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College basketball week 18: 5 important things to know

By Chris Stone

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 03: Duncan Robinson #22 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with his teammate Moritz Wagner #13 after scoring a basket and drawing a foul late in the game against the Michigan State Spartans during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 3, 2018 in New York City. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Michigan State Spartans 75-64. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 03: Duncan Robinson #22 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates with his teammate Moritz Wagner #13 after scoring a basket and drawing a foul late in the game against the Michigan State Spartans during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 3, 2018 in New York City. The Michigan Wolverines defeated the Michigan State Spartans 75-64. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /
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MURRAY, KY – NOVEMBER 13: Middle Tennessee guard Giddy Potts (20) reaches in on Murray State guard Temetrius ‘Ja’ Morant (12) as he drives to the basket during the college basketball game between the Murray State Racers and Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on November 13, 2017 at the CFSB Center in Murray, KY. (Photo by Stephen Furst/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MURRAY, KY – NOVEMBER 13: Middle Tennessee guard Giddy Potts (20) reaches in on Murray State guard Temetrius ‘Ja’ Morant (12) as he drives to the basket during the college basketball game between the Murray State Racers and Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on November 13, 2017 at the CFSB Center in Murray, KY. (Photo by Stephen Furst/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. A quick rundown of the NCAA Tournament’s auto-bids

The first weekend of conference tournaments has concluded and as such, we’ve got our first entrants into the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a quick peek at what you should know about 2018’s first auto-bids.

Lipscomb, Atlantic Sun – This will be the Bisons’ — yes, it’s Bisons, not Bison — first trip to the NCAA Tournament in school history. Garrison Mathews, the team’s leading scorer, powered them to an Atlantic Sun championship with 33 points in the conference title game. Mathews is a dangerous slasher with a 3-point shot. Given their propensity for speeding up games and launching 3s, the Bisons should deliver an entertaining game in the tournament.

Radford, Big South – The Highlanders are going dancing thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Carlik Jones that knocked off Liberty in the Big South title game. Jones is the team’s second leading scorer behind junior forward Ed Polite Jr. Radford’s success is premised on grinding out opposing teams with a defense that’s adept at turning over the opposition.

Michigan, Big Ten – If you made it this far, then you already know these Wolverines are a different beast. Michigan’s actually playing elite defense this season and when its offense is running on all cylinders, its tough to beat. With their point guard rotation sorted out and Moritz Wagner playing like a potential first rounder, the Wolverines have a chance make it to San Antonio when all is said and done.

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Loyola-Chicago, Missouri Valley – The Ramblers rumbled through the Missouri Valley Conference this season to a 15-3 league record and a tournament championship. Loyola’s solid on both sides of the ball, with the nation’s eighth ranked effective field goal percentage on offense and a near top 25 defense. The Ramblers have some experience in big games, too. Back in December, they pulled out a road win against Florida. They’ll be a popular upset pick once the bracket’s released.

Murray State, Ohio Valley – Want a fun player to latch onto in March? Tune into the Racers’ Ja Morant. The 6-foot-3 freshman averages 12.6 points and 6.4 assists per contest as he sets the table for an offense that shoots 37.4 percent from behind the arc. Jonathan Stark is Murray State’s most dangerous outside threat, but 6-foot-8 Terrell Miller is a game-changing floor spacer at the center spot.