There’s an entire lot of historical past within the South Area of the NCAA males’s event, which options six groups with NCAA championship banners hanging of their dwelling arenas and a pair extra with latest Closing 4 visits.
The faculties seeded second by way of fifth are all previous champs, though it’s been some time successful the entire thing for Marquette (1977) and even longer for Wisconsin (1941). Kentucky and Duke, in fact, have greater than a dozen titles between them, and by the way have staged some epic head-to-head showdowns on this occasion. Then there’s Florida, the final program to go back-to-back when it obtain the feat earlier this century.
Then all the best way down at No. 11, the place previous champs hardly ever cover, we discover certainly one of this 12 months’s very unlikely bid thieves. We’ll get to them in a bit. However first we’ll check out another potential intrigue on this traditionally important regional on the highway to Dallas.
Finest first-round matchup: Wisconsin vs. James Madison
That 5-12 pairing between Wisconsin and James Madison is the straightforward alternative right here. The Badgers did nicely to make a run to the Large Ten championship sport, together with an additional time triumph in opposition to Purdue. However they’ll be at one thing of a drawback by way of restoration time, and the Dukes received’t in any manner be intimidated by taking over an influence convention program. JMU, you may recall, made one of many season’s early splashes with an upset at Michigan State. They went on to win 31 video games, though none of these made fairly as a lot noise. Happily for the Dukes given how tight issues turned out to be on the bubble, they secured the automated berth because the Solar Belt champs.
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JMU can rating a bit, to the tune of 84.4 factors a sport. Wisconsin is traditionally recognized for protection, though this 12 months’s model of the Badgers has surrendered some excessive level totals. Suffice to say there shall be numerous shot makers on the ground on this one, often a system for entertaining basketball in March.
LEFT OUT:Six groups that had been snubbed by the event committee
HIGHS AND LOWS: Winners and losers from the NCAA males’s event subject
Potential upset in first spherical: Vermont defeats Duke
Vermont is not any stranger to the Large Dance. The Catamounts are making their tenth NCAA look in all and third in a row. So far, their 2005 upset of Syracuse has been their solely victory within the spherical of 64. Its draw in opposition to fourth-seeded Duke may not look favorable to springing one other March shock. The Catamounts shall be at a substantial measurement drawback, regardless that the Blue Devils’ bigs don’t all the time play on the rim. However Vermont takes glorious care of the ball, committing simply 9.1 turnovers a sport. Duke has made its share of Closing 4 journeys however has additionally been bitten by the upset bug a time or two, even when Coach Okay was nonetheless in cost (Lehigh, anybody?). Will it occur? Maybe not, nevertheless it’s one to regulate.
HIGHS AND LOWS: Winners and losers among the many groups within the event
The sleeper: North Carolina State
As everyone knows, North Carolina State needed to win 5 video games in 5 days within the ACC event simply to get right here, a feat beforehand achieved by Connecticut within the 2011 Large East tourney. Hmmm…anybody bear in mind how that UConn group fared within the Large Dance? Oh yeah, due to a dude named Kemba Walker, these Huskies simply stored rolling all the best way to the title.
The Wolfpack face lengthy odds of constructing the same run. Their opening contest in opposition to Texas Tech shall be difficult sufficient. However with the group’s main DJ’s, D.J. Horne and D.J. Burns, spinning all the fitting tunes, somewhat perception can go a great distance.
The winner: Houston
One a minimum of has to think about Kentucky within the No. 3 place. When their many proficient scorers get going, the Wildcats are able to beating anybody. However ultimately we will’t go in opposition to top-seeded Houston. Regardless of the Cougars getting outmuscled within the Large 12 finale, they’ve been remarkably constant all season within the nation’s deepest convention, and their defense-first strategy ought to serve them nicely within the pressure-packed setting of March Insanity.
NCAA Match South area schedule
Thursday, March 21
At PPG Paints Area, Pittsburgh
Kentucky vs. Oakland, 7:10 p.m., CBS
Texas Tech vs. North Carolina State, 9:40 p.m., CBS
Friday, March 22
At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Marquette vs. Western Kentucky, 2 p.m., CBS
Florida vs. Boise State-Colorado winner, 4:30 p.m., CBS
At Barclays Middle, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Duke vs. Vermont, 6:50, CBS
Wisconsin vs. James Madison, 9:40 p.m., CBS
At FedEx Discussion board, Memphis, Tenn.
Nebraska vs. Texas A&M, 7:50 p.m., TNT
Houston vs. Longwood, 9:20 p.m., TNT