NCAA Tournament 2017: South Region preview
Previewing the South Region for the 207 NCAA Tournament with the North Carolina Tar Heels in the No. 1 seed
When the 2017 NCAA Tournament bracket was released on Selection Sunday, everyone was left looking wide-eyed at the South Region. Particularly at the top, there is the most name-recognition and talent in the South than in any of the other three regions. Throw in the fact that the Wichita State Shockers were assessed the No. 10 seed in the bracket and there is danger everywhere in the South Region.
Subsequently, the potential for things to get hectic and for a cinderella to emerge is obvious. The question, however, is if that will actually be the way things play out. Or will the top-four seeds and their stars lead their teams through to victory, everything playing out chalk?
To try and get a better idea of what could happen, let’s take a deeper look to preview the South Region in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, starting with the No. 1 seed atop it:
Who’s the No. 1 Seed?
One year removed from a debilitating and heartbreaking loss in the National Championship Game at the hands of Kris Jenkins and Villanova, the North Carolina Tar Heels enter the 2017 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South Region. They’re a veteran team with experience on the roster from top-to-bottom, led by Justin Jackson as a versatile forward who’s taken tremendous leaps forward in his game.
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This Tar Heels team has all of the typical hallmarks of a Roy Williams North Carolina team. Point guard Joel Berry likes to push the pace and the likes of Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and freshman Tony Bradley all control the glass in the frontcourt. They’re going to be a tough out in the South Region, so it’s fitting they’d be occupying the top seed.
Who’s On Upset Alert?
Despite far exceeding expectations this season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers need to be put on upset alert in the Round of 64. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders knocked off Michigan State as a No. 15 seed one year ago and have returned the entire core that includes Giddy Potts, Reggie Upshaw and JaCorey Williams. They’re experienced and talented, which is a bad matchup for Minnesota early on in the tournament.
Beyond that, the Dayton Flyers got hosed by the Selection Committee by getting paired with Wichita State. The Shockers are one of the better teams in the country by most metric, so a No. 10 over No. 7 upset isn’t just probable, but has to be considered likely. You might even want to put Kentucky on upset alert as well in the Round of 32 when facing the Shockers.
Player to Watch
There are a number of candidates that could qualify as the player to watch. North Carolina point guard Joel Berry is pivotal to the team’s success, evidenced by what happened when he was in foul trouble in the ACC Tournament against Duke. Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball or any of the Kentucky guards could qualify as they all have talent and star power.
However, the player to watch should be Kentucky’s prized big man, Bam Adebayo. His progression throughout the season has been fantastic to watch, becoming a force to be reckoned with. In the Big Dance, though, he’s going to play a pivotal role in the success of the Wildcats. Throughout the tournament, but especially in a potential Elite 8 matchup with North Carolina, his presence defensively and on the boards is going to be vital to Kentucky staying alive.
Team to Watch
Keep an eye on the Wichita State Shockers as the No. 10 seed in the region. For starters, the committee grossly underrated them on Selection Sunday as they’re likely deserving of a No. 5 slot, if not higher. Their seed, however, doesn’t affect what a damn good basketball team the Shockers are. Wichita State ranked 12th in the country in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 19th in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency in the regular season (per KenPom), making them a top-10 team in the country overall by those metrics. They should get by Dayton in the Round of 64 and could push Kentucky to their limits in a battle for a Sweet 16 berth.
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Predicted Winner
While there are intriguing matchups and possible upsets littered throughout the South Region, the top four seeds should ultimately play out chalk leading up to Sweet 16 and the Elite 8. That leaves the Regional Final being a rematch between North Carolina and Kentucky. With the veteran experience of the Tar Heels and the unlikelihood that Malik Monk explodes for 40 points as he did in the regular season victory for the Wildcats, Roy Williams and the Heels will move onto the Final Four for the second-straight year.