Welcome to Part 1 of 3 of my NCAA Tournament preview.
Today, I’ll take a look at the Midwest and South Regions, Wednesday will feature the East and West Regions and Thursday a primer for those of you going up to Buffalo to watch the action at the First Niagara Center Thursday and Saturday.
I won’t be picking the winners (at the risk of making myself look bad), but rather providing a brief preview of the players and teams to watch.
Let’s jump in, shall we?
MIDWEST REGION
The Rundown: This region features three of the four “First Round” games, although for all intents and purposes it’s a play-in round.
The lone game today features the 12-12 matchup of N.C. State-Xavier, the last two “at-large teams” into the field, with the winner getting Atlantic 10 regular season champion Saint Louis.
The Wednesday games match 11-11 Iowa vs. Tennessee, with the winner drawing another A-10 team, UMass, as well as the 16-16 game between Cal-Poly vs. Texas Southern, with that winner getting No. 1 and unbeaten Wichita St.
The Shockers are the first team to enter the tournament unbeaten since UNLV in 1991, although they come in with their fair share of skepticism, having not beaten a Top 25 opponent all season.
They have proven themselves, however, making a run to the Final Four last season and giving eventual champion Louisville all they could handle.
Speaking of the Cardinals, many national pundits expect them to get back to the Final Four again this season, coming in as perhaps the tournament’s hottest team.
There’s also traditional power Duke (3-seed), as well as Big 10 regular season champion Michigan (2-seed), which lost to Louisville in the national title game last season and Kentucky (8-seed), which has as much talent as anyone in this region.
In terms of shear talent, this region has my vote as the best.
Star Power: Jabari Parker (Duke) — Parker needs no introduction, bursting onto the scene as not only the best freshman in the country (sorry Andrew Wiggins), but one of the best players, period. He is worth the price of admission.
Cleanthony Early (Wichita St.) — A skilled, physical forward, Early is the best player among a very balanced group, leading Wichita St. in scoring and rebounding.
Nik Stauskas (Michigan) — A deadly 45 percent 3-point shooter, Stauskas leads Michigan in scoring (17.5 ppg.) and hails from the same home town (Mississauga, Ontario) as former St. Bonaventure star Andrew Nicholson.
Russ Smith (Louisville) — Is a more complete player than he was a year ago in helping the Cardinals to a national title. Has raised his assist total from 2.9 to 4.7 while still averaging over 18 points per game.
Julius Randle (Kentucky) —Over-shadowed by super-freshmen Parker and Wiggins, Randle is a stud in his own right, and will be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft should he leave after this season.
Under the Radar: Langston Hall (Mercer) — Leading scorer for Atlantic Sun champs who many feel are better than last season’s conference champ and tournament darling Florida Gulf Coast.
Chaz Williams (UMass) — Certainly not under the radar to anyone who follows the A-10 closely, Williams is a diminutive point guard who can beat teams off the dribble or from deep.
Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa) — Averaged 17.5 points a game and was a first team all Big 10 selection. A future pro.
Jordair Jett (St. Louis) — The senior guard and A-10 Player of the Year was the catalyst for the Billikens this season.
Marcus Foster (Kansas St.) — He isn’t talked about much as one of the top freshman in the country, but should be. Leads KSU in scoring (15.6) and shoots 40 percent from distance.
Potential Sleeper: Iowa — The Hawkeyes faded down the stretch, but don’t let that fool you. We’ve seen teams advance from the “play-in” games to the Final Four before, and they are certainly talented enough to make a run.
SOUTH REGION
The rundown: Headlined by No. 1 overall seed Florida, which will get the winner of Albany and Mount St. Marys today, this region, much like the Midwest, is also loaded, with the likes of Kansas (2-seed), Syracuse (3-seed) and UCLA (4-seed).
It’s also probably the only region where the No. 1 seed is a favorite to reach North Texas for the Final Four, and that might not even be the case if Kansas’ Joel Embiid were healthy.
Star Power: Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) — After a slow start to the season, Wiggins has started to live up to the enormous hype that surrounded his commitment to the Jayhawks, including a 41-point effort in a loss to West Virginia.
Tyler Ennis (Syracuse) — Another star freshman, Ennis didn’t start the season in the same conversation with the top-tier of young talent, but is certainly there now thanks to his tremendous poise from the point guard position as well as his clutch performances late in games.
Kyle Anderson (UCLA) — Anderson, a skilled sophomore forward and projected NBA lottery pick, has come on strong late in the season, leading the Bruins to the PAC 12 tournament title.
Aaron Craft (Ohio State) — Maybe not a star in the conventional sense, Craft embodies everything you want to see in a great college point guard. The senior will depart Ohio State as the program’s career leader in both assists and steals.
Scottie Wilbekin (Florida) — Another senior point guard and SEC Player of the Year, Wilbekin reminds of former Gator point man Taurean Green, who helped Florida to back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.
Under the Radar: Lamar Patterson (Pittsburgh) — A typical Jamie Dixon-coached player, Patterson has improved steadily during his Pitt career, averaging 17.6 points per game as a senior.
Treveon Graham (VCU) — The explosive 6-6 junior guard is the leader for the Rams, averaging 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
Cameron Bairstow (New Mexico) — The senior from Australia had a monster year, putting up 20.3 ppg. for a Lobos squad that surprised top-seeded San Diego St. to win the Mountain West tournament crown.
Chasson Randle (Stanford) — Heady junior guard leads Cardinal in scoring (18.7) and shoots 40 percent from three-point range.
Desmond Haymon (Stephen F. Austin) — Senior and leading scorer for Lumberjacks squad that comes in without the hype of Wichita St., but boasts similar credentials.
Potential Sleeper: Stephen F. Austin — A classic sleeper team, the 12th-seeded Lumberjacks enter the tournament with a record of 31-2 and a 28-game winning streak. They play in one of the traditionally weaker low-major conferences (Southland), but boast a balanced squad (four players average in double figures) and are athletic and experienced.
