2024 March Madness: Ranking The 5 Most Efficient Teams In The Nation
In order to cut down the nets in at the end of March Madness, a certain level of offensive and defensive efficiency is required. All of the former champions have met the same level, so Oddschecker analyst Peter Alexis breaks down the top 5 most efficient teams who have a chance to win the NCAA Tournament.
Peter Alexis - March 19, 2024, 4:30 PM EDT
7 min2024 March Madness: Ranking The 5 Most Efficient Teams In The Nation
Efficiency is king in college basketball, at least if you want to win it all. Over the last 20 years, every champion outside of the 2014 UConn Huskies all had a top-40 offensive efficiency and top-22 defensive efficiency, according to KenPom ratings.
The NCAA Tournament will tip off on Thursday afternoon with 64 teams, but some bettors believe the champion is already broiled down to five or less contenders.
Each year, there is a small handful of teams that fit the bill, so let's take a look at the most efficient squads who have a chance to run the table based on this historical precedent.
2024 March Madness: 5 Most Efficient Teams
1. UConn Huskies
It should come as no surprise that UConn sits atop this list. They are the best offense in the country, and it isn't particularly close. They are also the most well-rounded unit, and have dominated throughout the regular season after last year's National Championship run. They have all the makings of a repeat, filling in the gaps from previous graduates with All-American Tristen Newton, big man Donovan Clingan, and sharpshooter Cam Spencer.
The Huskies will have a tough road to another title, so they'll need every ounce of efficiency in the upcoming matchups. It is plausible that they may have to take on last year's Final Four FAU team, SEC Champion Auburn, and some combination of Big Ten Champion Illinois or Big 12 Champion Iowa State. Some of those squads are also on this efficiency list, and the committee did them no favors with their bracket draw. If they want to win it again, they'll have to prove it on the hardest difficulty.
2. Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars follow closely behind the Huskies, sporting an incredibly efficient defense that trails only Iowa State in the country. They are stacked with star athletes that can guard anywhere on the floor, and have stifled the top talents on every team they face.
The offense ranks as the 17-most efficient, and has been the only nagging thing stopping the Cougars from going all the way. They came up short against Iowa State's top defense twice this year, mostly from going down early and being unable to come back. The same thing happened against Kansas, but those are some of the best losses you could ask for. The Cougars won 11 straight games before getting upended by Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship, and have shown they belong in their new conference. Let's see if Jamal Shead and his teammates can prove it on the national stage.
3. Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers have some skeletons in their closet, and are looking to finally get over the hump in 2024. This will be their last season with reigning AP Player of the Year, Zach Edey, and Matt Painter's squad will have to take advantage of their final shot.
The Boilermakers have made it to the NCAA Tournament in nine consecutive seasons, but were bounced by a double-digit seed in each of the last three years. They arrive back as a 1-seed yet again, and have all the tools to make a run if they can overcome the psychological block. They rank 4th in offensive efficiency and top-20 in defensive, largely thanks to Edey on the low block. Purdue has a favorable draw in the Midwest Region, and this may be their best chance to win it all.
4. Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers are one of the hottest teams in basketball. No one wants to play them right now. Despite being given a 4-seed due to early season losses, they just ran the table in the SEC Tournament, and are rated as the 4th-best team in the country by KenPom and many other similar metric sites.
They are ahead of every 2nd and 3rd seed, and sit behind only the top-three 1-seeds in terms of efficiency. The offense clocks in at 10th-best, while the defense wows at 4th overall. It helps to have an incredibly athletic center in Johni Broome with a 7-foot wingspan down low. The Tigers have the pieces to go all the way, but they will have to get through the defending champion at the top of this list.
5. Iowa State
The Iowa State Cyclones round out this list. They have been one of the bigger surprises this season, and have arrived as a 2-seed and Big 12 Champion thanks to their strong defensive efficiency. They rank first overall in the nation on defense, which carried them to an undefeated 18-0 season at home.
The Cyclones have occasionally struggled on offense, coming in at 55th overall in KenPom metrics. That lands them outside the top-40 and technically disqualifies them as a potential champion if you take stock in 20 years of history. Their bracket draw in the East Region with UConn, Illinois, and Auburn doesn't help either. Their championship odds are longer than the rest at +2000, but mayhem may take out some of their top opponents.
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