Wildcats look to have upper hand
Best round- of- 64 matchup
This one is a tie. Virginia coach Tony Bennett and Florida coach Mike White have to be wondering what they did to make the tournament selection committee unhappy. Their teams each drew a first- round matchup against an opponent that has the ingredients to be a big problem. At least the Gators have the benefit ( or will it be the pressure?) of playing in Orlando.
Potential upset
If the prospect of the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds facing tough first- round matchups isn’t enough, try this on for size: Villanova has three losses this season, and two of them were to Butler. Who might the Wildcats face in the second round? Another methodical, experienced team that has won its share of big games in recent seasons: Wisconsin. Or, if you’re a believer in karma, with a political twist, how about the prospect of a South Carolina- Duke pairing in the second round in Greenville, S. C.
The sleeper
Someone picked a fifth- seeded Baylor team as The Sleeper last year in a region featuring Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A& M and Duke. That Baylor team lost to Yale in the first round. In an era of doubling down on controversial statements, here’s another nod to the Bears. Yes, they lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals. But surely they’ve learned from last season. Or from the season before that, when they got knocked out in the first round by Georgia State as a No. 3 seed. And star forward Jonathan Motley can lead a team this season that has beaten Oregon, VCU, Louisville, Michigan State and Xavier.
The winner
Villanova has lost twice to Butler. Butler isn’t in this region, but 2015 NCAA title winner Duke is. Villanova has been calm, cool and efficient all season. The road to Phoenix goes through Madison Square Garden, the Wildcats’ regular postseason home. As a result, the road to Phoenix goes through Villanova.