If you’re like a lot of the nation, you most likely didn’t rely on a No. 8 seed reaching the nationwide title recreation final 12 months — or a No. 15 seed making it to the Elite Eight.
Thank you North Carolina and Saint Peter’s, who made certain there’s nowhere to go however up attempting to choose a profitable bracket in 2023.
This season, after all, selecting the March Madness bracket comes with its personal set of potential pitfalls. How do you account for accidents at Houston and UCLA? Can defending champ Kansas make one other run after dropping handily within the Big 12 Tournament last? Is this the 12 months you’ll be able to belief the Big Ten?
Here’s one strategy to go along with the bracket:
SOUTH REGION
First Four: Texas A&M Corpus Christi over Southeast Missouri State.
First spherical winners: Alabama, West Virginia, San Diego State, Virginia, Creighton, Baylor, Utah State and Arizona.
Maryland was terrific at house this season and never superb on the street. At a impartial web site, the Terrapins get a tricky first-round matchup in opposition to a West Virginia staff ranked seventeenth by Ken Pomeroy.
Second spherical winners: Alabama, Virginia, Baylor, Arizona.
The seeds maintain in spherical two. Bob Huggins may have some methods up his sleeve in opposition to the Crimson Tide, however Alabama ought to have a bonus enjoying in Birmingham.
Regional semifinal winners: Alabama, Baylor.
Tony Bennett’s Virginia staff looks like the best group to decelerate a run-and-gun staff like Alabama, however first the Cavaliers should get previous the primary spherical, which isn’t a certainty. Time to hedge a bit by placing Virginia within the Sweet 16 however having the Crimson Tide advance.
Regional champion: Alabama.
The Crimson Tide play quick and shoot a whole lot of 3s, and so they’re additionally one of many high defensive groups within the nation. Turnovers might be a problem, however they’ve sufficient other ways to win that they’ll do one thing their soccer staff couldn’t this 12 months — attain the Final Four.
EAST REGION
First Four: Texas Southern over Fairleigh Dickinson.
First spherical winners: Purdue, Memphis, Duke, Tennessee, Providence, Kansas State, Southern California, Marquette.
At instances this season the Big Ten felt like Purdue and about 11 bubble groups. That holds true within the first spherical of this area, with the Boilermakers advancing however Michigan State bowing out early in opposition to USC.
Second spherical winners: Purdue, Tennessee, Kansas State, Marquette.
Tennessee-Duke is a marquee second-round matchup between two of the higher offensive rebounding groups round. As effectively because the Blue Devils have performed lately, the Volunteers are ranked within the high 5 by Pomeroy and No. 8 within the nation at ShotQuality.com.
Regional semifinal winners: Tennessee, Marquette.
Zakai Zeigler’s damage will meet up with the Volunteers finally, however first they oust Purdue, avenging their extra time loss to the Boilermakers within the 2019 Sweet 16. (A refresher: Carsen Edwards was fouled on a 3-pointer within the last seconds and made two free throws to power OT.)
Regional champion: Marquette.
What a season for Shaka Smart, who coached Marquette to regular-season and match titles within the Big East. The Golden Eagles will power turnovers, and in contrast to a few of Smart’s groups prior to now, that is an environment friendly group offensively.
MIDWEST REGION
First Four: Mississippi State over Pittsburgh.
First spherical winners: Houston, Iowa, Drake, Kent State, Mississippi State, Xavier, Texas A&M, Texas.
Yes, that matchup between Texas and Texas A&M within the second spherical is occurring. Also, Drake can be a preferred upset decide after rolling by way of the Missouri Valley Tournament.
Second spherical winners: Houston, Drake, Mississippi State, Texas.
Texas is attempting to comply with within the footsteps of Steve Fisher’s 1989 Michigan staff, which gained the nationwide title underneath an interim coach. It’ll be much less of a shock if the Longhorns pull it off, since we’ve already seen them win the Big 12 Tournament underneath Rodney Terry.
Regional semifinal winners: Houston, Mississippi State.
Yes, if this involves fruition, Houston may make the Final Four by beating three double-digit seeds in 4 video games.
Regional champion: Houston.
Obviously, the groin damage to Marcus Sasser is an enormous concern, however the Cougars ought to be capable of make it by way of the primary weekend even when he’s not at full energy, and assuming he returns earlier than too lengthy, Houston is one of the best staff on this area.
WEST REGION
First Four: Nevada over Arizona State.
First spherical winners: Kansas, Illinois, Saint Mary’s, UConn, TCU, Gonzaga, Northwestern, UCLA.
Rick Pitino vs. UConn definitely brings again some Big East reminiscences. It’s a tricky draw for Thirteenth-seeded Iona.
Second spherical winners: Illinois, Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga, Northwestern.
The Big Ten all the time looks like a polarizing league on this occasion, so right here’s a prediction: Zero Big Ten groups attain the Elite Eight, however Illinois and Northwestern take out the highest two seeds within the West. Let the recent takes fly.
Regional semifinal winners: Saint Mary’s, Gonzaga.
The West Coast Conference’s second of glory.
Regional champion: Gonzaga.
The Zags come into this match on a roll and with out the massive expectations of seasons previous. Pencil them in for one more Sweet 16 — and a Final Four as effectively.
FINAL FOUR
Semifinal winners: Alabama, Houston.
If Alabama makes it this far, the scrutiny could also be much more intense for a program that’s been within the information for lots of the fallacious causes recently. Former Alabama participant Darius Miles and one other man have been indicted on capital homicide fees for the January taking pictures dying of 23-year-old Jamea Harris. A police investigator testified final month that Miles texted Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller to deliver him his gun that night time. Miller has not been charged and has continued to play.
Houston-Gonzaga could be a captivating matchup, however the Zags nonetheless aren’t nice defensively. The Cougars are the extra well-rounded staff.
So that may arrange an Alabama-Houston title recreation, with the Crimson Tide glad to push the tempo and the Cougars completely snug in a rock struggle.
The Cougars are adequate defensively to beat the Crimson Tide, and 40 years after Phi Slama Jama’s heartbreaking loss to N.C. State within the title recreation, Houston wins all of it.
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Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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More AP faculty basketball: http://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Source: www.bostonherald.com
