NCAA Tournament No. 3, 4 and 5 Seeds - South and Midwest Region Profiles 

The March Madness brackets are set and the picks and pools are being finalized ahead of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. March Madness tournament betting at leading online sportsbooks is most popular for the opening weekend games with wall-to-wall basketball, as teams shoot for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. The No. 3, 4 and 5 seeds in the South Region are Kentucky, Duke and Wisconsin. The 3, 4 and 5 seeds in the Midwest Region are Creighton, Kansas and Gonzaga. 

Check out the stats and profiles of the No. 1 and 2 top seeds in the South and Midwest Regions, and East and West Regions, along with the 3, 4 and 5 seeds in the East and West Regions as I complete and post here at OSGA. 

There are some fundamental keys to NCAA Tournament success as you evaluate the match-ups and stats prior to and during the tournament. That includes top defensive teams as you evaluated the matchups and break down the brackets. Betting futures odds and teams to win the national championship is popular, along with odds to reach the Final Four, and I've added those odds below. 

The biggest sporting event of the year offers so many action-packed games throughout the tournament, and especially opening weekend. The top teams and seeds will be most popular picks in NCAA Tournament brackets and pools, and when betting matchups - Connecticut, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina as the top seeds, along with Arizona, Iowa State, Tennessee and Marquette and as No. 2's. But there are plenty of very capable teams seeded 3-6 that can challenge, and we'll outline their stats and profiles. Last year UCONN won the national championship as a No. 4 seed, and No. 5's San Diego State and Miami made the Final Four along with No. 9 seed surprise Florida Atlantic.

So longshots cannot be dismissed from Final Four futures. In the 2022 NCAA Tournament, No. 10 seed Miami made it to the Elite Eight while No. 8 seed North Carolina pulled off the shocker making it to the Final Four and Championship game before falling 72-69 to No. 1 Kansas. 

Recall another recent Cinderella in 2021 when UCLA went from First Four to Final Four as another longshot surprise, only to lose 93-90 in overtime to undefeated Gonzaga in one of the greatest games in Final Four history that ended on a most memorable March Madness moment with a half court buzzer-beater. 

March Madness Contests

Ahead of NCAA Tournament action, there are some great March Madness contests to join offering top payouts by leading online sportsbooks. 

Be sure to get in and enter the Offshore Gaming Association's 2024 March Madness Bracket Challenge. Now in it's 22st year at OSGA, it's free to enter and pays out cash prizes.

Brackets and Betting 

I add additional 2024 NCAA Tournament coverage for Forbes with bracket breakdown and opening round match-ups and betting lines along with TV schedule and times. 

But here at OSGA we chip-in additional stats, insights, news and information you can bet on for all the top teams in the bracket. 

As you break down the brackets and match-ups, futures odds and bet online each round of the NCAA Tournament, here are some team profiles, stats and odds outlook to track as the top teams advance through the NCAA Tournament. 

NET ranking: takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.

Key stats to picking an NCAA Tournament champion

When evaluating the KenPom stats, know that 20 of the last 21 National Champions have finished in the Top 20 in both offensive and defensive adjusted efficiency. This year's teams include: 

- Connecticu (1,11 off/def)
- Houston (17,2)
- Auburn (10,4)
- Arizona (8,12) 

Close: 

- Purdue (3,21)
- Marquette (21,19)
- Tennessee (29,3)
- North Carolina (24,6)
- Duke (7,26)
- Creighton (12,24) 

No. 3, 4, 5 Seeds South Region

No. 3 Kentucky

Record: 23-9
Key Wins: at Tennessee, at Auburn, Alabama, at Mississippi State (2x), at Florida, vs. North Carolina
Key Losses: Tennessee, Florida, at South Carolina, at Texas A&M, Gonzaga, vs. Kansas
National Title Odds: +2500
Final Four Odds: +500
KenPom Strength of Schedule: 66
KenPom Stats: Adjusted Offense No. 5, Defense No. 108
Twitter: @KentuckyMBB
Head Coach: John Calipari

Kentucky has a NET ranking of 18 and the Wildcats went 6-7 vs. Quad 1 teams with a road win at higher seeds Tennessee and neutral court over North Carolina. Kentucky also piled on the points in a 117-95 win over Alabama and those two teams are the highest scoring teams in the country (KY 89.4, AL 90.8 PPG). The Wildcats play at a very fast pace, and only three teams in the NCAAT play faster including Alabama. Coach Calipari's 'Cats are also the best 3-point shooting team in the country (41.2%) while making 10 '3s' per game, and Kentucky also led the SEC in FG shooting (49.7%) while outscoring opponents by +10.4 points per game. That led to a top-5 ranking nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and effective FG%. The Wildcasts shoot an excellent 77.4% from the FT line as well and were No. 2 in the SEC in assists but just +1.0 in rebounding margin. A dangerous out and especially if the Wildcats can play some complimentary defense. 

No. 4 Duke

Record: 24-8
Key Wins: Virginia, Clemson, at NC State, vs. Baylor, vs. Michigan State
Key Losses: North Carolina (2x), at Wake Forest, Arizona
National Title Odds: +3500
Final Four Odds: +650
KenPom Strength of Schedule: 75
KenPom Stats: Adjusted Offense No. 7, Defense No. 26
Twitter: @DukeMBB
Head Coach: Jon Scheyer

Duke has a NET ranking of 10 and the Blue Devils went 5-4 vs. Quad 1 opponents and 6-4 vs. Quad 2. The Blue Devils scored just shy of 80 points per game this season while allowing 67.2 - the only team in the ACC to rank top-3 in scoring offense and defense. Despite losing to No. 1 seed North Carolina twice, Duke still had the best scoring margin in the ACC at +12.4 PPG and ranks No. 7 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency and top-15 in 3-point shooting. An All-ACC big man and a solid trio of guards that combined to lead the ACC in shooting (48.2% FG), assists and 3-point shooting (37.7%) makes the Blue Devils a dangerous team under the top seeds. Despite such strong shooting, the Blue Devils were last in the ACC in FT shooting (69%) but No. 2 in rebounding margin (+5.0) and No. 2 in assist/TO ratio.

No. 5 Wisconsin 

Record: 22-13
Key Wins: vs. Purdue, Michigan State (2x), Northwestern (2x), Nebraska, Marquette, vs. Virginia
Key Losses: Purdue (2x), Illinois (2x), at Nebraska, Tennessee, at Arizona
National Title Odds: +7000
Final Four Odds: +1600
KenPom Strength of Schedule: 3
KenPom Stats: Adjusted Offense No. 13, Defense No. 47
Twitter: @BadgerMBB
Head Coach: Greg Gard

Wisconsin has a NET ranking of 21 and went just 5-9 vs. Quad 1 teams and 9-4 vs. Quad 2. The Badgers did knock off Purdue in a close contest in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. Wisconsin was near the middle of the pack in Big Ten scoring offense and defense, assists, FG shooting and surprisingly second-to-last in FG% defense (45.8) and last in 3-point defense (37.1%). The Badgers do shoot an excellent 76% from the FT line, and +3.2 in rebounding margin ranked 3rd in the league but Wisconsin ranked last in blocked shots. 

No. 3, 4, 5 Seeds Midwest Region

No. 3 Creighton 

Record: 23-9
Key Wins: UCONN, Marquette, at Seton Hall (2x), St. John's, Alabama, at Nebraska
Key Losses: at UCONN, at Marquette, at St. John's, vs. Colorado State
National Title Odds: +3000
Final Four Odds: +1200
KenPom Strength of Schedule: 23
KenPom Stats: Adjusted Offense No. 12, Defense No. 24
Twitter: @BluejayMBB
Head Coach: Greg McDermott 

Creighton has a NET ranking of 11 and the Bluejays went 8-5 vs. Quad 1 teams and 7-4 vs. Quad 2. Creighton scores 80 points per game and has a +12.1 scoring margin - second-best in the Big East behind Connecticut. The Bluejays also have the No. 2 shooting offense (48.6%) and defense (42.0%) while hitting 36.1% from long range and making a league-high 10.6 3-pointers per game and shoot an outstanding 78.1% from the FT line. The Bluejays were No. 2 in the Big East in assists and total rebounds. A top-25 effeciency defense with a top-15 effective FG% defense and No. 1 in FT attempts to FG attempts but the Bluejays rank low in forcing turnovers and steals.

No. 4 Kansas 

Record: 22-10
Key Wins: Houston, Baylor, TCU, UCONN, vs. Tennessee, vs. Kentucky
Key Losses: at Houston, at Iowa State, at Baylor, at Texas Tech, BYU, vs. Marquette
National Title Odds: +5000
Final Four Odds: +2000
KenPom Strength of Schedule: 5 
KenPom Stats: Adjusted Offense No. 65, Defense No. 10
Twitter: @KUHoops
Head Coach: Bill Self 

Kansas has a NET ranking of 19 and the Jayhawks went 7-9 vs. Quad 1 teams and 6-0 vs. Quad 2. The Jayhawks offensive numbers were down this year at 75.3 points per game, +6.6 scoring margin and outside the top-50 in adjusted offensive efficiency and effective FG% with sub-par 3-point shooting (33.3%) that saw teams take a Big 12-high 797 3-point attempts against the Jayhawks. Kansas did shoot 48.8% FG overall to lead the Big 12 and also led the league in assists and No. 2 in assist/TO ratio. But the Jayhawks rebounding margin (+2.4) was 9th in the Big 12. Kansas' defense is still solid under coach Self, but their top-10 adjusted defensive efficiency numbers are strengthened by strong 2-point defense, but sub-par 3-point defense and below Kansas standards in steals and blocks. 

No. 5 Gonzaga

Record: 25-7
Key Wins: at St. Mary's, vs. Kentucky
Key Losses: St. Mary's (2x), vs. UCONN, vs. Purdue
National Title Odds: +6000
Final Four Odds: +2500
KenPom Strength of Schedule: 105
KenPom Stats: Adjusted Offense No. 9, Defense No. 46
Twitter: @ZagMBB
Head Coach: Mark Few 

Gonzaga has a NET ranking of 17 and the Bulldogs went just 3-6 vs. Quad 1 teams and 4-1 vs. Quad 2. The Zags lost by double-digits vs. their toughest opponents Connecticut, Purdue and San Diego State, and by 9 points to St. Mary's in the West Coast Conference championship game. Gonzaga can still score at 83.6 points per game to rank top-10 in the country and they are an elite shooting team at 51.1% vs. D-1 to rank No. 2 in the country. The Bulldogs also led the West Coast Conference in assists, assist/TO ratio and blocked shots. But the Bulldogs scored 20 points below their average against UCONN, Purdue, St. Mary's (2x) and 74 points against San Diego State. Keep that in mind when wagering on the game total if Gonzaga wins their opening round game and plays Kansas in the Round of 32. Gonzaga's 41.0% FG defense is thus skewed vs. a softer strength of schedule (SOS) as well. 

Check back for additional stats, updates and information you can bet on. 

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