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NCAA Tournament 2019: Strengths and weaknesses of South Region teams

By Jason Burgess

KNOXVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 29: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers and Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate on the bench during the second half of the game between the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on December 29, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won 96-53. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 29: Grant Williams #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers and Admiral Schofield #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate on the bench during the second half of the game between the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on December 29, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won 96-53. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 14: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats reacts in the first half against the Providence Friars during the Quarterfinals of the 2019 Big East men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 14: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats reacts in the first half against the Providence Friars during the Quarterfinals of the 2019 Big East men’s basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers

Strengths: As has been a staple of Wisconsin basketball for what seems like forever, the Badgers live and die with their defense. This season, they are top-10 in points allowed and the 39% they allow opponents to shoot is 11th highest in the nation. Their best player, Ethan Happ is a 6-8 All-American candidate who gets double teamed nearly every time he touches the ball, but for a big man, he is an adept passer out of a double team and good at finding open shooters, collecting over four assists per game.

Weaknesses: As good as Happ is on the offensive end, there are times where he needs to come off the floor at the end of games because he is just a 46% free throw shooter and Greg Gard can’t risk having him on the line in a close game. Another thing that is a problem offensively for Wisconsin is that they only grab eight offensive rebounds per game, which means most of their possessions are the one-and-done type, so if the Badgers aren’t efficient on offense, points can be hard to come by.

No. 6 Villanova Wildcats

Strengths: The defending champs may be the best in the country at playing within their offensive limits and playing within a system. No team has been through the trials and tribulations of March like the Wildcats and with guys like Phil Booth and Eric Paschall leading them, the Wildcats will be unphased and that is big in March. Villanova lives and dies with the three-point shot, which is good for them because they make over 10 per game and are in the top-5 in total attempts and makes.

Weaknesses: A problem for Jay Wright is that Paschall and Booth account for nearly half of the team’s 74.5 points. So finding production outside of that duo can sometimes be an issue. Even though living and dying by the three can be a strength, it can also be a weakness because if that shot isn’t falling, Nova gets in a bit of an offensive funk, and despite the volume of shots, they only make about 35% of them.

No. 7 Cincinnati Bearcats

Strengths: Cincinnati may just score 71.7 points per game, but they are very good at two things that make their offense better, they are a dominant offensive rebounding team and they are very good at getting to the free throw line. The Bearcats pulled down nearly 13 offensive rebounds per game, getting an extra shot for the offense nearly 36% of the time. They are also top-40 in the country in free throw attempts and makes while shooting 70%.

Weaknesses: Outside of Jarron Cumberland, scoring can be a bit of an issue for Cincinnati with just one other player in double figures. Opponents can try and clamp down on Cumberland and force other Bearcats to beat them. They are also not a very good defensive rebounding team, ranking 303rd, which allows opponents the chance to get second and sometimes third opportunities on the offensive end.

No. 8 Mississippi Rebels

Strengths: The Rebels are one of the more balanced more efficiently offensive teams in the country, shooting 36% from beyond the arc, nearly 52% inside it and over 78% from the free throw line. So, it doesn’t matter where on the floor they are, they are good at scoring the ball. They are also good at forcing opponents into committing turnovers, forcing over 14 per game.

Weaknesses: Ole Miss struggles in transition with their defense, they give up over 11 points per game to opponents in transition. One of the other biggest weaknesses for the Rebels is the fact that they are one of the worst teams in the country at defending the three-point shot, allowing opponents to shoot over 37%, only 30 teams had a worse number on the season.

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