Sweet 16 Preview: Midwest Regional
The day has finally arrived, the Sweet 16 play today, and by Sunday, the Final Four lineup will be set! This is the most exciting time in sports all year, especially for college hoops fans.
Each Midwest team has the potential to make it to Indianapolis, and here are the main reasons for each team:
Kentucky
One word: talent! Many would say their defense is what sets them apart, but the real reason why Kentucky will make the Final Four is their level of talent. In fact, this could be the most talented team ever assembled in college basketball. I have been watching college basketball for a little over 20 years, and I cannot remember a more talented team than this Kentucky team. Their bench alone would be among the top 10 in the country when healthy, and they currently boast 4 potential NBA lottery picks in Devin Booker, Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Lyles, and Karl-Anthony Towns. They also boast other future NBA players as well in Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Tyler Ulis, and Alex Poythress. That is a lot of talent on one team. Besides being the best defensive team in the country as well as one of the better offenses, they also have experience: Johnson, the Harrison twins, Cauley-Stein, and Marcus Lee were all a part of the team that went to the national championship game a year ago. If Kentucky makes it to Indianapolis, their depth in talent will be the main reason.
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West Virginia
West Virginia has the most disruptive defense in the tournament. Kentucky has the best overall defense, but West Virginia forces turnovers on 28.1% of their opponent’s possessions. This showed when West Virginia played Maryland in the round of 32, when the Mountaineers forced Maryland into 23 turnovers and only 20 made field goals. Kenpom records that WVU has the 46th most efficient offense in the country, so they are not a great offensive team, but much of that percentage is because they know how to turn opponent’s mistakes into points. If they are able to disrupt Kentucky’s offense and make them turn the ball over, it could allow WVU to score some easy baskets in transition and not have to try to score against the size of Kentucky on the inside in a halfcourt game. If Kentucky does not turn the ball over, the game could get ugly. If WVU turns Kentucky over, they could keep it close, and things could get interesting.
Notre Dame
Two words: Jerian Grant. Grant averages 16.8 points and 6.7 assists a game, and he can single-handedly keep Notre Dame in any game. He can also take over a game as well as any player left in this tournament, knocking down threes or penetrating into the lane for layups. On top of that, he is an excellent passer with great court vision. When he gets his teammates open, the Irish are at their best. They are currently ranked as the third most efficient offense in the country by Kenpom, and Wichita State has not seen an offense this good all season. With four players who are very capable of scoring from deep, they spread the floor well and will set out with the intent of making teams guard them around the three-point line. If Notre Dame is going to make it to the Final Four, Grant will be a big key, and he will have to have two excellent games this week to get them to Indy.
Wichita State
Balance is the main factor for this team, which handed 2nd-seed Kansas an early exit. They beat the Jayhawks handily, precisely because of that balance. All five starters can score, and they also get about 10 points a game from the bench as well. They are not a particularly tall team, so assuming they beat Notre Dame, they would likely play Kentucky in the Elite 8 – a matchup that presents a lot of size mismatches. The Shockers will have to have all five starters maintain their scoring balance to win their next two games. A good and talented squad that has flirted with the top 10 all season long, they know how to win, considering they have one of the best winning percentages of all college basketball teams this season. They have a shot at the Final Four, but if they are going to get to Indianapolis, all five starters will have to show up and play well to provide the consistent balance needed to beat Notre Dame and then the winner of the WVU/Kentucky matchup.