NCAA Basketball: Michigan on top, Spartans tough task among key questions

2. Which mid-major (among the 1-bid leagues) are you most rooting for to make the NCAA Tournament?

Stevenson

I’m rooting for Eastern Washington to make the tournament, The Eagles are a solid 118 on Kenpom and 57th on offense. They run an interesting motion offense and for the most part, have been competitive in their games against bigger schools. Their 31st in the country in three-point percentage as well.

Tineo

For the purpose of my current University, Texas-Arlington is my biased pick. However, my unbiased would be UNC-Greensboro. The Spartans are led by the two-way star of Isaiah Miller.

After coming off of back-to-back Southern POTY awards, he’s going to be adding a third to his case this year. He’s averaging 18.9 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.6 steals, on 46% from the field.

He is also a former Conference DPOTY and coming off a 32-point, seven rebounds, seven assists game against East Tennessee State. The Spartans are an excellent rebounding team, ranking 23rd in the country with 40 per game. Alongside that, they have solid paint defense and shoot the fourth-most shots in the country.

The Spartans would be more than likely become a 14/15 seed and play a team among the likes of an Iowa or Houston. With the right personnel matchup, I could see UNCG giving a team fits and pulling off a first-round upset.

Zacher

Nothing would add more fuel to an already chaotic season than seeing 16th-seeded UMBC, part two.  They’re sitting at the top of the America East, still alive in their conference tournament, and we’re just three years removed from the upset over Virginia.

Plus, that team featured a pretty good 5-8 guard in KJ Maura – and now, this one has a 5-2 guard in Darnell Rogers, who is averaging just under 10 points a game.  The Retrievers have a solid double-digit tandem in R.J. Eytle-Rock (14.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists) and Brandon Horvath (13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists).  Honestly, how fitting would it be to see UMBC – in this chaotic season – pull off another historic upset against the weakest of the one-seeds?

Zinkula

Vermont. The Catamounts have been knocking on the door of a tournament victory for several seasons now, losing as a 13-seed in 2017, falling in its conference title game to UMBC (yes that UMBC) in 2018, losing again as a 13-seed in 2019, and not getting the chance a year ago due to CV-19. With Vermont-great Anthony Lamb in his senior year, last season would have provided a great opportunity for a tournament breakthrough (making the tournament cancellation all the more disappointing).

While John Becker’s Catamounts might not be quite as good this season, the team still has a formidable trio in Stef Smith, Ryan Davis, and Ben Shungu that could lead the squad to an upset victory in March. I want to see them get the chance to do so.

Brown

I’m going to say, Belmont. I like Belmont because they have many ways and players that can hurt an opposing defense. I like their frontcourt of Nick Muszynski and Caleb Hollander. They’re not the most athletic big guys, but they get the job done in the post and on the boards.

The Bruins are also an excellent perimeter shooting team. They make nine of those per game and put up points in bunches. The Bruins are second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 82.1 points per game and a 49 percent field goal percentage.

Thedinga

Wright State, because why the hecking heck not?! The 18-5 Raiders are atop the Horizon League standings and are in the top 60 in KenPom. Their big man, Loudon Love, is averaging a double-double and forward Grant Basile does just about everything on the basketball court. If their guards, specifically Finke and Calvin, start getting hot from three-point land—there’s no reason why they can’t win a game or two in the tournament. Scott Nagy has the Raiders playing at a high level.