This is the absolute wrong top seed for Wagner and coach Donald Copeland to face. None of the other top seeds run the way North Carolina does. The Tar Heels play with speed and defend a heck of a lot better than Howard does.
The Beach got rolling in the Big West tournament, bringing Monson back to the NCAA tournament for just the third time since his memorable run with Gonzaga in 1999.
But the odds are much longer of Monson getting out of the first round this time around, and it’s because of a familiar face.
The Cornhuskers are the only Power 6 team who has never won an NCAA tournament game, having failed on all seven previous attempts. But this might be the Huskers’ best shot to end the streak.
Both teams thought they were safely in the field going into Selection Sunday. It turned out that neither team was anywhere near as safe as it thought. And that sets up a First Four matchup that’s intriguing if you like defense and nightmarish if you’re John Fredericks.
The Jayhawks get the Cinderella darling of many March brackets in Samford. The Bulldogs have done a lot of winning under coach Bucky McMillan, going 29-5 while playing one of the fastest-paced styles in the nation.
As with most Big Sky teams, Montana State’s still a strong 3-point shooting team. And that might make all the difference, as Grambling’s perimeter defense isn’t strong enough to deny a team that can shoot.
These teams are in Dayton for a reason. Neither one actually beat a team ranked in the top 150. These are not good teams, which means this game could be close.
Duquesne hasn’t seen or beaten a team on BYU’s level all season long, and the Dukes are in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1977. But they do have one key edge in this game: their 3-point defense is excellent.
Kentucky didn’t handle Texas A&M’s style very well when the teams met in College Station, but that was the Wildcats’ third SEC game of the year. The Cats are far more experienced now, which could make this a tall task for the Aggies. Â