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NCAA Tournament 2019: Strengths and weaknesses of Midwest Region teams

By Jason Burgess

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 20: Fletcher Magee #3 of the Wofford Terriers puts up a three-point shot against Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean Smith Center on December 20, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Wofford won 79-75. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 20: Fletcher Magee #3 of the Wofford Terriers puts up a three-point shot against Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels at Dean Smith Center on December 20, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Wofford won 79-75. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – JANUARY 16: Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones shoots the ball during the second half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX – JANUARY 16: Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones shoots the ball during the second half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

No. 5 Auburn Tigers

Strengths: The Tigers are riding the high of winning the SEC Tournament, defeating Tennessee handily in the final. They are really aggressive on defense and because of that, they are one of the best teams in the country when it comes to steals and creating turnovers. Bruce Pearl’s team forces over 17 turnovers per game which is 6th highest in the sport on the back of their nine steals per game which is the 4th best. Creating so many turnovers leads to transition chances and they take advantage there too, usually from beyond the arc. They make 11 long balls per game which trails only three other teams and they are 3rd in total attempts and lead the nation in total makes on the season.

Weaknesses: Because they like to play so fast, Auburn struggles mightily on the defensive boards. The 22 they grab per game is only better than 17 teams in Division I so opponents can get multiple chances to score on the offensive end. Auburn also gets into foul trouble with their aggressive defense, committing a lot of fouls and allowing teams to get to the free throw line on 37% of their possessions, which could be a problem in a close game.

No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones

Strengths: Iowa State knocked off Kansas for the Big 12 title and one of the reasons they were able to make a run is because they have the ability to score efficiently at all three levels on the floor. They shoot over 47% from the field and knock down over 36% of their three-pointers, while shooting over 73% from the free throw line, making Steve Prohm’s team dangerous no matter where they are on the floor. The Cyclones are also an unselfish team, being a top-50 team in assists per game (15.2) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.37) which can make them hard to guard because multiple players can initiate the offense.

Weaknesses: They aren’t the greatest rebounding team in the world, their defensive rebounding rate is near the bottom of Big 12 teams and with a relatively short starting lineup, they can be attacked on the glass by taller opponents. Not only are the Cyclones not very tall, but they also lack a ton of athleticism and speed which could be a problem as the team moves on in the tournament if they face teams that like to play at a faster pace.

No. 7 Wofford Terriers

Strengths: The mid-major darlings of this year’s tournament are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country with one of the best shooters in the country, Fletcher Magee. Mike Young’s team is 2nd in the country in longball percentage at 41% and as a team, they knock down 11 per game. Magee leads the nation with over four three-point makes per game, and even though he is in the top-25 nationally in percentage, he doesn’t lead the team Nathan Hoover’s 45.7% is 9th best of any player in Division I. They aren’t just a team that hoists threes, all of the Terriers’ ratios and margins are fantastic, their rebound margin (6.5), assist-to-turnover (1.4), and turnover margin (3.0) are all top-35 in the country.

Weaknesses: As is the case with a lot of mid-major teams, Wofford doesn’t have a ton of size and can be pushed around a bit by teams that have more physical post games. One area that could hurt the Terriers is the free throw line, because as a team they shoot it at just under 70%, with the one saving grace is that the guy likely to have the ball in his hand at the end of games, Magee is the 6th best free throw shooter in the country, making nearly 91% of his attempts.

No. 8 Utah State Aggies

Strengths: The Aggies had a surprisingly great season under head coach Craig Smith after going 17-17 last season. Utah State is a very good defensive rebounding team, grabbing over 29 per game, which is a top-10 number and they lead the country in defensive rebounding percentage, thanks to the team’s much-improved defense. In the half court, they move the ball quickly and share the ball, dishing out over 17 assists per game, which ranks 9th best among 351 teams.

Weaknesses: Sam Merrill leads the team in scoring at over 21 points per game, but after the sharpshooting guard, the offense is a question mark with just freshman big man Neemias Queta averaging more than 10 per game, so if a team bottles up Merrill offense could be a problem. They are vulnerable to teams that shoot the three-pointer well because they allow teams to shoot over 34% from beyond the arc.

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