Villanova’s first foe may be a snowstorm
SMU will be trying to extend its 16-game winning streak
Villanova may have an opponent no overall No. 1 seed deserves — weather.
The Wildcats open play Thursday but there may be an outside influence on that game.
A major snowstorm is expected to hit the Northeast on Tuesday, and that means a tough trip from Philadelphia to Buffalo, even for the defending national champions.
“We’re looking at leaving tomorrow night right now to try to get out of here before the snow hits on Tuesday,” Wright said Sunday.
The Wildcats open against the winner of the First Four game between Mount Saint Mary’s and New Orleans on Tuesday.
“We’ll have the team watch it. We’ll watch it together and then we’ll still break it down. We’ll have the assistants break it down,” Wright said. “It’s actually tougher. You don’t have as much time to prepare.” HOTTEST TEAM: If you’re looking for the East region’s hottest team you have to go all the way down to the No. 6 seed — SMU.
The Mustangs have won 16 straight — including three games in the American Athletic Conference tournament — and 26 of their last 27.
“Our confidence is very high,” Sterling Brown said. “We just go out there and do what we do. We’re gelling on and off the floor and it’s showing. I feel like we’re going to make a good run in the tournament.” HOME COOKING: If second-seeded Duke beats No. 15 Troy and seventhseeded South Carolina beats No. 10 Marquette, the Blue Devils would face the Gamecocks in the second round. BIG INJURY: Florida has had to play without center John Egbunu who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a game at Auburn.
The 6-foot-11 redshirt junior, averaged 7.8 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds this season. The Gators had won seven straight games when Egbunu was hurt. They won two more then closed the season losing three of four, the last two to
Vanderbilt.
WHICH BAYLOR? Baylor is the No. 3 seed, a spot many argued they didn’t deserve after closing the season by losing four of their last seven including a quarterfinal loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament.
The Bears started the season with 15 wins and 19 of 20. But down the stretch there were two losses to Kansas State, one of the last four teams selected for the NCAA Tournament, and one to Texas Tech, which is not in the NCAA field.
“So now we have to get back to what we were doing, and, you know, maybe how we were being collectively together as a team early on in the year and get back to that feeling,” sophomore guard Jake Lindsey said. SHORT TAKE: Mount Saint Mary’s will have one of the smallest players in the field in 5-foot-5 Junior Robinson, the Mountaineers’ second-leading scorer at 14.1 points per game.
Robinson is second in assists (2.9) and second in steals (66). SEAHAWKS REPEAT: UNCW is 1-5 in its five previous NCAA Tournaments, winning its first-round game in 2002 against No. 4 seed Southern California before losing in the second round to Indiana.