Men's NCAA Tournament 2022: Ranking Hottest Teams Heading into Selection Sunday

Momentum can be a valuable weapon in the men's NCAA tournament.

A hot streak down the stretch has shot some teams up seed lines and improved their overall standing. For other teams, a late push will be necessary just to be part of the March Madness conversation, and that includes the long list of mid-major standouts from one-bid leagues that have no choice but to finish strong to earn their spot.

Ahead, we've ranked the hottest teams in the nation entering Selection Sunday, based on a combination of performance over the last 10 games, quality of opponent and current trajectory. Included is a look at how each team has fared against projected tournament competition during that stretch, per Bracket Matrix as of Thursday afternoon.

We'll start with some mid-major programs on a roll that are still trying to clinch a spot and take it from there.

1-Bid League Standouts Still Playing for a Spot

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Vermont guard Ben Shungu

These mid-major teams are playing extremely well of late, but they will be on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament unless they can run the table in their conference tournament to claim the automatic bid:

• Kent State (Last 10: 10-0, Win Streak: 13)
• Nicholls State (Last 10: 9-1, Win Streak: 2)
• North Texas (Last 10: 9-1, Win Streak: 1)
• Vermont (Last 10: 9-1, Win Streak: 7)

Other 1-Bid League Standouts That Have Clinched a Spot

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Bryant guard Peter Kiss

Bryant Bulldogs (22-9, 15-2 in NEC)

Last 10: 9-1; Win Streak: 7

The Bulldogs have the nation's leading scorer in Peter Kiss (25.1 PPG) and a 14-1 record in their last 15 games. They are in the NCAA tournament field for the first time in team history following a 70-43 win over Wagner in the NEC title game.

Colgate Raiders (23-11, 16-2 in Patriot)

Last 10: 10-0; Win Streak: 15

The Raiders rank second in Division l with a blistering 40.3 percent clip from beyond the arc, and all five starters are averaging double figures. After an ugly 4-10 start to the year, they've lost just once since early January.

Georgia State Panthers (18-10, 9-5 in Sun Belt)

Last 10: 10-0; Win Streak: 10

After four straight losses to begin conference play, the Panthers went 9-1 the rest of the way before picking up three wins in three days in the Sun Belt tournament to secure the automatic bid. Leading scorer Corey Allen enters the NCAA tournament coming off back-to-back 29-point games.

Longwood Lancers (26-6, 15-1 in Big South)

Last 10: 9-1; Win Streak: 8

An eight-point road loss to North Carolina A&T on Feb. 12 was the only blemish on Longwood's conference slate. They went 15-1 in the Big South and ran the table in the conference tournament, closing things out with a lopsided 79-58 win over Winthrop in the title game.

7. South Dakota State Jackrabbits (30-4, 18-0 in Summit)

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Baylor Scheierman

Last 10: 10-0, 0-0 vs. projected NCAA tournament teams

Win Streak: 21

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are one of the best offensive teams in the country.

They rank 11th in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, average an impressive 86.7 points per game and lead the nation with a staggering 44.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Baylor Scheierman fills up the box score with 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, while senior forward Douglas Wilson (16.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG) gives the team an inside presence despite his undersized 6'7" frame.

That was enough for an undefeated waltz through conference play and a Summit League tournament title, but with zero Quad 1 wins and a cringeworthy Quad 4 loss to Idaho on their resume, their tournament upside is shaky at best.

With a defensive unit that ranks 225th in adjusted defensive efficiency and no one in the regular rotation bigger than 6'8", 235-pound junior Luke Appel, they'll need to pour it on from beyond the arc to keep up with a major-conference opponent.

6. Murrray State Racers (30-2, 18-0 in Ohio Valley)

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

KJ Williams

Last 10: 10-0; 0-0 vs. projected NCAA tournament teams

Win Streak: 20

Murray State went a 20-0 in conference play this year, including a pair of wins in the Ohio Valley tournament to secure the automatic bid. The Racers won by double digits in 13 of those games, including two blowouts of a good Belmont team.

They also beat Memphis by two points in December, but that was at the tail end of a four-game losing streak when the Tigers were still searching for their identity.

KJ Williams took home Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, leading the conference in scoring (18.2 PPG) and finishing second in rebounding (8.6 RPG), and he's supported by Tevin Brown (16.9 PPG) and Justice Hill (13.2 PPG) on the offensive end.

The Racers rank in the top 40 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency (34th) and adjusted defensive efficiency (37th), but it's still hard to know exactly what to make of a team that was head and shoulders above the rest of a weak conference. Their only other Quad 1 games besides the Memphis win were a 13-point loss to Auburn and a road win over Belmont, who likely won't be part of the NCAA tournament field.

They will likely wind up in a 7-10 or 8-9 matchup against a major conference opponent, and it will be their first real test in roughly three months.

5. San Diego State Aztecs (22-7, 13-4 in MWC)

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Matt Bradley

Last 10: 9-1, 1-1 vs. projected NCAA tournament teams

Win Streak: 5

How far can a smothering defense carry San Diego State?

The Aztecs have limited opponents to 58.2 points (second in D-l) and 37.9 percent shooting (third in D-l), and they are 13-1 in games when they have held the opposition below 58 points.

They have four Quad 1 wins, including a 10-point neutral-site win over Saint Mary's in December, and went a perfect 17-0 below the Quad 1 level. They picked up a big win at Wyoming on Feb. 28 to help boost their resume, and they'll have a chance to improve their seeding outlook even further in the conference tournament for what could be a four-bid Mountain West Conference.

The questions for the Aztecs are on the offensive end.

They don't have a reliable second scorer behind Matt Bradley (17.4 PPG, 41.2 3PT%), and if they can't control the tempo and keep things close, they are not well-suited for an up-and-down game.

4. Arizona Wildcats (29-3, 18-2 in Pac-12)

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Bennedict Mathurin

Last 10: 9-1, 1-0 vs. projected NCAA tournament teams

Win Streak: 4

Despite a puzzling 16-point loss to a Colorado team that is likely headed to the NIT, the Arizona Wildcats remain one of the hottest teams in the country.

They went 18-2 in Pac-12 play after suffering a four-point loss to Tennessee on Dec. 22 in their final nonconference game, and they bounced back from the loss to Colorado with a 20-point victory on the road over USC, which was ranked 16th in the AP poll at the time.

Sophomore guard Bennedict Mathurin (17.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 38.3 3PT%) won Pac-12 Player of the Year honors, Christian Koloko (12.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.7 BPG) joined him on the All-Pac-12 First Team and claimed Defensive Player of the Year, and Azuolas Tubelis (14.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG) gave the Wildcats a third first-team all-conference selection.

With five Quad 1 wins and a perfect 9-0 record in Quad 2 games, Arizona is likely headed for a No. 1 seed as long as it doesn't suffer an early upset loss in the Pac-12 tournament.

3. Memphis Tigers (19-9, 13-5 in AAC)

Joe Murphy/Getty Images

Jalen Duren

Last 10: 9-1, 2-1 vs. projected NCAA tournament teams

Win Streak: 4

The Memphis Tigers were all but left for dead after suffering a three-game losing streak against non-tournament teams UCF (NET: 95) and East Carolina (NET: 178) and an SMU team on the bubble, and they also have a Quad 3 loss against Georgia that was part of a four-game losing streak in nonconference play.

However, they closed out the year with a 10-1 record in their last 11 games of AAC play, picking up a pair of wins over projected No. 5 seed Houston along the way. That has effectively moved them to the right side of the bubble after their season appeared to be lost with a 9-8 record in late January.

Freshman center Jalen Duren has really come into his own down the stretch, averaging 13.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 62.0 percent from the floor in his last 11 games. Guard Tyler Harris has also provided a consistent spark off the bench, including a pair of 20-point performances.

They can run with any team in the country from an athleticism standpoint, and they're playing their best basketball of the season right now.

2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-3, 13-1 in WCC)

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Drew Timme

Last 10: 9-1, 4-1 vs. projected NCAA tournament teams

Win Streak: 2

The Gonzaga Bulldogs were the cream of the West Coast Conference crop once again this season, going 13-1 in conference play and besting San Francisco and Saint Mary's in the conference tournament to clinch the automatic bid.

They went a combined 5-1 on the year against San Francisco and Saint Mary's, which are both headed for an at-large bid, while also picking up wins over UCLA, Texas Tech and Texas during nonconference play prior to the new year.

Returning star Drew Timme leads the way with 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and an efficient 58.8 percent shooting from the floor, while freshman phenom Chet Holmgren has tallied 14.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per contest to add a different element to this year's team on the defensive end.

After taking care of business in their conference tournament following a regular-season finale loss to Saint Mary's, they look like a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in six years.

1. Tennessee Volunteers (23-7, 14-4 in SEC)

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Kennedy Chandler

Last 10: 9-1, 3-1 vs. projected NCAA tournament teams

Win Streak: 4

A road loss to a very good Arkansas team on Feb. 19 is the only time the Tennessee Volunteers have suffered defeat since the calendar flipped to February.

During that 10-game stretch, they went 9-1 with Quad 1 wins over Mississippi State, Kentucky, Auburn and Arkansas, and they have moved into the Top 10 in the AP poll in the process.

Guards Santiago Vescovi (13.5 PPG, 39.9 3PT%), Kennedy Chandler (13.7 PPG, 4.6 APG), Josiah-Jordan James (9.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG) and Zakai Zeigler (8.8 PPG, 1.8 SPG) have all excelled during conference play, while a variety of role players have rotated well on the inside.

They have struggled against teams that can slow the tempo, losing to Texas Tech (No. 218 in adjusted temp), Texas (No. 341) and Villanova (No. 344) while scoring fewer than 55 points in those matchups, but they are rolling right now heading into the NCAA tournament.

All stats courtesy of Sports Reference.