Selection Sunday is so close you can already envision the brackets. A handful of NCAA Tournament bids have already been clinched and the major conference tournaments begin in a few days. But before the madness truly starts, let’s take a look back at what was a wacky and unpredictable regular season with our Zach to School end of year awards.

Denzel Valentine, Michigan State

He could be the country’s most improved player, most versatile and most important. That’s why Valentine is my national player of the year. The 6-foot-5 wing does everything but sweep the Breslin Center court for Michigan State, a national-title contender that should receive one of the four coveted No. 1 seeds on Sunday. His numbers — 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game and 45 percent 3-point shooting — are as impressive as the strides he’s made, from Travis Trice’s wingman a year ago to the Spartans’ superstar. Valentine is the rare high scorer who can dominate without putting the ball through the hoop.

Runners-up: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma and Tyler Ulis, Kentucky

Bill Self, Kansas

He made the difficult decision to go with experience over potential, relying on veterans instead of highly rated freshmen Carlton Bragg Jr. and Cheick Diallo. Self guided Kansas to a 12th straight Big 12 title, and this season, with 60 percent of the league ranked in the Associated Press top 25 and 70 percent likely headed to the NCAA Tournament, the conference has never been better. The Jayhawks don’t have a first-round pick in their rotation, barring a major surprise, and without a dominant post presence, Self has smartly shifted his offensive philosophy to taking advantage of his loaded backcourt, enabling guards Frank Mason III, Wayne Selden Jr. and Devonte’ Graham to thrive.

Runners-up: Chris Mack, Xavier and Greg Gard, Wisconsin

Ben Bentil, Providence

The sophomore went from a spare part to the potential Big East Player of the Year, a unanimous first-team selection on Sunday. Without him, Providence doesn’t sniff the NCAA Tournament. He’s averaging a Big East-leading 21.2 points — more than triple last year — along with 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. On top of that, he developed into a quality 3-pointer shooter, hitting 32 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc, after making just nine as a freshman.

Runners-up: Grayson Allen, Duke and Jakob Poeltl, Utah

Ben Simmons, LSU

Sure, his team won’t play in the NCAA Tournament barring a run to the SEC Tournament crown, and, yes, LSU has been very disappointing. But Simmons’ numbers — 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game — are impeccable, and is there any doubt, a better coach than Johnny Jones — heck, anyone with a pulse — would’ve gotten the Tigers into the field of 68? LSU’s year is more of an indictment of Jones than a knock on Simmons’ lone year in college.

Runners-up: Jamal Murray, Kentucky and Brandon Ingram, Duke

Georgetown

The Hoyas were picked to finish second in the Big East. Many — including myself — thought they could challenge Villanova atop the conference. Instead, 14-17 Georgetown, with its most regular-season losses since the 1971-72 season, needs a March miracle this week at the Garden for this season to be anything but an abject disaster. John Thompson III’s last name is the only reason his job isn’t in jeopardy.

Runners-up: Connecticut and LSU

Xavier

The Musketeers don’t have a star, the roster isn’t flooded with NBA talent, yet they are looking at a second seed in the NCAA Tournament, or possibly even a No. 1 if coach Chris Mack’s team can cut down the nets at the Garden on Saturday. They were nowhere to be found in preseason national rankings. This Xavier team is about the value of development and smart recruiting, what a program is all about. It defends and it shares the ball, it has depth and a cadre of capable 3-point shooters. On paper, this isn’t a top-10 team, but on the court — the only place that matters — Xavier has proven it belongs among the very best in the country.

Runners-up: West Virginia and Indiana

Skal Labissiere

Everybody’s favorite freshman flop isn’t looking like one lately. Kentucky’s 6-foot-11 forward enjoyed the best game of what has been a trying season on Saturday, notching 18 points, nine rebounds and six blocks against LSU and Ben Simmons, and that came on the heels of an an 11-point, eight-rebound effort on a win over Florida. Coach John Calipari has finally moved him out of the post and is using him more as a face-up forward, which has given him a chance to use his superior athleticism, whereas before he was being out-muscled in the paint. Good for Labissiere, who never complained publicly about all the criticism he received, and has worked himself into position to help the Wildcats return to the Final Four for the third straight year and fifth time in six seasons.

Kansas

Winning the Big 12 — the best conference in the country — for a 12th straight year is remarkable feat of consistency. The Jayhawks look like the best team in the nation — deep, experience and consistent — the only team to be ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press, fall out of that spot, and return. Kansas is solid, not exceptional, but this year, that may be enough to cut down the nets in Houston. There isn’t a more underrated guard out there than junior Wayne Selden Jr., a player who has resisted the urge to go pro, and has developed into a well-rounded winner as a result.

Syracuse

Maybe it’s time for Jim Boeheim to rip another one of his players publicly. Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament chances are in a precarious position after Saturday’s loss at Florida State marked its fourth loss in five games, and Boeheim hasn’t had any answers of late, other than to recently say sophomore Tyler Roberson “wouldn’t play if I had anyone else.” Remember when everyone blamed Syracuse’s struggles on assistant Mike Hopkins during Boeheim’s suspension?

Richard Pitino

Minnesota has won eight Big Ten games over the last two years, just two this season, and ended its regular season by absorbing a 23-point beat down at the hands of Rutgers — yes, Rutgers. And then there is the scandal in which three players — Kevin Dorsey, Dupree McBrayer and Nate Mason — were suspended for the rest of the season for their reported involvement in graphic sex tapes posted by Dorsey on Twitter. Pitino does have a strong recruiting class coming in, led by top 50 shooting guard Amir Coffey, but ask yourself this: If his last name wasn’t Pitino, would he even have this job, let alone get an interview, after one mediocre season at Florida International?

A prediction of the top four seeds in the NCAA Tournament (listed in order):

1. Kansas, Michigan State, Virginia, Villanova
2. Xavier, North Carolina, Oklahoma, West Virginia
3. Miami, Kentucky, Oregon, Indiana
4. Utah, Maryland, Iowa, Purdue