March Madness prep: Who are the title contenders? Can UConn go back-to-back?

The NFL is going into hibernation until Draft weekend.

UConn and Purdue are the only realistic contenders for the national title.

There are 10 stretch-run storylines to watch to get you ready for March Madness .

It has been 17 years since any team has won consecutive national titles.

South Carolina has surged to No. 11 in the AP Top 25 and to the top of the SEC standings.

Gonzaga ( 18-6 , 8 -2): Upsetting Kentucky didn’t secure Gonzaga ’s place in the NCAA tournament.

Villanova ( 13-11-11 , 6 -7): How can Villanova be striking distance within the bubble with such a pedestrian record?.

Washington State has won eight of its last nine games and is in strong position to get an NCAA tournament bid.

McNeese State holds a commanding two -and-a-half-game lead in the Southland Conference .

Princeton , Yale and Cornell are among the Ivy League teams with Cinderella potential.