 25 & Sunday, March 26	CBS, TBS
Final Four	Saturday, April 1	CBS
Championship Game	Monday, April 3	CBS

Top Contenders

Villanova

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No team has won back-to-back national championships since Florida in 2006 and 2007, which shows how hard it is to defend a title. One of the biggest problems has been losing players to graduation or the NBA after big showings in March.

However, the Wildcats returned most of their key players, starting with Josh Hart. The senior guard was the team's go-to option last season and has been even better this year while averaging 18.9 points per game with a well-rounded skill set.

Add in Jalen Brunson and national title game hero Kris Jenkins, and Villanova has almost as much returning experience as any national champion in the last decade.

The question marks are about the team's depth and whether anyone besides those three will score. The rest of the lineup combined for just 11 and 16 points in the two regular-season losses to Butler.

Head coach Jay Wright admitted the shallow lineup had the team "tired" and "worn down" going into March, per Joe Juliano of Philly.com. Still, there were no problems en route to winning the Big East title.

Winning six more games in a row could be a challenge for this group.

Kansas

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Like Villanova, depth is a big issue for Kansas, especially in the frontcourt. If Landen Lucas gets into foul trouble, there are few reliable options to replace him. Playing without Josh Jackson in the Big 12 tournament led to an early loss to TCU.

Still, Kansas is good enough elsewhere to keep the team a top contender going into the NCAA tournament.

The Jayhawks have arguably the toughest guard in the country in Frank Mason III, a player you want with the ball in his hands at the end of games. The All-American had been a solid performer over the past two years, but he took a huge leap this season with a scoring jump from 12.9 points per game to 20.8.

With freshman Jackson also filling up the box score in a variety of ways while playing elite defense, this team is tough to match up against. This unsurprisingly led to yet another Big 12 regular-season title.

What Kansas will need to do is prove the recent postseason problems will not creep up again. The squad is seemingly a top contender every year but hasn't reached the Final Four since 2012. Even as a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in each of the last four seasons, expectations have not been achieved.

Every team is different, but fans are certainly going to be careful when making selections.

Gonzaga

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Another team that will have to overcome its history is Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs went from lovable underdogs to consistently overrated in the eyes of casual fans. The last time the squad was a No. 1 seed, it lost in the round of 32.

Obviously, the 2013 Wichita State team that went to the Final Four as a No. 9 seed was vastly underrated. Gonzaga has also put together strong tournament runs in the last two years.

Most importantly, however, this is a new team with a new story. Nigel Williams-Goss is in the midst of an outstanding season, showcasing his versatility with 22 points, six assists, six rebounds and six steals in the latest win over Saint Mary's in the West Coast Conference final. Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins also adds some serious size in the post.

In addition to three wins over the conference rivals, the Bulldogs have beaten Arizona, Florida and Iowa State, all on neutral courts. A 32-1 record is also hard to deny regardless of who you play.

Head coach Mark Few has had talented teams in the past, but this squad has as good of a chance as any of getting to the Final Four and possibly winning it all.

North Carolina

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Duke is the team many will discuss after its impressive run through the ACC tournament, but North Carolina has been the better and more consistent squad over the course of the season in the toughest league in the country.

The key to the team's success was the development of Justin Jackson, who was already a tough player to defend at 6'8" with the ability to attack the net. He then added an outside shot that was missing (37.7 percent from three this season, compared to 29.2 percent last season), making him a matchup nightmare throughout the season.

With Joel Berry and Kennedy Meeks, both starters in last year's team that reached the national title game, the squad has postseason experience that only Villanova can match.

The separation comes from the impressive balance between the guards and forwards, crafty veterans and enthusiastic freshmen, superstars and role players. Everyone seems to know what they should be doing on the floor, and it has turned the squad into a well-oiled machine.

Conversely, Duke relies on just a few players who need to come through with their best effort every single game.

UNC has more losses than the other top contenders, but the team is battle-tested and will be ready to compete over the next six games if necessary.

UCLA

Oregon got a piece of the Pac-12 regular-season title while Arizona won the tournament championship, but UCLA might be the scariest team from the Conference of Champions.

The computer numbers aren't favorable for the Bruins. A poor strength of schedule has led to a low RPI, while questionable defense keeps the team No. 18 overall in the KenPom.com rankings.

What UCLA does have is arguably the most exciting team in the country.

Lonzo Ball has been a star in his freshman season as the engine of the highest-scoring team in college basketball. He enters the tournament averaging 14.6 points, 7.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.

Of course, he isn't doing all the work himself, as six different players are averaging double figures this season.

Seniors Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton are capable of carrying the team on a given night, while freshman TJ Leaf provides balance in the post. Just about everyone on the roster can hit a jump shot as well, making the squad dangerous from everywhere on the court.

Once again, the defense leaves a lot to be desired with a team that is undersized at a few positions. However, this only hurts the Bruins if you can outscore them, which few opponents can do.

While UCLA isn't a top seed, few teams in the country have greater upside.