After an excruciating wait, the madness is finally back. The first four play-in games started Tuesday, but the first round of the NCAA tournament tips off March 21. We have everything you need to understand the field, so without further ado, let’s get started.
The defending champions kick it off in the East, as the number 1 overall seed. The University of Connecticut Huskies had a dominating run to the title last year, culminating in a 76-59 win over San Diego State in the Championship game. The Huskies were given a difficult region, with the SEC champs Auburn, Big 10 champs Illinois, and the Big 12 champs Iowa State all being put in the East.
There’s also potential for a rematch of last year’s championship game, but first San Diego State will have to get past a hot University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) team, and one of the most complete teams in the nation in Auburn. UConn has no easy path either, as Florida Atlantic University (FAU) will be looking to recreate the magic of last year’s Final Four run and Northwestern has already knocked off Purdue this season.
Illinois will have their hands full in the first round against 14 seed Morehead State, a team who controls the tempo of the game and could counteract Illinois’ explosive offense. Look for Senior Riley Minix (20.8 points per game and 9.8 rebounds) to exploit the weak Illini defense.
The Huskies still look like the best team in the region, but no team has won back-to-back titles since 2007, and with this difficult bracket, expect Iowa State and Auburn to give them a run for their money.
In the West we have several teams with the potential to be this year’s Cinderella. The New Mexico Lobos won the Mountain West tournament in a historically good year with 6 MW teams making the NCAA; yet, were criminally under-seeded, given just an 11 seed. They match up incredibly well with Clemson and their likely 2nd round match-up Baylor, and, if their shots are falling, they’re a legit Final Four contender.
The Grand Canyon Antelopes and the Charleston Cougars are two explosive offenses playing vastly different teams in the 1st round. Grand Canyon matched up with Saint Mary’s, an elite defense who just knocked off Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament. The Cougars, however, matched up with Alabama, another dominating offense with an atrocious defense. Charleston will have to be elite to keep up with Alabama, and they’ll have to really limit their mistakes. These games look like tempting upset picks, but be wary: the match-ups favor the better seeds.
The 8-9 match-up between Mississippi State and Michigan State pairs two surprising teams against each other. Michigan State was ranked number 4 in the preseason AP poll, and after losing to JMU in the first game of the season, have struggled to find a consistent rhythm. Mississippi State has had big wins over Tennessee and Auburn this season, and is a dangerous team when hot. The winner of this game has the talent to beat North Carolina in the 2nd round.
This is the most chaotic region, with legitimately any team having the ability to come out of it, but right now Arizona looks to be the perfect mix of talent and current form and therefore are my pick to win the West.
In the South we have some of the most intriguing story lines in all of basketball. The JMU Dukes have the most wins in the country and one of the best offenses. They’ll be a tough opponent for Wisconsin. NC State is coming off an incredible ACC tournament run, where they beat Virginia, Duke, and North Carolina on their way to the title. They seem to have found their groove, and, if they can keep it up, they can go on another run. Senior DJ Burns (12.5 ppg and 4.2 rpg) has had an incredible month, and against a Texas Tech team that may struggle to contain a big man, he could continue his great form.
If you like getting really crazy, 2 seed Marquette has a difficult match-up in the first round. Star Guard Tyler Kolek (15 ppg and 7.6 Assists) has been out for a couple weeks with an injury, and doesn’t appear to be 100% for the tournament. Western Kentucky, on the other hand, has the fastest offense in all of college basketball, and forces a lot of turnovers. This is a game that could get really ugly or stay close throughout.
The South is another region where anyone can get out, (which will be a trend this year) but the best bet is the 1 seed Houston Cougars, whose experience and elite defense will make them tough to beat.
Finally we go to the Midwest, where Purdue will look to recreate Virginia’s 2019 title, bouncing back from their embarrassing loss to 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson and winning it all. The Boilermakers are led by Zach Edey (24.4 ppg and 11.7 rpg), who is looking for his 2nd National Player of the Year award. Standing in their way is a lot of elite offenses. McNeese State and Samford play unique styles of basketball, utilizing lots of rotations, the 3-pointer, and high pressing defense that forces turnovers. Kansas announced Tuesday it would be without Kevin McCullar Jr. (18.3 ppg), so Samford has a golden chance to shock the world.
Former Oral Roberts star Max Abmas now suits up for the Texas Longhorns, averaging 17.1 ppg. Texas is another team struggling to find rhythm, but if they can find it, they have what it takes to make a run. Standing in their way is Tennessee, led by Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht (21.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg). They appear to be the most complete team in the Midwest, and are my pick to make it out.
The Final Four is usually where the chaos simmers down, and the best teams emerge. This year, the most complete, consistent team, who checks off all the boxes of a champion seems to be UConn, but Houston, Arizona, Purdue, Auburn, and Tennessee all have what it takes. The fact is, March Madness always finds a way to surprise us, and this year doesn’t look to be any different.
You can put your knowledge to the test by joining the AHS Bracket Challenge. Use the link to join the group and create a bracket for the NCAA Men’s Championship. Password: Patriots2024. The top three brackets will receive lunch from the athletics department.
