The Midwest region is undoubtedly the most daunting section of the NCAA tournament. While Louisville highlights the region as the number 1 overall seed in the whole tourney, Duke is a very formidable two seed, as the Blue Devils are 18-1 with Ryan Kelly in the lineup, which includes a non-conference win over Louisville in the Bahamas. As a three seed, not only does Michigan St. have size inside with Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix, but any team coached by Tom Izzo is a dangerous threat in the big dance. To cap off the top four seed line in the region, Saint Louis is one of the hottest teams in the country, as the Billikens have won 15 of their last 16 games with their tenacious defense and pertinacious playing style. The team that comes out of the Midwest region and advances on to the Final Four will certainly have to go through a rigorous path to get to Atlanta.
Key Players To Watch:
Missouri's Phil Pressey:
Phil Pressey, who led the SEC and was 8th in the nation in assists at more than 7 per game, is one of the quickest and most effective guards in the country. Although Pressey is undersized at 5-11 and is sometimes turnover prone by forcing the ball into the lane, the point guard is one of the best passers in all of college basketball. His ability to penetrate and attract defenders allows the Missouri big men like Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi to finish with easy baskets at the rim. Pressey could cause Colorado St. a great deal of trouble in the round of 64, especially if Dorian Green, the Rams second leading scorer, is not fully healthy due to his right ankle injury.
Creighton's Doug McDermott:
Every college basketball fan has become accustomed to watching the panoply of moves that Creighton's Doug McDermott possess. The 2-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year can stroke the three ball, overpower smaller defenders in the post, use his mobility and quickness as a 6-8 forward to score around defenders, as well as get to the free throw line for easy points. Most importantly, McDermott, who is coached by his father Greg, knows how to get open, as his movement without the ball frees him up for isolations and easy baskets. Although the Blue Jays have some nice complimentary scoring pieces like three point threat Ethan Wragge and slasher Grant Gibbs, McDermott, who was second in the nation in points are more than 23 per game, will have to carry a bulk of the team's offense. Creighton and Cincinnati will prove to be an intriguing round of 64 match-up because of the contrasting style of the two teams. While the Bearcats heavily rely on their three guard attack of Sean Kilpatrick, Cashmere Wright, and JaQuon Parker, the Bluejays like to pound the ball inside with McDermott.
Possible Round of 64 Upsets:
#12 Oregon over #5 Oklahoma State:
Considering the fact that Oregon are massively under-seeded, their round of 64 encounter with Oklahoma St. should prove to be a tight contest. Although the Ducks did not receive much respect from the selection committee, the Pac-12 tournament champions should not be underestimated or deprecated. While Oregon can rely on E.J. Singler for a key shot in crunch time, the team is predicated on their balanced offensive attack, as six Ducks averaged at least 8.5 points per game during the season. If Oregon want to pull off the upset, their back court of Damyean Dotson and Dominic Artis will have to try and contain the Cowboys dynamic duo of Marcus Smart and Markel Brown. Although Smart's size is often an issue for smaller back courts, Dotson is one of the biggest guards in the country and he shouldn't be pushed around by the highly rated NBA prospect. If the Ducks are able to neutralize the Cowboys back court, their front-court of Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi could be too much for the Cowboys big men.
#11 Saint Mary's over #6 Memphis:
Although Memphis went undefeated in Conference USA and won 30 games for the first time since 2009, the Tigers have not proven that they can beat high quality opponents. With their only three RPI top 50 wins coming over Southern Miss, Memphis is a team that could face a scare from a hot shooting Saint Mary's team. While the Tigers are much more athletic than the Gaels and could pose a problem on the glass, Matthew Dellavedova is the biggest scoring threat on the entire floor, as the Australian point guard is one of the best shooters in the country. Although Dellavedova struggled from three in the WCC tournament (1-18 in three games), the all-conference first-teamer found his stroke in the Gaels first four win over Middle Tennessee, as he nailed 5 of his 7 three point attempts. Saint Mary's will miss shooting guard Jorden Page, who is out with a knee injury, but Jordan Giusti is a solid defender and will be able to irritate Memphis guards Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford, and Geron Johnson. The Gaels should also be in a nice rhythm after getting some of their early tournament nerves out in their first round victory. However, the x-factor in the game will be Adonis Thomas because if the versatile small forward shows up to play, he is a match-up problem for Saint Mary's.
No comments:
Post a Comment