NCAA Tournament 2018: 5 overrated teams

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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 08: Lonnie Walker IV #4 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes reacts in the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the quarterfinals of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 8, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

4. Miami Hurricanes (6-seed, South Region)

The Miami Hurricanes might be one of the most balanced offensive teams in the country. While no player on the roster averages more than 11.5 points per game (Lonnie Walker IV leads the way at that clip), they have seven players who have averaged 8.7 points or more per contest this season. While that gives the appearance that they can beat you in any way on that end of the floor, it does raise some questions.

There is certainly some star-type talent with the aforementioned Walker or even an experienced player like Ja’Quan Newton when it comes to Miami. Having said that, the NCAA Tournament is a time of year where having that one guy you look to when you need someone to step up is critical. Though Walker and Newton can be pointed to in that regard, they obviously haven’t done so consistently this season given the way their averages shook out at the end of the season.

If that weren’t enough to give you some pause about the Hurricanes, Miami ranks just 36th in the country in KenPom’s Adjusted Efficiency Margin. For reference, that puts them behind Nevada, Butler, Seton Hall, Creighton, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Florida State in that category, all teams that received lower seeds in the tournament than the Hurricanes.

Put simply, this Miami team has the balance that makes a team successful in the regular season, as evidenced by their third-place finish in the ACC. However, the NCAA Tournament is a different animal, and they are a tad overrated in that arena.

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