NCAA Tournament: 3 red-flag teams to fade in the early rounds

Let's take a look at three red-flag teams to fade in the early rounds of March Madness.

Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 4 seed, West Region)

Alabama might have the most worrisome red flag of any top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide can fill it up on offense, as they rank first in the country in points per game, second in offensive efficiency and 11th in effective field-goal percentage. They scored 100 points or more nine times, which tied an SEC record for the most 100-point games in a single season.

A team with that much offensive firepower can be alluring, but defense is just as important in March. Well, Alabama doesn't play any. 

Nate Oats's squad ranks 348th in points allowed per game, 262nd in defensive efficiency and 312th in offensive rebounds allowed per game. Teams with such stark differences between their offensive and defensive efficiencies rarely make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, and they routinely get knocked out in the first two rounds.

In addition to its horrible defensive numbers, Alabama also ranks 339th in fouls per game and 193rd in turnovers per game. This is an incredibly sloppy team primed for an early upset. 

Kentucky Wildcats (No. 3 seed, South Region)

Kentucky's offensive and defensive splits aren't as severe as Alabama's, but its resume is flawed in a similar way. The Wildcats rank second in points per game, sixth in offensive efficiency and fourth in effective field-goal percentage. They also rely heavily on jump shots, as they rank first in three-point percentage and 11th in three-pointers made per game. 

On the other side of the ball, Kentucky ranks 340th in points allowed per game, 203rd in defensive efficiency and 306th in three-pointers allowed per game. The Wildcats have a ton of NBA talent on the roster in Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham and Antonio Reeves, so their ceiling is to win the national championship. But they could just as easily lose to Oakland if they have an off-shooting night. 

Wisconsin Badgers (No. 5 seed, South Region)

Wisconsin is the classic case of a team that finishes strong in primetime games and convinces college basketball fans to like them. The Badgers crushed Maryland by 31, knocked off Northwestern by nine and upset Purdue by one in the Big Ten Tournament to reach the finals. They ended up losing to Illinois in a close title game, but they did enough to secure a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Don't be fooled by the impressive finish. Let's not forget Wisconsin dropped three of its last four games in the regular season and lost to 8-24 Michigan last month. The Badgers also rank 35th in offensive efficiency and 187th in defensive efficiency, putting them in the same category as Alabama and Kentucky.

Wisconsin is one of the worst teams in the country at defending the three-point line, and its first-round opponent, James Madison, ranks 42nd in the country in three-point percentage.