Busting Brackets
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2017 NCAA Tournament: Ranking the entire field of 68

By Lukas Harkins

Mar 9, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Kris Jenkins (2) and guard Jalen Brunson (1) celebrate after Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) scored against St. John's Red Storm during second half of Big East Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. Villanova Wildcats defeated St. John's Red Storm 108-67.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats forward Kris Jenkins (2) and guard Jalen Brunson (1) celebrate after Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) scored against St. John's Red Storm during second half of Big East Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden. Villanova Wildcats defeated St. John's Red Storm 108-67.Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 7, 2017; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; The South Dakota State Jackrabbits team celebrates after the game against the Omaha Mavericks during the Summit League Conference Tournament at Denny Sanford Premier Center. South Dakota State defeated Omaha 79-77. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2017; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; The South Dakota State Jackrabbits team celebrates after the game against the Omaha Mavericks during the Summit League Conference Tournament at Denny Sanford Premier Center. South Dakota State defeated Omaha 79-77. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

Teams ranked 64 to 61

64. South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Record: 18-16 (8-8 Summit League)

Seed: 16 in the West

Even though South Dakota State ranks 20th in the nation in made three-pointers, their 36.3 percent is outside the top 100 in the country. The team does pride themselves on their offensive game, where they average 77.6 points per game.

Mike Daum is the player to watch on this team, as he is all-around excellent. While shooting 57.2 percent inside the arc and 41.6 percent beyond, Daum averages 25.3 points per game. If anybody is going to catch fire to be the first team to upset a one as a 16, this could be the one this season.

Yet, their defense is the one of the worse in the entire country. They give up 77.4 points per game (292nd nationwide) and give up the most three-pointers made and attempted.

63. Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Record: 20-14 (9-7 Ohio Valley)

Seed: 15 in the Midwest

After knocking off Belmont in the Ohio Valley, Jacksonville State ended up receiving the automatic bid. This will be their first appearance in the Big Dance and rely heavily on their play defensively. They give up just 67.6 points per game (63rd in the country). It is not ideal, considering they have no wins against the top-50, but the Gamecocks were 7-6 against the top-200.

Jacksonville State has one very solid advantage in the tournament: they barely played at home this season. Of the 34 games that the Gamecocks played this year, only eight came on their home floor, where they were just 3-5. They were 10-9 on the road, a solid record, and that goes with their 5-0 record on a neutral floor.

Louisville, a team that has not lost to a team outside of the top-50, is their first round opponent, so don’t expect an upset here.

62. Texas Southern Tigers

Record: 23-11 (17-2 SWAC)

Seed: 16 in the South

Texas Southern played the 17th toughest non-conference strength of schedule. Although they lost them all, the Tigers played Arizona, Louisville, Baylor, Cincinnati, UT-Arlington, and TCU all on the road. They are battle-tested and will face North Carolina in their first game.

The Tigers are a very balanced team, but they excel at getting to the free throw line. Nationwide, Texas Southern made the second-most free throws. The team has four players who average in double figures, with Zach Lofton as the lead man at 17.0 points per game.

61. North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Record 22-9 (14-4 Big Sky)

Seed: 15 in the West

This is the first NCAA Tournament appearance for North Dakota. They are 35th in the country in three-point percentage and are 19th in the nation in total field goal percentage. This naturally leads to a high-scoring team. At 80.5 points per game, they are 29th.

With the way they put the ball in the basket, North Dakota has the ability to get hot and beat anybody. In the first round, they take on Arizona, who is a tough draw, but if the Fighting Hawks can control the excitement of their first chance in the dance, maybe they can make things interesting.

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