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Looking for an edge when filling out your March Madness bracket? Sportsnet’s hoops panel breaks down the favourites and potential bracket busters ahead of the 2017 NCAA Tournament:
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NCAA TITLE FAVOURITES
Donnovan Bennett: The Tar Heels are just too big or the field. North Carolina kills teams on the glass and rebound 42% of their misses. They also have superior point guard play in Joel Berry who shoots over 40% from three and 80% from the free throw line. The lost the National Championship at the buzzer last year and bring back virtually the same team. They won’t be denied this year.
Evan Rosser: Villanova enters this year’s tournament with three players who already know what it’s like to start and win a national championship game. Sure, the Wildcats sport college basketball’s No. 2 offence and are one of just three teams to rank in the top 15 on both sides of the ball (the other two are Gonzaga and Kentucky). Yeah, they just slapped red-hot Creighton to win the Big East tournament. But it’s the experience Jay Wright’s group brings to the table that truly sets them apart.
Steven Loung: Second-seed Arizona is ranked as the No. 2 overall team, according to RPI and, unlike No. 1 Villanova, were placed in a much easier bracket in the West than the defending champion Wildcats were in the East. Arizona’s path to the Elite 8 looks inevitable on paper where they’ll likely face No. 1 Gonzaga, a matchup that plays to Arizona’s favour not only because they’re theoretically the better team (the Zags are ranked No. 8 in RPI), but also because San Jose should be easier trip for the Wildcats’ fans than it is for those coming from Spokane, giving Arizona a home-court advantage.
Michael Hoad: The Duke Blue Devils, seeded second in the East, opened the season as the country’s top-ranked team, but were derailed by injuries to key players— and even legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. Now Duke seems to be peaking at the right time, realizing its potential en route to the ACC title.
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Dave Zarum: No.1 seeded Gonzaga have been in this boat before. A top seed due to their dominance in a weak conference, the Bulldogs never seem able to live up to the billing come tourney time. But this year will be different. Gonzaga is deeper than ever with a roster led by Nigel Williams-Goss and featuring dynamic players like do-it-all forward Jonathan Williams and a potentially lethal big man combo of Przemek Karnowski and seven-foot power forward Zach Collins. What’s more, Gonzaga has already had success against some of the top teams in the tourney this season, including wins vs. Arizona, Florida, Iowa State, and Saint Mary’s.
Craig Battle: Duke may be a No. 2-seed, but they’ve got the best odds to win it all (6–1, according to Vegas Insider). Caveat: They’ll have to go through Villanova just to make the Final Four (thanks, bracket makers).
BRACKET BUSTERS
Bennett: It is odd to say that Wichita State is a bracket buster when they’ve previously been a no.1, seed but the Shockers still don’t get much respect. Expect them to shock the world once again. They are the 10 seed despite possibly being a top 10 team in the country. It is no surprise they are 6.5 favourites over the higher seeded Dayton in the first round.
Rosser: One way to upset a juggernaut and bust brackets is to bomb threes. Marquette made 10.5 a game this season (fifth in Div. 1) and connected from deep at a higher rate than any other team in the country— 43 per cent. Problem is the East Region boasts two of the three best defences in college basketball, including the Golden Eagles’ opening round opponent, South Carolina. And even if they can gun their way past the Gamecocks, Marquette’ll run into Duke, who allowed opponents to shoot just 29.5 per cent from behind the arc this season. So, I guess this pick isn’t that much help. Sorry.
Loung: Wichita State was given a no. 10 seed despite winning their Missouri Valley Conference championship with ease. According to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, the Shockers are the 25th-best team in the country right now, their first-round opponent, Dayton, didn’t make his final power rankings. Take that as you wish.
Hoad: The Wichita State Shockers finished the year on a 15-game winning streak and captured the Missouri Valley Conference title. Their reward for those efforts? A measly 10 seed. They draw Dayton in their first matchup and then would likely have to go up against second-seeded Kentucky in the second round. Still, don’t count out a group that finished as one of only four teams in the Top 25 in terms of both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Zarum: They may not hold the same name recognition as the other teams on this list, but don’t overlook 12-seed Middle Tennessee State. The Conference USA champions are rolling at the right time, and sometimes all it takes is a singular talent to carry a team through a round or two. Enter: JaCorey Williams, a versatile scoring forward who averaged a team-high 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Blue Raiders this season.
Battle: This is a weird one. By record alone, the Wichita State Shockers are 30-4 and have won 15 straight, and by some deeper measures they’re a top-10 team in the entire tournament. Yet they get a 10 seed. Their first- and (projected) second-round matchups— Dayton and Kentucky— are good teams, but so are the Shockers.
