The NCAA Tournament field is set, and as usual a lot of chatter was happening as it was revealed and right after it. As the start of the tournament approaches with Tuesday’s First Four games, here are some initial thoughts on the field and early matchups:
- It’s hard to come up with teams that could really say they were snubbed, although there may be some teams that have slightly better cases than others who made it. There wasn’t a single team that was like the Missouri State team of 2005-06 or Drexel a year later. Rather, there are many teams that ought to be thankful they made the field.
- The best First Four matchup looks to be either BYU-Iona or Lamar-Vermont. The latter is a classic contrast in styles matchup.
- Whoever comes out of the South Region will undoubtedly be battle-tested. While Kentucky and Duke, as the top two seeds, are obviously the favorites, there are several teams that wouldn’t surprise me if they made it out, or at least knocked off a higher seed along the way. Baylor, Wichita State, UNLV and Iowa State alone make it quite a bracket (a Baylor-UNLV matchup in the third round would be a dandy), and it wouldn’t shock me if VCU, Connecticut or Xavier knocks someone off along the way.
- Iowa State-Connecticut is a classic second round matchup of overachieving vs. underachieving.
- I don’t expect LIU-Brooklyn to be the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1, but it will be interesting to see if they’re able to draw a lot of fouls against Michigan State, a team known for its toughness and physicality.
- New Mexico-Long Beach State could be quite a game, as could a couple of the other 5-12 matchups.
- While I don’t expect an upset, don’t be surprised if either of BYU or Iona gives Marquette a battle in their second round meeting.
- Don’t sleep on Missouri-Norfolk State, although I expect Missouri to win. Norfolk State knocked off a couple of good teams this year, so they’ve proven they can play with the big boys.
- Vanderbilt-Harvard is one where a lot of people could go either way. On one hand, I don’t think Harvard matches up especially well with the Commodores, but on the other hand, Vanderbilt does have a recent history of losing early NCAA Tournament games. I think Vanderbilt pulls one out here.
- I wouldn’t be surprised if Cincinnati makes their game against Texas look like a mismatch. This Texas team just doesn’t do it for me; in a year, with much of this team back, I might think differently.
- How about Gonzaga having to go clear across the country for what is basically a road game with lower-seeded West Virginia? In fact, the Mountaineers are the second-lowest seed in that group and yet they get to play close to home.
- If there’s a No. 14 who could knock off a No. 3, it might be Belmont against Georgetown. A couple of key elements are there: the Bruins are a veteran group and Georgetown is young. If Belmont can force some turnovers, they will have a chance.
