Something’s Bruin in stacked group
Best round- of- 64 matchup
Wichita State is one of the most under- seeded teams in the bracket. Only Gonzaga, the No. 1 seed in the West Regional, has a greater average scoring margin. The Shockers also have the fifth- greatest rebounding margin.
Dayton won the Atlantic 10 regular season and has a strong recent track record in the tournament. The Flyers have made the last three tournament fields and compiled a 5- 3 record. Outside of their league, they beat tournament teams Vanderbilt, Winthrop and East Tennessee State while falling to Northwestern and Saint Mary’s.
As potent as Wichita State has been, it’s 0- 3 against teams in the bracket.
Potential upset
No 12 seed is going to be a bigger darling thatMiddle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders have six players who helped them beat No. 2 seed Michigan State last season, not including this season’s leading scorer, JaCorey Williams. Middle Tennessee is one of five 30- win teams and is 5- 0 on neutral courts. Minnesota has played the nation’s 17th- toughest schedule, but in Middle Tennessee, it’s facing a team that allows 63.1 points per game, the 20th- best mark Division I and the same total as No. 1 overall seed Villanova.
The sleeper
Butler is an unusual tournament team in that it enters the event on a two- game losing streak. Disregard that.
The winner
The Bruins were criticized for their nonconference schedule, and only four at- large teams in the tournament have a weaker strength of schedule.
But the Bruins score 1.202 points per possession and have an effective field- goal percentage — a shooting accuracy measure that adjusts for the value of three- point field goals— of 60.4. They also have a team assist- to- turnover ratio of 1.90. All of those marks are the best in the nation.
UCLA has a tough draw but has the best player in the region in guard Lonzo Ball, and his surrounding talent can match that of North Carolina or Kentucky. UCLA won at Kentucky on Dec. 3.