For some, the South region is the most gruesome of the four brackets.
Kansas is the overall No. 1 seed, and if Villanova had won the Big East tournament, it would have likely been a one-seed. Add in talented California, a Maryland team that was once in the top-10 and a quality dark horse team in Arizona, and the South region should have plenty of marquee matchups.
It will be difficult for the Jayhawks to get out of the region and expect some of the double-digit seeds to compete well in the first round. No. 13 seed Hawaii competed well against Texas Tech and Oklahoma this year en route to only losing five games, while South Dakota State has plenty of tournament experience.
And let us not forget about Iowa, a team that also was in the top-10 at one point of the season before taking a major slide in the last part of the season.
Here’s my best bets for the first round in the South region.
Hawaii (+7.5) vs. California
The Golden Bears have talent. They have two future first-round picks in their starting lineup to go along with three other solid starters. From there, though, there’s not much offensive output. Jabari Bird scores 10 points per game, the least amount of any starter on the Golden Bears.
That’s pretty good, showcasing a diverse scoring attack with five players averaging anywhere from 10 to 15 points per game. However, from there, it drops off so much that I’m worried about foul trouble or other weird things that happen in the NCAA tournament. The next-highest scorer on the roster is Kameron Rooks at 3.5 points per game.
The Rainbow Warriors, meanwhile, are deep and will run up and the down the court. Roderick Bobbitt can really play for Hawaii and I like how they’ve been tested this season. I’m able to give up seven points in this game, so it’s a no-brainer. This game should come down to the final five minutes. It will come down to Hawaii’s ability to make free throws and make stops toward the end of the game. — Go against the chalk with Hawaii
South Dakota State (+9.5) vs. Maryland
The Jackrabbits have plenty of experience. This is the third tournament trip for South Dakota State since 2012, and in the previous two outings, South Dakota State has lost to two teams that finished in the Elite Eight and the championship game.
South Dakota State got another bad draw against Maryland. The Terrapins have the ability to dominate. At one point, they won 15 of 16 games. Melo Trimble makes Maryland go on offense and if he’s clicking, then the Terrapins will win this game going away.
However, if Trimble struggles, which has happened at times this season, South Dakota State can compete with the former top-10 team. The Jackrabbits will launch the three-ball at a high clip, which should allow this game to stay close, despite Maryland’s talent advantage. I’m a bit worried if South Dakota State comes out cold, this could get ugly. However, I’m banking on the Jackrabbits to be tournament-tested and make a few long-balls. — Go against the chalk with South Dakota State
