The one-and-dones are out, but plenty of talent remains. Talent gets you in to the NCAA tournament; experience wins it. Three weeks ago the field of 68 boasted a slew of tremendous ‘one-and-done’ talent. You could spot NBA-bound college freshmen like Michael Porter Jr, DeAndre Atyon, Marvin Bagley, Mohamed Bamba, Jaren Jackson, Trae Young,…
Month: March 2018
Loyola-Chicago: A Cinderella Story
The slipper still fits. Cinderella teams are one aspect of the tournament that anyone can appreciate. They add an element of excited uncertainty and unbalance to the equation. When David slays Goliath not once but repeatedly, we are compelled to wonder – what’s this dude’s secret? We latch on to the inner-workings of the Miracle…
No Shortage of Madness
Even when we expect the unexpected, the NCAA tournament leaves us speechless. There are three things you can count on in life: death, taxes, and Madness. And thanks to the latter, there’s never a dull tax season. March Madness truly is an amazing phenomenon. Despite a rich history of stunning upsets, amazing moments, and unlikely…
Reseeding the Field
Teams remaining, highest to lowest seeds: Kansas (1), Villanova (1), Duke (2), Purdue (2), Michigan (3), Texas Tech (3), Gonzaga (4), Kentucky (5), Clemson (5), West Virginia (5), Nevada (7), Texas A&M (7), Florida State (9), Kansas State (9), Syracuse (11), Loyola-Chicago (11). My power rankings leading into the second weekend: 1. Villanova 2,…
Sweet Sixteen Schedule
Sweet 16/regional semifinals THURSDAY 7:07 p.m., CBS: No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago (Brian Anderson, Chris Webber, Lisa Byington) 7:37 p.m., TBS: No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Dana Jacobson) Approx. 9:37, CBS No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas State (Anderson/Webber/Byington) Approx. 10:07., TBS: No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Florida State (Harlan/Miller/Bonner/Jacobson) FRIDAY 7:07 p.m., CBS: No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Clemson (Jim…
First Look: The Frontrunners
Villanova Villanova is as complete, if not more complete, than its 2016 National Championship team. They rank 2nd overall in adjusted efficiency, aka they are a top-tier team on both the offensive and defense ends. And when it comes to the offensive side of the ball, when this team plays its A game, no one…
First Look: The Cinderellas
Loyola-Chicago Loyola-Chicago has been the most promising cinderella all season long. A mostly upperclassmen-laden squad, the Ramblers enter the Big Dance with few flaws, undeniable balance, and house money. The last time Loyola-Chicago earned a tournament bid was 1985, a year in which they made the Sweet Sixteen. Will history repeat itself? This year’s…
First Look: 32 Players to Watch
Jalen Brunsen, Villanova Mikal Bridges, Villanova Grayson Allen, Duke Marvin Bagley III, Duke Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State DeVante Graham, Kansas Jaren Jackson Jr., Michigan State Miles Bridges, Michigan State DeAndre Ayton, Arizona Chris Chioza, Florida Mo Wagner, Michigan Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rachman, Michigan Trae Young, Oklahoma Desi Rodriguez, Seton Hall Kelan Martin, Butler Joel Berry, North Carolina Luke May, North Carolina Trevon Bluiett, Xavier Isaac…
The Field: Part 1
Welcome to The Field, an episodic look at the squads still alive in this year’s tournament. In each edition I will lay out the current field and provide a ranked list of the remaining teams. Here’s what I’ve got as of Selection Sunday, with actual NCAA tourney seeding included to the right of each name….
16 Sweet Teams to Watch: The Best of the Rest
Xavier Cincinnati Wichita State Texas Tech West Virginia Tennessee Ohio State Auburn Florida Kentucky Missouri Seton Hall Rhode Island Nevada Oklahoma Butler