Realistically I think only three teams have a chance to win the championship...Gonzaga, Illinois, and Baylor. Here's what to expect.
West Region
Likely Winner: Gonzaga
Gonzaga (1)
Gonzaga is the most well-rounded and best offensive team
in the country by far. They’ve got a
group of hungry players determined to complete an undefeated season and cut
down the nets, and there’s no doubt they’re the favorite to get it done. Gonzaga has been knocking on the door to win
a title for years now, and it just seems time for the current best coach and
best program in college basketball to win its first championship. Kansas is their only real threat in this region.
Players to Watch: Jalen
Suggs, Joel Ayayi, Corey Kispert, Drew Timme, Andrew Nembhard
Kansas (3)
This has been a down year by Kansas standards, yet
here they are with a solid team still capable of making a deep run in the
tournament. Their inconsistent intensity
and lack of an elite talent who can take over games will likely cost them at
some point, but a run as far as the elite eight wouldn’t shock me at all. They’ve got the size, length, and athleticism
to match up with anyone.
Players to Watch: Marcus
Garrett, David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji, Jalen Wilson
Oregon (7)
Chris Duarte is one of the most NBA-ready players in
college basketball, but he’ll need some help if Oregon is going to make a deep
run. Their lack of size inside will
likely be their downfall, but a great coach and some skilled players certainly
give them a shot to win a few games.
They have a good chance to make the Sweet 16.
Players to Watch: Chris Duarte, LJ
Figueroa, Eugene Omoruyi
Iowa (2)
Iowa has been overrated for most of the season, and
their lack of elite speed and athleticism will probably be their downfall. They move the ball well, have some good
shooters on the perimeter, and a big man in Luka Garza who will dominate you
physically if you don’t have the size and length to guard him. With the right draw and some good fortune Iowa
is certainly capable of making it as far at the elite eight, but unfortunately
for them they’ve drawn a tough first-round matchup. Grand Canyon has the size and skill to match
up with them, and if you’re looking to pick a #2 seed to fall in round one,
Iowa is really the only one that might.
Players to Watch: Luka Garza, Joe Weiskamp
Missouri (9)
Missouri is a veteran team that doesn’t do anything spectacular,
but they’re really solid in all areas.
They’re tough, they’re smart, and Dru Smith has come up clutch at times,
but they’re lack of elite talent will catch up with them eventually. A first-round win isn’t out of the question,
but they’ll likely go no farther than that with Gonzaga almost certainly
awaiting in round two.
Players to Watch: Jeremiah Tilmon, Dru
Smith
Ohio (13)
Ohio point guard Jason Preston will play in the NBA
one day, and his sky-high basketball IQ will give his team a chance to win a
few games in this tournament. If you’re
looking for a double-digit seed to make the Sweet 16, Ohio is probably the best
option.
Players to Watch: Jason Preston,
Vanderplas
Grand Canyon (15)
Grand Canyon is not your typical 15 seed. They have good size, length, and shooting,
and they play extremely hard. They drew
the best possible matchup in an Iowa team that lacks elite athleticism, and if
you want to pick a major Cinderella story this team is the one.
Players to Watch:
USC (6)
USC is limping to the finish this season, even with a
consensus top-five NBA draft pick in Evan Mobley. They don’t get him the ball nearly enough,
and they don’t have the talent surrounding him to make a deep run. The lack of offensive weapons besides their
future lottery pick makes them vulnerable, but they’ve drawn the best possible
matchup against the winner of Wichita State and a banged-up Drake team in round
one. They should get by either of these
opponents, but it will take a truly heroic performance for Evan Mobley to take
USC farther than that.
Players to Watch: Evan Mobley, Tahj Eaddy
Oklahoma (8)
Oklahoma doesn’t have any elite NBA prospects, but
they do have great guards capable of clutch buckets and a great coach that gives
them a good opportunity to succeed. Unfortunately
one of those guards, De’Vion Harmon, is out due to covid, and his absence could
be the difference between them winning and losing in round one. Oklahoma plays
really well together, but losing one of their best players makes it impossible
to win more than one game.
Players to Watch: Austin Reaves
Virginia (4)
I think Virginia has been overrated all season, but
they did find a way to win the ACC regular season title. They’re very good defensively again as usual,
but their lack of offensive talent will cost them eventually. Good coaching and a winning culture will
serve them well, but this team is still vulnerable to an upset. Ohio has a real chance to knock them off in
round one.
Players to Watch: Trey Murphy III, Jay
Huff, Sam Hauser
Creighton (5)
Creighton moves the ball extremely well and has
shooters all over the floor, but their lack of size and physicality down low
makes them vulnerable. Problems in the
locker room have created some major questions with this team heading into the
tournament as well. Will the coach’s
recent remarks have a lingering effect on the team? Events like this can either bring a team
closer or tear them apart, and by the looks of their blowout loss to Georgetown
in the Big East final, it seems to be having a negative impact. The Bluejays are certainly capable of winning
a couple games, but an early upset might be more likely. UC Santa Barbara has a real chance to knock
them off.
Players to Watch: Damien Jefferson, Marcus
Zegarowski, Denzel Mahoney
VCU (10)
Bones Hyland can put points on the board in a hurry,
but he’ll need some help if his VCU squad is going to do any damage in the
tournament. VCU often gets sloppy and
out of control, so Hyland and his teammates will need to take better care of
the ball to get wins. He’ll likely need
to deliver a monster performance to get the Rams past Oregon in round one.
Players to Watch: Na’Shon
“Bones” Hyland
UC Santa Barbara (12)
UCSB has good ball movement and fluid offensive
players with some size inside, and while they’re not great defensively, they
should have a shot against a Creighton team with some major internal
issues. They could even have a chance to
reach the Sweet 16, but a potential run wouldn’t go any further than that with
Gonzaga likely looming there.
Players to Watch: JaQuori McLaughlin
Eastern Washington (14)
Eastern Washington lacks the speed or athleticism to
keep up with Kansas, and they don’t have anyone who can really create their own
shot. They’re a smart team with good
ball movement, but if you’re looking to pick a major first-round upset, this
isn’t the one.
Players to Watch: Michael Meadows
Drake (11)
Drake is a smart team that was undefeated for a large
chunk of the season, but an injury to their best player followed by another one
to their next best player cost them any chance at an exciting run in March. Drake’s star, ShanQuan Hemphill, just
returned from his injury, but he’s clearly not himself yet. They did well to sneak by Wichita St., but
they likely won’t be so lucky against USC.
Players to Watch: ShanQuan Hemphill
Norfolk St. (16)
Norfolk St. plays very hard, but they don’t have the
size or skill to pull off an upset against the tournament’s top seed. They have some athletic guys who might be
able to hang around for a little bit and make Gonzaga work, but they’ve got no
shot to win.
Players to Watch: Jalen Hawkins
East Region
Likely Winner: Texas (But lots of others have a
realistic chance)
Texas (3)
Texas has great size, length, and athleticism, but
sloppy play and fighting between teammates have caused some issues for them
this season. They were able to put it
all together on their way to winning the Big 12 tournament championship last
week, and if they can keep playing lock-down defense and avoid internal issues
they have a great chance to make the final four. Texas has multiple ball-handlers, shooters,
and plenty of big bodies inside, as well as several players who seem to thrive
in the game’s biggest moments. The
Longhorns have as good a chance as anyone to come out of the wide-open East
region.
Players to Watch: Kai Jones, Jericho Sims,
Greg Brown, Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramey, Matt Coleman
LSU (8)
Ja’Vonte Smart is the X-factor. He’s not a very smart player, but when he’s
on (or at least not blowing the game with bad shots and turnovers) this team
can be really good. LSU is extremely
big, long, and athletic, and they possess one of the most dangerous scorers in
the game in Cameron Thomas. They’ve got
the talent and athleticism of a final four contender, but their inconsistent
play could also lead to an early exit.
Anything could happen with this team.
Players to Watch: Cameron Thomas, Trendon
Watford, Ja’Vonte Smart
Alabama (2)
Alabama is extremely tough defensively with plenty of
size, length, and shooting on the perimeter, but their lack of a true big man
will likely be a problem at some point.
I’m a little surprised they were able to win the SEC, and it wouldn’t
shock me if they got upset early, but they’re also capable of making a solid
run too. They move the ball extremely
well and shoot a lot of threes, and how well they shoot them will likely
dictate how far they’ll go. Texas could
be a very difficult matchup for Alabama in the Sweet 16.
Players to Watch: Jaden Shackleford, Herb
Jones, John Petty Jr., Josh Primo, Jordan Bruner, Jahvon Quinerly
Florida St. (4)
FSU is one of the biggest teams in the country, and as
usual they are extremely long and athletic.
This is a team capable of making a final four run, but some poor
performances of late make me think they won’t quite get there. In typical Florida State fashion, they don’t
really have a standout go-to player, something that can hurt them late in
games. Freshman Scottie Barnes has the
mentality to be that guy, but I’m not sure his shooting is good enough just
yet. FSU will have to take better care
of the ball to get deep in the tournament.
Players to Watch: Scottie Barnes, Raiquan
Gray, Balsa Koprivica, MJ Walker
St. Bonaventure (9)
St. Bonaventure has good size, length, and
athleticism, and they’re a smart team with great ball and player movement. They make good decisions and take care of the
ball, and they’re very good on the defensive end as well. They drew a pretty brutal matchup against an
extremely talented LSU team in the first-round, but if they’re able to pull out
a win in that one they’ve got a chance to make a deep run. They’re capable of beating every team in this
region, but they could easily lose their first game to LSU.
Players to Watch: Kyle Lofton, Osun
Osunniyi
Michigan (1)
Michigan is a smart team that moves the ball well and
plays good defense, but their lack of elite athleticism will likely cost them
eventually. They’ve got a great record and have been ranked highly for most of
the season, but a close look at their schedule shows they had the easiest
possible road in the Big Ten. Losing one
of their best players, Isaiah Livers, doesn’t help matters either. They’re the most vulnerable #1 seed by far,
and I’d actually be surprised if they made the final four.
Players to Watch: Hunter Dickenson, Franz
Wagner, Isaiah Livers?
Maryland (10)
Maryland is a solid team with good length and
athleticism. They’ve got a lot of guys
who are capable of making shots from the outside and creating off the dribble,
but they don’t have any consistent stars.
They don’t have a whole lot of size down low either, but they’re
certainly capable of winning a couple games. They should be the favorite in their
first one against UCONN.
Players to Watch: Eric Ayala, Darryl
Morsell, Donta Scott, Aaron Wiggins
UCLA (11)
When UCLA lost their best player earlier this season,
I’ll admit I thought they were done.
Coach Mick Cronin has done an incredible job getting this team to
respond and bounce back, and right now they’re actually playing pretty
well. Jules Bernard and Jaime Jaquez
have really stepped up, and now this team has a chance to prove themselves in the
most wide-open region. They’ve certainly
got a good shot to beat BYU, but the size and physicality of Texas will likely
be too much to overcome.
Players to Watch: Jaime Jaquez, Jules
Bernard, Cody Riley, Johnny Juzang
Colorado (5)
Point guard McKinley Wright is tough and extremely
talented, but he’ll need some help if Colorado is going to make any noise in
the tournament. Colorado takes good care
of the ball and plays good defense, but someone from the supporting cast has to
step up for Colorado to move on, and I’m looking to D’Shawn Schwartz to be that
guy. They’re in one of the easiest
sections of the tournament so a run as far as the elite eight isn’t out of the
question, but they’ll have to shoot really well to do something like that. They’ll more than likely fall to Florida St.
in round two if they can get by Georgetown.
Players to Watch: McKinley Wright, D’Shawn
Schwartz
BYU (6)
BYU is one of the only teams to give Gonzaga even a
little bit of a scare this year, so they’re certainly capable of winning games
in the tournament. Point guard Alex
Barcello is extremely skilled in all facets of the game, and he’ll need to
deliver big performances for this team to move on. Gideon George will likely need to play a major
role as well. They have a decent chance
to win their first game against UCLA, but Texas would be a really difficult
matchup in round two.
Players to Watch: Alex Barcello, Gideon
George, Matt Haarms
UCONN (7)
James Bouknight is extremely talented, but he’s going
to have to be more aggressive and carry this team if they hope to make a
run. His supporting cast just isn’t very
good, and the Huskies can’t afford for Bouknight to “make the right play” and
defer to his teammates. He’s got to
channel Kemba Walker and look to completely takeover games for them to advance,
because they just don’t have enough offensive talent to take advantage of his
playmaking for others.
Players to Watch: James Bouknight
Georgetown (12)
Georgetown has great size, length, and athleticism and
plays tough, aggressive defense, but turnovers and poor selection has plagued
them all season long. They put a few
good games together to win the Big East tournament just to make it here, but
they’ll need to clean up the mistakes to advance. They’ve got a chance to get by Colorado if
they can overwhelm them athletically, but it’s tough to see them getting any
farther than that.
Players to Watch: Jahvon Blair, Chudier Bile,
Jamorko Pickett, Qudus Wahab
UNCG (13)
UNCG is a tough team led by their do-everything guard
Isaiah Miller. His relentless aggression
and fearless mentality got this team to the tournament, but he’ll need some
help if the Spartans are going to make a run.
UNCG has some speed, length, and shooting, and they play a super-aggressive
trapping defense. There were a lot of
situations where I would have picked UNCG to win a game or two, but drawing
Florida St. was an unfortunate break for the Spartans. They’ve got a chance if they can get this
turnover-prone Seminole team to cough the ball up with their pressure, but more
likely they’ve just run into a more talented team who does everything just a
little bit better than they do.
Players to Watch: Isaiah Miller
Abilene Christian (14)
Abilene Christian is quick and active defensively and
plays extremely hard, but their lack of size and elite athleticism is going to
be a big problem against what is probably the biggest and most athletic team in
the tournament, their first-round opponent Texas. I just don’t see any way for them to beat the
Longhorns.
Players to Watch: Kolton Kohl
Texas Southern (16)
Texas Southern has really good length and athleticism,
but they’ll need to shoot the ball a lot better from the outside to have a
chance against Michigan. They’ll likely need
a heroic performance from Michael Weathers to upset the #1 seed. He’s got a great handle, court vision, and
changes speeds well to create open space for himself or teammates, but he and
his teammates will need to shoot it well to have a chance.
Players to Watch: Michael Weathers, John
Walker III
Iona (15)
It’s impressive to see Rick Pitino taking yet another
team to the NCAA tournament, but his Iona squad doesn’t do anything at a high
enough level to threaten Alabama in round one.
Players to Watch: Isaiah Ross
South Region
Likely Winner: Baylor
Baylor (1)
Baylor is the toughest and best defensive team in the
country. They were a clear top-2 team for
most of the season until covid threw a hitch into everything, but coach Scott Drew
still has a great chance to get his first final four appearance this
season. The Baylor guards are as good as
any in the country, but their lack of a true inside offensive presence might be
the thing that keeps them from winning it all.
They got a really tough draw in terms of potential matchups, with two of
the biggest teams in the tournament in their section of the South region. UNC and Purdue have the massive size inside
to cause Baylor big problems, but the Bears have the talent, skill, and
aggression to find a way to beat them both.
Players to Watch: Davion Mitchell, Macio
Teague, Jared Butler
Ohio St. (2)
Ohio St. has great guards capable of knocking down
shots and getting to the rim, but they’re lack of size inside will likely be
their downfall. They play hard and have
a bunch of good, experienced players, and Duane Washington is fearless and has
come up clutch with games on the line.
Ohio State’s great ball movement and tough defense could carry them as
far as the final four, but it’s hard to see them winning it all.
Players to Watch: Duane Washington, E.J.
Liddell, C.J. Walker, Justice Sueing, Kyle Young
Purdue (4)
Purdue is one of the biggest teams in the nation, and
they’ve got the depth and talent to make a run in the tournament. 7’4” freshman
Zach Edey will be a matchup nightmare for most every team, and Purdue has
another great big man in Trevion Williams as well. If freshman Jaden Ivey plays to his
potential, the Boilermakers could make a deep run. Purdue’s guards are extremely young, so
they’ll need to be relentless in feeding the post if Purdue hopes to get to a
final four. With two big guys like the
ones they have, they’ll have a chance against anyone.
Players to Watch: Zach Edey, Trevion
Williams, Jaden Ivey
Texas Tech (6)
The Red Raiders aren’t the most talented offensive
team, but they play extremely hard and are very well coached. Texas Tech is always aggressive and physical
defensively, and this year is no different.
They’re certainly capable of grinding out games and making a deep run,
but their inconsistent offense makes them also susceptible to an early
loss. They’ll likely get by Utah St.,
and a second-round matchup with Arkansas would be one of the more intriguing
matchups of the tournament. If they
could pull off a win in that one, an elite eight certainly isn’t out of the
question.
Players to Watch: Terrence Shannon Jr.,
Mac McClung
Arkansas (3)
Arkansas has great size, length, and athleticism, and
if they can shoot it well they’ve got an opportunity to make a deep run. The Razorbacks have a bunch of good guards
and wing-players, making them extremely versatile on both ends. Their pressure defense will cause problems
for a lot of teams, but it will be the offense that decides how far they can
go. They’re certainly capable of making
the final four, but they’ll have to be clicking on all cylinders offensively to
do it.
Players to Watch: Moses Moody, Jalen Tate,
Davonte Davis, Justin Smith, JD Notae
Villanova (5)
Villanova has one of the nation’s best coaches and
plays extremely hard, but devastating injuries late in the season will make a
deep run very difficult. I’m sure Jay
Wright will do everything possible to rally the troops, but this already wasn’t
a supremely talented Villanova squad, and losing their point guard and leader
won’t be easy to recover from. An early
letdown would be understandable given their recent events, and they certainly
didn’t get any favors drawing a tough Winthrop squad in round one, but they’re
still more than capable of getting a win.
Beating Purdue in round two would be a much bigger ask.
Players to Watch: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl,
Jermaine Samuels, Justin Moore
Winthrop (12)
Winthrop is an extremely deep team with great speed
and athleticism. They’re tough and play
as hard as anyone, and if you’re looking to pick a lower ranked team to make a
Cinderella run, Winthrop is a good choice.
Point guard Chandler Vaundrin is a triple-double threat who has as high
a basketball IQ as any player in college basketball, and Winthrop is used to
winning, having lost only one game by two points this season. Big man D.J. Burns is tough and has great
touch around the basket, and he should have an advantage inside against
Villanova in round one. A potential
matchup with Purdue in round two would be much more difficult.
Players to Watch: Chandler Vaudrin, D.J.
Burns
UNC (8)
North Carolina has probably been the most inconsistent
team in the country this year, and there’s really no telling what they might do
in this tournament. The Tar Heels have
as much size as anyone, but their poor perimeter shooting and propensity for
turning the ball over will likely result in a loss at some point. In the last few games Roy Williams has
finally started playing his best players more often, and it would’ve been great
to see what this UNC team would have looked like had he been playing them all
year. Walker Kessler has finally been
getting some playing time and has performed very well, and Day’Ron Sharpe has
finally started getting the time he deserves, but now it’s too late for this
team to reach it’s potential. Anthony
Harris could have been the stabilizing point guard this team needs, but he was
never given the opportunity. If Roy can
put his best lineups on the floor Carolina has a chance at a deep run, but I
don’t trust him to make the right decisions at the right times. They’ll likely get by Wisconsin, and while
they would have a substantial size advantage against Baylor in round two, it’s
hard to see them finding a way to beat the Bears.
Players to Watch: Day’Ron Sharpe, Walker
Kessler, Armando Bacot
Virginia Tech (10)
Virginia Tech is a tough, well-rounded team, but their
lack of an elite scorer could be their undoing.
They’ve got good bigs, shooting, and a solid defense, but they aren’t
spectacular in any particular area. They’ll
have a good chance against Florida in round one, and it isn’t out of the
question for them to make a run as far as the elite eight, but more than likely
they won’t get through the first weekend.
Players to Watch: Keve Aluma, Justyn
Mutts, Tyrece Radford
Florida (7)
Florida has great size, speed, and athleticism, but
the loss of Keyonte Johnson early in the season severely lowered the ceiling
for this team. They’ve still got plenty
of talent to work with however. Tre Mann will play in the NBA, Tyree Appleby
creates plays for his teammates, and they’ve got a draw where they could
potentially get as far as the elite eight.
They could also lose their first game, and I just don’t think this team
has the consistency to realistically get out of the first weekend.
Players to Watch: Tre Mann, Colin
Castleton, Tyree Appleby
Wisconsin (9)
D’Mitrik Trice has been great all season and has
really carried this team, but their lack of size and athleticism could be a big
problem in their round one matchup against Carolina. UNC’s inconsistency certainly gives Wisconsin
a chance to advance, but a second-round matchup against Baylor probably isn’t
winnable.
Players to Watch: D’Mitrik Trice, Micah
Potter
Utah St. (11)
Utah St. has a long and athletic big man in Neemias
Queta who can be a big problem for opposing teams, but he’ll need more
contributions from his teammates to win games in the tournament. They aren’t very athletic on the perimeter,
and their guards will likely have a hard time against the relentless pressure
of Texas Tech. Queta will need a massive
performance to give his team any chance of pulling the upset.
Players to Watch: Neemias Queta, Justin
Bean
North Texas (13)
North Texas has good speed and athleticism and plays
extremely hard, and with the kind of skill they possess I would have picked
them to potentially pull some upsets with a different draw. Unfortunately for them they drew one of the
worst possible matchups for a team lacking size inside. Purdue is huge, and North Texas will likely
have a big problem with Zach Edey and Trevion Williams around the basket.
Players to Watch: Javion Hamlett
Colgate (14)
Colgate moves the ball well and has several great
three-point shooters, but their lack of athleticism will likely be a major
problem against an extremely long and athletic Arkansas squad. Colgate’s guards are small and will probably
have a really difficult time getting open for clean looks, so there isn’t much
chance of an upset here.
Players to Watch: Jordan Burns
Hartford (16)
Hartord plays with great energy and effort, and their
coach has clearly created a great culture, but they just don’t do anything well
enough to threaten Baylor in round one.
They lack the speed and athleticism to keep up.
Players to Watch: Austin Williams
Oral Roberts (15)
Oral Roberts has some guys who can hit threes, but
they’re small, not very athletic, and really struggle to rebound the ball. They do have the nation’s leading scorer, but
he only has that honor because this league isn’t very good. No chance of an upset here.
Players to Watch: Max
Abmas, Kevin Obanor
Midwest Region
Likely Winner: Illinois
Illinois (1)
Ayo Dosunmo is one of the best players in the country,
and his ability to take over games and come up clutch in the biggest moments
gives Illinois a great chance at a deep run.
Having one of the most physically dominant players in Kofi Cockburn
helps too. Illinois recently played
without their star and had several role players step up in his absence, and
that should bode well for the Illini in the tournament. They’ve got speed, athleticism, shooting, and
size, and they’re one of the most complete teams in the nation. This team has a great chance to win the whole
thing.
Players to Watch: Ayo Dosunmo, Kofi
Cockburn
Oklahoma St. (4)
Anytime you’ve got the potential #1 pick in the NBA
Draft, you’ve got a chance. Cade
Cunningham will almost always be the best player on the floor, and his ability
to take over when necessary gives Oklahoma St. an opportunity to make a deep
run. Several players stepped up when
Cunningham was forced to miss a few games in recent weeks, and the confidence
those players gained could play a big role in the tournament. A final four run is a real possibility, but
Cunningham’s supporting cast will have to be on their game to get by Illinois
in the Sweet 16. They let him down
against Texas in the Big 12 final, and I really think Cunningham needs to come
out super aggressive from the opening tip in every game if he has aspirations
of winning a championship. He’ll need to
be extremely dominant and clearly the best player in the tournament to make
that happen.
Players to Watch: Cade Cunningham, Avery
Anderson III
West Virginia (3)
They’re tough, physical, and play extremely hard like
West Virginia teams always seem to do, and they’ve got the talent and size to
do some damage in the tournament.
They’re battle-tested in a brutal Big 12, and it wouldn’t shock me to
see them in the last eight, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they get upset
early. Morehead St. is capable of
beating them, so they’ll have to bring it from the start if they hope to make a
run.
Players to Watch: Derek Culver, Miles
McBride, Taz Sherman
Houston (2)
Quentin Grimes is one of the more talented guards in
the country, and if he imposes his will in this tournament Houston has a chance
to advance to the later stages. They
play as hard as anyone in the country, and their toughness should serve them
well. Houston’s defense is as good as
any in the country, but it will be their offensive performance that dictates
how far they can go. They’re certainly
capable of making a final four, but an off-shooting night could cost them as
early as the Sweet 16.
Players to Watch: Quentin Grimes, DeJon
Jarreau, Tramon Mark
Tennessee (5)
Tennessee is very tough and really good defensively,
but their inconsistent offense and over-reliance on freshman guards will likely
be their downfall. Keon Johnson has a
very bright future and plays with relentless aggression and competitive fire,
and he’ll need to be a star for this team to go anywhere in the tournament. They should have a good chance to get by
Oregon St., but Oklahoma St. would be a difficult matchup in round two. It’s not out of the question for them to beat
the Cowboys, but the run would almost certainly end there against Illinois.
Players to Watch: Keon Johnson, Jaden
Springer, Victor Bailey Jr.
Loyola Chicago (8)
Loyola Chicago is an extremely intelligent team that shares
the ball and shoots it well from the perimeter.
Cameron Krutwig is a tough matchup, and their chances of making another
exciting run like they did a few years ago went up after Georgia Tech’s Moses
Wright was ruled out of their opening round game. Getting more than one win is pretty unlikely
however, as Illinois will almost certainly await them in round two.
Players to Watch: Cameron Krutwig
Syracuse (11)
Jim Boeheim is another Hall of Fame coach that isn’t
making great decisions anymore, but he’s still got some good talent to work
with. Using strictly a zone defense is
an outdated thing to do, but Syracuse still has the length and skill to win a
few games in the tournament. An elite
eight appearance isn’t out of the question, but they could just as easily lose
in the first round to San Diego St.
Players to Watch: Quincy Guerrier, Alan
Griffin, Kadary Richmond, Buddy Boeheim
San Diego St. (6)
San Diego St. is a veteran team with good size and
length, and they play extremely hard and are tremendous defensively. They’re usually the first to a loose ball,
but their lack of consistent scoring options could be their downfall. Matt Mitchell and Jordan Schakel will need
help to move forward in the tournament, and while they’re certainly capable of
winning a few games, they could also lose to Syracuse in round one.
Players to Watch: Matt Mitchell, Jordan
Schakel
Oregon St. (12)
Oregon St. wasn’t very good for most of the year, but
they pulled off a couple big upsets in the conference tournament and got
themselves in the mix. Warith Alatishe is extremely long and athletic and plays
very hard, while point guard Ethan Thompson is capable of carrying the team
with a big game. Oregon St. will need to
shoot it well to beat Tennessee in the first round.
Players to Watch: Ethan Thompson, Warith
Alatishe
Rutgers (10)
Rutgers has some good size and quickness, but a few of
their best players also have conditioning issues. They’ve got some offensive talent and plenty
of guys who can make shots, but I don’t trust them at all. They drew a great matchup with an
offensively-challenged Clemson team in round one, but they likely won’t get
through the first weekend.
Players to Watch: Ron Harper Jr., Myles
Johnson, Jacob Young, Geo Baker, Cliff, Omoruyi
Morehead St. (14)
Morehead St. is a tough team with good speed and
athleticism, and if they can shoot it like they did in their conference
championship game they’ve got a chance to pull an upset or two. They run their offense through freshman Johni
Broome in the post, and his ability to make the right play opens up good
opportunities for their shooters on the perimeter. A good draw presents them a chance to make a
Cinderella run, but getting past West Virginia in the opening round won’t be an
easy task.
Players to Watch: Johni
Broome, DeVon Cooper, Skyelar Potter
Georgia Tech (9)
Moses Wright is their best player and a beast inside,
but unfortunately he won’t be suiting up due to covid. Jose Alvarado’s infectious energy sets the
tone for this team on both ends of the floor, and the Yellow Jackets have a
combination of size, length, speed, and athleticism on the perimeter that can cause
problems for Loyola Chicago. Georgia
Tech played great defense on their way to the ACC Tournament championship, but
that was with Moses Wright on the floor.
It’s going to be tough to overcome the loss of the ACC Player of the Year.
Players to Watch: Jose Alvarado
Clemson (7)
Clemson is a great defensive team, but they’re not
very good offensively. They’re certainly
capable of winning a game or two, but they could just as easily fall to Rutgers
in round one. Aamir Sims is an extremely
talented player, but he often fails to impose his will on the game. He needs to be more aggressive for this team
to move on.
Players to Watch: Aamir Simms
Cleveland St. (15)
Cleveland St. moves the ball well, but they’re small,
not very athletic, and don’t really have anyone who creates their own
shot. They don’t have much of a chance to
beat Houston.
Players to Watch: Torrey Patton
Liberty (13)
Liberty played some great defense and shot the ball
extremely well in their league, but I have a feeling they’re really going to
struggle against bigger, more athletic teams.
They move the ball well, and their 5’8” guard Darius McGhee is extremely
skilled and fun to watch, but Liberty’s lack of size and athleticism will make
it very difficult to pull off an upset against Oklahoma St.
Players to Watch: Darius McGhee
Drexel (16)
Drexel is lucky to be here, as they finished 6th
in their conference in the regular season before making a run in the conference
tournament. They’re small, don’t have
much athleticism, and really don’t have much of a chance to hang with Illinois.
Players to Watch: Camren Wynter, James
Butler
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