Starring Ja Morant vs. Markus Howard.
The NCAA Tournament bracket has finally been revealed, and there’s a heckuva lot to look forward to. Zion Williamson is appointment watching regardless of opponent. Virginia as a No. 1 seed is has meme potential every single season we’re alive. Admiral Schofield and the Tennessee Volunteers are a likable group of veteran talents. But they’re likely to cruise by in the opening games.
The real matchups to watch will come between the teams seeded right in the middle of the bracket. The winners are bound to come in the final seconds with so little separating one side from another. Let’s take a gander at the bracket and see where the potential spiciest, hair-plucking, tv-screaming, temper tantrum-having matchups for bracket-havers lie, and examine what could make these games so great.
No. 5 Marquette vs. No. 12 Murray State (West region)
May I interest you in a delicious matchup between the No. 6 and No. 8 scorers in the entire country? I can! Swell.
This is going to be a fast-paced game as opposing guards Markus Howard of Marquette and projected lottery pick Ja Morant of Murray State go bucket for bucket until the buzzer.
Howard is a dynamite scorer, averaging 25 points on 17 shots per game. He shoots 41 percent from three-point range. He leads his team in points, assists and steals and his performance will almost certainly dictate where the Golden Eagles go in the tourney.
That Markus Howard crossover...filthy. #MUBB #BETourney #BigEastTournament pic.twitter.com/D3Puxc7FpQ
— College Hoops Digest (@NCAAhoopsdigest) March 14, 2019
Morant is scoring 24.6 points per game for the lesser-known Racers, but you’ve most definitely seen his high-flying dunks and unbelievable athleticism. Like Howard, Morant also leads his team — and the entire country — in assists, with 10 per game.
Ja Morant splashing this down pic.twitter.com/LOX69nA4ig
— Get Hyped Sports (@GetHypedSport) March 11, 2019
This game will be decided between the better of two of the tournament’s biggest stars. Let’s go!
No. 6 Villanova vs. No. 11 Saint Mary’s (South Region)
The Wildcats aren’t the same team they were the past two years. They lost a considerable amount of talent to last year’s NBA draft including Jalen Brunson and tournament hero Donte DiVincenzo, and lost nine games this season. Their identity is still the same even if they aren’t as good at it though: a slow tempo with a focus on three-point shooting. Guess who follows a similar gameplan?
Only 20 teams in the nation run a slower tempo offense than Villanova, and Saint Mary’s is one of them at exactly one possession fewer per game, per KenPom. They don’t shoot the three-ball nearly as frequently (53.5 percent to 35 percent), but they do shoot it better (37.8 percent to 35.3 percent.)
With such a snail’s pace preferred by both sides, making those shots are going to be crucial. These teams are much more evenly matched than their seedings appear and could be a painfully slow, but very close chase to the finish.
No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 10 Florida (West Region)
The Gators have played one of the most difficult schedules in all of college basketball, and their placement in the tournament might have hinged on beating the SEC Tournament top-seeded LSU Tigers. But that doesn’t mean Florida isn’t deserving, despite its 19-15 record.
Florida played 24 games out of 34 against top-100 teams in the country, per KenPom. Some of those games weren’t close, but a number were, including a three-point loss to Auburn, an overtime one-point loss to LSU, a five-point loss to TCU, a five-point loss to Oklahoma and a three-point loss to Mississippi State. The Gators hang right in there against tournament teams, using one of the best defenses in the tourney.
Nevada has experience on its side with three of its best scorers from last year’s Sweet 16 run, Jordan Caroline, Cody Martin and Caleb Martin returning, but Florida’s guards won’t make their lives easy. The Gators are the No. 16 team at forcing turnovers, per KenPom, and although Nevada is one of the best at taking care of the ball, it’s had it’s bad games.
In each of the Wolfpack’s four losses, they’ve turned the ball over 12-to-14 times, allowing six or seven steals. If anyone can shake them early, it’s a Florida team that steals the ball on 11 percent of defensive possessions. This game will feature an overmatched Florida using its pesky ways to throw Nevada of its game. Get ready to complain about the refs!
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 NC Central (East Region)
This game only happens if NC Central beat North Dakota State in its play-in game, and it’s only spicy for one reason. Ahead of the tournament drawing, NC Central head coach LeVelle Morton said, and I quote, “Some coaches will say ‘we’ll take on anyone! We’ll be ready!’ But I don’t want ANY part of playing Duke. Us playing against Zion would be like my 6-year-old son playing against me.”
Way to speak it into existence, coach.
It seem he won’t even be predicting a win over Duke, and maybe they’ll lose by 150. But if the Eagles win — or even come close — ... coach is going to have a lot of explaining to do.
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