Kent St.-(28-6, 13-3) I’ll be honest I wanted Kent St. to lose yesterday. Not because I dislike the team, it was actually out of my affinity for the Mid American Conference. The MAC gets beaten up every year on selection Sunday and hasn’t received two bids in way too long. Kent St. was going to change that if they lost yesterday, they were assured a at large bid. It was well warranted with the season they put forward. In a league where the teams beat up on each other more than any other league in the country Kent St. found a way not to fall victim to the MAC (excluding the inexplicable loss to Bowling Green). Jim Christian wasn’t expecting much entering this year, they only had two seniors and they both played up front. But the 6’8 Haminn Quaintance and 6’7 Mike Scott both provided leadership and they got more than they bargained for when they signed Al Fisher from Redlands Community College. Fisher has transformed a good team into a great team and was named the MAC player of the year (an honor I take very seriously Turner Battle won it).
The Good: This team goes 9 deep without losing any loss in quality which is remarkable on a the mid-major level. Christian is a great coach who has guided Kent to at least 20 wins every year he’s been there. Al Fisher has the heart of a champion which was shown when they beat St. Mary’s in perhaps the most meaningful game of BracketBuster Saturday. Quaintance was a dominant force on defense down low in the MAC this year and Jordan Mincy is one of the best on the ball defenders in the country and pesters opposing guards into creating turnovers. This team hasn’t lost two games in a row all season and as Coach Christian claimed they are “a resilient group,” he also said about his team that they are “a tough group of people. We just find ways to win, and this time of year that’s what it’s all about.”
The Bad: They aren’t great at an uptempo game, they prefer to slow the game down and have their defense win it for them. When they have played uptempo teams they have lost. UNC blew them out early in the season by 30 and when they get into shootouts they lose like they did when they had Bowling Green put up 89 on them.
The Verdict: This team is one of the better mid-majors in the country this year. What will hurt them is that as one of the better mid-majors they will likely get a really athletic underachieving major conference team in a 8-9 or 7-10 game. I would take them over a Wisconsin rather than taking them over a athletic team that isn’t as good and that may kill them. If they go up against another methodical offense they have a great shot of winning.
Coppin St.-(16-20, 7-9) Coppin State started the season 4-19. They were 0-8 in the MEAC. They had lost to Howard a team that finished with 26 losses. Now they are heading to Dayton. They are now in the NCAA Tournament. They have won 12 of their last 13 and came into the MEAC tourney with the seventh seed. They went on to play 4 games and win the championship game on Tywain McKee’s driving layup with 2 seconds left. It was a miracle ending to a miracle comeback story for them. Now they go on to Dayton and will have a game to play a number 1 seed.
The Good: They have momentum and had no idea when they were entering February they would be here now. They will just cherish the opportunity and enjoy their ride. They also are the first team ever with 20 losses to make it.
The Bad: 20 losses, getting beat by 47 to Marquette, losing by 49 to Xavier, having 2 of their 16 wins come against D2 schools. They don’t play great defense, don’t play great offense but they were playing on adrenaline last week.
The Verdict: The 1 seed that plays them if they advance past the play in game will win by 30. Great story but the ride must end.
Mississippi Valley St.-(17-15, 12-6) The Delta Devils started 0-8 then beat 2 D2 schools. They didn’t get their first win over a D1 school until January 14th. Now they are dancing. Don’t get it twisted they are likely a play-in team but they are just happy to be here. They won the SWAC tourney on 2 free throws with .4 seconds left on the clock. What a wild year it has been for them.
The Good: They play good defense and that is how they turned their season around. Their offense thrives off of their defense and they rebound well led by Larry Cox who grabs 8 boards a game. If their defense is clicking they will win the playin game and advance to be beat by 20+.
The Bad: They aren’t that good. They lost 71-26 to Washington St. Lost by 30+ to Pitt, Ole Miss, and Baylor. They wont be able to compete with a 1 seed because they don’t keep games close, they get blown out.
The Verdict: Thank you come again, nice of the Delta Devils to join us but this is not the team that will be the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed.
Tennessee- (29-4, 14-2) the most unorthodox style of play for a team that will be a 1 or 2 seed in a long, long time. Bruce Pearl’s boys try to use their athleticism as their ultimate advantage. They start All-American candidate Chris Lofton, the 3 Smiths (all unrelated), and Wayne Chism. Because of their style of play they need to be deep on the bench. Jordan Howell, Josh Tabb, Duke Crews, and J.P. Prince all can be in at clutch situations and be reasons for Tennessee wins (as Prince was @ Memphis).
The Good: There is no one you would rather have the ball in their hand at the end of the game than Chris Lofton. That goes for any team any player. Hansbrough needs someone to feed him, Beasley is too young, but Lofton is proven and has made more daggers than anyone in the country. He is as good a shooter as there is in the country. Their offense can light you up. They averaged over 82 ppg as a team on the season and with Lofton and the Smiths (mainly Tyler and Jajuan) they have guys that can break down anyone off the dribble. They are probably the most athletic team in America and are the only ones to beat Memphis on the year. Also they have a smart coach in Bruce Pearl who chose to foul at the end of the Memphis game which won it for them.
The Bad: Ramar Smith is not a true point guard and isn’t really trustworthy with the ball at the end of the game. He missed 8 free throws to lose them the game vs. Vandy. Also this team relies on forcing turnovers which can be a recipe for disaster come tourney time. When another team slows them down they can be beaten, and this weekend was the first time a team played at UT’s style and won when Arkansas beat them in a slugfest.
The Verdict: This Tennessee team is really hard to predict, they could be the first really high seed to be out because if their shots aren’t falling and the other team slows them down they are easily beatable. But on the other hand when their shots are falling and they are getting to the rack off the dribble they are nearly unbeatable. For this I think they are a elite 8 team but I don’t think they could go too much further than that.
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