NCAA Tournament 2022: Power Ranking All Teams Left in Round 2

The first round of the 2022 men's NCAA tournament was a constant flurry of action. Upsets here, overtime there and a whole lot of entertainment all around the country.

Headlined by No. 15 Saint Peter's stunning No. 2 Kentucky, seven double-digit seeds advanced to the second round of March Madness. But so did 17 of B/R's top 20 teams, including No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga and popular championship pick Arizona.

Folks, we could all use a moment to reset.

Entering the second round, we're taking a step back and ranking all 32 teams that remain in the Big Dance. Although the order largely reflects our pre-tournament rankings, first-round performances are taken into account.

32-27. Saint Peter's, Richmond, NMSU, Notre Dame, TCU, Creighton

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32. Saint Peter's Peacocks (20-11)

For the 10th time since 1985, a No. 15 seed won a first-round contest. Saint Peter's did the honors, downing Kentucky 85-79 in overtime. Opponents have shot a meager 38.5 percent—which is the eighth-lowest clip nationally—against the Peacocks this season. That defense should match up well opposite a Murray State offense that rebounds well but is thin on outside shooters.

31. Richmond Spiders (24-12)

The upset kings are back. No other program has recorded five NCAA tournament victories as a No. 12 seed or worse. Richmond just notched its ninth with a 67-63 triumph over No. 5 Iowa. And it certainly wouldn't be shocking if the 10th such win arrives opposite fourth-seeded Providence, which has a tendency to play close games. The Friars controlled most of their first-round matchup with South Dakota State but still needed to fend off a late charge.

30. New Mexico State Aggies (27-6)

Teddy Allen lived up to his nickname in a major way. During an upset of fifth-seeded UConn, Teddy Buckets poured in 37 points—including the Aggies' last 15 in a 70-63 victory. Arkansas presents a huge challenge, for sure, but a scorer of Allen's caliber will always be a threat to take control of a game.

29. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (24-10)

Is this the annual run by a No. 11 seed? Notre Dame survived a double-overtime thriller with Rutgers in the First Four before eliminating sixth-seeded Alabama 78-64. Cormac Ryan accounted for seven three-pointers, leading the Irish to a rough matchup with Texas Tech. The bad news is the Red Raiders defense is well-schooled and forces difficult long-range shots. The good news is the Fighting Irish rank 16th in three-point shooting.

28. TCU Horned Frogs (21-12)

TCU is a defense-first team, but that was something else. Seton Hall shot a miserable 28.8 percent from the floor, and the Horned Frogs grabbed 39 rebounds to the Pirates' 26. Arizona is the clear favorite, but stranger things have happened—especially when elite defense is involved.

27. Creighton Bluejays (23-11)

After a dramatic late comeback to force overtime, Creighton edged San Diego State 72-69. Defense has carried the Bluejays this season, and there's no better time for that unit to shine than opposite top-seeded Kansas. Creighton, which ranks ninth in two-point defense and 72nd on the perimeter, needs that strength to appear. It's hard to see the Jays winning on their offensive output.

26-21. Michigan, Miami, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa State, Texas

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26. Michigan Wolverines (18-14)

In the absence of starting guard DeVante Jones, freshman Frankie Collins made a game-changing impact. He provided a career-high 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting as No. 11 Michigan toppled Colorado State 75-63. Jones may return for the second round, and the Wolverines sure could use him. Tennessee leans heavily on its perimeter players for offense, and Jones was a feisty defender late in the season.

25. Miami Hurricanes (24-10)

Despite registering a 1-of-14 three-point clip and minus-12 rebounding mark, Miami edged seventh-seeded USC 68-66. While the Canes have a great transition offense, Auburn has ceded the sixth-lowest effective field-goal rate in transition, per Hoop-Math.com. It's a brutal matchup, but Miami has a trio of tough shot-makers—Kameron McGusty, Isaiah Wong and Charlie Moore—to keep it interesting.

24. Michigan State Spartans (23-12)

Well, the Spartans tried their darnedest to cough it up, but they escaped with a 74-73 triumph over No. 10 Davidson. Joey Hauser shredded the Wildcats for a season-best 27 points. Michigan State now must prepare for a huge showdown with Duke and its offense, one of the most efficient in the country.

23. Ohio State Buckeyes (20-11)

After it was allergic to defense late in the season, Ohio State provided a surprise in the first round. Loyola of Chicago shot a paltry 26.8 percent, and the Buckeyes snared 41 rebounds to the Ramblers' 31. Ohio State must repeat that performance, or Villanova will shoot threes all over the No. 7 seed.

22. Iowa State Cyclones (21-12)

Tyrese Hunter drilled seven threes—including a pair of clutch shots in the final two minutes—to lift Iowa State over LSU 59-54. But remember that the Tigers just fired head coach Will Wade, and Wisconsin has an established identity. The second round will be interesting.

21. Texas Longhorns (22-11)

Virginia Tech was a trendy upset pick, but the Longhorns squashed that behind an atypical three-point day. They entered the contest ranked 255th in percentage but drained 10 of 19 triples. If that continues, this defense-driven squad will have a shot to derail third-seeded Purdue on Sunday.

20-16. Murray State, Memphis, North Carolina, Providence, Saint Mary's

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20. Murray State Racers (31-2)

Fresh off an overtime win against No. 10 San Francisco, Murray State is eyeing the first Sweet 16 trip in program history. The obstacle is a Saint Peter's defense that ranks No. 3 with a 41.8 effective field-goal percentage allowed on non-transition possessions, per Hoop-Math.com. Sound ball movement is key to breaking down the Peacocks—something Kentucky could not figure out.

19. Memphis Tigers (22-10)

Next up for No. 8 Memphis, which outlasted slow-tempo Boise State 64-53 in the opening round, is a wicked contrast in styles with fast-paced, efficient Gonzaga. The Tigers' best chance to spring a shocker will be to use their physicality to slow down the Zags. However, Memphis has the 10th-worst turnover rate in the nation—an enormous concern in this affair.

18. North Carolina Tar Heels (25-9)

It's now or never, UNC. Next up for the Tar Heels is a showdown with top-seeded Baylor, which is down leading scorer LJ Cryer and defensive linchpin Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. If the Heels win the rebounding battle and can handle Baylor's pesky perimeter defense, they'll be in great position for an upset.

17. Providence Friars (26-5)

Once the Friars created some separation, they were never in immense danger of losing to No. 13 South Dakota State. As usual, though, Providence sure made it interesting. Even against a bad defense, the Friars shot 39.3 percent overall in a 66-57 win. They can withstand a similarly inefficient Richmond team, but a possible Sweet 16 meeting with Kansas is a major roadblock.

16. Saint Mary's Gaels (26-7)

How could you not be impressed? After capping the regular season with an upset of Gonzaga, the fifth-seeded Gaels obliterated Indiana 82-53. It's hard to fathom surrendering just 10 three-point attempts in a 29-point win, yet that relentless perimeter defense is a trademark of this St. Mary's squad. UCLA is a slight favorite, but the Gaels are dangerous.

15-11. Houston, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas, UCLA

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15. Houston Cougars (30-5)

Standard game for Houston, though a little more scoring than usual. While holding UAB to 26.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc, the Cougars knocked down 10 of 21 threes. Houston is built to force a bunch of threes, and Illinois is perfectly content to take them. One way or another, that will decide the game.

14. Wisconsin Badgers (25-7)

Wisconsin withstood a three-point barrage from Colgate in the second half, pulling out a 67-60 win against the No. 14 seed. It's uncomfortable to have Johnny Davis and not much else on the offensive end, but the Badgers rarely commit turnovers and play fundamentally sound defense. They're a strong Sweet 16 favorite.

13. Illinois Fighting Illini (23-9)

Illinois can count on Kofi Cockburn, who opened the tournament with 17 points and 13 rebounds. The struggle is a streaky long-range unit, and the Illini only connected on three triples in 17 tries. They survived Chattanooga, but that simply cannot happen against the elite Houston defense in the second round.

12. Arkansas Razorbacks (26-8)

From one Cinderella hopeful to another Arkansas goes. After defeating Vermont 75-71, the fourth-seeded Razorbacks will meet Teddy Buckets and New Mexico State. Arkansas is the better team, but the Aggies prefer a slow tempo. If the Hogs are unable to dictate the pace and can't get a thin NMSU rotation into foul trouble, Allen could be their undoing.

11. UCLA Bruins (26-7)

Tyger Campbell's hot finish and two clutch free throws from Johnny Juzang helped the Bruins escape No. 13 Akron. UCLA needs its collection of mid-range shooters to have an efficient day in the second round. Only three defenses in the country allow a lower three-point attempt rate than St. Mary's, but UCLA ranks 20th with a 42.1 clip on two-point jumpers and 14th in taking those shots, per Hoop-Math.com.

10-6. Purdue, Tennessee, Auburn, Texas Tech, Villanova

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10. Purdue Boilermakers (28-7)

Jaden Ivey started hot, and with a 15-0 second-half surge Purdue made quick work of No. 14 Yale. The competition is about to get a whole lot tougher, though. Texas did a tremendous job holding Virginia Tech to 4-of-12 shooting from three-point range, so the Boilermakers' elite perimeter group needs an efficient performance.

9. Tennessee Volunteers (27-7)

No. 14 Longwood hung around for about 10 minutes before the third-seeded Vols pushed the accelerator through the floor. They drained 14 of 24 three-point attempts, including a 6-of-8 mark from Santiago Vescovi. If the Volunteers stay hot—their eight-game winning streak has featured a 46.0 long-range clip—they should cruise past Michigan's average-at-best perimeter defense.

8. Auburn Tigers (28-5)

Sweet merciless Jabari Smith. Headlined by his preposterous dunk and Walker Kessler's near-triple-double, No. 2 Auburn dispatched Jacksonville State 80-61. Those two stars will be paramount against Miami, which has a high-level backcourt but is consistently a poor rebounding team.

7. Texas Tech Red Raiders (26-9)

Upset? What upset? Texas Tech quickly built a double-digit lead and never looked back, destroying No. 14 Montana State 97-62. If the Red Raiders aren't the best defensive team in the country, they're undoubtedly one of the best. They'll be a much stingier opponent for Notre Dame in the second round.

6. Villanova Wildcats (27-7)

Late in the first half, No. 15 Delaware trailed only 27-25. Villanova then ripped off a 16-0 run to spark an 80-60 victory. Three-point shooting told the story—Nova finished 13-of-28 and held the Blue Hens to just 3-of-20—and it probably will in the second round, too. Ohio State ordinarily isn't a good defensive team, so Villanova should have plenty of open looks.

5. Duke Blue Devils

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Record: 29-6

Round 1 Recap: Duke's starting group shouldered the team Friday, as everyone scored in double figures in a rout of Cal State Fullerton. Four of them recorded at least four assists during the 78-61 victory, too. Freshman wing Paolo Banchero notched a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Round 2 Preview: Michigan State is prone to stagnant stretches on offense, even though A.J. Hoggard and Tyson Walker both average four-plus assists per game. The Blue Devils should control the game with their balanced attack, but MSU has enough scoring upside to keep it close.

4. Baylor Bears

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Record: 27-6

Round 1 Recap: Baylor steamrolled No. 16 Norfolk State 85-49, putting on a passing clinic with 24 assists. James Akinjo had 10 points and 10 assists, and Matthew Mayer scored 22 points to lead the Bears. Most notably, he buried four triples—an encouraging sign for both him and Baylor.

Round 2 Preview: The absence of key scorer LJ Cryer (foot) will become more impactful now. It's fair to say North Carolina's confidence level has never been higher in 2021-22, as the Tar Heels beat Duke on the road to close the regular season and smashed Marquette to begin the NCAA tournament. Baylor needs to limit the impact of UNC center Armando Bacot without giving up easy perimeter looks.

3. Kansas Jayhawks

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Record: 29-6

Round 1 Recap: No issues for the Jayhawks. Behind five double-digit scorers, they seized a 28-point halftime lead on No. 16 Texas Southern and earned an 83-56 win. Kansas knocked down 11 of its 23 long-range attempts.

Round 2 Preview: Kansas is set to meet No. 9 Creighton, which has a stingy defense and inefficient offense. If the Jayhawks' three-point barrage continues, it'll be tough for the Bluejays' 330th-ranked perimeter group to keep up. But Creighton's ninth-ranked two-point defense should give Kansas fits.

2. Arizona Wildcats

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Record: 32-3

Round 1 Recap: Arizona never put away Wright State, but it kept the No. 16 seed at a safe distance. Christian Koloko amassed 17 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and five blocks, while Bennedict Mathurin scored a team-high 18 points. Moving forward, one stat to watch is turnovers. The Wildcats had 19.

Round 2 Preview: Protect the ball, and Arizona should be fine in the second round. However, TCU forced 16 giveaways in its victory over Seton Hall. That's a potential equalizer in a matchup that the Wildcats should otherwise dominate.

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs

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Record: 27-3

Round 1 Recap: Gonzaga took its sweet time dispatching No. 16 Georgia State but ended up with a comfortable 93-72 win. Drew Timme amassed 32 points and 13 rebounds, while star freshman Chet Holmgren filled the box score, collecting 19 points, 17 rebounds, seven blocks and five assists.

Round 2 Preview: Memphis awaits the Zags, and they—specifically Timme and Holmgren—must be prepared for a significant battle in the post. The Tigers rank 24th nationally in rebound rate thanks to Jalen Duren and Deandre Williams, who combine for 5.1 offensive boards per game.

Statistics courtesy of KenPom.com or Sports Reference unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.