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NCAA Tournament: Upsets to watch out for on lower seed lines

By Bryan Mauro

MURRAY, KY - FEBRUARY 09: Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers reacts in the second half of the game against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars at CFSB Center on February 9, 2019 in Murray, Kentucky. Murray State won 86-55. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
MURRAY, KY - FEBRUARY 09: Ja Morant #12 of the Murray State Racers reacts in the second half of the game against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars at CFSB Center on February 9, 2019 in Murray, Kentucky. Murray State won 86-55. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers looks on in the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers looks on in the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

No. 14 seed: Old Dominion Monarchs

The Monarchs out of the Conference USA should not be taken lightly entering this game with the Boilers. Old Dominion has a tremendous backcourt with BJ Stith and Ahmad Caver. These two guards lead the Monarchs in every category and are going to be a handful for Purdue.

The Monarchs are an experienced team who keeps teams from getting easy baskets. As mentioned, their guards drive the bus and can score with any team in the country. What makes the Monarchs so dangerous is their ability to limit their opponents on offense. Anyone who has watched Purdue play this year knows that they are led by do-everything player Carsen Edwards. If Edwards is minimized or taken out of the game, Purdue is not as tough to beat.

Purdue does have a roster that is indicative of their seed line. The problem here is that Old Dominion is under-seeded in the tournament and is one of the better 14 seeds in the tournament. The Conference USA was a competitive conference this season and Old Dominion won both the regular season and the conference championship against favorite Western Kentucky.

The Monarchs should have gotten a seed line higher, and Purdue should be sweating especially because they Boilers have not always played their best in the NCAA tournament in the recent years. Purdue is on upset watch. If Old Dominion can keep this game close for a while their chances of pulling the upset increase greatly. If Edwards is having an off night for Purdue look for guard Ryan Cline, who is a tremendous three-point shooter, attempt to carry the load.

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