Millions of brackets will be filled out, students will peek at scores during class and restaurants will buzz with fans. The Madness is upon us.
But, after a mind-boggling, upset-packed, buzzer-beater and scandal-filled regular season, it seems like the Madness has already started.
The seeds have been announced, and as teams lace up their shoes for the hardwood, Proconian takes a look at how to navigate the 68 team craziness.
Upset Alert: These teams or seeds could make unlikely runs
11 v. 6 First Round Game: For the past two years, the 11 seeds have held a 6-2 record against the 6 seeds, in the first round. Look for the 11 seeds that you think have a shot of winning and pick them to pull off the upset.
Stephen F. Austin (No. 14 seed): The Lumberjacks know a lot about upsets: they haven’t been knocked out in the first round during their last three appearances in the NCAA tournament. Stephen F. Austin will be returning to the tournament for the fourth time in the last five years with an impressive record of 28-6. They will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first round. Texas Tech was ranked as high as number 6 this year in the rankings but finished the season losing five of their last seven, while the Lumberjacks won ten of the their last 11 games.
North Carolina State (No. 9 seed): In 2015, the Wolfpack upset number one seeded Villanova in the second round of the tournament. This year, if NC State can get past Seton Hall in the first round, the Wolfpack will be slated for a second-round matchup against number-one seeded Kansas. The Wolfpack have a very deep and athletic team that will give the Jayhawks trouble. NC State already knocked off Arizona, Duke, Clemson, North Carolina and Florida State earlier in the season. Sophomore Omer Yurtseven has emerged as a force for the Pack this season, and State also has great guards in junior Torin Dorn and Baylor transfer, Allerick Freeman. Kansas’s lack of depth, combined with the uncertain availability of sophomore center Udoka Azubuike, leaves the door open for NC State to make a run to the Sweet Sixteen.
Syracuse (No. 11 seed): The Orange’s long and athletic zone always causes problems for the opposition. This year, everyone in Cuse’s starting lineup is at least 6’5” tall, making it even harder for opponents to maneuver around the floor. Syracuse, the last team to make the tournament, could make a run with the opportunity. Syracuse is ninth in the country in blocks and held together by junior 7’2” junior, Paschal Chukwu, who averages 2.7 blocks per game. On the offensive end the Orange are led by sophomore Tyus Battle, who averages just under 20 points per game. Assuming Syracuse can get past Arizona State in the play-in game, the Orange should beat TCU and then give Michigan State a run for their money.
Texas (No. 10 seed): The Longhorns have one of the most intriguing players in the country to watch: Mohamed Bamba. The freshman out of Harlem, New York is 6’11” and has a wingspan measured at 7’9”. Bamba’s freakish athleticism and shot-blocking ability along with junior guard Kerwin Roach, could lead the Longhorns to surprise some people. Texas has a legitimate chance to make it to the Elite Eight, with Kentucky, Arizona and Virginia all battling it out in the top half of the South region. Texas has played good games all year, taking Duke and Gonzaga both to overtime before losing. Head Coach Shaka Smart isn’t a newcomer to the tournament atmosphere: in 2011, Smart took Virginia Commonwealth University to its first final four appearance in school history.
Bold Predictions: High Seeds That Could Fall Early In The Tournament
Virginia (No.1 seed): Although the Cavaliers have waltzed through the regular season, their slow style leaves a small margin for error on the offensive end. If the Cavaliers have a rough day shooting, they could be in big trouble because of their pace of play. According to College Basketball Sports Reference, the Cavaliers average 60.5 possessions per 40 minutes, ranked lowest in the nation. In early February, the Virginia Tech Hokies took down the Cavaliers by holding Virginia to only 34% shooting and and 30% from beyond the arc. In recent years, Virginia has failed to put up a good showing in the NCAA tournament, despite having talented teams. In 2015 and 2017, the Cavaliers were bounced out of the tournament in the first weekend. Even though Virginia has the potential to win a national championship, a bad offensive day could send them packing to back Charlottesville.
Arizona (No.4 seed): Controversy has been swirling around the Arizona basketball program after an FBI investigation released evidence of head coach Sean Miller allegedly talking about offering $100,000 to now freshman and projected lottery pick DeAndre Ayton. On top of that, the Wildcats’ most skilled guard, Allonzo Trier, failed a performance-enhancing drug test for the second time. Trier was cleared to play, but the negativity around the program won’t bode well during the tournament. The last two years Arizona has been eliminated by number 11 seeds and failed to make its past the Sweet Sixteen.
Gonzaga (No.4 seed): After reaching the national championship game last year, the Bulldogs have put up an impressive 2017-2018 campaign, with a record of 30-4. But their record can be deceiving. Gonzaga’s strength of schedule is 70th in the nation, and the Bulldogs have only played four ranked teams all season. Gonzaga’s lack of experience against top-tier teams this season won’t be in their favor during the tournament. If the Bulldogs run into a middle-of-the-pack, but still tough, ACC or Big 12 team in the first couple of rounds, they will have their hands full.
Clemson (No.5 seed): The Tigers had a great regular season behind coach Brad Brownell and earned fourth place in a tough ACC conference. But Clemson lost momentum finishing the season with a 3-5 record. The problem for the Tigers is that senior forward Donte Grantham is out for the season. Grantham averaged the second most points and second most rebounds per game on the Clemson squad. With Grantham available in the first part of the season, the Tigers held a 16-3 record. After Grantham’s injury Clemson is barely over .500, with a record of 7-6. Clemson will rely heavily on the ability of guard Gabe Devoe to score.
Tournament Fun Facts:
- Fans have an estimated 1 in 92 quintillion chance to fill out a perfect bracket.
- Corporate businesses will lose an estimated 6.3 billion dollars during the tournament as a result of the lack of productivity due to NCAA tournament viewing or monitoring.
- In 2017, 70 million brackets were filled out.
- The lowest seed to ever win the tournament–Villanova in 1985–is an 8 seed.
- The only time that all four number 1 seeds made the Final Four was in 2008.
It’s time to fill out the brackets and get ready to watch the madness begin.
