Virginia Tech
The Hokies are a very interesting team heading into tournament time. They are 9th in the country in offensive efficiency, 10th in 3- point percentage and 37th in defensive efficiency. In the history of their program they haven’t had much success in March, they have never been to the Final 4, have only been to the Elite 8 once in 1967, however something seems different this year. Yes, they have had some injuries to their star guard Justin Robinson, but if he can come back 100 percent this Virginia Tech team will have a great chance to go to their first Final 4. Robinson when healthy is the leader of this team and brings 14.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.5 APG, while shooting 41.1 percent from distance. These Hokies are very well rounded on both sides of the floor; however, they are not very big and are liable to being out rebounded and as we know offense doesn’t always travel in March. If they can team rebound and continue to make shots they could end up in Minneapolis.
Florida State
Last year during the NCAA tournament the Seminoles shocked many people by advancing to the Elite Eight as a 9 seed which was there first time doing so since 1993. The Seminoles are one of the deepest teams in the country, they have 10 guys that play over 11 MPG. The Seminoles have many options offensively, if they can get hot and shoot the 3-ball well they will be a tough out in March. They are led by the ACC sixth man of the year Mfiondu Kabengele who average 13.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.4 while shooting 50.4 percent from the field. Leonard Hamilton has this team rolling they have won 4 games in a row and are one of the best team in the country in blocks and steals per game. Not to mention this team is one of the biggest teams in the country with an average height of 6’7. This team is at its best when they are active off the ball and jump passing which causes opposing teams to start their sets over 30 feet out, allowing Florida State to get easy buckets off turnovers. Hamilton and this Seminole team has a certain grit and toughness about themselves that allows them to compete in any game they play in which will carry over nicely in the March.
Auburn
The NCAA tournament is all about matchups and getting hot at the right time, well look no further than the Auburn Tigers to do so. The Tigers are starting peak at the right time as they have won their last 6 or 7 games. Earlier in the year this team was ranked as high as eighth in the country. Although the Tigers went through some early struggles, they are on a 4-game winning streak and in their last game they beat the 5th rank Tennessee Volunteers. One element this team has that sets them apart is guard play, they have one of the best back-courts in the country in Bryce Brown and Jared Harper. Both average 15 PPG, shoot over 80 percent from the free-throw line and shoot at least 38 percent from 3. This team can put up points in a hurry as they are 32nd in the country with 80.1 PPG. Another thing they do well is shoot the 3 and play defense, they shoot 37.5 percent from 3 which is 41st in the country, 8th in the country in steals, 19th in blocks and 63rd in defensive efficiency. Like Florida State this Auburn team is deep they play 9-10 guys all of which play at least play 10 minutes per game. If Bruce Pearl can rally his team to stay focused and play within themselves they will upset some teams as they could be under-seeded and make a deep run in March.
Nevada
Prime-Time players make Prime-Time plays and the Nevada Wolf Pack have 3 guys that do just that on a nightly basis. On paper Nevada is a top 10 team in the country, what’s not to like about this team? They have big-time shot makers in the Martin Twins and Jordan Caroline, experience and swagger. The Wolf-Pack are coming off of a remarkable run in last year’s NCAA tournament reaching the Sweet Sixteen for the 2nd time in program history. This year’s team is great on both sides of the ball ranking 12th in the country in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency. When the lights come on in big moments the Martin twins and Caroline shine, this season they combined to average 48.9 PPG, 19.1 RPG while shooting 36.6 percent from 3. Although this team is one of the most efficient teams in the country, they turn the ball too much, for them to make it to Minneapolis they will have to take care of the ball. With the Martin twins in the back-court during March Madness ball security should not be an issue.
Iowa State
Yes, Iowa State. In their past 6 conference games they are 1-5 and they don’t seem interested in rebounding the ball or defending. Nonetheless this team has all the capabilities of being a Final Four team. The Cyclones are very talented and athletic led by Big 12 leading scorer Marial Shayok at 18.7 PPG followed by superior athlete Lindell Wigginton at 13.3. In moments we have seen this Cyclone team play at a high level, remember in January they traveled to Lubbock and beat Texas Tech and were a favorite to win the Big 12 conference, also in mid-February they went to Manhattan and beat Kansas State by double digits. One element this team has is its ability to switch everything defensively, their back-court is on average about 6’4 which allows them guard multiple positions and not have any liabilities on the floor. The Cyclones gave Texas Tech fits defensively only allowing them to score 64 points. Another component of this team is they share the ball they are 46th in the country in assist led by Nick-Weiler-Babb and Tyrese Haliburton, both of which are in the top 4 in the Big 12 in APG. This team has so many options offensively, if they decided to play defense and share the ball the sky is the limit for this team. Going forward Head Coach Steve Prohm will have his hands full to get this team re-motivated and refocused if so, this team has the talent and ability to shock and upset quality teams. Especially, because they will more than likely be under-seeded.
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