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We’ve solely gone a few days with out NCAA event basketball, nevertheless it looks like a lifetime.
The insanity returns on Thursday night time, and continues for 4 days till our quartet of nationwide semifinalists may have revealed themselves. Let’s make some predictions on who these 4 groups will probably be.
Area: South
The Decide: No. 1 Alabama
When the brackets have been launched two Sundays in the past, Alabama appeared just like the most secure wager of the 4 No. 1 seeds to at the very least make it to the Elite Eight. With the two, 3 and 4 seeds within the area all eradicated earlier than the event’s second weekend, the Crimson Tide at the moment are an amazing favourite to advance to the Ultimate 4 for the primary time in program historical past.
‘Bama didn’t get a lot resistance from both of its first two opponents — Texas A&M Corpus-Christi and Maryland — however there may be nonetheless a little bit of trigger for concern after the event’s opening weekend.
Star freshman Brandon Miller has been coping with a groin harm that clearly affected him in every of the primary two NCAA event video games. He went scoreless within the first spherical recreation and completed the primary weekend simply 5-of-17 (29.4 %) taking pictures from the sphere.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats stated Miller didn’t follow in any respect on Monday and practiced calmly on Tuesday, however nonetheless believes the All-American will probably be 100% or near it by the point the crew’s Friday night time recreation rolls round. An extended as that’s the case, the Tide are a secure wager to deal with San Diego State’s defensive strain, after which outscore Creighton (if the ‘Jays can maintain Princeton) in what can be a extremely entertaining up-and-down affair within the regional last.
Area: East
The Decide: No. 7 Michigan State
The East was all the time the area with essentially the most potential to go haywire, and it actually lived as much as that billing. Purdue turned the second No. 1 seed ever to lose within the first spherical, No. 2 seed Marquette obtained bounced within the second, and the fashionable betting choose within the area, red-hot Duke, solely managed to attain 52 factors in its second spherical loss to Tennessee.
You can also make a case for every of the 4 groups nonetheless standing, however let’s use some widespread sense right here. Florida Atlantic is within the Candy 16 for the primary time ever, Kansas State has overachieved dramatically this season however nonetheless has a first-year head coach, Tennessee and Rick Barnes have turn out to be identified primarily lately for his or her NCAA event disappointments … after which there’s Tom Izzo, the person who has been to eight Ultimate Fours and pulled essentially the most upsets (16) of any coach within the historical past of the NCAA event.
Michigan State was stellar in its first two event wins over USC and Marquette. Tyson Walker has stepped as much as be the star guard each crew wants in March, and the crew is taking part in like a cohesive unit defensively, forcing a mixed 27 turnovers in rounds one and two.
Each single Ultimate 4 however one since 2012 has featured at the very least one crew seeded No. 7 or worse. Since 2011, a complete of 10 groups seeded seventh or worse have crashed the season’s last weekend.
The final time Izzo took a 7-seed to the second weekend? They ended up advancing to the 2015 Ultimate 4.
All of it simply makes an excessive amount of sense. Michigan State will win this area, and the “Izzo in March” takes will probably be flying quick and furiously subsequent week because the crew will get prepared to go to Houston.
Area: Midwest
The Decide: No. 2 Texas
The Midwest is the chalkiest area of the second weekend, with solely fifth-seeded Miami technically misplaced. Even then, the Hurricanes are loaded with guard expertise, blasted fourth-seeded Indiana within the second spherical, and have the psychological benefit of getting performed in a regional last final season.
As spectacular as Houston’s second half towards Auburn final Sunday was, there’s no query that the top-seeded Cougars are banged up. All-American Marcus Sasser has been coping with a goin harm that saved him out of the American Athletic event title recreation and really clearly bothered him in Houston’s first two NCAA event contests. Backcourt mate Jamal Shead damage his knee within the crew’s first spherical win and was affected by it in the course of the Auburn victory. Except each gamers are near 100%, it’s going to be an uphill climb for Kelvin Sampson’s membership to win back-to-back video games in Kansas Metropolis.
The crew that stands to profit essentially the most from Houston’s well being points is Texas, which simply gained the Large 12 event in Kansas Metropolis two weeks in the past. The Longhorns are additionally loaded with guard expertise, however play 9 gamers who common 11 minutes or extra of courtroom time per contest. Being the deepest crew within the area is a large benefit when going through a rail-thin Xavier crew that solely goes six deep within the Candy 16, after which doubtlessly a wounded Houston crew two days later.
UT made only one three-pointer in its second spherical recreation towards Penn State, however nonetheless superior thanks primarily to the stellar play of ahead Dylan Disu. It’s a secure wager that the Longhorn guards gained’t misfire like that once more on this event, and while you pair that with the crew’s general depth and Disu taking part in the most effective basketball of his life, they’re the choose to win two extra video games and declare the Midwest regional title.
Area: West
The Decide: No. 4 UConn
That is the showcase area. Of the 4 groups nonetheless standing which have gained a nationwide championship earlier than, three of them are within the West Area. The area additionally possesses the very best degree of particular person expertise (‘sup, Arkansas?) and doubtless the 2 sexiest regional semifinal matchups.
It’s not laborious to see any of those 4 groups make it out of this area (I feel all of them would win the East Area), however I’m sticking with my pre-tournament nationwide champion choose UConn right here.
Exterior of their first 10 minutes or so towards Saint Mary’s, the Huskies have been a machine within the event’s opening weekend. They took a gifted Iona crew’s greatest shot and brushed them apart with a 24-point win, after which steamrolled a distinct Gaels crew within the second spherical that had simply seemed wildly spectacular of their first spherical win over VCU.
Adama Sanogo was an absolute beast final weekend, Jordan Hawkins discovered his taking pictures contact from the surface within the second half of the Saint Mary’s recreation, and collectively, UConn has the scale, talent and magnificence to make Arkansas uncomfortable in a approach that Kansas couldn’t. The Huskies are 28-2 once they maintain groups to beneath 47.0 % taking pictures from the sphere and 0-5 when they don’t. Arkansas has didn’t shoot 47.0 % from the sphere in 5 of its final six video games.
UCLA, like Houston, has performed properly however has harm issues. Gonzaga has a star inside in Drew Timme, however doesn’t have the guard play that Connecticut does.
The Huskies are the choose right here.
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