2017 NCAA Tournament matchups to watch

The Seahawks have an interesting matchup with Virginia, who holds the title of best defense in the country. The Cavaliers only allow 55.6 points per game. UNC-Wilmington has four-headed monster of double-digit scorers on their squad. If they solve Virginia’s defense, the Cavaliers may not have the offensive capabilities to keep pace. That means a lot of broken hearts and a lot of broken brackets.

America’s latest bracket darling will make its debut against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Thursday. This being Northwestern’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament and about a million sports journalists that have graduated from Northwestern should make this one of the most followed games this year. Aside from that, this should be an ugly defensive battle that basketball purists will love. 

Oklahoma State has lost three straight games, while Michigan has been riding a wave of momentum on its way to a Big Ten Tournament crown. However, Oklahoma State still has the eighth-best scoring offense in the country, and can really light it up at will. So what will win: explosive scoring or a hot streak?

Revenge is a dish best served in March. Providence knocked USC out of the NCAA Tournament last year with a late layup. Now, the two teams meet again in the First Four games for a spot in the 64-team field. 

Minnesota has the stouter players, but the Blue Raiders have more than enough skill and athleticism to surprise a lot of teams in that upper portion of the South Region with their high-flying style of basketball. Plus, Middle Tennessee has the confidence to pull off the upset after beating No. 2-seeded Michigan State last year at the NCAA Tournament.

If you’re looking for points, you’ve come to the right place. Dunk City returns to the NCAA Tournament for another year and this time Brandon Goodwin is running the show, dropping dimes and buckets. For Florida State, Xavier Rathan-Mayes is running the show, setting up Dwayne Bacon and Jonathan Isaac for smooth jumpers and lobs. Expect a high-flying affair in this matchup. 

ETSU’s first matchup is against Florida, who dropped its only game in the SEC conference to Vanderbilt in overtime. The Buccaneers have a walking scoring machine in T.J. Cromer that is averaging 19.1 points per game this year. If there was ever a time to jump on the Gators in their moment of weakness, this would be it.

While Baylor’s football team is known for its offense, its basketball team has been making its name on defense, giving up only 62.7 points per game (16th in the nation). At one point, they were ranked No. 1 in the nation. It will be interesting to see whether they can find their form in the NCAA Tournament against a hot New Mexico State team.

Historically, Bob Huggins and West Virginia have been fixtures in the NCAA Tournament. Lately, they haven’t been around too long. Aside from a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2015, West Virginia has not made it to the tournament two of the last four years. The last time they were in the tournament, they were bounced in the first round. Bucknell is coming in with talented players and momentum from winning the conference championship. West Virginia might be going home early against this year.

Winthrop matches up with Butler first, who hasn’t looked like their spry selves this year, losing their last two games. Winthrop, on the other hand, comes in winning eight straight games, and has an even smaller version of Isaiah Thomas on their team (Keon Johnson). This might be one of the more exciting games to watch to see how Johnson will do in his shining moment.

Michigan State a nine-seed? What is this – the dystopian alternate timeline in Back to the Future II ? Tom Izzo is usually set up nicely with a nice seed, but this year, he finds himself in the middle of the pack – which makes him and his team more dangerous. Something happens to Michigan State whenever the tournament rolls around, and they outplay their perceived talent more times than not. Izzo will be looking to continue that trend against Miami.

Another matchup that should result in a lot of points. Iowa State has given the keys of the offense to Monte Morris, who has averaged 16.3 points and 6.1 assists per game this year. He leads a group of four Cyclones that average double-figures in points. Nevada has five players that average more than ten points and ranks 39 ^th in the nation in scoring. Those nets are going to be worn out by the end of this game. 

Creighton has a top-20 offense. Rhode Island has a top-35 defense. Something has to give. Rhode Island hasn’t exactly been playing top-level opponents consistently in the Athletic-10 Conference, but it will be a good measuring stick to see how well the team does against the Bluejays, who are 17th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage.

Somehow, a 30-win Wichita State was seeded No. 10 in the South Region. Now they face another mid-major mainstay in the NCAA Tournament in Dayton. The Shockers are on a 15-game winning streak and the Flyers are looking vulnerable after two straight losses to George Washington and Davidson. Who will win this battle of the mid-majors?

Lonzo Ball. Period.

The Trojans come into a seemingly impossible situation as a 15-seed taking on two-seed in Duke. Wait a second, when have I heard this story before? Oh that’s right, the Blue Devils came into the 2012 NCAA Tournament when the same seed and lost to 15th-seeded Lehigh. The Trojans have six players who shoot better than 34 percent from three-point range, and can doom Duke to repeat history if they catch fire.