NCAA Tournament: Breaking down the South Region
The 2017 NCAA Tournament kicks off on Tuesday with two ‘First Four’ games but Thursday is when the real fun starts. Let’s break down the South Region featuring number one UNC…
The top four seeds in the South Region are No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 Butler.
Talk about loaded.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are favored to come out of this bracket and some believe that they have the easiest path to the Final Four, compared to the other No. 1 seeds, Villanova, Kansas and Gonzaga.
UNC will open their 2017 tournament run on Friday afternoon against No. 16 Texas Southern. The two teams will tip-off at 4p.m. ET, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s round of 32 game.
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The Tar Heels have a good chance to make the Final Four (again) and potentially win the national championship. The likelihood of this occurrence depends on several factors.
Joel Berry II and Justin Jackson are one of the best dynamic duos in all of college basketball.
Jackson was the 2017 ACC Player of the Year. Berry was second-team All-ACC. Both players can take over any game with their combination of scoring and the ability to create plays for themselves and others.
North Carolina earned the right to be one of the favorites for this year’s tournament. Last year, they were a three-pointer away from winning the championship.
What sets the Tar Heels apart from the other contenders is their rebounding.
According to ESPN, the North Carolina Tar Heels lead the nation in offensive rebounds (15.8) and total rebounds per game (43.5).
Keep an eye on….
Butler represents the biggest dark horse in the South Region.
They swept the Villanova Wildcats this season, beating them twice. Villanova lost only three games this season and Butler was responsible for two of those losses.
During the regular season, Butler was second place in the Big East Conference behind first-place Villanova. They are a dangerous four seed that could mess up a lot of brackets this month.
Do not underestimate this mid-major that could make a major run in this tournament. Expect to see a showdown between Butler and North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
This game will be electric.
During the 2012-2013 season, Butler upset UNC 82-71 in the Maui Invitational. The Tar Heels were held to just 18 first half points.
The No. 9 Seton Hall Pirates gave Villanova a scare in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament last week. The Pirates lost to the Wildcats in the final moments by the score of 55-53, missing a point blank tip-in during the final seconds.
Seton Hall led at halftime, 27-20 and looked to be in control but they couldn’t close the deal.
Despite out-rebounding Villanova 38-31 and shutting down Kris Jenkins, the Pirates could not contain Josh Hart (19 points, 10 rebounds).
Seton Hall plays a “blue collar” style of basketball. It is not flashy. They do not run the floor similar to Roy Williams’ Tar Heels.
They will slow down the pace of the game and make it a half-court game. North Carolina could possibly face the Pirates in the Round of 32, if they get by Arkansas.
Loaded Region
The South Region is loaded at the top. You have UNC and Kentucky as the top two seeds, then there is one of the best teams from the Pac-12. The No. 3 UCLA Bruins open the tournament against No. 14 Kent State.
The Bruins will certainly be favored in this matchup and are looking to avoid a disaster in the first round by not being upset.
Per ESPN, UCLA leads the nation in scoring (90.4 points per game). Kentucky ranks fifth in the nation in points per game (86.1) and North Carolina sits at the twelfth position (84.9). All three of those teams are in the same region.
The No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats face No. 15 Northern Kentucky face this Friday. Kentucky will be heavily favored and are expected to advance through.
All three teams, UNC, UCLA and Kentucky should have no problem getting to the Sweet 16.
UCLA beat a No. 1 ranked Kentucky earlier this season. In this game, UCLA had six players in double figures. Both UCLA and Kentucky can brag about their guard play.
Lonzo Ball, Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton are potentially the best backcourt in the nation.
Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Isaiah Briscoe can make the same argument.
Both teams’ backcourts are good enough to lead their respective teams to a national championship in this year’s tournament.
Watching UCLA against Kentucky will include a lot of NBA talent we will watch for years to come. UCLA and Kentucky are evenly matched with North Carolina. An Elite 8 matchup between UNC and UCLA or a rematch between UNC and Kentucky would be must-watch TV.
Sleeper teams
Sleeper teams in the South bracket include No. 10 Wichita State (30-4) and No. 13 Winthrop (26-6).
Wichita State maintains a 10-man rotation and has six players who average at least seven points per game. In addition, they have seven players who shoot at least 38% from three-point range. Although Wichita State lost to Louisville and Michigan State this season, they were competitive in both games.
Michigan State beat them by five points.
Winthrop’s senior guard Keon Johnson represents the kind of player who can get hot in the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson ranks 10th in scoring in the nation this season, per ESPN. He averages 22.5 points per game, shoots 43.5% from the field, 40.4% from three-point range and 86.8% from the free throw line.
The guard has scored at least 30 points in seven games this season, including an upset over Illinois where he posted 38 points, six rebounds and three assists.
In a double overtime game at UNC-Asheville, Johnson finished the game with 40 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Compare this young man to former NBA Slam Dunk champion Nate Robinson.
Although Johnson may be 5’7″ in stature, his style of play enables him to dominant opposing teams. He represents one of the best-kept secrets in college basketball this season.
With three of the biggest college basketball blue bloods in one bracket, there is no telling who will come out the winner of this bracket. With that said, someone has to go to the Final Four.