It seems each year for March Madness we get a handful of teams that look like they should’ve never touched the seed they were given and some who maybe had little recognition. This becomes a daunting topic and an active one that sports writers and fans talk about in their discussions. And now we are almost to one of the most buzzing months in college sports and that discussion has made its way to Red Cup News. Now we get to talk about the various teams we are liking and those that we aren’t for this year’s March Madness tournament.
Contenders
Duke Blue Devils
This one is easy for anyone that has followed the 2018-2019 season. The Blue Devils this year have seemed unstoppable to nearly every team that has stood in front of them, with exclusions to Syracuse and Gonzaga. Duke has a court that runs with Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Tre Jones. All four of these athletes have performed at a level that might guide them to a future NBA career soon. When all four of these teammates get together the results usually end in a Duke win with a dominant performance. Watch out for a team that wins dominantly and loses rarely and closely. I think Duke is a favorite by many to win the tournament this year and it shows why.
Tennessee Volunteers
Personally, I think Tennessee runs the floor for this year’s tournament and are my current favorite to win it. And with a court full of names like Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, and Jordan Bone there is nothing to dislike in terms of talent. The Volunteers have fought off many talented opponents this season and have shown their style of play to be demanding of a high performance by their counterparts. And even when the Volunteers do lose, it is by no more than six with a hard fought showing. They also are the eighth highest scoring team in the league with 84.8 points a game. I think no one should overlook this Tennessee team once they hit their March run with a point to prove.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
It is safe to say that Gonzaga is a top seeded team almost every year with the rosters they seem to create. Also, they have a knack for keeping on players to stay their college careers and holding off on the draft. In return, the Gonzaga team gets better and better. This year, Gonzaga is ran by Rui Hachimura, a 6″8 Freshman that has shown his great talent all year. Rui, and the rest of the Gonzaga team, have led the nation in scoring at 90.2 points a game and only have losses to top-10 team like UNC and Tennessee. I think Gonzaga has proven that they are a constant contender for the March Madness title every time they enter, regardless of record.
North Carolina Tarheels
The North Carolina Tarheels have been a team that tend to show up more so in March than the regular season. This can be after a great season or a mediocre one for them. However, with this year’s squad with the likes of Cameron Johnson, Nassir Little, and Kenny Williams, I think we should appreciate this team for what they are around March. This is a team that can hurt you with their starters and their bench players too. North Carolina will give us a great showing in the ACC Tournament and could make the biggest run during March. Watch for the second highest scoring team in the league to press for a March Madness tournament win.
Pretenders
Kansas Jayhawks
The reason why this talented team to fall is their inevitability to lose to much lesser teams. This doesn’t mean that Kansas is a first or second round eliminated team, but I don’t see them pushing very deep with their trend of bad games. Also, it seems that every other game for the Jayhawks is an absolute battle to win, even against teams with losing records. This was a hyped Kansas team this season, but the expectations were set too high for this team to fulfill. Watch out for Kansas to end their run around the sweet sixteen or elite eight rounds.
Virginia Tech Hokies
This type of situation is tough for any team that almost had all the richs, but fell just short. The Hokies started off as a top-10 team with hopes of being a three or four seed in the March Madness tournament. However, with loss of starting point guard, Justin Robinson, it is seeming that this team is losing their grip on that dream. Virginia Tech has dropped from a once projected third seed to a sixth seed and maybe lower. Also, with all the inconsistent games coming out of the Hokies on the road, March isn’t looking like a fun time for this team.
Houston Cougars
Yes, the one-loss team is one of the biggest pretenders in this year’s bracket. The Cougars haven’t been matched in any of their bouts this year. This becomes a true problem come March time, as Houston will be playing teams at a much higher caliber. Plus, the Cougars games against conference opponent show us moments when the Cougars fail to get ahead and sit at a standstill. However, this team might be able to translate their playing to larger teams, but don’t count on it.
LSU Tigers
The definition of overrated is, ” to have a higher opinion of (someone or something) than is deserved”. I don’t think it is wrong to say exactly that for this LSU team. The Tigers have struggled against every SEC team they have played this season, and even struggle against teams they have recently played. I do believe wins propel you up rankings, however, I do think teams can be be propelled higher than deserved due to an upset. Upsets happen and when a team continues to play at the level they did before the upset, there shouldn’t be high hopes for them. I feel LSU gets over-seeded and it will show early in the tournament.
Photo Credits: https://www.firstteaminc.com/articles/is-dunking-covered-under-warranty
