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NCAA Tournament 2019: Gonzaga, Villanova and LSU among teams to avoid picking

By John Szymendera

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 12: Zach Norvell Jr. #23 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives against Tanner Krebs #00 of the Saint Mary's Gaels during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 12, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 12: Zach Norvell Jr. #23 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives against Tanner Krebs #00 of the Saint Mary's Gaels during the championship game of the West Coast Conference basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on March 12, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 15: Tony Benford the Interim Head Coach talks with Naz Reid #0 of the LSU Tigers in the game against the Florida Gators during the Quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 15: Tony Benford the Interim Head Coach talks with Naz Reid #0 of the LSU Tigers in the game against the Florida Gators during the Quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

LSU: 3 seed in the East

LSU is one of those teams with their own special set of circumstances for why they will not make a deep run. First, Head Coach Will Wade is still suspended from the team with no signs of being brought back this season, and he potentially may be gone for good with recruiting violations hanging over the program. The Tigers have already shown the impact of his absence, exiting the SEC tournament even as the top seed.

Second, guard Ja’vonte Smart is the player in question in regards to the recruiting violations and missed one game due to the scandal. The situation is a messy one and could seemingly change at any moment, so it is hard to predict whether his status with the team could change in the middle of the tournament.

Couple this chaos with the fact that LSU is facing a Yale team that always seems eager to provide a challenge in the first round and the best case scenario for the Tigers seems to be losing to Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen. Expect them to fall earlier than this, however, with Belmont or Maryland advancing to face the Spartans.

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