Busting Brackets
Fansided

2017 NIT: Syracuse favored to win championship?

By Daniel Benjamin

Jan 4, 2017; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Andrew White III (3) reverses his dribble as Miami Hurricanes guard Bruce Brown (11), center Ebuka Izundu (15) and guard Davon Reed (5) defend during the first half of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Andrew White III (3) reverses his dribble as Miami Hurricanes guard Bruce Brown (11), center Ebuka Izundu (15) and guard Davon Reed (5) defend during the first half of a game at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Mar 10, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; California Golden Bears forward Ivan Rabb (1) look to pass while being guarded by Oregon Ducks forward Kavell Bigby-Williams (35) and forward Chris Boucher (25) during the Pac-12 Conference Tournament at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; California Golden Bears forward Ivan Rabb (1) look to pass while being guarded by Oregon Ducks forward Kavell Bigby-Williams (35) and forward Chris Boucher (25) during the Pac-12 Conference Tournament at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

California Region

  1. California Bears (21-12): The Bears have struggled to score all season, failing to reach 70 points 19 times. The good news is that the Bears are excellent on the defensive end.  Ivan Rabb is a stud and Jabari Bird has the ability to score a little.
  2. Houston Cougars (21-10): The Cougars have won 20 games for the second consecutive season and are in the NIT for a second successive season. Houston is outstanding on the defensive end, permitting just 64.5 points a game. Offensively, the Cougars will go as far as guards Rob Gray Jr. (20.5 points, 47 FG percent) and Damyean Dotson (17.3 points, 47.0 FG percent) carry them. The Cougars are making their 11th NIT appearance.
  3. BYU Cougars (22-11): The Cougars have won 20 or more games for the 12th straight season. The Cougars have a high-powered offense and are a great rebounding team, ranking second in the nation. 6-10 sophomore Eric Mika is one of the best low-post scorers and rebounders in the nation, averaging 20.1 points along with 9.2 boards per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Defense is a major issue. BYU is making its 13th appearance in the tournament.
  4. Colorado State Rams (23-11): The Rams finished second in the Mountain West with a 13-5 record. 6-4 shooting guard Gian Clavell is very dangerous offensively, tallying 30 points in three of his last four games. Clavell is averaging 20.4 points a game while shooting 42.8 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc. This is CSU’s ninth NIT appearance.
  5. College of Charleston Cougars (25-9): The Cougars finished a game behind UNC Wilmington in the CAA and then lost to the Seahawks in the conference tournament championship game. Leading scorer Joe Chealey, who is averaging 17.6 points, has topped the 20-point mark in five of his last six games and 14 times this season. This is Charleston’s fifth tournament appearance.
  6. UT-Arlington Mavericks (25-8): The Mavericks set a program record with 25 victories and won the Sun Belt regular-season title for the first time. Junior forward Kevin Hervey does a little bit everything for UT-Arlington. The Mavs are making their third NIT appearance.
  7. Akron Zips (26-8): The Zips looked like a NCAA Tournament team but they finished the season with a 4-4 record, which included falling to Kent State in the MAC championship game. Senior center Isaiah Johnson leads a deep Akron team, which is making its seventh NIT appearance.
  8. CSU-Bakersfield Roadrunners (22-9): The Roadrunners won 14 of their last 17 games to claim their first ever WAC regular season crown. Jaylin Airington leads four players in double-figures with over 13 points a game. CSU-Bakersfield is tough defensively, holding opponents to just 63 points a game, which is 18th best in the nation. The Roadrunners are participating in their first-ever NIT appearance.

Most intriguing first round matchup: Charleston at Colorado State. Can the Cougars defense, ranked 25th in the nation, contain Clavell? Charleston is 10-4 on the road this year.

First Round Picks: Cal, Akron, College of Charleston and UT-Arlington.

Second Round selections: Cal over College of Charleston; Akron over UT-Arlington.

Third Round picks: Akron defeats Cal

Home/NCAA Basketball News