The bracket is set. The ball is soon to be tipped. College basketball writer Scott Richey provides a quick look at each region of the NCAA tournament:
WEST
➜ Who makes it out: Hard to pick against Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have three of the top-15 players in college basketball. Then there’s that whole thing about how they haven’t lost a game this season, boast the country’s most efficient offense and just blasted teams for four straight months.
➜ Dark-horse candidate: Don’t sleep on Southern California. The Trojans have one of the best big men in the nation in freshman center (and likely lottery pick) Evan Mobley.
➜ Player to watch: Illinois fans know all about Ohio’s Jason Preston. The junior guard on the 13th-seeded Bobcats does it all, averaging 16.6 points, 7.2 assists and 6.8 rebounds this season while shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range.
➜ Big Ten outlook: On one hand, Iowa has it made. The Hawkeyes are the only Big Ten team in their quarter of the bracket. Significant considering the strength of the conference this season. Of course, that doesn’t change the fact Gonzaga’s at the top.
EAST
➜ Who makes it out: Alabama is not just a football school. The Crimson Tide ran roughshod over the SEC in the regular season — winning the league by 21/2 games — and did so with a fun, up-tempo style.
➜ Dark-horse candidate: Losses to Notre Dame to end the regular season and Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament championship game dropped Florida State from a potential favorite to more under the radar. The Seminoles are talented enough to win, but just inconsistent enough not to.
➜ Player to watch: Watch out if LSU’s Cameron Thomas gets on a heater. The Tigers’ freshman guard — the No. 4 scorer in the country this season — attempts just more than seven three-pointers per game.
➜ Big Ten outlook: Both Michigans wound up in the East. Just don’t expect them to meet for round three. Michigan was seen as a potential title favorite for weeks before losing Isaiah Livers to a stress injury in his foot. Michigan State just barely made it into the field.
SOUTH
➜ Who makes it out: Can’t say there’s a serious challenge for Baylor. Losing in the Big 12 tournament semifinals might get Baylor back to the team that worked 18 straight opponents to start the season.
➜ Dark-horse candidate: Arkansas was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the SEC. The Razorbacks took runner-up honors instead, won eight straight games to end the regular season and wound up with one of the best freshman in the country in Moses Moody.
➜ Player to watch: The only player other than Illinois’ Ayo Dosunmu with multiple triple-doubles this season was Winthrop’s Chandler Vaudrin. The Eagles’ 6-foot-7 forward averages 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists this season.
➜ Big Ten outlook: Purdue and Ohio State are just one breakout performance from Jaden Ivey or Duane Washington Jr., respectively, away from making a run. Both guards showed that capability in the Big Ten tournament. It just might not be enough to get past Baylor.
MIDWEST
➜ Who makes it out: The selection committee did Illinois no favors with its draw. Oklahoma State as the No. 4 seed might be the most egregious act, but Tennessee, West Virginia and Houston also all loom down the bracket. But the Illini are playing perhaps the best in the country at the moment.
➜ Dark-horse candidate: Oklahoma State. The final two weeks of the regular season saw the Cowboys beat four ranked teams. Then they knocked off two more in the Big 12 tournament — Baylor included.
➜ Player to watch: Don’t be confused if you see West Virginia’s Miles McBride make a spectacular play to what sounds like boos from the Mountaineers’ faithful. They’re just yelling “Deuce.”
➜ Big Ten outlook: Rutgers’ stay in Indianapolis might come to an abrupt end. Particularly if the Illini broke the Scarlet Knights’ spirit in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. If Rutgers makes it out of a likely ugly first-round grind against Clemson, No. 2 seed Houston will be waiting.
{p class=”card-about”}Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
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