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NCAA Basketball: 2018 Diamond Head Classic preview and predictions

By Brian Rauf

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Head coach Jamie Dixon of the TCU Horned Frogs reacts during the first half against the Syracuse Orange in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Head coach Jamie Dixon of the TCU Horned Frogs reacts during the first half against the Syracuse Orange in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 15: Fatts Russell #2 of the Rhode Island Rams celebrates in the second half of the game against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Rhode Island Rams won the game 83-78 in overtime. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 15: Fatts Russell #2 of the Rhode Island Rams celebrates in the second half of the game against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Rhode Island Rams won the game 83-78 in overtime. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Bottom half of the bracket

Rhode Island Rams
Rhode Island has taken a step back in the first year since head coach Danny Hurley left for UConn, but the Rams are still a potent team led by Jeff Dowtin (16.8 ppg), Cyril Langevine (15.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg), and Fatts Russell (13.1 ppg). Their poor three-point shooting, which ranks in the bottom five in the country, is the biggest reason why they’re only 5-3.

Bucknell Bison
The Bison are only 4-5 going into the Diamond Head Classic, having lost to quality teams like Ohio State and Saint Mary’s. However, they also have losses to Fairfield and Canisius on their resume. They have depth but lack experience.

Charlotte 49ers
Charlotte is another team that is struggling in the first year under a new head coach (Ron Sanchez), but they did pick up an early season win over Oklahoma State. Jon Davis (20.1 ppg) is a player worth watching and has five games with at least 20 points – including a 31-point performance against Chattanooga.

TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs are 8-1 with their lone loss coming to a good Lipscomb team. They’ve been dominant since then, however, going on a five-game win streak with an average margin of victory of 19.6 points. TCU is one of the country’s best defensive teams again and has a balanced offensive attack with five players averaging at least 11.6 points per game.

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