You know you need this March Madness info. Come get you some of the hottest hot takes of the tourney (no takes were actually warmed during the writing of this article).
You feel it, don’t you? No, I’m not talking about that feeling in your stomach from having too much of that five-alarm chili (really, three bowls; what kind of savage are you?!). I’m talking about that March Madness feeling!
It is championship week! You know, that week where you watch college b-ball games with teams you never heard of. (Pop quiz, hotshot- where is Wright St. University?)
We love March! And as we get closer to bracket time I keep getting letters about one thing: UPSETS!
Everyone wants to know if Southwest Northern A&M State University can beat Kansas in the first round. While you shouldn’t go too crazy (UMBC ain’t walking through that door), I have a few teams that will be, likely, double-digit seeds. They have a chance of pulling the upset early and making you look like a genius in your office pool. (somebody needs to take Tammy from accounting down a peg!).
I got you, fam! I watched all the games so you didn’t have to.
Dear Chaka,
Okay, I need the next George Mason/Loyola- Chicago. Who is that team that will make the Final Four that no one sees coming?
Sincerely,
Hopeless in Hoboken
Dear Hopeless,
There are certain characteristics that I look for in a team that will turn a bracket into a dumpster fire:
- Is this a team that has had some previous tourney success?
- Has this team had success this season out of conference?
- Can I trust your coaching?
- Do you have dudes?
I know Hoboken in the winter is tough, dude! Don’t worry, though. “Rebellions are built on hope!” Nah, that Star Wars quote didn’t make sense- but these picks will. Just, trust me on this one!
March Madness Upset Alert:
East Tennessee State
I get it; directional state universities don’t normally inspire confidence come NCAA Tournament time. But I bet you like 30 win teams, don’t you? You know you do!
Is this a team that has had some previous tourney success? Seniors on this team made the Dance as freshmen. They ran into Ja Morant the last two years… you gonna fault them for that?
Has this team had success this season out of conference? These guys went toe to toe with Kansas this year at Lawrence, and have wins versus LSU and an NCAA Tournament team in Winthrop.
Can I trust your coaching? Steve Forbes had 100 wins in the past four years at ETSU. Tack on another 30 and a conference championship this year. He knows his way around a clipboard.
Do you have dudes? Excellent guard play wins this time of year. Senior Tray Boyd (13.6 PPG), junior Bo Hodges (12.6 PPG), and sophomore Daivien Williamson (10.4 PPG) captain the Buccaneers’ ship. And don’t leave Patrick Good open behind the arc (60 made three-pointers, 36 percent from three) or you might have to walk the plank, boss.
March Madness Upset Alert:
St. Mary’s
So, I’m not sure that St. Mary’s will be a double-digit seed (damn it- I’ve lost your trust), but I feel confident that this is a Sweet 16 team, meaning they will blow up someone’s bracket by taking out atop one or two seed to get there (re-engaging your trust… trust confirmed).
Is this a team that has had some previous tourney success? Seniors on this squad have been to the NCAA tourney twice, making the Second Round in 2017, and went to the Quarterfinals of the NIT two seasons ago.
Has this team had success this season out of conference? You know what Wisconsin and Utah St. have in common? Both are conference champs (Wisconsin won the Big 10 regular-season crown, Utah St., the Mountain West tourney). You know what else they have in common? St. Mary’s took them to church.
Can I trust your coaching? Randy Bennett is one of the top unsung coaches in the country. He recruits the globe to bring talent to Moraga, California (bet you would’ve had to Google where St. Mary’s is… I know I did). Over 400 wins and three conference Coach of the Year awards means that Bennett knows how to get his team ready to ball out.
Do you have dudes? Mr. Outside and Mr. Inside are Jordan Ford (21.7 PPG) and Malik Fitts (16.5 PPG). That means they’ll whip you from anywhere and everywhere.
March Madness Upset Alert:
Liberty
You haven’t watched Liberty? No worries. They play a defensive style that isn’t always pleasing to spectators. But these Flames don’t play a ton of close games (average margin of victory is around 17 PPG) and they win… A LOT (30-4 heading into the tourney)!
Is this a team that has had some tourney success? Liberty checks that box, having pulled a 5-12 upset last year in the tourney versus Mississippi St.
Has this team had success this season out of conference? When you go 30-4, you beat a lot of people! Liberty beat Vanderbilt in Nashville and gave LSU all they wanted for a half in Baton Rouge.
Can I trust your coaching? Ritchie McKay got his pedigree under Tony Bennett at defending national champion Virginia for six seasons. Liberty has an identity similar to the Wahoos; their defense will have you smothered and covered like some Waffle House hash browns (opponents score just over 53 PPG vs. the Flames).
Do you have dudes? This squad shoots almost 37 percent as a team from behind the arc with five players hitting at least 23 three-pointers on the season. They spread you out and shoot well, led by senior guards Caleb Homesley (15.8 PPG), Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz (10.7 PPG), and senior post guy Scottie James (10.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG.)
That’s all for now…keep your letters coming as we hard-charge toward selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament. You ask, I’ll answer!
And, it’s in Ohio, by the way… Wright St. is in Ohio.
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