Can someone pull off the upset of Alabama?
The South Region is loaded. It begins at the top with the overall highest seed, but if Alabama is to make its first Final Four in program history, it will have to navigate a bracket filled with lots of accomplished programs, including four programs with national championship banners hanging in their home arenas.
Two of the three most recent NCAA champs are here, Baylor and Virginia. Arizona, a powerhouse of the ‘90's, is back in the title hunt. Then there's Maryland, which cut down the nets early this century and is hoping to make noise as one of the Big Ten's numerous representatives in the field.
Best first-round matchup: Maryland vs. West Virginia
Let's begin there with the Terrapins and that 8-9 pairing with Mountaineers. Despite sharing a border, there's relatively little history between these programs who last met in 2015. Overall the Mountaineers lead the series with the Terps 24-14.
But as far as this year's versions are concerned, it's a clash of teams with similar philosophies of trying to lock you down on defense. Maryland, statistically at least, has been somewhat more successful at that this year surrendering just 63.3 points a game, but the Mountaineers have had their moments against the type of high-octane offenses featured in the Big 12. Neither was able to go on extended winning streaks in their respective crowded leagues, which is of course why they land here in the middle of the bracket. But this should be a highintensity battle that will likely come down to the wire.
Possible upset: College of Charleston over San Diego State
With a gaudy 32-3 record, the College of Charleston is a nightmare draw on the 12 seed line. The Cougars are balanced, with four players averaging between 9 and 12.6 points, and deep, with nobody having to play more than 28 minutes a game. That depth allows the Cougars to push the pace to the tune of just over 80 points a game, providing a stiff test for the strong defense of San Diego State.
The Aztecs, however, won't be easy to topple. They claimed the regular season and tournament titles in the Mountain West, a league that clearly impressed the selection committee with three other teams chosen. This is another firstround matchup that will draw attention.
The sleeper: Creighton
Creighton's semifinal exit from the Big East tournament, a 22-point blowout at the hands of Xavier, wasn't exactly a confidence booster. But these Bluejays normally shoot better than that, and with big Ryan Kalkbrenner in the middle they could pose a serious challenge for Baylor should both reach the second round.
The winner: Alabama
In the end, though, it's hard to pick against Alabama. There've been a few outings this season in which the Tide looked less than focused (Oklahoma, anyone?), but they enter the Big Dance firing on all cylinders. They're usual means of generating points is by attacking the rim, but if their three-pointers continue to fall they're almost impossible to slow down.