Last week’s AP Poll narrowed our list of contenders to 12 teams. 30 of the last 32 champs ranked in the top 12, seven weeks before the tournament started. At the end of the regular season, we’ll be able to narrow the list to the key handful of teams that are built like a champ.

The Early List of Contenders

• Auburn
• Gonzaga
• Arizona
• Baylor
• Kansas
• Purdue
• UCLA
• Houston
• Duke
• Michigan State
• Wisconsin
• Kentucky

…But Mid-Majors Don’t Win

Since we know mid-majors don’t win, we actually have an early Top 10:

• Auburn
• Arizona
• Baylor
• Kansas
• Purdue
• UCLA
• Duke
• Michigan State
• Wisconsin
• Kentucky