This bracket is flooded with match-ups that will whet a basketball lover’s appetite. The first one that jumps out at us is No. 7 Michigan State and No. 2 Virginia facing each other this weekend, a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 game at the Garden. Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett cannot be happy to see the on-the-rise Spartans.
We could get No. 6 Providence against No. 3 Oklahoma, which would deliver us an elite guard matchup: Kris Dunn against Buddy Hield/Isaiah Cousins. And there is a potential old Big East showdown that looms in the Sweet 16, with
No. 1 Villanova meeting fourth-seeded Louisville. Oh, and that game would take place at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. Perfect.
But don’t forget about Missouri Valley Conference champion Northern Iowa, the steady fifth-seed who could give Louisville problems in the third round.
Best Player: Seth Tuttle
The big man with touch from deep led Northern Iowa to its best season in history and was the Missouri Valley Player of the Year.
Unsung Player: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Overlooked because of the Big 12’s depth and plethora of guards, but the talented junior is tougher than a two-day-old steak.
Best Second-Round Matchup: No. 8 N.C. State vs. No. 9 LSU
Two mediocre power-conference teams that can’t get out of their own way. You never know what to expect from either, which could make for an exciting two hours.
Second-Round Upset Watch: No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 UC-Irvine
The shooting-challenged Cardinals are short in the backcourt without Chris Jones, and UC-Irvine can light it from beyond the arc.
Bracket Buster: Michigan State
The committee missed on the surging Spartans, who are better than most five-seeds in the bracket. Tom Izzo’s team will be the surprise of the tournament.
By The Numbers
7.6: Providence point guard Kris Dunn’s average assists per game, second highest in the country.
54.3: Points per game the stingy Northern Iowa defense allows per game.
Champion: Michigan State
You want a Final Four sleeper, look no further than the Spartans, who are playing as well as anyone. Nobody is better at exceeding expectations in March than coach Tom Izzo.
1. Villanova (32-2)
Conf.: Big East
PPG: 76.5 | OPP: 61.2
Post-ing up: The Wildcats posted their best regular season ever, winning their first 13 games and their final 1x games, while going undefeated at home and winning their second straight Big East regular season title.
Sr. G Darrun Hilliard (14.1 PPG, 1.8 SPG)
Jr. G Ryan Arcidiacono (10.4 PPG, 3.6 APG)
Sr. F JayVaughn Pinkston (9.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG)
16. Lafayette (20-12)
Conf.: Patriot
PPG: 74.2 | OPP: 72.6
Post-ing up: Finishing .500 in league play, the Leopards became the lowest-seeded team (No. 4) ever to win the Patriot League Tournament, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 14 years.
Sr. F Seth Hinrichs (13.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG)
Sr. F Dan Trist (17.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG)
So. G Nick Lindner (12.4 PPG, 5.4 APG)
8. N.C. State (20-13)
Conf.: ACC
PPG: 70.4 | OPP: 65.4
Post-ing up: The Wolfpack no longer are capable of surprising anyone, not after wins over Duke, Louisville and North Carolina, though racking up more losses than a tournament team should have.
Sr. G Ralston Turner (13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG)
So. G Anthony Barber (11.8 PPG, 3.8 APG)
Jr. G Trevor Lacey (16.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG)
9. LSU (22-10)
Conf.: SEC
PPG: 73.7 | OPP: 67.7
Post-ing up: LSU is prone to stinkers — how else can you explain losses to Auburn, Clemson and Mississippi State? — but also capable of beating anyone, as a win over West Virginia and near upset of Kentucky proved.
So. F Jarell Martin (16.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG)
So. F Jordan Mickey (15.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG)
Jr. G Keith Hornsby (13.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG)
4. Louisville (24-8)
Conf.: ACC
PPG: 69.2 | OPP: 59.5
Post-ing up: Rick Pitino has one of his least skilled offensive teams, scoring below 60 points in 10 games. Even without guard Chris Jones, the Cardinals still can cause havoc, handing Virginia one of its only losses.
So. G Terry Rozier (17.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
Jr. F Montrezl Harrell (15.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG)
Sr. G Wayne Blackshear (10.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG)
13. UC-Irvine (21-12)
Conf.: Big West
PPG: 68.9 | OPP: 63.5
Post-ing up: After nearly four decades, the Anteaters are making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Make sure to check out Mamadou Ndiaye, a 7-foot-6 center from Senegal.
Sr. F Will Davis II (12.9 PPG, 7 RPG)
So. G Luke Nelson (10.5 PPG, 4 APG)
Jr. G Alex Young (9.6 PPG, 3.6 APG)
5. Northern Iowa (30-3)
Conf.: Missouri Valley
PPG: 65.4 | OPP: 54.3
Post-ing up: The patient, defensive-minded and sharpshooting Missouri Valley Conference winners, back in the field of 68 for the first time since reaching the Sweet 16 in 2010, will be a tough out.
Sr. F Seth Tuttle (15.3 PPG, 42% 3-pt. FG)
Jr. G West Washpun (7.7 PPG, 2.6 APG)
Sr. G Deon Mitchell (7.4 PPG, 45% 3-pt. FG)
12. Wyoming (25-9)
Conf.: Mountain West
PPG: 62.2 | OPP: 56.0
Post-ing up: The Cowboys and star forward Larry Nance Jr., the son of longtime NBA player Larry Nance, stole a bid from an at-large hopeful with back-to-back upsets of Boise State and San Diego State.
Sr. F Larry Nance Jr. (16.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG)
Jr. G Josh Adams (13.2 PPG, 3.6 APG)
Sr. G Riley Grabau (9.2 PPG, 36% 3-pt. FG)
2. Virginia (29-3)
Conf.: ACC
PPG: 65.3 | OPP: 50.8
Post-ing up: The Cavaliers are back and better than at any point since Ralph Sampson was in school. With the nation’s premier defense, Virginia won its first 19 games of the season and its second consecutive ACC title.
Jr. G Malcolm Brogdon (13.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG)
Jr. G Justin Anderson (12.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG)
So. G London Perrantes (6.4 PPG, 4.8 APG)
15. Belmont (22-10)
Conf.: Ohio Valley
PPG: 74.5 | OPP: 70.2
Post-ing up: The Bruins have only one win against a team in the RPI top 100, but picked it up in the only game that mattered. With a stunning upset over No. 25 Murray State, Belmont ended the Racers’ 25-game win streak.
G Craig Bradshaw (18.1 PPG, 3.2 APG)
So. G Evan Bradds (14.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG)
Sr. G Reece Chamberlain (8.5 PPG, 6.1 APG)
7. Michigan State (23-11)
Conf.: Big Ten
PPG: 72.3 | OPP: 62.9
Post-ing up: The Spartans lost three of their first seven games in conference, but finished strong in typical fashion, with Tom Izzo’s crew making an unbelievable 18th straight appearance in the tournament.
Sr. G Travis Trice (14.9 PPG, 5.3 APG)
Jr. G Denzel Valentine (14.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG)
Sr. F Branden Dawson (11.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG)
10. Georgia (21-11)
Conf.: SEC
PPG: 69.0 | OPP: 64.2
Post-ing up: The front-court is tenacious and productive led by Marcus Thornton and Nemanja Djurisic, but Georgia needs production out of hot-and-cold guards Kenny Gaines and J.J. Frazier to make noise.
Sr. F Marcus Thornton (12.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG)
Jr. G Kenny Gaines (11.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG)
Sr. F Nemanja Djurisic (11.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG)
3. Oklahoma (22-10)
Conf.: Big 12
PPG: 71.9 | OPP: 62.8
Post-ing up: Playing its best basketball at the right time, Oklahoma looks like a potential Final Four sleeper, fueled by a potent backcourt and talented forward tandem of Ryan Spangler and TaShawn Thomas.
Jr. G Buddy Hield (17.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
Jr. G Isaiah Cousins (12.2 PPG, 45% 3-pt. FG)
Sr. F TaShawn Thomas (11.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG)
14. Albany (24-8)
Conf.: America East
PPG: 66.0 | OPP: 60.5
Post-ing up: The Great Danes will be making their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but enter the tournament with their best chance to pull an upset. Albany lost only once in conference play.
Sr. F Sam Rowley (14.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG)
Jr. G Peter Hooley (13.8 PPG, 2.4 APG)
Jr. G Evan Singletary (13.1 PPG, 2.8 APG)
6. Providence (22-11)
Conf.: Big East
PPG: 70.4 | OPP: 65.5
Post-ing up: Despite losing Bryce Cotton, the Friars will appear in consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in 25 years (1989-90), featuring one of the nation’s best duos — LaDontae Henton and co-Big East Player of the Year Kris Dunn.
Sr. F LaDontae Henton (19.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG)
So. G Kris Dunn (15.8 PPG, 7.6 APG)
Jr. F Tyler Harris (10.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG)
11. Boise State (25-8)
Conf.: Mtn. West
PPG: 70.8 | OPP: 60.3
Post-ing up: Get to know the name Derrick Marks, a light-out 3-pointer shooter who has the ability to lead Broncos to second weekend.
11. Dayton (25-8)
Conf.: Atlantic 10
PPG: 68.3 | OPP: 60.9
Post-ing up: Dayton doesn’t have a player in its rotation taller than 6-foot-6, yet the Flyers rank 38th in points allowed.