Any good coach will tell you that postseason success is about playing your best when your best play is needed.
Several marquee teams have had their ebbs and flows, but as college basketball's regular season comes to a close and conference tournaments begin, the sins of the past can easily be forgiven if teams simply get their acts together now. Consider squads such as Kentucky, West Virginia, Wichita State and North Carolina. All hit a wall at different points in 2017-18 but seem to have gotten over it. This is the March Madness we crave every year. It's about to go down.
NCAA TOURNAMENT: Latest bracket projections
College Basketball Power Rankings
All stats as of Feb. 28.
25. Kentucky (21-9, 10-7)
Coach John Calipari's latest crop of fabulous freshmen finally seem to be turning the corner. They've won four in a row, including their last two by an average of 19.5 points over Missouri and Ole Miss. With three potential lottery picks in Kevin Knox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Hamidou Diallo, UK could make some noise in the postseason after all. It travels to Florida for its SEC regular-season finale.
24. Florida (19-11, 10-7)
The Gators bounced back with a pair of wins against Auburn and Alabama last week after losing their previous three. They can lock in a top-three seed in the SEC Tournament by completing a regular-season sweep of Kentucky Saturday in Gainesville.
23. USC (21-9, 12-5)
The Trojans have gone 10-3 since Jan. 10. They'll put their four-game winning streak on the line Saturday night, when they face UCLA, which defeated them by three earlier in the season.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT 2018: Move to Madison Square Garden all about expansion
22. Clemson (22-7, 11-6)
The Tigers can equal their highest win total in the Brad Brownwell era with a win at Syracuse Saturday.
21. St. Mary's (27-4, 16-2)
St. Mary's isn't satisfied with a second-place finish in the West Coast Conference. It wants to reach the league tournament final and defeat arch-rival Gonzaga.
20. Houston (23-6, 13-4)
All eyes have been on Wichita State and Cincinnati in the American, but the Cougars have split with the Shockers and Bearcats. That should give Houston all the confidence in the world heading into the conference tournament after it plays host to UConn Saturday to close the regular season.
19. Wichita State (23-5, 13-3)
The Shockers went 6-1 in February and could finish atop the American standings in their first season in the league, provided they get victories against UCF (Thursday) and Cincinnati (Sunday).
DeCOURCY: What do you want college basketball to be?
18. Arizona (22-7, 12-4)
Coach Sean Miller didn't man the sidelines in the Wildcats' loss at Oregon last weekend after allegedly being caught on tape attempting to arrange a $100,000 payment to Deandre Ayton in exchange for his signature. The team's second-leading scorer, guard Allonzo Trier (19.6 ppg), is suspended after failing a drug test. That makes it hard to be too high on Arizona. The Wildcats host Stanford Thursday and Cal Saturday to end the regular season.
17. Cincinnati (25-4, 14-2)
The Bearcats need to win the American tournament to truly restore the selection committee's faith in them as a national title contender. A pair of victories at Tulane (Thursday) and Wichita State (Sunday) would be a good start.
16. West Virginia (22-8, 11-6)
Once the odds-on-favorites before a stretch during which they lost five of six, the Mountaineers are looking as good as anyone outside of Kansas to compete for a Big 12 conference title again. They head into their final regular season game — on the road against Texas — having won three straight.
15. Virginia Tech (21-9, 10-7)
The Hokies' NCAA Tournament resume includes victories against North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson and Duke. They travel to Miami Saturday.
MORE: Arizona Board of Regents to discuss Sean Miller's future
14. Tennessee (22-7, 12-5)
Sharing is caring in Knoxville. The Volunteers lead the SEC in assists as they prepare to host Georgia, having won each of their last three contests.
13. Michigan (24-7, 13-5)
The Big 10's stingiest defense has helped the Wolverines in their current five-game winning streak, during which they've held teams to 63.4 points per game. They face Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament Thursday.
12. Gonzaga (27-4, 17-1)
Gonzaga hasn't missed a beat since suffering its lone loss in West Coast Conference play in mid-January. Winners of 11 straight, they're the clear favorite to capture a sixth-straight league tourney title.
11. Texas Tech (22-8, 10-7)
The Red Raiders once looked as if they were capable of making a Final Four run, but they've fallen off. Texas Tech has lost four consecutive games, three by single-digit margins. It plays host to TCU Saturday.
HILLE: Is the Mountain West wooing the basketball powerhouse Gonzaga?
10. Auburn (24-6, 12-5)
Auburn's second-leading scorer, junior Bryce Brown, has averaged just 11.5 points in his last four games, well below his season average of 15.9. The Tigers have lost three during the stretch. Coach Bruce Pearl's guys host South Carolina Saturday.
9. Ohio State (24-7, 13-5)
The Buckeyes have been playing .500 ball since Valentine's Day, but they've won two straight and have the ability to beat anyone when they take to the court in the Big Ten Tournament Friday at 6:30 p.m..
8. North Carolina (22-8, 11-6)
The Tar Heels are playing championship ball at exactly the right time. It took a buzzer beat from Miami to end their six-game winning streak. UNC travels to Durham, N.C., to play their good friends at Duke Saturday night.
7. Duke (24-6, 12-5)
The Blue Devils looked like they were on to something with Grayson Allen leading the way during a five-game win streak. But they lost to Virginia Tech in heartbreaking fashion in their most recent outing in freshman sensation Marvin Bagley's second game after missing significant time with a knee injury. They'll be looking to bounce back when they seek revenge against North Carolina at home Saturday.
MORE: Shareef O'Neal commits to UCLA
6. Purdue (26-5, 15-3)
The Boilermakers have gone 3-3 in their last six games, but they can build on three consecutive wins heading into their first game in the Big Ten Tournament Friday night.
5. Kansas (24-6, 13-4)
The Jayhawks did it again. For the 14th year, they've captured a Big 12 regular-season title. They'll go as far as point guard Devonte' Graham takes them. The senior has played 40 minutes 15 times in 2017-18. Kansas finishes its regular-season slate at Oklahoma State Saturday.
4. Xavier (26-4, 14-3)
The Musketeers have played well enough to be considered for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tourney despite two losses to Villanova in Big East play. A noon meeting Saturday against DePaul should be a tuneup for the league tournament.
3. Villanova (26-4, 13-4)
Jay Wright's Wildcats have proven their resolve time and time again. They haven't lost back-to-back games all season and their defeats have come by an average of 5.2 points. With Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVicenzo and Phil Booth holding down the guard slots, they're going to be a tough out for anyone in the postseason.
2. Michigan State (28-3, 16-2)
Coach Tom Izzo's Spartans have remained focused despite all the drama surrounding the program, winning 12 in a row. Sophomore Miles Bridges' eligibility is no longer in question after he was linked to the FBI's bribery investigation. The Spartans being their Big Ten Tournament championship quest Friday at noon.
1. Virginia (26-2, 15-1)
Coach Tony Bennet has the Cavaliers clicking on all cylinders. The nation's best scoring defense has been frustrating opposing offenses all season. Virginia travels to Louisville Thursday and hosts Notre Dame Saturday before the ACC Tournament begins.