NCAA March Madness Preview

NCAA Tourney Preview

March Madness is upon us yet again. With this year’s field announced on Sunday night, the national debate will begin. Who is this year’s Cinderella? Who will make it to Indianapolis for the Final Four? The Kansas Jayhawks certainly are the favorites to take home the title and I believe it is their tournament to lose. With the rest of the field very mediocre, it should be a very unpredictable tournament with many upsets. Here is a breakdown of each region:

Midwest Region

The number one overall seed Kansas Jayhawks cannot be happy with their bracket. Without a doubt Bill Self and the Jayhawks have the toughest road to Indianapolis. The Midwest region is loaded with quality teams with experienced coaches who know how to win in March. Ohio State, Maryland, Georgetown, and Michigan State are all storied programs that have all made the Final Four in this decade. Kansas will have to get by three quality teams before that can set their sights on Indianapolis. From top the bottom, the Midwest region is the most talented and the team emerging victorious will definitely have to come to play every night.

Most Intriguing Matchup: 7^th seeded Oklahoma State vs. 10^th seeded Georgia Tech. This game will feature two of the best players in the country in the Cowboys swingman James Anderson and the Yellow Jackets star freshman Derrick Favors. The Cowboys finished in the middle of the pack in a very deep Big XII conference and picked up a home win versus Kansas. Georgia Tech has been struggling of late but made it to the ACC Finals. The key to this game will be Georgia Tech’s ability to control Anderson, the 3^rd leading scoring in the NCAA. Georgia Tech should control the glass and has to use its size down low to expose the smaller Oklahoma State team. I’m looking for Georgia Tech to come away with the mild upset in a close contest.

Players to Watch: Evan Turner- the National Player of the Year fills up the stat sheet and can do it all for the Buckeyes. Turner is the go to guy and has proven to be clutch in late game situations. Turner has the ability to play the point, play in the post, and drive to the basket. Turner is extremely efficient from the field and does an exceptional job getting his teammates in the flow of the game. Turner has the ability to put his team on his back and lead them to the Indianapolis.

Sherron Collins: the senior leader from the best team in the country knows what it takes to win. He was a member of the 2007 national championship team and is a proven winner. Bill Self has complete confidence in him to take the game winning shot. Collins can get to the basket at will and shoots a high percentage from behind the arc. When Collins is on his game the Jayhawks will be difficult to beat.

Cinderella: I think Georgia Tech has the pieces to make a deep run in the tournament. The Yellow Jackets are long and very athletic lead by freshman forward Derrick Favors. Other forwards Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert provide them with a strong presence on the glass and always a certain advantage on the boards. If they get past Oklahoma State in the first round I believe they match up well against Ohio State in the 2^nd round. Look for the Yellow Jackets to make some noise this year.

West Region

From first glance at the bracket, not too many teams jump out at you other than Syracuse and Kansas State, but this region is very balanced with some solid teams. It will be interesting to see how Syracuse will fare with the injury to their starting center Arinze Onuaku. If he does not play in the first weekend of the tournament the Orange must watch out for a balanced Gonzaga team. Both Syracuse and Kansas State will have huge home court advantages in the first two rounds which should help them reach the Sweet 16 in Salt Lake City. Most likely a regional final between the Orange and Wildcats will happen

Most Intriguing Matchup: 7^th seeded BYU vs 10^th seeded Florida. Scoring will not be hard to come by in this contest between to high powered offenses. BYU’s gem shooting guard Jimmer Fredette has already put up 49 and 45 in games this year and has been nearly impossible to stop on the offensive end. Florida has a balanced team that is lead by a pair of quick guards in Irving Walker and Kenny Boynton. The size that the Gators present may be too much for BYU, but I still have the Cougars winning behind a big performance by Fredette.

Players to Watch: Wesley Johnson- the transfer from Iowa started the season strong but has faded at the end of the season. Johnson must be at his best if the Orange are going to make a run to the Final Four. Especially with the injury to Onuaku, he will be relied on more to rebound and play the bottom of the classic Orange 2-3 zone. Johnson can do a little bit of everything and is versatile enough to play the 1, 2, or 3.

Jacob Pullen- one of the most underrated guards in the country, Pullen can drive to the basket and make the long range jumper. Pullen and fellow guard Denis Clemente are one of the best backcourt combos in the country and are at their best when they get out in the open court and run. Pullen does a good job getting his teammates involved in the game and also has the ability to take over the game in crunch time.

Cinderella: I think an experienced Xavier team has the ability to make a deep run in the tournament. Xavier lost as much as any team in the country from last year’s Sweet 16 team, but is back and reloaded for another run. Guard Jordan Crawford and center Jason Love give the Musketeers and great one two combo. Xavier will not be tested until the Sweet 16 if they make it that far when they will face Kansas State. Xavier poses many matchup problems for several teams in the bracket and could shake things up in the West region.

East Region

Kentucky and West Virginia are the cream of the crop in this region and were awarded the number one and two seed respectively. It appears that all roads will lead to a clash of the titans in the regional final in Syracuse, NY. Before the country can see this well anticipated matchup, each team will have to make it that far. Kentucky may be the most talented team in the nation, but they start three freshmen in John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe. So much of the NCAA tournament relies on experience and this may be the one thing that the Wildcats lack. The Mountaineers are fresh off a Big East Tournament Championship at the Garden last week and look to be peaking at the right time. The only block in the road may be the loss of starting point guard Daryl “Truck” Bryant to a broken foot. Bryant was one of the Mountaineers only steady ball handlers and a returning Joe Mazzulla from injury will be asked to take his place. It will be interesting to see how these teams respond to adversity in order to reach Indy.

Most Intriguing Matchup: 5^th seeded Temple vs. 12^th seeded Cornell. Many believed that Temple deserved a better seed and drew a tough first round opponent. The Big Red has faced many quality teams this year and took Kansas down to the wire in Lawrence. Lead by a bunch of upperclassmen, Cornell seems to be an popular upset choice. Ryan Whittman is in range once he crosses half court and seven-footer Jeff Foote gives Cornell a presence in the post. Cornell shoots a high percentage from the floor and is a tough team to beat when hitting their shots from behind the arc. Temple must not start off this game flat or they will be sure to be packing their bags. Lead by senior guard Juan Fernandez, the Owls will have by the bigger and stronger team. It will be interesting to see how Cornell decides to defend Temple and if they can contain their size.

Players to Watch: John Wall- surely the number one pick in this year’s NBA Draft and one of the best freshman in NCAA history will be spotlighted all tournament. This duo guard is the quickest players baseline to baseline and can lead the fast break like none other. Wall can get to the basket whenever he pleases and has the uncanny ability to find his teammates around the rim. He led the team in points, assists, and steals. Although he is a freshman, Wall is the leader of the Wildcats and wants to be the one cutting down the nets in Indy

DeShaun Butler- the senior forward will look to end his career with a title. Butler hit two game winners last week at the Garden in the Big East Tournament. He is not afraid to take the big shot when the game is on the line and provides senior leadership to his team. Butler can score in the post, but relies on a flawless mid range game where he gets the majority of his shots. If Butler can find his three point shot then watch out. He is the complete package and hopes to raise his draft stock even more with a Final Four run.

Cinderella: Cornell is not only a popular upset choice among the fans, many analysts like the Big Red to advance as far as the Sweet 16. They are deadly from behind the arc and are disciplined enough to beat the inexperienced teams of the region. Ryan Whittman and Jeff Foote are as good of a 1-2 punch in the nation. Cornell hopes to give the Ivy Leagues their first tournaments win since 1996 when Princeton upset UCLA. If Cornell makes it to the Sweet 16, watch out. The regional final and semi finals will be played only an hour away from the campus in Syracuse, NY at the Carrier Dome.

South Region

Duke has earned the number one overall seed in the south region and looks to be the most solid team. The Blue Devils are led be a trio of upperclassmen (Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith) and have the Coach K calling the shots. The south region is filled with solid teams that can all give Duke problems if they matched up. Second seeded Villanova is reeling after a poor finish to the end of the season but look to make it to their second straight Final Four. Scottie Reynolds, Corey Stokes, and Corey Fisher are very similar to Duke’s trio as they combine for the majority of Villanova’s points, rebounds, and assists. An intriguing storyline beginning to emerge is the potential for Baylor and Texas A&M to both play in Houston in the Sweet 16.

Most Intriguing Matchup: 4^th seeded Purdue vs. 13^th seeded Siena. This may be the first time in history when the 13 seed will be favored over the 4 seed. Making it even more interesting, Purdue’s junior guard Robbie Hummel was lost to injury in the regular season. Before the injury, Purdue was a legit Final Four contender, but now have to take it one game at a time. The Saints are back to the dance for the third straight year and have as much experience as any team in the field. Siena returns four starters (Moore, Ubiles, Franklin, and Rossiter) who combine for over 90% of the team’s scoring. Watch out though, the Boilermakers are looking for some respect and might take it out on the Saints.

Players to Watch: Omar Samhan- the big man from Saint Mary’s cut some serious weight in the offseason and has emerged as one of the most improved players in the country. Samhan single handedly helped the Gales win the WCC Tournament and overthrow perennial power Gonzaga. Teams that double Samhan down in the post are not out of the woods. The big man is an exceptional passer from the block which leads to many open looks from the floor. As long as he can stay out of foul trouble look for Samhan to dominate game from start to finish.

Jon Scheyer- is it possible to be the co-ACC player of the year and yet still be underrated? Jon Scheyer seems to fit this description. Scheyer was asked to move to the point guard position by Coach K and has excelled at his new role during his senior season. He led the Blue Devils to the ACC regular season and tournament titles. Sometimes overshadowed by Singler and Smith, Scheyer quietly does his job and keeps winning.

Cinderella: The Louisville Cardinals have been a disappointment all season long and I believe Rick Patino will have his team prepared to make some noise in this year's tournament. Senior guards Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith, and Preston Knowles bring experience and leadership to a team that has great potential. If they are able to get past Cal, I believe that they match up well against Duke with their superior guard play. Rick Patino knows how to win in March and I wouldn'e be surprised if Louisville wins a few games in the tournament.