West Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
#1 Oregon vs. #16 Holy Cross/Southern
This matchup for the Ducks should be fairly stress free as Holy Cross was a number nine seed in the Patriot League who went on an epic run to win the conference tournament. Southern won the SWAC Conference Tournament automatic bid. The Jaguars, if they were to advance to play Oregon, would have to come out firing away from behind the three-point line in order to stay competitive against the Ducks. Look for a steady dose of Dillon Brooks attacking the basket along with Elgin Cook and Chris Boucher controlling things inside to propel Oregon to an easy win.
#8 Saint Joseph's vs. #9 Cincinnati
As the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament champions, St. Joseph’s will provide plenty of challenges for the Bearcats matchup zone defense thanks to the combination of forwards Isaiah Miles and DeAndre Bembry, who combine for about 35 points per game. They are going to have to play like star players in order to send the Hawks through to the second round. Cincinnati lost in an epic quadruple overtime battle with UConn in the AAC Conference Tournament quarterfinals. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Bearcats adapt to a fresh start in the NCAA Tournament. If they can get off to a fast start and get some clutch defense from guard Gary Clark to set the tone defensively, then Cincinnati will have a great opportunity to advance on to the second round.
The battle tested Baylor squad should be in a nice position to move on in the NCAA Tournament after last year’s upset loss to Georgia State in the first round. Senior forwards Taurean Prince and Rico Gathers are going to have to assert themselves right away against the Bulldogs and take control of the paint. Yale is not going to be intimidated by playing a team like the Bears. The Bulldogs nearly stunned SMU down in Dallas early on in the season. If Justin Sears can have another 30-point type of performance against Baylor, then Yale will be in position for the upset in the final couple of minutes of the game.
#4 Duke vs. #13 UNC Wilmington
It has been a tough season for Duke as they have been undermanned all season long. The combination of sophomore guard Grayson Allen and freshman guard Brandon Ingram are going to be vital to the Blue Devils success this postseason. Allen is averaging 21.6 points per game and has evolved into the latest villain of the Duke basketball program. Ingram has plenty of talent and has been getting better as the season has gone along and has that ability to take over a game. That could prove to be invaluable in the NCA Tournament. UNC Wilmington is representing the Colonial Athletic Association and the Seahawks, under head coach Kevin Keats, are on fire after winning 17 of their last 19 games. They are going to need big performances out of guards Chris Flemmings and Denzel Ingram in order to upset Duke.
#6 Texas vs. #11 Northern Iowa
Head Coach Shaka Smart has done a nice job in his first season down at Texas as far as reinvigorating the Longhorns program. Junior guard Isaiah Taylor leads the way offensively for Texas and is averaging just under 15 points per game. Bottom line, the Longhorns are going to win with defense in the NCAA Tournament and the return of Cam Ridley from a foot injury will help Texas in the rebounding battles. Northern Iowa is going to do everything they can to limit possessions and, if they can take care of the basketball and get quality shots, they will keep the Longhorns on their heels for the entire 40 minutes.
#3 Texas A&M vs. #14 Green Bay
Texas A&M, under the direction of head coach Billy Kennedy, has come into its own this season by winning the regular season title in the SEC. The Aggies are going to rely on defense to set the tone for things offensively during this NCAA Tournament. If Texas A&M can bring the defensive intensity like they did against LSU in the SEC Tournament when they held the Tigers to 38 points, they will make a deep run in the postseason. Green Bay is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. Look for the Phoenix to try and push the tempo as much as possible in order to create easy shot opportunities against the Aggies. Senior guard Carrington Love leads the way offensively for Green Bay, averaging just under 18 points per game and he will need to score at least 20-25 in order the Phoenix to have a shot at the upset.
#7 Oregon State vs. #10 VCU
Its celebration time in Corvallis as the Beavers are dancing for the first time since 1990. Head coach Wayne Tinkle has quickly changed the culture in the program and has also upgraded the talent level pretty quickly. Gary Payton II has been one of the best all-around players in the Pac-12 this season and will need to step up in a big way in order for Oregon State to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. Freshman forward Tres Tinkle is going to need to have a big performance against VCU since the Rams are going to try and eliminate Payton II from taking over the game. VCU will have to shoot the ball well in order to get past the Beavers and they are going to defend well like they always do. Senior guard Melvin Johnson will need to have a big game to help the Rams move on to the second round.
#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 CSU Bakersfield
The Sooners should feel right at home playing in Oklahoma City for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Senior guard Buddy Hield leads a veteran team that is deep in the backcourt and very balanced offensively. Oklahoma has a starting lineup with four players averaging double figures in the scoring column. Look for Jordan Woodard and Ryan Spangler to be vital keys to the Sooners success, especially if Hield has an off night shooting. CSU Bakersfield makes their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament as the WAC Conference Tournament champion. The Roadrunner are going to have to weplay outstanding defense in order to have a chance to shock Oklahoma.
Midwest Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
East Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
South Region Round of 64 Game Breakdowns
