The NCAA tournament is in full swing today and we’ve spent a week getting you ready.
We’ve broken down the top players across all four regions (South, East, West, and Midwest), created an NBA draft guide for March Madness, ranked teams according to how many NBA prospects they have, and released a college-only NBA board. , analyzed the Cinderella teams and looked at all four regions.
But before hitting at 12:15 pm ET (when West Virginia and Maryland signal CBS), here are a few final thoughts to write down.
Most difficult region
Just last week, my two favorites for this year’s NCAA tournament were Kansas and UCLA. While both look a little more vulnerable today (UCLA due to injuries, Kansas due to injuries, and Bill Self’s health), they are nonetheless still able to run. The fact that they are in a region that also has Gonzaga’s team with the best offense in the country and UConn’s team, which has become the fashion choice of the Final Four, illustrates how good this grid angle is. If these four teams make it this weekend, it will be a Sweet 16 caliber Final Four, and frankly, I’m surprised the committee put them all in the same region.
My favorite
Like Kansas and UCLA, Houston is also coming into the NCAA tournament this year a little more vulnerable than they looked a week ago. When Markus Sasser lost in the semi-finals to AAC, it brought up a lot of bad memories, especially when they lost to Memphis in the championship game. With Sasser now being called Thursday’s game-time decision, there is hope that he is back and can perform at his best this week. If yes, then I think that Houston has every chance to win this case. But make no mistake, this is a year where there is a long line of teams that could end up losing if things go their way.
Choice of upsets
This tip probably comes too late for those who have already completed the grid, but the key to any office pool is the scoring system. Does every win count the same or do you get extra points if you predict a set? If you have to choose an upset, I could start with Drake. The Bulldogs escaped the Missouri Valley Tournament, they have one of the best midfielders in the country in Tucker DeVries, and super hard at both ends of the floor. The fact that Miami could be without Norchad Omier makes them even more vulnerable.
Train for maximum benefit
The most obvious answer Rodney Terry in Texas as he fights for a chance to keep the head coach job.
Second, Pennsylvania is ranked 10th in the Midwest region and opens Thursday night with Texas A&M. Whatever happens, head coach Mika Shrewsberry will be a popular candidate in the coaching carousel. It’s possible that he ends up choosing Notre Dame, Georgetown, or returning to the University of Pennsylvania, presumably with a notable promotion and renewal. If the Nittany Lions go on the run, who knows what his market value might be this time next week.
The school with the most to lose
Georgetown and Providence.
Georgetown is nowhere near the NCAA Tournament this week. Instead, they are looking for a coach at Shrewsberry and Providence. Ed Cooley being their two main targets. However, Cooley had explored his options before, and so far this had always resulted in him returning to Providence with more years and more money. Of course, Providence has had both a new president and a new athletic director over the past three years, and if they don’t follow the precedent and continue to reaffirm their commitment to Cooley and the program, he could very well be gone this time. That would be bad news for the Friar program, which has appeared in seven of the last nine NCAA tournaments under Cooley, despite having only competed once in the decade before he joined in 2011.
Conversely, if Cooley stays in Providence and Shrewsberry goes to Notre Dame or stays at the University of Pennsylvania, what’s next for the search in Georgetown? In short, at the moment they are putting almost all their efforts into these two candidates, and if they miss the opportunity and do not have a contingency plan ready, this could further set back the once proud program, which has already fallen to zero. unprecedented level.
Source: 247sports.com
