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NCAA Tournament: Virginia, Tennessee, Purdue and Oregon remain in South Region

By John Szymendera

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: The Tennessee Volunteers huddle prior to their game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 24: The Tennessee Volunteers huddle prior to their game against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Second Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 24: Mamadi Diakite #25 of the Virginia Cavaliers huddles up with his teammates against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 24: Mamadi Diakite #25 of the Virginia Cavaliers huddles up with his teammates against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

With the NCAA Tournament South region down to four, let’s look at how the teams remaining got here and the players and stories that will define the region.

The South region through the first two rounds was perhaps the wildest of the bunch, but that is not saying much. The top three seeds remain in Virginia, Tennessee, and Purdue with the outlier being by far the lowest seed in the tournament remaining Oregon. The four will face off on Thursday night with Purdue taking on Tennessee in Washington D.C. at 7:29 P.M. while Oregon takes on Virginia directly after.

After a terrifying first ten minutes for Virginia against 16 seed Gardner Webb, the Cavaliers bounced back and have looked relaxed and comfortable since. Nine seed Oklahoma proved to be no trouble for Virginia in a twelve point loss after their own dominant win against eight seed Ole Miss.

The four and five seeds in the region did not fare well against their upstart opponents as Kansas State and Wisconsin fell to UC Irvine and Oregon respectively. Oregon proved to be too much for the Anteaters of UC Irvine and will be bring their own brand of stifling defense to their match up against Virginia in the Sweet Sixteen.

Purdue has perhaps had the easiest time getting to the Sweet Sixteen of those remaining in the region. A thirteen point win over Old Dominion followed by a twenty-six point blow out of defending champion Villanova should have Purdue fans confident heading into the second weekend. Villanova bowed out with a single win over St. Mary’s, but the rebuilding team will certainly be back with a vengeance next season.

Tennessee fans may be less confident in their own team. After a seven point victory over Colgate, the Volunteer fans had to watch as Iowa clawed their way back from a 25 points deficit to force overtime. Tennessee got the win, but not without some serious tension.

Iowa was one of the most impressive teams to not make the second weekend. They defeated a strong Cincinnati that many did not give them a chance against and almost pulled off the largest comeback in tournament history. Not much more could be asked from the ten seed.

So, with the region settled for the time being and gearing up for its own final four to duke it out this weekend, let’s take a closer look at the teams that remain, the players that will make the difference, and what the road ahead may look like.

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