NCAA Tournament 2021: Baylor, Ohio State headline South Region primer

Mar 4, 2021; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Jared Butler (12) drives the lane on Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Kalib Boone (22) and guard Avery Anderson III (0) during the first half at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports /

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NCAA Tournament E.J. Liddell Ohio State Buckeyes (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

South Pod D

(7) Florida vs. (10) Virginia Tech

In this 50-50 matchup between the two Power Five programs, guard play will be the key factor in determining a winner.

Florida is led by sophomore guard Tre Mann who leads the team in points (14.7), rebounds (5.8), and assists per game (3.4). Virginia Tech was lead by junior winger Keve Aluma, who averaged 15.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in 2020-21.

Both Florida and Virginia Tech are teams that will not wow viewers with flashy play, but their style of play will be highly compatible with one another which should make this such a tricky contest to evaluate.

The team that sticks to its style of play and commits fewer turnovers will be victorious in this 50-50 matchup. Expect this game to be heavily contested from start to finish.

Prediction: Florida over Virginia Tech

(2) Ohio State vs. (15) Oral Roberts

The Ohio State Buckeyes continue to be the Big Ten team that pundits all across the nation continue to sleep on. While most were paying attention to Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa this season, Ohio State became one of the most improved teams in the country in 2021.

EJ Liddell and Duane Washington have been the offensive stars for the Buckeyes, both averaging over 15 points per game.

Oral Roberts’ route to make the Big Dance was nothing short of unbelievable. The Golden Eagles knocked off No. 1 South Dakota State and No. 3 North Dakota State in the semifinals and championship game in the Summit Conference Tournament. Oral Roberts will need their two leading scorers, Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor, to outshoot the Buckeyes if they have any chance of pulling off the upset.

Prediction: Ohio State over Oral Roberts

Next. 8 takeaways from Championship Week. dark

So there you have it! All eight games have been thoroughly discussed and 16 teams in the region will vie for a spot in the Final Four. Do you agree with these picks or do you have someone else taking the region? I hope that you enjoyed our breakdown of the South Region and that this March Madness makes up for the lack of not witnessing a champion a year ago.

The two-year wait is finally over!

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