March Madness 2022 Bracket: Final Four Paths For Duke, Kentucky, Kansas

College basketball’s Blue Bloods are among the top contenders in March Madness 2022. Duke, Kentucky and Kansas are all top-two seeds in the NCAA Tournament bracket with a strong chance to reach the Final Four.

Duke won the regular-season ACC championship before losing in the final game of the conference tournament. Kentucky was a top-five team until its premature exit in the SEC Tournament. Kansas won a share of the regular-season Big 12 championship as well as the Big 12 Tournament title.

All three teams are led by star players. Duke’s Paolo Banchero is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2022 NBA Draft. Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe is the National Player of the Year favorite. Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji is one of the best players in the country.

Blue Blood North Carolina is in the March Madness field. As a No. 8 seed, the Tar Heels are not expected to make a Final Four run.

Here’s a look at the paths that Duke, Kentucky and Kansas face toward the 2022 Final Four.

Duke (West Region)

No. 2 Duke shouldn’t have much trouble in its first-round matchup with No. 15 Cal-State Fullerton. The Blue Devils are 18.5-point favorites over the Titans, which had an 18-10 record before winning the Big West championship.

Duke’s second-round matchup could be a clash of legendary college basketball coaches. If No. 7 Michigan State beats No. 10 Davidson, Tom Izzo will take on Mike Krzyzewski in the Round of 32. In the Sweet Sixteen, Duke’s possible opponents are No. 3 Texas Tech, No. 6 Alabama, No. 11 Rutgers, No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 14 Montana State.

In order to make the Final Four, Duke will likely have to go through the top overall seed in March Madness. The Blue Devils are staring at an Elite Eight matchup with No. 1 Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are the clear national championship favorites after finishing as the 2021 runner-up. Duke beat Gonzaga 84-81 in November.

No. 4 Arkansas, No. 5 UConn, No. 8 Boise State, No. 9 Memphis and No. 12 New Mexico State are possible opponents for Duke in the Elite Eight.

Kentucky (East Region)

No. 2 Kentucky starts the NCAA Tournament with a first-round matchup against No. 15 Saint Peter’s. The Wildcats are 18-point favorites to advance to the Round of 32.

In the second round, Kentucky will face the winner of the first-round game between No. 7 Murray State and No. 10 San Francisco. If Kentucky reaches the Sweet Sixteen, it will take on No. 3 Purdue, No. 6 Texas, No. 11 Virginia Tech or No. 14 Yale.

The Wildcats might have to go through the defending national champions in the Elite Eight, but they are the only No. 2 seed that has the best odds to win its respective region. Both Kentucky and No. 1 Baylor have +200 odds to reach the Final Four at DraftKings Sportsbook.

If Baylor gets upset before the Elite Eight, Kentucky could end up facing No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 Saint Mary’s, No. 8 North Carolina or No. 9 Marquette in the regional final. Kentucky beat North Carolina by 29 points in December.

Kansas (Midwest Region)

The Midwest is No. 1 Kansas’ region to lose. The Jayhawks have +160 odds to reach the Final Four, and they should be heavy favorites in at least their first two games.

Kansas should cruise past the winner of the First Four matchup between No. 16 Texas A&M-CC and No. 16 Texas Southern in the first round. In the second round, the Jayhawks get either No. 8 San Diego State or No. 9 Creighton. No. 4 Providence, No. 5 Iowa, No. 12 Richmond and No. 13 South Dakota State are Kansas’ possible Sweet Sixteen opponents.

The most likely Elite Eight opponent for Kansas is No. 2 Auburn. The Tigers spent multiple weeks atop the AP Top 25 Poll. If Auburn stumbles, it’ll be No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 7 USC or No. 11 Iowa State that reaches the regional finals.

No. 14 Colgate or No. 15 Jacksonville State would have to go on a historic run to meet Kansas in the Elite Eight.