The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MIDWEST REGIONAL
No. 1 Illinois
Record: 23- 6, 16- 4. Bid: Big Ten champion. Coach: Brad Underwood ( 2- 4 in four appearances).
Overview: One of the hottest teams in the country will make its tournament return after an eight- year hiatus. The Illini finished the year winning 11 of their last 12 regular- season games, even with potential national player of the year Ayo Dosunmu out for some games. However, big man Kofi Cockburn continues to dominate close to the basket, as he's second in the nation with 15 double doubles.
No. 2 Houston
Record: 23- 3, 14- 3. Bid: AAC champion. Coach: Kelvin Sampson ( 15- 16 in 16 appearances).
Overview: Despite its leading scorer from a season ago, Caleb Mills, leaving the program after just four games, Sampson has arguably his best team yet in his seven seasons at Houston. The Cougars sport an elite defense — holding opponents to 58 points per game on a Division I- low 37.5% from the field. Sampson's four- guard lineup around forward Justin Gorham has given teams fits all season long. Despite the presumed rebounding issues, they are third nationally with 14.5 offensive rebounds a game. The Cougars aren't a great shooting team, but their defense makes up for those deficiencies with the second- best scoring differential (+ 19).
No. 3 West Virginia
Record: 18- 9, 11- 6. Bid: Big 12 at- large. Coach: Bob Huggins ( 33- 24 in 24 appearances).
Overview: Three close losses in four games entering the tournament damaged the seeding for a team capable of making a deep run. With Taz Sherman coming off the bench
( 13.6 ppg), the Mountaineers have four double- figure scorers as part of their highpowered offense. Derek Culver, the Big 12' s leading rebounder, is the main inside presence and has to avoid foul trouble.
No. 4 Oklahoma State
Record: 20- 8, 11- 7. Bid: Big 12 at- large. Coach: Mike Boynton ( first appearance).
Overview: Back in the summer, the Cowboys weren't expecting to be in the tournament, but successfully appealing a postseason ban allowed them to make the field. Heralded freshman Cade Cunningham has been everything expected as he leads the team in scoring and rebounding. A run to the Big 12 tournament title game coincided with the return of guard Isaac Likekele ( 9.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.7 apg). His all- around game is another reason Oklahoma State will be a popular Final Four pick.
No. 5 Tennessee
Record: 18- 8, 10- 7. Bid: SEC at- large
Coach: Rick Barnes ( 24- 24 in 24 appearances).
Overview: Tennessee was inconsistent throughout most of SEC play after looking like a Top- 5 team during nonconference play. The Vols have dynamic freshman guards in Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer. UT relies on its defense to find success on both ends of the court, and its offense is at its best when the Vols run the court well.
No. 6 San Diego State
Record: 23- 4, 14- 3. Bid: Mountain West champion.
Coach: Brian Dutcher ( 0- 1 in one appearance).
Overview: SDSU was 30- 2 and headed for a top seed in the NCAA tournament last year when its dream season was clipped by the pandemic. Senior leadership and defense have helped bring the Aztecs back, led by forward Matt Mitchell and guard Jordan Schakel, who finished the regular season ranked third nationally in 3- point shooting ( 46.8%). Adding to the drama recently are questions about whether coach Brian Dutcher will leave SDSU for Minnesota if the Gophers make a coaching change. Dutcher is a Minnesota graduate, and his father Jim coached there.
No. 7 Clemson
Record: 16- 7, 10- 6. Bid: ACC at- large. Coach: Brad Brownell ( 3- 5 in five appearances).
Overview: They have enough talent to defeat a lot of teams, with Simms able to take over games and Al- Amir Dawes ( 9.2 ppg) leading a deep bench. But they can lack cohesion on the defensive end, and their early exit from the ACC tournament might not bode well.
No. 8 Loyola- Chicago
Record: 24- 4, 16- 2. Bid: Missouri Valley champion.
Coach: Porter Moser ( 4- 1 in one appearance). Overview: Big man Cameron Krutwig is the main holdover from that 2018 Final Four team. He was a freshman then, and now he's the centerpiece to a balanced Loyola roster.
No. 9 Georgia Tech
Record: 17- 8, 11- 6. Bid: ACC champion. Coach: Josh Pastner ( 2- 4 in four appearances).
Overview: A couple of bad November losses had the Yellow Jackets hovering around the bubble heading into the ACC tournament. But as their eight- game winning streak attests, no one in the league was playing better down the stretch. Now that they're here, they have a chance to make some noise. Jose Alvarado keys a relentless pressure defense that forces nearly 16 turnovers a game, and they have balance and versatility on the offensive end. The bench is not deep, however, which could become an issue in a game with a lot of whistles.
No. 10 Rutgers
Record: 15- 11, 10- 10. Bid: Big Ten at- large. Coach: Steve Pikiell ( 0- 1 in one appearance). Overview: It's been 30 years, but Rutgers is finally back in the NCAA Tournament in Steve Pikiell's fifth year as head coach. The Scarlet Knights got out to a quick 6- 0 start before stumbling through Big Ten play. Still, the Knights are ranked No. 38 in NET rankings and went 5- 8 against quad- one teams.
No. 11 Syracuse
Record: 16- 9, 9- 7. Bid: ACC at- large. Coach: Jim Boeheim ( 60- 33 in 34 appearances).
Overview: The Orange have also shown they can advance in the tournament despite having a less- than- favorable seed. This year's version of the Orange has played well down the stretch, and they can throw on a surprise press to support their signature zone defense. They're quite dependent on hitting threes, however, so a cold shooting day would be difficult to overcome.
No. 12 Oregon State
Record: 17- 12, 10- 10. Bid: Pac- 12 champion. Coach: Wayne Tinkle ( 0- 4 in four appearances).
Overview: In a preseason poll, the Beavers were projected to finish last in the Pac- 12, but they beat Colorado on Saturday in Las Vegas, 70- 68, for their first conference tournament championship. . Canadian forward Maurice Calloo came off the bench Saturday to lead his team to the title with 15 points.
No. 13 Liberty
Record: 23- 5, 11- 2. Bid: Atlantic Sun champion. Coach: Ritchie Mckay ( 1- 2 in two appearances). Overview: The Flames have won 12 in a row after winning their conference tournament for the third straight season. Led by conference player of the year Darius Mcghee, they are one of the top 3- point shooting teams in the nation, with 10.3 per game entering the NCAA Tournament.
No. 14 Morehead State
Record: 23- 7, 17- 3. Bid: Ohio Valley champion. Coach: Preston Spradlin ( first appearance). Overview: This team doesn't have the same offensive firepower as the team it beat in the OVC final, Belmont, but the defense and athleticism is top- notch. Johni Broome, a 6- 10 acrobatic freshman, scored 27 points in that game and when he's on, the Eagles can be special. Broome helps corral the glass and control the paint, as Morehead State ranks in the top 15 nationally in blocked shots per game and top 30 in rebounding margin.
No. 15 Cleveland State
Record: 19- 7, 16- 4. Bid: Horizon League champion.
Coach: Dennis Gates ( first appearance). Overview: Fresh off five consecutive losing seasons, the Vikings have the backcourt length to force turnovers ( 60th in the NCAA in steals) and defend the three ( 36th in 3- point defense) but can be overwhelmed on the boards ( 221st in rebound margin). The Vikings have had great success in close games, with 13 of the team's 19 wins coming by single digits.
No. 16 Drexel
Record: 12- 7, 4- 5. Bid: Colonial champion. Coach: Zach Spiker ( first appearance). Overview: The Dragons managed to play just 19 games during a stop- and- start season that included a nearly three week break in February due to COVID- 19 issues in the conference. They returned to beat regular season champion James Madison on the final weekend and then won three games in the conference tournament to end a 25- year NCAA drought.