March Madness top teams bring talent, and for some, baggage

Between an ailing Hall of Fame coach, injured stars and an ongoing murder investigation, the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament have more than basketball on their radar this month.

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Sports

March 13, 2023 - 2:04 PM

On Feb. 18, 2023, Alabama head coach Nate Oats on the sidelines against Georgia at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images/TNS)

Kansas and Alabama are no strangers to playing for national championships.

For the Jayhawks, another high-expectations trip to March Madness is a rite of spring. For the Crimson Tide, well, this path to glory travels through some unfamiliar ground — the basketball court.

Alabama rolls in as the top overall seed in an NCAA Tournament that feels both familiar and foreign this season. Yes, there are plenty of heartwarming stories and unbelievable upsets to come when the action begins Tuesday with the first of four play-in games.

But this was also a season clouded with police blotters at Alabama and Texas, injuries at Houston and UCLA, some unsightly losses at Kansas, and enough twists and turns at the top of the field to make this as unpredictable a bracket as ever.

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