South Region

Philips Arena, Atlanta

Thursday: Nevada vs. Loyola-Chicago (7:07 p.m. ET, CBS) and Kentucky vs. Kansas State (approx. 9:37 p.m. ET, CBS) No. 5 KENTUCKY (26-10) Why they can advance: Talent and size. Raw ability is never in question with a John Calipari team, and freshmen Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Knox are the key pieces he re.But there’s also a healthy number of big, rangy players who can create problems on defense.

What could stop them: A poor shooting night. Kentucky makes up for its unremarkable shooting with an impressive ability to crash the offensive glass. But oneofthethemesof this tournament is lousy shooting nights dooming superior teams (Virginia and Michigan State among them), and if the Wildcats lose this week, there’s a good chance spotty shooting w illbetheculprit. No. 7 NEVADA (29-7) Why they can advance: Stellar offense. Former

NBA coach Eric Musselman has built a team that makes a bunch of threes and leads the

country in turnover percentage, according to KenPom.com. That’s a formula for winning games, as Jordan Caroline and the Martin twins (Caleb and Cody) have shown all season. What could stop them: Foul trouble. The Wolf Pack basically is running a six-man

rotation out there and is vulnerable to a tightly officiated contest. There are also times Nevada’s defense fades. No. 9 KANSAS STATE (24-11) Why they can advance: A well-forged identity.

K-State knows exactly what it is — a capable defensive team that forces a bunch of turnovers but isn’t especially well-suited to attack the glass. That’s an asset for Barry Brown and his teammates.

What could stop them: Two things stand out. First, it will be tough to survive another game without Dean Wade, though the forward expects to return from a foot injury. But even if he does, that rebounding deficiency is the sort of things Kentucky is well-suited to exploit. No. 11 LOYOLA-CHICAGO (30-5)

Why they can advance: Superior ball movement ands hooting. It’s not hard to see the influence of the late Rick Majerus at work. Coach Porter Moser worked for Majerus at Saint Louis, and his team (led by Clayton Custer, Donte Ingram and Marques Townes) consistently takes its time to find the best available shot.

What could stop them: A team that plays them a little better than Miami or Tennessee did. The Ramblers won their first two tournament games by a combined three points. As good as they’ve been at both ends of the floor, they’ve won just one of their last six games by double figures.

CHANCES OF REACHING FINAL FOUR

Kentucky •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34% Nevada •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34% Loyola •••••••••••••••••• 19% Kansas State ••••••••••••• 13%

Bottom line: In the most wide-open region, Wildcats and Wolf Pack both have solid chance to be San Antonio-bound. Keep an eye on the Ramblers, though.