{"id":1724,"date":"2016-03-14T19:40:09","date_gmt":"2016-03-14T23:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=1724"},"modified":"2019-06-26T16:51:31","modified_gmt":"2019-06-26T20:51:31","slug":"rock-chalk-regional-champions-ncaa-tournament-south-region-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=1724","title":{"rendered":"Rock, Chalk, Regional Champions: NCAA Tournament, South Region Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_1725\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1725\" style=\"width: 669px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1725\" src=\"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/2015-16-Kansas-Starting-Five-Feature-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Photo Credit: Getty Images\" width=\"669\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/2015-16-Kansas-Starting-Five-Feature-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/2015-16-Kansas-Starting-Five-Feature.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 669px) 100vw, 669px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1725\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you think that there won&#8217;t be madness this March, I would politely disagree with you.<\/p>\n<p>The field is wide open. \u00a0The teams are almost inseparable. \u00a0And the action is going to be gripping.<\/p>\n<p>I filled out my bracket Sunday\u00a0night; I&#8217;ll reveal my picks for each game in the South Region here along with explanations for each one.<\/p>\n<p>First, if you haven&#8217;t seen them already, here are the teams and matchups for this region:<\/p>\n<p>(1) Kansas vs. (16) Austin Peay<\/p>\n<p>(2) Villanova vs. (15) UNC-Asheville<\/p>\n<p>(3) Miami (FL) vs. (14) Buffalo<\/p>\n<p>(4) California vs. (13) Hawaii<\/p>\n<p>(5) Maryland vs. (12) South Dakota State<\/p>\n<p>(6) Arizona vs. (11) Vanderbilt\/Wichita State (play-in game)<\/p>\n<p>(7) Iowa vs. (10) Temple<\/p>\n<p>(8) Colorado vs. (9) Connecticut<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m going to sort the preview into three categories: no-brainers, upsets, \u00a0judgment calls, and problematic picks. \u00a0This is my official preview for the South Region of the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n<h3>No-Brainers<\/h3>\n<h5>(1) Kansas over (16) Austin Peay<\/h5>\n<p>Kansas is arguably the best team in the Field of 68, making its way through the Big 12 Tournament with relative ease. \u00a0The most memorable moment of the week, however, had to be Wayne Selden&#8217;s uncle,\u00a0<del>Flava Flav<\/del> Anthony, absolutely losing his cookies after his nephew&#8217;s dunk on the Baylor Bears:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/vine.co\/v\/iHPOqpUn672\/embed\/simple\" width=\"669\" height=\"669\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>But, more than anything, Kansas has established itself as the team to beat in the bracket. \u00a0They&#8217;re deep, well-rounded, and do almost everything well.<\/p>\n<p>The Governors of Austin Peay, on the other hand, probably should have gone to a play-in game in Dayton. \u00a0They aren&#8217;t, and while they could have given a lower-end one seed a semi-competitive game, this isn&#8217;t a lower-end one seed. \u00a0There won&#8217;t be a mercy rule in this game; there might as well be.<\/p>\n<h5>(2) Villanova over (15) UNC-Asheville<\/h5>\n<p>Villanova&#8217;s disappointments in past NCAA Tournaments will likely follow them into this one as well. \u00a0These letdowns will leave them alone in the first round, though, as the Wildcats and their top-20 defense should easily overwhelm the Bulldogs. \u00a0While UNC-Asheville could stay with the Wildcats on the glass, there won&#8217;t be a 15-2 upset in this region.<\/p>\n<p>(Note: that&#8217;s it for the no-brainers. \u00a0That was fast, no?)<\/p>\n<h3>Problematic Picks<\/h3>\n<h5>(5) Maryland over (12) South Dakota State<\/h5>\n<p>On the surface, this one shouldn&#8217;t look problematic; the Terrapins are playing as well as they have all season and the Jackrabbits were probably overseeded. \u00a0Look closer, however, and you&#8217;ll find that even though the Terps blow South Dakota State away on paper, the play on the court may tell a different story.<\/p>\n<p>Maryland is, quite simply, the most maddening team in college basketball. \u00a0When they&#8217;re good, they can beat anyone in the country. When they&#8217;re bad, it&#8217;s ugly. \u00a0The team&#8217;s bad was back-to-back losses to Wisconsin and Maryland in February, a loss to Michigan in January and countless other close wins. \u00a0If Maryland struggles, look out for a Jackrabbit team that can pound Maryland on the glass.<\/p>\n<h5>(4) California over (13) Hawaii<\/h5>\n<p>The Rainbow Warriors won&#8217;t be in the dance next year because of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/basketball-men\/article\/2015-12-22\/former-hawaii-head-mens-basketball-coach-violated-ncaa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NCAA violations<\/a>\u00a0committed by a former assistant; none of the violations involved any players on next year&#8217;s team, but whatever. California should win this game, but it&#8217;ll be close.<\/p>\n<p>Hawaii is a top-40 team in assists and averages a full three more helpers per game than the Golden Bears. \u00a0California should be able to bang the Rainbow Warriors (that&#8217;s an amazing team name) around on the glass, but will the Golden Bears be a deer in the NCAA Tournament headlights? \u00a0Time will tell, but it&#8217;s definitely possible that this could happen. \u00a0If it does, California will be out very early.<\/p>\n<h3>Judgment Calls<\/h3>\n<h5>(7) Iowa over (10) Temple<\/h5>\n<p>I have almost no opinion of this game. \u00a0Iowa can stroke it from downtown (over 38%) but has lost six of its last eight games to head into the Tournament as the coldest team in college basketball. \u00a0Temple was a bubble team that hangs its hat on its defense and\u00a0is tied for first in the nation in turnovers per game (9.2). \u00a0This could really go either way, but I took the better perimeter and passing team in the Hawkeyes. \u00a0This one is a true flip of a coin.<\/p>\n<h5>(8) Colorado over (9) Connecticut<\/h5>\n<p>I like the Buffs and their physicality over the guard play and never-say-die nature of the Huskies. \u00a0This one will come down to the battle on the glass: if the Huskies can hold their own, then they&#8217;ll probably be the ones to take on Kansas in a second round matchup. \u00a0If Colorado has its way (meaning: knocks around UConn), then it&#8217;s game over for Kevin Ollie&#8217;s team.<\/p>\n<p>And now for the best part&#8230;.<\/p>\n<h3>Upsets<\/h3>\n<h5>(11) Vanderbilt\/Wichita State over (6) Arizona<\/h5>\n<p>Yes, the play-in game and the uncertainty of who will come out of it can absolutely be off-putting when trying to pick an upset in your bracket. \u00a0That being said, I truly believe either one of these teams can and would beat Arizona in a first round game.<\/p>\n<p>Wichita State, on one hand, has the best defense in the country, takes care of the ball, and has major tournament experience in senior guards Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, or, as Aaron Harrison refers to him, <a href=\"http:\/\/kentuckysportsradio.com\/basketball-2\/andrew-harrison-told-ron-baker-hes-a-bad-bad-boy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the bad, bad boy<\/a>. \u00a0Vanderbilt, on the other hand, is one of the few teams in the tournament that can match the Wildcats&#8217; rebounding physicality. \u00a0Arizona is a young, albeit experienced, squad. \u00a0But beating either one of these teams will be a very tall task.<\/p>\n<h5>(14) Buffalo over (3) Miami (fL)<\/h5>\n<p>Buffalo&#8217;s biggest weakness as a team is their three-point shooting; that being said, they&#8217;re getting hot at the right time, having shot almost 44% from deep in their conference tournament. \u00a0And, to boot, they match up really well with this Miami team.<\/p>\n<p>The Hurricanes, even will all their experience, could get hammered on the glass and on the break. \u00a0As a team that only uses 68 possessions per game, Miami will have to dictate the tempo to a Bulls team that uses almost 75 possessions per game. \u00a0The pace will dictate the game; if it&#8217;s slow, Miami wins. \u00a0If it&#8217;s fast, Buffalo wins (probably). \u00a0I&#8217;ll take the chance that the pace is fast and pick\u00a0the Bulls to shake up the South Region.<\/p>\n<p>Now that we&#8217;re out of the first round, I&#8217;ll provide shorter explanations for each of the projected matchups. \u00a0My reasoning for this is that if my bracket history is any indication, few if none of these matchups will actually happen.<\/p>\n<h3>Round of 32<\/h3>\n<h5>(1) Kansas over (8) Colorado<\/h5>\n<p>The Buffaloes and their size hang around for most of this one but the Jayhawks pull away late on the strength of their guards.<\/p>\n<h5>(5) Maryland Over (4) California<\/h5>\n<p>Likely the most interesting first-weekend matchup in the South, I&#8217;ll take the experience of Maryland over the rebounding, raw talent, and youth of the Golden Bears.<\/p>\n<h5>(11) Vanderbilt\/Wichita state over (14) Buffalo<\/h5>\n<p>The winner of the Vanderbilt\/Wichita State game plays the role of 2014 Tennessee and 2015 UCLA as 11 seeds to beat 14 seeds. \u00a0Don&#8217;t count Buffalo out of this one, either.<\/p>\n<h5>(2) Villanova over (7) Iowa<\/h5>\n<p>Iowa doesn&#8217;t last very long after their win over Temple. \u00a0Nova takes this, and by a pretty wide margin, too.<\/p>\n<h3>Sweet 16<\/h3>\n<h5>(1) Kansas over (5) Maryland<\/h5>\n<p>Maryland has the ability and the guard play to win this one. \u00a0This should be one of the best games this region has to offer if it comes to fruition. \u00a0The main matchup to watch would have to be Maryland guard Melo Trimble against Kansas guard Frank Mason III. \u00a0If Trimble and Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon win the guard battle over Mason, Wayne Selden, and Devonte&#8217; Graham, the Terps could play spoiler. \u00a0If not, it&#8217;ll be another win for the Jayhawks.<\/p>\n<h5>(2) Villanova over (11) Vanderbilt\/Wichita State<\/h5>\n<p>This is where the run ends for the winner of the Vanderbilt-Wichita State play-in game. \u00a0This does not necessarily mean that Villanova is an Elite 8-caliber team; all it means is that the rest of the region isn&#8217;t that good outside of Kansas. \u00a0But let&#8217;s stop raining on the Wildcats&#8217; parade as they advance to the Elite 8.<\/p>\n<h3>Elite 8 (Regional Final)<\/h3>\n<h5>(1) Kansas over (2) Villanova<\/h5>\n<p>This one really isn&#8217;t all that hard. \u00a0The Jayhawks are already one of the best teams in the country and, frankly, they got an easy draw in the South Region. \u00a0Kansas will take care of business against Nova to cut down the nets and go to Houston to play in\u00a0the Final Four.<\/p>\n<p>NOTE: post was published before Wichita State&#8217;s defeat of Vanderbilt in the First Four.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/platform.vine.co\/static\/scripts\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){\n  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),\n  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)\n  })(window,document,'script','\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js','ga');\n\n  ga('create', 'UA-62461709-1', 'auto');\n  ga('send', 'pageview');\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you think that there won&#8217;t be madness this March, I would politely disagree with you. The field is wide open. \u00a0The teams are almost inseparable. \u00a0And the action is going to be gripping. I filled out my bracket Sunday\u00a0night; I&#8217;ll reveal my picks for each game in the South Region here along with explanations &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/?p=1724\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Rock, Chalk, Regional Champions: NCAA Tournament, South Region Preview&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[679,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog-posts","category-college-basketball"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1724"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4005,"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1724\/revisions\/4005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sullyonsports.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}