After a two month hiatus, what is a more perfect way to jumpstart the brotatoes than March Madness! It is personally my favorite time of the year, and for those of you (like myself) who are still fighting with yourself over your bracket selections, even though it is the day before the action, here is my preview for the tournament:
OBVIOUS CONTENDERS:
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| Russ Smith |
Led by junior guard Russ Smith (18.1 PPG) and junior center Gorgui Dieng (10 PPG 9.9 RPG and 2.5 BPG), the Cardinals have a proven scorer and defensive anchor. Louisville's supporting cast provides relentless defensive pressure from baseline to baseline, and has helped create 10.7 steals per game, second in the nation. Oh and by the way Louisville was my preseason pick...just saying.
Achilles' Heel: Point Guard Peyton Siva. Siva burst onto the scene last season at about this time and the Cardinals need him to score as well as run their offense. Siva has been held scoreless or close to it in several big games this year, and in a region with Duke, Michigan St. and St. Louis, the "Road to Atlanta" is no cakewalk for the number one overall seed.
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| Victor Oladipo |
The Hoosiers should be relieved to be done with Big Ten play, and they should be very pleased with the draw they received from the Selection Committee. The East Region is by far the easiest with teams like Marquette, Syracuse, and UNLV as the 3, 4, and 5 seeds respectively. It also doesn't hurt that they have "Mr. Do Everything" Victor Oladipo and one of the best bigs in the game Cody Zeller. They also have shooters in Christian Watford and Jordan Hulls, and freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell has done an excellent job managing this high powered offense.
Achilles Heel: Head Coach Tom Crean. The micromanager. Crean is known as a head coach who usually has the team, but gets bounced prematurely in the tournament every year. Aside from his 2003 Marquette team that featured NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, Crean's teams have yet to get past the Sweet Sixteen. This year, his team has enough talent and an easy enough schedule to basically coast into at least the Elite Eight. If Crean doesn't make some noise in this year's tournament, the restless Hoosier fans might have something to say.
CONTENDERS THAT ARE NOT SO OBVIOUS:
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| Thad Matta |
Kansas: Kansas, in my opinion, has the toughest overall road to the Championship. They could potentially have to play North Carolina, VCU/Michigan, Florida/Georgetown, and then Indiana, just to earn a spot in the title game. However, the Jayhawks have something that has become a rarity in college basketball these days...seniors. Four of their top five scorers are seniors and on top of that, they have arguably the best freshman in the country to compliment them in Ben McLemore. The age and experience around McLemore should take a lot of the pressure off of the freshman, and also having a 7-footer who averages almost 4 blocks per game in Jeff Withey, doesn't hurt either.
FINAL TIER OF TEAMS THAT CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A RUN:
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| Shane Larkin |
Michigan State: Like Duke, the Spartans are also in the Midwest Region and have a great coach in Tom Izzo. Izzo has a steady balance of guard play and inside presence with Keith Appling, Gary Harris, Adreian Payne, and Derrick Nix, that may just be talented enough to get to Atlanta. For me, I just don't trust their guards enough, but Harris is shooting 41% from 3-point range and may make me eat my words.
Miami: This team was not in the preseason Top 25, they don't have a coach like Coach K or Tom Izzo, and yet they won the ACC regular season title as well as the conference tournament. Yet somehow, this team is not a #1 seed and being overlooked by many. This team is
an uptempo version of this year's Kansas team, it is loaded with seniors, and has an impressive underclassman in sophomore point guard Shane Larkin. Larkin, Durand Scott, and Kenny Kadji are all averaging over 13 PPG and can light up a defense on any day.
DANGEROUS TEAMS HIGHER THAN A 3 SEED:
#5 Wisconsin: Head Coach Bo Ryan has led the Badgers to the Sweet Sixteen in three of the last five seasons, and knocked off Indiana twice, Michigan, and Ohio State this year. They did receive a tough draw with Ole Miss in the first round, however I love the big white guys who can shoot and rebound, and Wisconsin breeds these players.
#5 VCU and #6 Butler: Head coaches Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens don't mind being in a mid-major conference and having a low seed. Both have been to the Final Four and Stevens led Butler to the championship game twice in 2010 and 2011. Somehow, someway, both of these teams will ruin some brackets, you can count on that.
I'M NOT BUYING IT:
Gonzaga: I am one of those people that doesn't believe that teams like Gonzaga should ever be a 1 seed. Sure the Bulldogs went 31-2 and won the West Coast Conference, but it is just the West Coast Conference. You give any of the other 1 and 2 seeds in the tournament the same schedule as Gonzaga, and tell me they don't win at least 31 of those games. Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris can both really play, but outside of that I don't see anyone on the team that can step up and give the team 10 points on a consistent basis.
Michigan: I've also never really seen the appeal of Michigan. Trey Burke is a phenomenal player and he does so much for this team, and Tim Hardaway Jr. can score by himself, but outside of that there is nothing. Stauskus and Robinson III have been wildly inconsistent and they have no inside presence at all. You can argue that Michigan was #1 in the country at one point but they played an easy schedule. Their non-conference strength of schedule was 187th in the country so it was no wonder they went 12-0 in those games. Their most impressive wins are Ohio State by 2 in overtime and Michigan State by 1, and both games were at home. If Michigan avoids another letdown like last season in the first round, they most likely will be bounced by VCU in the second round.
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| Otto Porter |
Florida: The Gators are a team that chokes, plain and simple. How can a 26-7 team be considered a team that chokes? Easy, the Gators won all 26 of their game by double digits, which is impressive, but every game that was decided by less than 10 points, 0-6. Their lone loss in a game decided by double digits was to Arkansas by 11 points. The Gators shoot just 69% as a team from the foul line, and can't win close games, not exactly the recipe for success.
Syracuse: Making it to the Big East Tournament Final and having Jim Boeheim and his zone should mean this team is going to make a run right? Wrong, Michael-Carter Williams and Brandon Triche are the most overrated backcourt in the country, and I think this tournament will finally help people realize that. They fade in the second half of games, and rely on the always steady C.J. Fair and sharpshooting of James Southerland to win games. Fortunately, the Orange got an easy draw and should waltz into the Sweet Sixteen, but don't be surprised if they go down early.
St. Louis and New Mexico: I am not going to sit here and act like I've watched one or any of St. Louis' basketball games (I watched New Mexico beat UConn) like a lot of people tend to do with highly ranked obscure teams. So for these two teams, they may have had amazing years, but I am not buying it just yet because I have yet to really watch either of them, just like many of you who are taking them to go far in your brackets just because if it happens you will look like a genius. You aren't fooling anybody.
DANGEROUS DOUBLE-DIGIT SEEDS:
These teams are potential bracket-busters, that can sneak into the Sweet Sixteen
#12 Oregon: Finished a game behind UCLA in the Pac-12 regular season, and ended up winning the conference tournament. Watch out for senior double-double threat Arsalan Kazemi who is shooting close to 60% on the season
#11 St. Mary's: Matthew Dellavedova and his mouthpiece. The guy is a gamer who does everything on the floor to make sure his team is in a position to win. They also have a first round matchup with an overachieving Memphis team.
#10 Cincinnati: Sean Kilpatrick, Cashmere Wright, and Jaquon Parker make up a lethal backcourt for the Bearcats. Doug McDermott and Creighton stand in their way, but if 3's start falling for Cincy, Duke could have a challenging second round matchup awaiting them.
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| Marshall Henderson |
#11 Minnesota: One of the more fun teams in the country faded towards the end of the season, going on a horrid 5-11 stretch to end the year. A fresh start may help this talented bunch get back on track.
#13 South Dakota State: Nate Wolters. Remember his name, he scored 53 points in a game this season, and also averaged close to 23 points a game. A first round matchup with Michigan doesn't hurt.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Aaron Craft - Junior Point Guard for Ohio State
Nobody plays harder than this kid. He'll guard the best player, dive on the floor for a loose ball, take you off the dribble, or set up a teammate. A ton of fun to watch.
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| Aaron Craft |
Only 6'1" but he scores with the best of them at just over 18 PPG. He's the guy that nobody is talking about, but will be during the tournament. Seriously, watch out for this guy.
Victor Oladipo - Junior Guard fo Indiana
Burst onto the scene this year and is the best player on one of the best teams in the country. He is good for one or two unbelievable plays a game, and his athleticism makes him a joy to watch.
Jeff Withey - Senior Center for Kansas
Withey protects the paint better than any center in the country. He could go for a triple double on any given night if teams allow him to swat their shots without learning a lesson.
Marshall Henderson - Junior Guard for Ole Miss
If Henderson is playing your team, you hate him. Otherwise, he is hilarious to watch because of the way he ticks off opposing crowds. He backs up his talk too, especially when he catches fire from behind the arc.
Otto Porter - Sophomore Forward for Georgetown
Sometimes he lets the game come to him a little bit too much, and isn't as exciting to watch as the rest of the guys on this list, but there is no doubt that this kid has a mind for the game and he will wear a defense down until he finally wants to light them up.
Shane Larkin - Sophomore Guard for Miami
Larkin is a playmaker that can beat opposing point guards and finish at the rim, but he also shoots the 3 at 40%. The Hurricanes will go as he goes.
FRESHMEN TO WATCH:
Marcus Smart - Guard for Oklahoma State
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| Ben McLemore |
Ben McLemore - Guard for Kansas
The most exciting player on a talented Kansas team. 16.4 PPG and shooting 50% from the field, he also has some pretty sweet dance moves as well...can't hurt.
Anthony Bennett - Forward for UNLV
With 16 PPG and 8 RPG, Bennett is the freshman that nobody is talking about. If he gets enough touches, UNLV may surprise some people this year.
Gary Harris - Guard for Michigan State
Started living up to his potential at the end of the season, and is a great compliment to point guard Keith Appling. Harris will drive a dagger into several opponents' seasons with late game 3's, which he happens to shoot at 41%.
Yogi Ferrell - Point Guard for Indiana
Ferrell is a player who knows his role. He is constantly surrounded by four scorers and he knows that, but he also knows teams will sag off him and he isn't afraid to take, and make, shots.
D'vauntes Smith-Rivera - Guard for Georgetown
Remember his name. If Georgetown makes a run, you won't have any trouble in doing so.
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Hope you guys enjoyed this and I also hope it helped! I won't be giving you guys any of my picks, that's all up to you guys! Enjoy the action tomorrow!
