Villanova’s road to San Antonio is clear. In its Easy Region, it has the worst No. 2 seed (Purdue), a No. 4 (Wichita State) that is inconsistent against top competition, and a No. 3 (Texas Tech) that would struggle to match the Wildcats’ four-out style. Keep an eye on the No. 10 seed, Butler of the Big East, which has beaten Villanova this year, and could push Purdue in the second round. Sixth-seeded Florida is capable of knocking off anyone, but could go home right away — it all depends whether the Gators’ 3-pointers are dropping — and No. 11 St. Bonaventure, if it gets through UCLA in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, has proven capable, having defeated Syracuse, Davidson and Rhode Island.
Best player: Jalen Brunson (Villanova). The national player of the year favorite is a treat to watch — smart, super-talented and unselfish. A 53.1 percent shooter from the point-guard position, he’s just the second player in Big East history to be named its player of the year and scholar-athlete of the year in the same season, joining Connecticut’s Emeka Okafor in 2004.
Unsung player: Keenan Evans (Texas Tech). A 6-foot-3 senior guard who lives in the lane and has improved each year, Texas Tech goes to him when in need of a big play.
Best first-round matchup: No. 7 Arkansas vs. No. 10 Butler. Different styles make matchups, and the Razorbacks’ up-and-down, frenetic style against the Bulldogs patience should offer up one of the Tournament’s most intriguing opening-round games.
First-round upset watch: No. 11 St. Bonaventure/No. 11 UCLA over No. 6 Florida. The Gators are as unpredictable as the selection show was hard to watch, having lost to the likes of Georgia, Vanderbilt and South Carolina, while also knocking off tournament teams Auburn, Kentucky and Cincinnati. And they will be getting a quality foe, whether it’s UCLA or St. Bonaventure, capable of sending them home.
Bracket buster: No. 9 Alabama. Freshman guard Collin Sexton carried the Crimson Tide to the Tournament by leading upsets of Texas A&M and Auburn in the SEC Tournament, and has the next-level potential to create even more March magic.
By the numbers:
87.1 — Points per game by Villanova, the most in the country
21.8 — Murray State’s Jonathan’s Stark’s scoring average per game, tied for the 16th most in the nation.
The Post’s pick: Villanova
This region was made to order for the Wildcats. Alabama in the second round will be tricky, but future lottery pick Mikal Bridges limits Sexton after a fast start, they take apart “Press” Virginia in the Sweet 16 and manhandle overwhelmed Purdue in the Elite 8, getting coach Jay Wright to his third Final Four. As was the case in the Big East Tournament final, Bridges and Jalen Brunson will have no equals.
1. Villanova (30-4)
Big East
PPG: 87.4 | OPP: 71.0
The top-rated offensive team in the country shoots 39.5 percent from beyond the arc, and features six players who score in double figures. The 2015-16 champs are hoping to avenge last year’s Round of 32 flameout.
Jr. G Jalen Brunson
(19.4 PPG, 4.7 APG)
Jr. F Mikal Bridges
(18.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
Fr. F Omari Spellman
(10.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG)
16. LIU Brooklyn (18-16)
Northeast
PPG: 77.5 | OPP: 76.8
The Blackbirds were picked to finish sixth in the conference and didn’t have a winning record until last weekend, but closed the season with five straight wins under coach Derek Kellogg, in his first year at the school.
Sr. G Joel Hernandez
(20.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG)
Jr. G/F Raiquan Clark
(17.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG)
So. G Jashaun Agosto
(11.7 PPG, 4.1 APG)
16. Radford (22-12)
Big South
PPG: 67.4 | OPP: 64.9
The Highlanders, picked to finish seventh in the Big South, have won seven straight games and punched their first ticket to the Big Dance since 2009 on Carlik Jones’ buzzer-beater in the conference title game against Liberty.
Jr. F Ed Polite Jr.
(13.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG)
Fr. G Carlik Jones
(11.8 PPG, 3.0 APG)
Sr. C Randy Phillips
(6.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG)
8. Virginia Tech (21-11)
ACC
PPG: 79.7 | OPP: 71.8
Buzz Williams has taken the football school to a second straight NCAA Tournament, sporting one of the country’s best perimeter shooting units, with five players shooting at least 39 percent on 3-pointers.
Jr. G Justin Robinson
(13.8 PPG, 5.6 APG)
Sr. G Justin Bibbs
(13.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG)
So. F Kerry Blackshear Jr.
(12.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG)
9. Alabama (19-15)
SEC
PPG: 72.4 | OPP: 70.0
Five straight losses to end the regular season put the Crimson Tide in danger of getting left out, but potential lottery pick Collin Sexton has put his team on his back once again.
Fr. G Collin Sexton
(19.0 PPG, 3.5 APG)
Jr. F Donta Hall
(10.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG)
So. G Dazon Ingram
(9.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG)
5. West Virginia (24-10)
Big 12
PPG: 79.6 | OPP: 69.0
The Mountaineers are called “Press Virginia” for a reason — they force 16.7 turnovers per game, and when the opposition does beat the press, Sagaba Konate, a human eraser averaging 3.3 blocks per game, is waiting.
Sr. G Jevon Carter
(17.0 PPG, 6.6 APG)
Sr. G Daxter Miles Jr.
(13.0 PPG, 3.2 APG)
So. F Sagaba Konate
(10.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG)
12. Murray State (26-5)
Ohio Valley
PPG: 78.9 | OPP: 65.5
Winners of 13 straight, the Racers lean on one of the country’s top-20 scorers and OVC Player of the Year, Jonathan Stark, who has six 30-point games this year.
Sr. G Jonathan Stark
(21.8 PPG, 3.9 APG)
Sr. F Terrell Miller Jr.
(14.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG)
Fr. G Ja Morant
(12.6 PPG, 6.4 APG)
4. Wichita State (25-7)
AAC
PPG: 83.0 | OPP: 71.3
The Shockers share the ball (third in the country with 18.8 assists per game) and rebound (ninth, with 40.7 per game) at a high level, two key attributes at which most winning teams excel. Six players average at least eight points per game.
So. G Landry Shamet
(15.0 PPG, 5.1 APG)
Sr. C Shaquille Morris
(14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
So. G Austin Reaves
(8.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG)
13. Marshall (24-10)
Conference USA
PPG: 84.8 | OPP: 79.2
With two players averaging more than 20 points per game, offense is no problem for the Conference USA champs. Jon Elmore is the only player in the country averaging 22 points, six assists and six rebounds.
Jr. G Jon Elmore
(22.8 PPG, 6.9 APG)
Jr. G C.J. Burks
(20.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG)
Jr. F Ajdin Penava
(15.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG)
6. Florida (20-12)
SEC
PPG: 76.1 | OPP: 69.4
The Gators are battle-tested, with a nation-leading six top-25 wins this season. They have also reached the Elite Eight or beyond in each of their past five trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Jr. G Jalen Hudson
(15.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG)
Sr. G Egor Koulechov
(13.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG)
Sr. G Chris Chiozza
(11.2 PPG, 6.1 APG)
11. St. Bonaventure (25-7)
Atlantic 10
PPG: 77.9 | OPP: 71.0
The Bonnies started the season 12-6, with star Jaylen Adams sidelined for six games, then put together one of the longest win streaks in the country to clinch their second NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.
Sr. G Jaylen Adams
(19.8 PPG, 5.4 APG)
Sr. G Matt Mobley
(18.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG)
Jr. F/G Courtney Stockard
(12.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG)
11. UCLA (21-11)
Pac-12
PPG: 81.9 | OPP: 76.3
In a season that began with shoplifting in China, the Bruins have turned it around behind a breakout campaign from Aaron Holiday, who led the Pac-12 in scoring while placing second in assists per game.
Jr. G Aaron Holiday
(20.3 PPG, 5.8 APG)
Fr. G Kris Wilkes
(13.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG)
Sr. C Thomas Welsh
(13.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG)
3. Texas Tech (24-9)
Big 12
PPG: 75.2 | OPP: 64.7
Deep and defensively stout, Texas Tech wears down the opposition with its grind-it-out style of pressure and nonstop attacking. Second-year coach Chris Beard led the Red Raiders to their most wins since 1995-96.
Sr. G Keenan Evans
(17.5 PPG, 3.2 APG)
Fr. G Zhaire Smith
(11.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG)
Fr. G Jarrett Culver
(11.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG)
14. Stephen F. Austin (28-6)
Southland
PPG: 81.1 | OPP: 68.1
The former Cinderella — which has won at least one round on two occasions (2014, 2016) — is back for the fourth time in the past five years, but for the first time under second-year coach Kyle Keller.
Jr. G Shannon Bogues
(15.7 PPG, 1.4 SPG)
So. G/F Kevon Harris
(14.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
Jr. F TJ Holyfield
(13.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG)
7. Arkansas (23-11)
SEC
PPG: 81.1 | OPP: 75.5
The Razorbacks can sling it from beyond the arc, and are on pace to finish with the second-best 3-point shooting percentage in the SEC over the past 25 years. Their problem has been defense and rebounding.
Sr. G Jaylen Barford
(18.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG)
Sr. G Daryl Macon
(16.9 PPG, 3.9 APG)
Fr. F Daniel Gafford
(11.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG)
10. Butler(20-13)
Big East
PPG: 79.1 | OPP: 72.8
The 6-foot-7 Kelan Martin is one of the country’s premier scorers, a 37-percent shooter from 3-point range who is adept at scoring in the post and just as potent off the dribble. He scored 30-plus points four times in Big East play.
Sr. F Kelan Martin
(20.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG)
So. G Kamar Baldwin
(15.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG)
Sr. F Tyler Wideman
(9.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG)
2. Purdue (28-6)
Big Ten
PPG: 81.1 | OPP: 65.6
The Boilermakers lost superstar big man Caleb Swanigan to the NBA draft, but returned one of the best shooting teams in the country, including most of the core that reached last year’s Sweet 16.
So. G Carsen Edwards
(18.5 PPG, 3.0 APG)
Sr. C Isaac Haas
(14.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG)
Sr. F Vincent Edwards
(14.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG)
15. Cal State Fullerton (20-11)
Big West
PPG: 73.2 | OPP: 70.0
The Titans were Kyle Allman’s lone scholarship offer out of high school, and the Brooklyn native has blossomed into a star our west, a 43-percent 3-point shooter who has a knack for getting to the free-throw line as well.
Jr. G Kyle Allman
(19.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG)
Jr. G Khalil Ahmad
(15.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG)
So. F Jackson Rowe
(12.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG)