Gonzaga, Kansas, Purdue and Duke have look of early title favorites
By Andy Katz
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst
Every week during the men's college basketball season, we will take a look at the title contenders and the teams playing the best basketball in the country. Sixteen teams. Four tiers.
After the inaugural edition of the tiers a week ago, here is how the field is shaping up roughly two weeks into the 2021-22 campaign.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Andy Katz is considering four teams — the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Purdue Boilermakers, Kansas Jayhawks and Duke Blue Devils — title contenders at this point in the season. He breaks down those teams as well as others that have Elite Eight potential.
TIER 1: Title contenders
Gonzaga: The Zags dominated UCLA and cemented themselves as a No. 1 team — at least until they meet Duke on Friday in Las Vegas.
Kansas: The Jayhawks move up to the No. 2 slot. Nothing Kansas is doing has pushed it off this perch.
Purdue: The Boilermakers beat North Carolina and Villanova last weekend at Mohegan Sun, looking the part of a No. 1 seed.
Duke: The Blue Devils will get a second title-type test when they play the Zags on Friday.
TIER 2: Final weekend contenders
Villanova: The Wildcats have two losses, but in overtime at UCLA and to Purdue on a neutral court. They are still Final Four contenders. Book it.
Baylor: LJ Cryer has been on fire for the reigning champs. The schedule will get tougher in Atlantis, but the Bears have looked the part so far.
Alabama: The Tide have a star in Jaden Shackelford and have monster showdowns with Memphis and Gonzaga looming in December.
UCLA: The Bruins slide down but not out after losing to Gonzaga. They still don’t have starting center Cody Riley due to a knee injury.
TIER 3: Elite Eight potential
Kentucky: The Wildcats are starting to click with TyTy Washington putting up numbers and Oscar Tshiebwe grabbing every board.
Arkansas: The Hogs took home the Hall of Fame Classic title with gritty wins over Kansas State and Cincinnati. This team has high-level guard play.
Memphis: The Tigers have something special going with Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren. The tests are coming, though.
BYU: Alex Barcello is enjoying an All-American start to his season. The Cougars have the goods to make a run.
TIER 4: Second-weekend teams
Arizona: The Wildcats recorded one of the more impressive wins of the season by dismantling Michigan in Las Vegas.
St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies are a great watch, provide plenty of excitement and will be in the mix all season. The Charleston Classic title proved as much.
UConn: The Huskies entered the Battle 4 Atlantis untested but clearly with the personnel to be a tough out with rising stars Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats lost to Arkansas in Kansas City but took apart Illinois by 20. This team plays extremely hard, smart and together for Wes Miller.
Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.