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East | Midwest | West
The NCAA tournament selection committee doesn't just dislike Memphis. It hates the Tigers.
But say this for the committee: At least it's consistent.
Two years ago, Memphis earned a No. 1 seed but was shipped out West, where the Tigers had to play UCLA in the region final in Oakland. In case your geography's no good, here's a note: Oakland's a lot closer to UCLA than Memphis.
Two years later, here we go again. Memphis wasn't shipped as far away this time, but the Tigers were hosed nonetheless by the committee. After a friendly opening two rounds in nearby Little Rock, Ark., Memphis would go to Houston -- where the Tigers would be bearing down on a region title game with No. 2 seed Texas.
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| Brook Lopez could be too much for Texas to handle in the Sweet 16. (US Presswire) |
Three storylines
1. Not so fast: You know how the intro to this story talks about Memphis' rotten luck to have to face Texas in Houston in the region final? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Texas is going to have a hard time reaching the region final, because Stanford in the Sweet 16 is a bad matchup for the Longhorns. Stanford has two 7-foot NBA big men in twins Brook and Robin Lopez, and Texas will try to counter with 6-10 Connor Atchley and 6-7 Damion James. That's not good for Texas, which will have to hope its superior backcourt can overcome its inferior frontcourt.
2. Lucky rhymes with Kentucky: Look, Kentucky's not all that good. The Wildcats' 12-4 SEC record is a testament to the weakness of that league. But the Wildcats can beat teams that don't have a dominant big man, and Marquette certainly meets that description. The Golden Eagles have all sorts of perimeter talent, but Kentucky's depth and best talent is on the perimeter. The season-ending injury to Patrick Patterson left the Wildcats vulnerable to opposing big men, but not big men as ineffective as Ousmane Barro. On the other hand, the Lopez twins will pummel Kentucky in the second round.
3. Killer second-rounder: That game between Michigan State and Pittsburgh in the second round looks beautiful, if you consider sweat and bruising to be beautiful. Tom Izzo and Jamie Dixon preach physicality, which means their second-round game could be won by the first team to score 50 ... or by the last team with five healthy bodies on the floor. Pittsburgh has added some flash to its flex, which is why the Panthers won the Big East title -- and will advance to the Sweet 16.
South Region picks
Who will win: My hunch is Memphis, but only because I don't see Texas surviving Stanford and then the Tigers. That's one too many huge mountains for the Longhorns to climb. But if Texas does get past Stanford, my bracket will be shaking in its shoes.
Dark-horse pick: Not Saint Mary's. The Gaels already played possible second-round foe Texas once this season -- and lost by 19. So how about Pittsburgh? A fourth seed isn't that big of a dark horse, granted, but nobody from seeds 5-16 has a chance in this region.
