2022 NCAA Tournament: Arizona, Villanova, and Tennessee headline South Region

2022 NCAA Tournament South Region: Pittsburgh Pod 2

(7) Ohio State vs. (10) Loyola Chicago

This is the ultimate matchup of two reputations that are polar opposites. Loyola Chicago has been one of the most successful mid-major programs of the last five years. Last we saw the Buckeyes, they were getting bounced from the 2021 NCAA Tournament in the first round by 15-seed Oral Roberts.

Analytics love Loyola Chicago. I am not analytics. While the Ramblers are stellar with regards to shot selection and efficiency, this is not a Loyola team that is on par with those of years past. In MVC play, the Ramblers struggled in two games against Valparaiso, lost to Bradley, lost to Drake twice, and finished fourth with tiebreakers in the regular-season standings. It’s quite possible they would have been on the outside of the NCAA Tournament picture had they not won the MVC Tournament.

To be fair, this Ramblers squad ranks in the top-15 for team field goal percentage. Lucas Williamson leads the charge with 14 points and five boards a game. The Ramblers certainly aren’t a bad team, but the name recognition will cause many to blindly pick them without considering whether this Loyola side is equipped to go on a run.

Ohio State stumbled down the stretch, which didn’t exactly help them shake their reputation as chokers. However, there were a few factors at play that contributed to their skid, including injuries and two rescheduled games crammed into the final slate of the regular season. EJ Liddell and Malaki Branham are the two best players in this game, and I think that will be enough to grind out a win for an Ohio State team that is starting to become underrated in the eyes of the public. Head coach Chris Holtmann has the edge in NCAA Tournament experience over Drew Valentine who has none.

Prediction: Ohio State

(2) Villanova vs. (15) Delaware

Is this Villanova team as dangerous as those in years prior? I would say no, but that doesn’t mean they will lose to a No. 15 seed. The Wildcats aren’t overly impressive from a field goal percentage standpoint, but they are an above-average three-point shooting team. Delaware’s three-point defense is pretty poor so it appears they will be incapable of neutralizing Villanova’s perimeter attack. While the Blue Hens had a 21-12 overall record, they were just 1-6 against Quads 1+2.

Villanova went 17-7 in those same games, which is a better win percentage than Delaware had against opponents of any level. I like what Jameer Nelson Jr. and Dylan Painter bring to the Blue Hens, but they will be overmatched by Justin Moore and Jermaine Samuels.

No need to over-analyze this one. Credit to Delaware for making it out of a competitive CAA, but picking against Jay Wright in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament isn’t a leap of faith I’m willing to take. The last ride for Wright and Gillespie won’t get derailed here.

Prediction: Villanova