There is no better month for college basketball than March. The Big Dance, the conference tournaments and the heroes who rise to the occasion for their “One Shining Moment.” With Selection Sunday almost a week away, many teams will look to make it to the podium in April, but only can be named champion.
Here’s a look back at our SLAMU digital covers we’ve dropped so far this season to keep you in the loop ahead of the tournament:
With Selection Sunday around the corner, it’s the time of the year when the phrases “Quad 1” and “Quality Losses” are thrown around more than ever. As the field of 64 becomes clearer, countless experts scan team resumes, trying to deduce which programs deserve at-large bids into the Big Dance.
Most teams have impressive resumes but look equally similar to others in the field.
But one team stands above the rest. The Auburn Tigers boast a ridiculous 15-3 record in Quad 1 games, the highest by a wide margin in Division I. To be the best, you have to beat the best. Day in and day out, the Tigers beat down quality opponents soundly in the toughest conference in college basketball, with the record to back it up.
War Eagle has taken flight—soaring high above the rest of the field. The media agrees. In the latest AP Poll, the Tigers were crowned the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, garnering all first-place votes.
The team posts TikTok dances after every win—with the season they’ve had—a lot. They go live on social media to stream their Fortnite games. The Tigers aren’t just the best team in the country, they’re also all best friends.
This season has been the year of the Tigers, a team led by a charismatic coach, a National Player of the Year contender and a deep rotation of elite role players who always seem to get the job done.
The star of the show is forward Johni Broome, a 6-10 double-double machine, who is in the running for the National Player of the Year award alongside Cooper Flagg.
A transfer from Morehead State, Broome has dominated the SEC since joining during the 2022-23 season. As a senior, Broome has been virtually unstoppable. The forward averages a team-leading 18 ppg, 10.7 rebounds per game and 2.4 blocks per game. Broome has been elite on both sides of the ball, providing lockdown interior defense in the paint and a matchup nightmare under the basket.
Watching Broome go to work is entertainment at its finest for basketball fans. He possesses good handles for a taller forward and a quick first step that turns into easy finishes in the paint. He can back defenders down in the post, giving interior defenders Hakeem-like footwork for points in the post, and even knock down threes.
But for Broome, some of his best moments come off the court. Broome is one of the many Tigers active on social media, posting content on his TikTok page, ranging from dances in the locker room to streaming video games with his teammates.
“We’re normal. Every day we come in, having fun. We’re just being us,” Broome said. “Everybody else sees us as a fun team to be, but we’re just acting how we normally act.”
The good vibes spread throughout the team, especially with star guard Tahaad Pettiford.
Pettiford has provided instant offense off the bench as a freshman, averaging 11.3 ppg, nearly three assists and a steal per game.
Don’t let the numbers fool you. The guard fills whatever role he needs to benefit the team. He can score at will, as seen by his 21-point performance in a 16-point shellacking of Kentucky at Rupp Arena. He also put on a shooting clinic against Texas A&M, knocking down six threes to cap off a 19-point night.
When he’s not getting buckets, he’s distributing the ball efficiently, recording six assists in a 30-point blowout against Ole Miss while coming off the bench.
Pettiford credits his veteran teammates for helping him find success as a first-year player.
“Growing up, to be honest, I always played with older people. So coming in, I kind of expected it to be the same to how it’s always been, just being around guys that are more experienced, played the game, played in the tough games,” Pettiford said. “Just having their energy behind me, knowing they had my back in the low times, I feel like that just gives me confidence.”
But for the team who consistently dominates on the road, as seen by their tradition of playing “Take Over Your Trap” by Bankroll Fresh, it’s always been a team effort.
Players like Chad Baker-Mazara, a senior guard/forward who scores at will, averaging 13.1 points per game. Guards Miles Kelly and Denver Jones provide elite depth in the backcourt. Seniors Chaney Johnson and Dylan Cardwell provide an extra layer of interior defense and scoring to complement the stars.
The Tigers have a bonafide star and elite supporting cast, with five players averaging double-digit scoring numbers.
“I just feel like we have players that don’t get enough recognition,” Pettiford said. “If they didn’t come here, we might not be No. 1 because of what they do for us.”
With so many great moments throughout the season, it’s hard to pick a signature moment for the Tigers.
It could be lifting the trophy at the Maui Invitational after dismantling the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones, No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels and currently-ranked Memphis Tigers en route to the championship.
It could be grinding out a tough victory against the Big 12 regular season champion Houston Cougars in their second game. Or even beating Tennessee at their own game: a defensive 53-51 slugfest victory.
Or even winning the basketball variant of the Iron Bowl—a 94-85 victory against No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, for added insult to injury.
All these moments add to a magical season that sees Auburn as the top dog in the country. They’re projected as the top overall seed in March Madness and essentially a lock for a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
With the SEC regular season title under their belt, there’s no doubt Bruce Pearl is looking to add another title to cap off the greatest season in Tigers basketball history.
“This team’s been ready to play, I think because they got something to prove,” Pearl said. “This team’s got a chip on its shoulder. I don’t look at us as where we’re ranked right now in the country. I look at us as who we are, [a] collection of who we are.”
When you walk into St. John’s on-campus home, Carnesecca Arena, the hanging banners tell the story of a proud, storied program.
Fifteen regular season titles. Three conference tournament championships. Two Final Four runs. A top-10 winningest program in Division I history.
That doesn’t include the certified ballers who once called Queens home.
Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, All-Stars Metta World Peace and Mark Jackson. The list goes on.
However, the past 24 years would be considered a “down year” for their standards.
Until now. College basketball is officially back in the Big Apple.
Under legendary head coach Rick Pitino and a tight-knit group of stud transfers and role players, the Johnnies did what many experts thought was unthinkable at the beginning of the year: winning the Big East title.
Pitino summed the team’s ideology the best in Vice’s Pitino: Red Storm Rising—a documentary about the Red Storm’s season.
“There’s no individuals. All it is, is team,” Pitino said in a locker room speech.
That’s all St. John’s basketball is: a bunch of talented and selfless individuals who play with one goal in mind: doing whatever it takes to get the W.
Their talented trio of RJ Luis Jr, Zuby Ejiofor and Kadary Richmond headline the Red Storm roster.
Luis is the team’s leading scorer. A junior guard and midrange assassin, Luis can get buckets from all three levels while averaging 17.8 ppg this season. Luis also plays physical defense like the rest of his teammates, averaging 1.5 steals per game.
“I try to come out every night with the same energy, the same intensity and taking pride on defense,” Luis said.
The team’s big man down low is Ejiofor, a junior forward. Ejiofor has been a force down low, averaging 14 ppg and a team-leading eight boards per game.
“I play for my teammates. This is who I do it for—my teammates, my family, this whole community—that’s why I go hard every single day,” Ejiofor said.
The team’s motor is graduate guard Kadary Richmond, a New York native. Richmond was named a Preseason All-Big East First Team talent and has proved it his first year in Queens.
Richmond averages 12.8 ppg, nearly six boards, five assists and two steals a game.
Tack on sharpshooter Deivon Smith and scrappy guards Simeon Wilcher and Aaron Scott, and you’ve got a deep rotation that brings the energy on every possession.
The team has established a tough-minded defensive identity, playing scrappy and allowing no easy buckets. It’s been backed up by their team’s 9.3 steals per game and 5.6 blocks per game.
But despite their talented depth, they’ve still been doubted all year.
In the Big East preseason poll, experts picked St. John’s to finish fifth in the conference. When they began rolling off conference wins, people still doubted if they could keep the momentum up. Experts still expected teams like Marquette, UConn and Creighton to rattle off wins and overtake them.
But the Red Storm kept winning, rattling off an 11-game conference winning streak.
And it all boiled over in their Feb. 7 matchup with the two-time defending National Champion UConn Huskies on the road.
The same UConn program that at that point had recently gone on a 28-game home winning streak before having it snapped a week before Creighton. This year’s team wasn’t the same dominant team as last year, but still a talented group.
The Johnnies entered the game as 4.5-point underdogs and quickly found themselves down 14 in the first half. They clawed back, ending the first half on a 27-11 run.
As both teams traded blows, St. John’s found themselves up two with 12 seconds left in the game. With only three seconds on the shot clock, a quick hitter was the only option.
Luis sprinted behind an Ejiofor screen and slingshotted his way back to the ball, leaving UConn’s star forward Liam McNeeley in the dust.
Luis caught the inbounds pass, faded away and drained the shot. Cold-blooded dagger. St. John’s up two scores. A prototypical defensive possession forced McNeeley into a tough layup, where the Johnnies eventually iced the game from the free-throw line. 68-62 final.
If you didn’t believe in Pitino and the Red Storm then, you sure did after that win in a hostile environment.
Since that UConn win, the Johnnies have won five of their last six games, with three of those wins ending in double-digit shellackings.
Now, with a Big East regular season title under their belt, the Johnnies are a lock to go dancing in March in only Pitino’s second season at the helm.
Pitino credits the culture he’s helped build in Queens for the team’s success.
“Coaches don’t win games; players win games. We had confidence going in that we could recruit the players necessary to win and, also, history repeats itself,” Pitino said. “If you have the right culture, be it Kentucky, be it Louisville, be it Providence, you’re gonna turn it around. It’s not false confidence, it’s confidence you’ll bring in the right players to fill the culture you want to present.”
Heading into the regular season finale, the Johnnies rank as the No. 6 team in the AP Poll. However, with losses for Auburn and Tennessee—teams ahead of them in the poll—a win against Marquette on Saturday could potentially catapult the Red Storm into the top five for the first time since 1990.
The team currently projects as a No. 3 seed in the Big Dance. But anything is possible in March. With a win in the Big East Tournament and the cards falling in the right place, you could be looking at the first No. 1 seeded St. John’s tournament team since the famed ’84-’85 squad.
But aside from hypotheticals, all they care about is playing their game and racking up wins. “We got a nice, talented group. Very athletic. We just got some dogs, we just trying to win,” Luis said. “I feel like we’re waking up the city of New York, and we’re gonna keep on doing it.”
Last season, Tennessee enjoyed their most successful campaign of the Rick Barnes era. The Vols clawed their way to the Elite 8, grinding past powerful opponents like Creighton before falling at the hands of Purdue.
The team was led by first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht and his three-level scoring, double-double machine Jonas Aidoo, scrappy guard Zakei Zeigler, long-time veterans Josiah Jordan-James, Santiago Vescovi and Jahmai Mashack and rotational sparks Jordan Gainey and Tobe Awaka.
The team played like a well-oiled machine, securing a No. 2 seed in March Madness and an SEC regular season title.
However, a year later, the Vols look different. Knecht joined the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan-James and Vescovi graduated. Aidoo transferred to conference rivals Arkansas. Awaka flew west to join the Arizona Wildcats.
Despite the departures, Tennessee is still as dominant as ever. In fact, they’re having an even better season.
For every home game, the orange and white stripes flash at the Thompson-Boling Arena to watch the No. 4 team in the country—a team that rebuilt itself through the transfer portal to dominate on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
This year’s Vols team is led by Zeigler, Gainey and North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier.
Zeigler is the program veteran. The Long Island native has spent all four seasons in Knoxville, where he established himself as a two-way leader.
Last season’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year leads the squad in assists per game with 7.4 and plays lockdown defense, averaging two steals a game.
When he needs to, Zeigler also gets buckets—to the tune of 13.5 per game.
Alongside Zeigler is Gainey, Tennessee’s spark off the bench. Despite being the third-leading scorer on the team, Gainey has retained his sixth-man role, appearing in every game this season but only starting one. The USC Upstate transfer is averaging 11 ppg with efficiency.
But the primary offensive threat has been Lanier. Tennessee struck gold again by landing another pure scorer from a mid-major.
Lanier averages 17.7 ppg in his first season in Knoxville against SEC competition. The team’s leading scorer is deadly from deep, knocking down 40.6% of his shots from beyond the arc while consistently locking up opponents, averaging close to a steal per game.
Lanier can get buckets in any fashion. He put on a shooting clinic in the team’s 77-69 victory against Texas A&M when he drilled eight threes in a 30-point performance.
Against Vanderbilt, Lanier put up 21 points while only making two threes. Whenever his team needs points, the Tennessee native can get a bucket at any level.
“I knew the opportunity was going to be special. And then on my official visit, when I came to Tennessee, all the guys were surrounding me in the locker room. We had a good little celebration. I just knew it was home,” Lanier said. “I knew that I’d be joining something that was bigger than me.”
Combined with the depth of Felix Okpara, Mashack, Cade Phillips, and Darlinstone Dubar, the Vols have offensive threats at all positions in their lineup.
But, in recent years, Barnes’ teams have thrived on their defensive force.
Barnes’ Vols teams play tough regardless of the stakes. Practices are a battle between players. The team follows an “iron sharpens iron” mentality, improving through physicality to mold a tough-minded identity.
Zeigler said the constant, scrappy battles in practice have prepared them to face any opponent.
“I’m telling you, people don’t understand, we go at each other like we don’t know each other. Like, we be talking trash, we be talking crazy to each other,” Zeigler said. “But you know, just being that competitor, we understand that when we go against each other like that, when we go out on the court and play against somebody we don’t know, it’s gonna be like, ‘Oh this ain’t nothin.’”
That identity has run rampant.
The team ranks out as the seventh-best scoring defense in the country, only allowing 61.8 points per game. While seventh is impressive, it cannot be overlooked that this Vols team allows 61.8 points per game playing in arguably the toughest conference—the SEC—a conference projected to have more than half their members in the Big Dance.
Despite the high-powered offenses on their schedule, the Vols have only allowed 80 points once—an 85-81 victory against No. 15 Missouri.
“The standard for this team is definitely toughness,” Lanier said. “Knowing they’re in the foxhole with you and that you’ll do anything for your brother.”
They stood tough when it mattered most. In the team’s signature victory over No. 6 Alabama, the team held the nation’s top-scoring offense to 76 points, a figure well below the Crimson Tide’s average of 91.1 points per game.
But Barnes’ defense showed up in the critical moments of the game. Deadlocked at 76 with 10 seconds to play, Alabama had two chances to take the lead.
Freshman guard Labaron Philon drove into the paint, but Mashack stepped in to help, ripping at the ball to force a tie-up. Alabama retained possession, but a stingy Tennessee defense locked up all recipients of an inbound pass. The Vols forced a five-second violation, getting the ball back with 3.8 seconds on the clock, needing to go the distance for a game-winner.
Zeigler inbounded to Mashack, who sprinted up the court. He launched a 36-footer as the buzzer expired, crouching as he released the shot, almost as if to will the shot in.
It hit nothing but net. The arena went into a frenzy. Mashack was mobbed by his teammates, who immediately ran to the baseline to celebrate with fans.
The win showcased their defense on a national stage, while also giving the Vols their eighth victory against a ranked opponent.
Heading into their regular season finale, Tennessee remains in contention for a prized No. 1 seed in March Madness. They currently sit as the No. 4 team in the AP Poll and will look to solidify their tournament seeding with strong performances in the upcoming SEC Tournament.
While being a top team is nice, the Vols want their legacy to be remembered differently—as champions.
“Yeah, we want an SEC championship. We want an SEC tournament championship. But we’re going for the big trophy. We made history already with starting off the best in over 100 years, but we’re looking at something bigger than that,” Zeigler said.
For four years, T.J. Otzelberger has developed an established program in Ames, Iowa.
When Otzelberger joined the Cyclones in the 2021-22 season, he took over a program that had fallen into ruin. After successful campaigns in the 2010s that saw NBA players Georges Niang, Monte Morris and Tyrese Haliburton get buckets in Ames, the program had fallen into ruin—ending the 2020-21 season with a 2-22 record.
Otzelberger turned the program around, going dancing in all four seasons of his tenure. The team broke out last year, posting a 29-8 record and hoisting the Big 12 Conference Tournament trophy.
However, the run ended abruptly in the Sweet Sixteen with a double-digit loss to Illinois, a team led by elite scorer Terrance Shannon Jr.
This season, the Cyclones are still a powerhouse—but look even better than last year. Iowa State put itself on the map, achieving the highest AP Poll ranking in school history, reaching the No. 2 spot.
Led by program veterans and new transfers, the Cyclones’ dominant offense has improved, with the depth vaulting them into the conversation for National Title contenders.
The Cyclones are led by a battle-tested starting five of Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, Milan Momcilovic and transfers Joshua Jefferson and Dishon Jackson.
The depth includes ironmen Nate Heise and Brandton Chatfield and the team’s leading scorer Curtis Jones.
While the team boasts an offensive threat at all positions, with five players averaging double-digit points per game, the bulk of the offensive load is held by Jones and Gilbert.
Jones is the team’s leading scorer. A transfer from the University of Buffalo, the senior guard averages 16.7 ppg and boasts the ability to take over a game off the bench at any point.
Jones opened the season on a tear, scoring double-digit points in eight consecutive games following the team’s opener, including a 23-point performance against their in-state rivals in Iowa City.
The senior can score on all three levels, boasting an elite sharpshooting ability, knocking down 36.8% of his shots beyond the arc.
The efficient scoring has landed Jones on the Midseason Wooden Watchlist. But if you asked the senior, he probably wouldn’t pay too much attention to the accolades.
“Whatever comes with winning, we’ll take it. We’re not really in it for the recognition, but that’s what comes with it,” Jones said.
Alongside Jones in the backcourt is Gilbert, the other Cyclone on the Wooden Award Watch List.
Gilbert is the second leading scorer on the team. A transfer from UNLV, Gilbert immediately burst onto the scene in his first season in Ames, averaging 13.7 ppg and being named to the All-Big 12 team.
From that year, he’s only gotten better. The senior now averages 13.8 ppg and 4.3 assists while playing scrappy defense to the tune of 1.8 steals per game.
Gilbert credits the tough-minded mentality and work ethic for his immediate success in Ames.
“I ain’t gonna lie, Iowa State isn’t for everybody—if you don’t really love basketball, you ain’t gonna like it. You ain’t gonna fit here, because basketball is all it is,” Gilbert said. “We work hard as hell, so we know everything’s gonna fall into place.”
While the individual accolades are fulfilling, Jones and Gilbert echo the same sentiment: winning above all.
And they have. The team has 22 wins on the season playing in a tough conference likely to send eight teams to the NCAA Tournament.
The Big 12 is competitive, with games usually tight-knit between conference opponents. In those situations, when the team needs a bucket—Jones and Gilbert are usually the numbers called upon.
Especially in the team’s 85-84 overtime victory against Texas Tech, Gilbert delivered a bucket in clutch time.
Down three in a hostile road environment, the Cyclones needed a bucket to keep the game within reach. After Texas Tech made a free throw to go up three, Gilbert caught in the inbound pass.
He sprinted down the court, putting the moves on his defender. Two quick crossovers drove Gilbert into the paint. Gilbert jabbed and pump-faked before quickly sinking a contested layup to bring the Cyclones within one.
After Texas Tech split their free throws, Lipsey found Jefferson in the paint to send the game to overtime.
The Cyclones then went on to win in overtime after Jefferson sank two free throws with four seconds left in the extra frame.
The Cyclones’ ability to win close games puts them in great position for the Big Dance, where games seem to come down to the wire so often. They currently sit at No. 10 in the AP Poll and fifth in the Big 12. Experts project them as a No. 3 seed in March Madness.
While a No. 3 seed may seem disrespectful, the Cyclones don’t seem to care. Everyone who doubts them and the talents of their roster only feed into their motivation.
“That’s been a chip on our shoulder since before we got here. I don’t feel like me or [Jones] ever got the recognition we deserve,” Gilbert said. “But that’s just more motivation. That just puts more fuel in the tank, and adds more fuel to the fire. So, it is what it is.” — Luke Kaiser, SLAM Intern
Audi Crooks is showing out in her sophomore campaign at Iowa State and is the talk of the town. Named AP Player of the Week in week 17 after leading the team to two big wins over UCF and K State where averaged over 32 ppg with 9 boards shooting at least 75 percent from the field, Crooks is cooking.
At 6-3, her physicality makes it that much easier to box out and get easy buckets in the paint, in addition to strong footwork and a reinforced midrange makes defenders desperate when looking for an answer. It’s not often you find teams who run their offense through their post but with Crooks dominance, coach Fennely and the Cyclones have their game plan set; feed 55.
After an outstanding freshman season earning All-Big 12 honors, Crooks posted a dominant 40 point debut in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the teams first postseason since the 2020-2021 season. Looking to make it back to the tournament her emphasis is on what doesn’t show up on paper, “I’d like to be a better communicator.. A better leader and more consistent overall,” said Crooks.
With days left of the regular season, we’ll see just how far Crooks and the Cyclones go.
LSU is looking to win two of the last three NCAA titles and with a trio that averages just under 60 alone, they’re gonna be a force in the tournament. Yes you read right, 60. Flau’jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow, and Mikaylah Williams are the trio LSU is hoping to take them back to gold this year and standing at 7th in the nation, that’s not a crazy thought.
Knowing what they’re capable of, the Big 3 aim for a style of ball that works for each individual’s style, while in the parameters of the team’s culture. Staying within the top 10 since November individual growth is credited as the catalyst for their success, with all three taking more responsibility for the Tiger’s goals, and everything it’ll take to get there.
“Anything less than the Final Four, I’m not gonna be happy about because I know what this team is capable of,” said Johnson in their SLAMU interview. Only two seasons removed from her 2023 season where she was awarded Freshman of the Year honors that came with the LSU championship, the standards are higher than ever with a hunger to match for Johnson.
With another former Freshman of the Year in Mikaylah Williams, and the addition of Aneesah Morrow who earned herself First Team SEC honors last year, this could be the year for the Tigers. Repping their cities, and with Baton Rouge behind them, there’s no telling how far they’ll go. — Izabella Williams, SLAM Intern
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