WHO HAS BEST ‘DANCE’ CARDS
A look at matchups, players and teams to watch,
FIVE PLAYERS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF BUT WILL
1. Langston Hall, Mercer: The senior guard averages 14.7 points and 5.6 assists and shoots 40% from beyond the arc.
2. George Beamon, Manhattan: The senior guard-forward is a pit bull offensively and was granted a medical redshirt after missing a bulk of last season with an injury.
3. Elfrid Payton, LouisianaLafayette: The junior guard can put the Ragin’ Cajuns on his back, evidenced by four outings with 30 points or more this season.
4. Aaric Murray, Texas Southern: The transfer from West Virginia averages 21.1 points and 7.7 rebounds. The team’s entire offense runs through Murray, who had 48 points in a win against Temple.
5. Devon Saddler, Davon Usher and Jarvis Threatt, Delaware: This trio makes for a lethal offense, and one of these three players could break out in a second-round clash against Michigan State. They all average more than 18 points.
FIVE TEAMS WITH THE EASIEST PATH TO THE SWEET 16
1. Florida: The Gators, riding a 26-game winning streak, won’t have many early-round challenges as the No. 1 overall seed. A second-round matchup against the winner of Albany and Mount St. Mary’s should be a cakewalk, and a third-round matchup against the winner of Pittsburgh vs. Colorado doesn’t present a serious test.
2. Louisville: The defending champion Cardinals might have gotten snubbed with their seeding, but their route to the Sweet 16 is easy with a second-round matchup against Manhattan, coached by former Rick Pitino assistant Stephen Masiello. Up next would be a clash against St. Louis or the winner of a First Four game between North Carolina State and Xavier.
3. Virginia: The No. 1-seeded Cavaliers won’t have much trouble with Coastal Carolina in their second-round game. And the third round isn’t that tough, either. Virginia would face the winner of George Washington vs. Memphis. Both teams are strong, but UVa’s defense and slow pace will be the difference-maker.
4. Iowa State: The Cyclones face a Cinderella-caliber squad in North Carolina Central in the second round, but the Cyclones are playing at an extremely high level — coming off a Big 12 tournament title. That and the 1-2 punch of All-America candidates Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane should make a third-round game against North Carolina or Providence winnable as well.
5. UCLA: Fresh off a Pac-12 tournament title, the Bruins drew Conference USA tournament champion Tulsa in a secondround clash. Coach Steve Alford shouldn’t have to worry about an early-round upset, and a thirdround test could get easier if Virginia Commonwealth falls to Stephen F. Austin.
FIVE MOST CONCEIVABLE UPSETS
1. No. 10 Saint Joseph’s vs. No. 7 Connecticut (East Region): UConn is playing its best. However, this Saint Joseph’s team is red hot. The Hawks are coming off an Atlantic 10 Conference tournament title and have the skill-set for the classic 10-over-7 upset behind do-everything guard Langston Galloway (17.5 ppg).
2. No. 11 Providence vs. No. 6 North Carolina (East Region): The Friars are coming off a Big East tournament title and have one of the tournament’s most explosive guards in Bryce Cotton. The Tar Heels have lost two in a row and looked sluggish in the ACC tournament.
3. No. 11 Tennessee or Iowa vs. No. 6 Massachusetts (Midwest Region): The winner of perhaps the most enticing First Four game will have a strong chance for an upset in the second round against a UMass team that was vulnerable throughout February, evidenced by losses to George Mason and St. Bonaventure.
4. No. 11 Dayton vs. No. 6 Ohio State (South Region): This instate showdown could see the Flyers give a Big Ten squad headaches. Dayton has a potent offense led by former Ohio State player Jordan Sibert. Dayton
coach Archie Miller is a former assistant to Buckeyes coach Thad Matta.
5. No. 10 seed Stanford vs. No. 7 seed New Mexico (South Region): New Mexico should have been a No. 5 or No. 6 seed after winning the Mountain West Conference tournament. Stanford is a tough draw, though, because it has the size and athleticism to hang with the Lobos. The individual matchups pitting Kendall Williams vs. Chasson Randle and Cameron Bairstow vs. Dwight Powell will be must-watch.
FIVE MIDMAJORS WITH CINDERELLA POTENTIAL
1. North Dakota State vs. Oklahoma (West Region): The Bison rank first in the country in field goal percentage. Taylor Braun, a versatile 6-7 guard, could cause matchup problems for an Oklahoma squad that relies too heavily on outside shooting. 2. Stephen F. Austin vs. VCU (South Region): The Lumberjacks have the potential to be 2014’s version of Florida Gulf Coast. Riding a 28-game winning streak and Southland player of the year Jacob Parker, Stephen F. Austin is dangerous and plays in a similar style to VCU with an emphasis on forcing turnovers.
3. Cincinnati vs. Harvard (East Region): Harvard is one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country, and if Cincinnati struggles shooting — which happens often — and the Crimson continue to rebound well, the Bearcats could stumble. Harvard pulled off an upset in last year’s tournament, beating New Mexico.
4. New Mexico State vs. San Diego State (West Region): Steve Fisher has piloted the Aztecs to a No. 4 seed, but the Aggies have the capability to pull off the upset, having beaten New Mexico in non-conference play. New Mexico State big man Sim Bhullar, a 7-5 center, will draw major headlines, but Daniel Mullings is the team’s offensive spark plug, averaging 16.8 points a game.
5. Syracuse vs. Western Michigan (South Region): Jim Boeheim will be the first to tell you his team hasn’t truly dominated opponents this season, evidenced in a bevy of close ACC victories against basement teams and a pair of head-scratching losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College. Western Michigan, the Mid-American Conference tournament champion, won’t be the most-hyped Cinderella sleeper. But David Brown (19.4 ppg) and Shayne Whittington (16.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg) make for a potent insideout presence that could counter ’Cuse’s matchup 2-3 zone.
FIVE BEST POTENTIAL THIRDROUND MATCHUPS
1. Wichita State vs. Kentucky (Midwest Region): The undefeated Shockers were criticized for their strength of schedule. This will be an opportunity to prove their stock against the preseason No. 1 Wildcats, who have eight McDonald’s All-Americans. Wichita State might be outmatched athletically, but its toughness should outweigh that of a freshmen-laden Kentucky squad.
2. Arizona vs. Oklahoma State (West Region): Sean Miller’s best Arizona team has Final Four potential, but the Wildcats will have to get past an underrated Oklahoma State team that has jelled after midseason adversity. T.J. McConnell will be tasked with stopping NBA lottery-bound point guard Marcus Smart.
3. Michigan State vs. Cincinnati (East Region): The Spartans finally hit their stride and won the Big Ten tournament after being riddled with injuries for most of January and February. Mick Cronin’s defensively sound Bearcats would present a challenge to Michigan State’s Final Four path with an offense anchored by All-American Sean Kilpatrick.
4. Oregon vs. Wisconsin (West Region): Led by dynamic scorer Joseph Young, the Ducks have one of the most efficient offenses in the country. The Badgers have one of the nation’s best defenses and are loaded with catalysts such as Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky.
5. Texas vs. Michigan (Midwest Region): The Longhorns finished 11-7 in the Big 12 Conference and do many things well — especially rebounding that leads to secondchance points — that could hurt the regular-season Big Ten champion. Sophomore Nik Stauskas paces the Wolverines offensively, but if he has an off night, UT could steal this one.