After a not-so-good start with Belmont losing, it was a fun night! Wofford is so much fun to watch; Fletcher Magee, have yourself a day!! It was great seeing him getting the all-time 3's record. When Seton Hall got a one point lead late in the second, it was amazing how Wofford blew them out something like 17-0 until a Pirate basket in the final seconds. This team is dangerous, and hopefully they give Kentucky a run.
It's a shame Belmont wasn't able to win off the back of a great performance by Dylan Windler.
Anyways, I see that nearly all of the games today will be on the right side of the bracket, so I will write-up these regions!
South Region
#1 Virginia: One of the best teams in the country, Tony Bennett and the Cavaliers have three white starters, with one more getting good minutes off the bench. PG Ty Jerome and two guard Kyle Guy make up 2/3 of the best back-court in the country. These two are some much fun to watch, and both can take over a game. Jerome is a fantastic point guard who can create some great opportunities for his teammates, as well as create for himself. Guy can knock down shots from anywhere on the floor. Mammoth center Jack Salt provides toughness and rebounding down low for Virginia. Jay Huff has been getting more minutes off the bench for Virginia as of late. He's much more of an offensive threat than Salt, especially from deep. He's also more of a shot-blocking rim protector, being the longer and more athletic option. In short, the Cavs are my pick to cut down the nets this year and avenge their first round upset last year. Go Virginia!!
#16 Gardner-Webb: An all-black team who's going to get throttled today.
#8 Ole Miss: The "Rebels" have one white player, part-time starting center Dominik Olejniczak, who's time has decreased to 15 minutes per game. Watching him screen and rebound during his time in isn't enough for me. Pass.
#9 Oklahoma: The Sooners have a good white starter in home-grown forward Brady Manek. Manek has been very inconsistent with his performances this year, but is averaging 12 and 6. Manek has had some big games in the past, and he should only be getting better. Matt Freeman is the only other white player who consistently gets in, and he doesn't do much other than screen and play defense.
#5 Wisconsin: The Badgers have had a nice rebound year under Greg Gard, and are led by their senior All-American candidate, Ethan Happ. Happ is an absolutely terrific talent who leads his team in scoring (17.5), rebounding (10.1), assists (4.6), blocks (1.3), and steals (1.1). Happ is also comfortable dribbling, and is a menace around the basket. Combo guard Brad Davison starts in the back court, and also averages double figures. He plays great defense (second on the team in steals) is a very confident offensive player, a threat to score in every way. Nate Reuvers has developed nicely this year, and is an effective forward when he's in the game. Two guard Brevin Pritzl is instant offense off the bench, converting from beyond the arc at a 43% clip. The Badgers have all the tools needed for a nice NCAA run, and I'm hoping they'll be able to get past a surging Oregon squad today.
#12 Oregon: The Ducks are surging into the Big Dance, having won 8 in a row. The primary reason for this turnaround has been the play of their point guard, Payton Pritchard. Pritchard has been on a tear lately (against Washington in the Pac-12 championship, he had 20 points, 7 assists, and 6 boards), and will look to continue his play into March. Other than Pritchard, there's nobody else to root for on the Ducks.
#4 Kansas State: They are likely to be without their best player, Dean Wade, for their first few games. Wade is the Wildcats' only white player, and thus ends our interest in this putrid team.
#13 UC Irvine: The Anteaters tore through the Big West to get into the Dance. They've got 2 white starters, and a couple more who come off the bench. Stanford transfer Robert Cartwright is the team's PG, but may be going back to the bench with the return of their actual starting PG. Tommy Rutherford is the other white starter at forward. They've got one other white player in Collin Welp who comes off the bench. Welp is instant offense, as he's third on the team in scoring.
#6 Villanova: The defending national champs have been a bit under the radar, but they still managed to win the Big East this year. They've got one white starter in PG Collin Gillespie, and he's a good one. Two more whites come in off the bench at times in Albany grad transfer Joe Cremo, and freshman forward Cole Swider.
#11 St. Mary's: The Gaels have three white starters in PG Tommy Kuhse, a former walk-on who forced his way into the lineup, SG Tanner Krebs, who can hit some big shots, and C Jordan Hunter, who was big against Gonzaga. Estonian freshman Mathias Tass comes off the bench for the Gaels, the 6th man in their 7 man rotation. Tass is an intriguing prospect for the future.
#3 Purdue: The Boilermakers have three white starters, and have been surging as of late after a not good start to the year. Two guard Ryan Cline has greatly improved this year, and has had some nice games. He's got a quick shot, and is deadly off screens. Grady Eifert (the brother of NFL TE Tyler), a former walk-on has held down the PF spot, despite calls from DWFs for more affletic alternatives. He's a great role player, and can knock down the open shot. Matt Haarms, the Boilermakers' 7'3 shot-blocker in the middle, has responded well after being benched earlier in the year. He's been a different player since forcing his way back into the starting lineup. RS Freshman two-guard Sasha Stefanovic has been getting some good minutes off the bench; forward Evan Boudreaux, a grad transfer from Dartmouth, fell out of the rotation after being injured. This team would be great to root for, but ball-hog Carsen Edwards tempers expectations.
#14 Old Dominion: All-black and going home.
#7 Cincinnati: There's three certainties in life: Death, Taxes, and a Mick Cronin coached team playing exactly 0 white players in competitive games. That does not change. Cincy is likely the same as usual, very athletic, but severely lacking in basketball fundamentals.
#10 Iowa: Iowa has been on the downturn since February. The Hawkeyes start three whites, and will often have five on the court as once. Jordan Bohannon is a great PG who knocks down big shots for the Hawkeyes. Freshman wing Joe Wieskamp is a nice athlete who has a bright future for Iowa. He can knock down shots from anywhere. Luka Garza is a nice center who's got range, but who I'd like to see be more assertive at times. Connor McCaffrey has been a great alternative option off the bench for Iowa at PG, lifting some pressure off Bohannon's shoulders. Nicholas Baer has been awesome as the 6th man for the Hawkeyes again this year. He's a great athlete and energy guy who does a bit of everything. Ryan Kriener gets in as a reserve forward.
#2 Tennessee: The Vols have had a great season, but have no white starters, and only forward John Fulkerson off the bench.
#15 Colgate: The Raiders have four white starters, including leading scorer and rebounder Rapolas Ivanauskas, who averages 16 and 8. Will Rayman also averages double figures and is second on the team in rebounds. Freshman guard Tucker Richardson and senior center Dana Batt round out the Raiders' white starters. They've got a couple guys who come in off the bench. I'd love to see them upset Tennessee, but I don't think it's too realistic.
Midwest Region
#1 North Carolina: The Tar Heels have had a great year, and Luke Maye, their only white starter, has continued has excellent play. Maye is averaging a double double (15 and 11), and can somehow keep in front of "more athletic" players on defense. Maye is a great story, especially since DWFs deemed him "not worthy" of a scholarship. Sophomore guard Andrew Platek will get a few minutes off the bench as a sharpshooter most games. The Tar Heels have been playing great, and are a danger to cut down the nets.
#16 Iona: Who cares? They suck.
#8 Utah State: The Aggies and first year coach Craig Smith have had an outstanding season!! Picked 9th, the Aggies won both the regular season and tournament championships in the MWC. Sam Merrill, leading the team with over 21 PPG, is a stud. He scores at an efficient clip, unlike certain ball hogs in the tournament. I love watching this guy, and look forward to doing so. Former walk-ons Quinn Taylor, a starting forward, and Abel Porter, the starting PG, are excellent roll players who know what to do. Porter righted the PG spot upon starting, and Taylor averages an efficient 8 and 6. Brock Miller can knock down the threes. Diogo Brito, of Portugal, is a great player, and often ends up with 30+ minutes per game, and is a good combo guard. Justin Bean is a forward who comes off the bench. The Aggies have been playing with confidence lately, and can definitely make a run... go Utah State!!
#9 Washington: Who cares? They're playing against a nearly all-white team! Hopefully they get blown out.
#5 Auburn: All black. Next.
#12 New Mexico State: Nearly all-black, except they love going international to find their precious diversity. In an upset, NMSU was the whiter team in this matchup, with forward Ivan Aurrecoechea coming off the bench. Still not sad to see they lost, though.
#4 Kansas: Nearly all-black with the exception of Mitch Lightfoot, who gets 10 minutes off the bench as the "energy guy."
#13 Northeastern: The Huskies have two white starters, including outstanding PG Vasa Pusica. He's an excellent player, and makes the Huskies go. Bolden Brace is the other white starter, and forward Tomas Murphy (the brother of Alex and Erik) comes off the bench.
#6 Iowa State: Michael Jacobson is a great forward for this team, and their only white player.
#11 Ohio State: The Buckeyes have two white players who see time off the bench, freshmen Justin Ahrens, who can fill it up from three, and Kyle Young, a great athlete at the four spot. They've been in freefall lately.
#3 Houston: All-black. Next.
#14 Georgia State: All-black, but crappier than the team above them. Next.
#7 Wofford: The Terriers tore through the SoCon undefeated, and are the hottest team in the country right now. They are led by Fletcher Magee, one of the best players in the country and the all-time leader in three-point buckets in Division 1 history. Magee, averaging 21 PPG, is mesmerizing with his unorthodox shot release, able to get his shot off from any angle. Nathan Hoover is a fellow back-court starter, and has some "swag" of his own. He can knock down shots from anywhere on the court. Hoover is third on the team with over 13 PPG. Storm Murphy is the third member of the Terriers' all-white starting backcourt, and is a great PG for this team to have, and is pretty good himself. Off the bench, guard Ryan Larson and forward Matt Pegrem see some time. Go Terriers!!
#10 Seton Hall: Nearly all-black like usual, with the exception of big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, who averages 8 and 8 on the year.
#2: Kentucky: In a surprising twist, the Wildcats best player may be one-and-done white two guard Tyler Herro. Herro is simply a stud. He's been filling it up lately, and is the best defender on the team. The rest of the team is all-black, but Herro at least makes them interest.
#15: Abiliene Christian: Don't care. They're mostly all black and suck.
