NCAA Tournament Bracket Preview
NCAA March Madness Bracket Preview
The seeding is finished, the brackets are set, and the NCAA basketball tournament tips off on Tuesday. Who will reach the final four and who will lose early? Who will be the bracket-busting underdogs? These questions and more will be answered over the next 3 weeks as we crown another champion. For now though, we’ll examine some of the intriguing aspects of the 2017 bracket.
Questionable Seedings
Somehow North Carolina was given a number 1 seed, despite a poor road record and 7 losses. Although they have a very talented team, this has the feel of a reputation pick. After all, the Heels were bounced in the semifinals of the ACC tournament..
UCLA is a 3 seed, despite an outstanding season. Star PG, Lonzo Ball, lead the nation with 7.7 assists per game and the Bruins are a very fun team to watch. Their games should be entertaining as they cruise through the first weekend.
Illinois State was left out of the field of 68, despite 27 wins and a 17 and 1 Conference record. We’ve seen in years past that mid-majors can have success in the tournament. However, it seems as though the committee consistently chooses the bigger schools. While Illinois State did not have any top 50 wins, they can only play who was on their schedule and how will we know how good they are if they’re not given a chance to prove themselves? If it’s TV ratings the committee wants, they will get them. But the people want upsets!
Potential Bracket Busters
UNC Wilmington is good defensive team. Also, the team is very efficient on the offensive end as well. They shoot a lot of threes. Furthermore, the team is more than capable of getting hot as a team.
Wichita State: With 30 wins in the regular season, they’ve now topped at number 4 out of the last 5 years. Coach Greg Marshall leads an experienced team and a program that is known for knocking off higher seeds. With only 4 losses this year, they are underrated as a 10 seed. Watch out for the Shockers.
Middle Tennessee: Another 30-4 team, the Blue Raiders are staring down an overrated Minnesota team. With several close victories over quality opponents, Middle Tennessee has shown they can win. A 12 seed is much too low for them.
The Year of the Coach
In a season without a clear frontrunner in the field and a lot of parity, it’s hard to pick a final four much less a champion. However, coaching will play a big part of the action, as team management and play styles will be on full display. Here are some coaches that can push their teams to win it all.
Rick Pitino
He has Louisville playing strong, and his experience will definitely show itself in the tournament. They’re always strong defensively with Slick Rick at the helm. Combine that with a weak region and the team is once again a threat; they just may win it all.
Bob Huggins
This couch leads a West Virginia team, nicknamed Press Virginia. This team is one of the best defensive teams in the nation. Furthermore, he boasts tons of tournament experience and knows what it takes to reach the final four. Don’t be surprised if they come out of the West Region.
The top winning coach in NCAA men’s basketball history, Coach K, led the Blue Devils to yet another ACC tournament championship. After an up and down year, Duke avoided what could have been a dumpster fire season, in large part to Coach K’s leadership. While the haters would love to see Grayson Allen cry his way home, Vegas has them as the favorites to win it all.
Roy Williams
He is on the back end of his career, but there is still plenty of fire on the sidelines when North Carolina plays. When this team manages to match Roy’s intensity, they look unbeatable. They also want to avenge their loss in the title game last year. The Tar Heels have the toughest region with the possibility of matching up with Kentucky for a chance to go to the Final Four, so coaching will definitely be a factor.
Bill Self
This couch has Kansas playing incredible basketball. After a hiccup in the Big 12 tournament, KU is hungry, and they are certainly talented enough to take home the title. They are my favorite to win it.
John Calipari
Calipari at Kentucky, Steve Alford at UCLA, and Sean Miller at Arizona are names to know as well. If you’re not sure who to pick in a matchups, go with the coach.
The Madness is overwhelming; therefore, it can’t be ignored. Embrace it; love it; and may your Final Four be intact. Check in with DKLegends.com for more stories and information as the tournament progresses.
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