2016 NCAA Tournament Preview: South Region
- Mar 16, 2016
- 3 min read
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The 2016 NCAA Tournament tips off on Thursday afternoon and as always, the hype around March Madness is growing more and more. We've already taken a closer look at the Midwest and East regions and now, it's time to break down the South Region, led by powerhouses Kansas and Villanova. Here's everything you need to know heading into Thursday's action.
Players to Watch:
Wayne Selden, Kansas - When Selden is on his game, the Jayhawks are an extremely tough team to beat. He's a solid shooter and an explosive athlete who is a tough cover for any defender.
Melo Trimble, Maryland - Trimble has struggled at times this season, but that doesn't take away from his talent. He is still one of the best guards in the country and comes up clutch in big moments.
Sheldon McClellan, Miami (FL) - McClellan has improved a lot in the past year, turning himself into a future pro. He can score the ball from pretty much anywhere on the floor.
Josh Hart, Villanova - Hart is one of the best all-around players in the country, leading the Wildcats in scoring. Once he gets it going, he is hard to slow down.
Jaylen Brown, California - Brown has been one of the most impressive freshmen in the nation, as most expected. Expect him to be featured early and often.
Best First Round Matchup: No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Temple
This Temple team deserves a lot more credit than it has received. They may even be better than the 10-seed suggests. The Owls were the champions of the American Athletic Conference, which was an overachievement. Fran Dunphy's squad is led by talented scorer Quenton DeCosey. While Temple overachieved, Iowa underachieved in a way. At one point, the Hawkeyes were a Top-10 team, but they fell off in a major way at the end of the season. If Temple shows up to play, this game could get very interesting.
Potential Upset: No. 11 Wichita State over No. 6 Arizona
In year's past, it may not have been considered much of an upset for Wichita State to knock off Arizona, as they are typically one of the best mid-major programs. However, the Shockers lost some of their talent, causing them to take a step back. However, they are still a pretty good team, led by guards Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker. Arizona has experience and size, but they also tend to play down to the competition. They absolutely cannot afford to make that mistake against the Shockers.
Regional Final: No. 1 Kansas over No. 3 Miami (FL)
Kansas always seems to be around late in the tournament and it's no surprise why that is. They have the pedigree, a talented squad and a great coach in Bill Self. They are the overall No. 1 seed and I expect them to play like it throughout the tournament. I really like Miami to get past No. 2 Villanova in the Sweet 16. Many may not be too high on the Hurricanes, but they are battle-tested and have strong senior leadership. The backcourt matchup should be a fun one to watch with McClellan and Angel Rodriguez going up against Selden and Frank Mason III. It should be a great game, but the depth of the Jayhawks may prove to be the deciding factor.
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