USA TODAY International Edition
Alabama is favorite; can upset be pulled
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.
Best first- round matchup: Maryland vs. West Virginia
Let’s begin with the Terrapins and that 8- 9 pairing with Mountaineers. Despite sharing a border, there’s relatively little history between these programs that 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 per game, but the Mountaineers have had their moments against the type of high- octane offenses featured in the Big 12. This should be a high- intensity 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 per game. That depth allows the Cougars to push the pace to the tune of just over 80 points per 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.
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
It’s hard to pick against Alabama. There have been a few outings in which the Crimson Tide looked less than focused, but they enter the Big Dance firing on all cylinders. Their usual means of generating points is by attacking the rim, but if their 3- pointers continue to fall they’re almost impossible to slow down. Could the basketball team actually make a Final Four in a year when the football team didn’t? It could happen.