[ad_1]
There could be some surprises when the Midwest Region takes shape in Chicago.
There are several teams you can talk yourself into advancing deep into the bracket. If Big Ten Player of the Year Johnny Davis is right, No. 3 Wisconsin is a major threat. Big East regular-season champion Providence as the fourth seed is, too. Big Ten Tournament winner Iowa, the fifth seed, is scalding-hot. Sixth-seeded LSU still has plenty of talent, and maybe the dismissal of coach Will Wade will remove a dark cloud that has followed this program around. An Elite Eight matchup between No. 1 Kansas and second-seeded Auburn is far from a certainty. Let’s call this the Sleeper Region.
Bracket Buster: No. 9 Creighton
Greg McDermott’s Bluejays were a few plays from winning their first Big East Tournament, but in those three days at the Garden, they showed an ability to make noise in March. If 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner can continue to play at an elite level, and Creighton gets hot from deep like it did in the first two games in New York City, Kansas is beatable in the second round.
First-Round Upset Watch
No. 13 South Dakota State over No. 4 Providence
Was it one bad day, the Friars’ ugly 27-point loss to Creighton in the Big East Tournament, or a sign that this team had played over its head in winning 25 of its first 29 games? Most likely, it was somewhere in between. That said, Providence gets a live underdog here in the Jackrabbits, the best 3-point shooting team in the country at 44.9 percent who have won 21 straight games.
Best First-Round Matchup
No. 6 LSU vs. No. 11 Iowa State
Intrigue surrounds LSU after it parted ways with the troubled Wade on Saturday, and made assistant Kevin Nickelberry his replacement on an interim basis. The Tigers, despite their recent struggles, losing four of their last seven games, still feature high-end talent and a defense among the country’s best. Iowa State, which has nine Quad 1 wins, can make a similar claim. Consistency has eluded both teams.
Betting on March Madness 2022?
Unsung Player: G Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State
Picked to finish last in the Big 12, the Cyclones were one of the year’s biggest surprises in Coach T.J. Otzelberger first season, a nod to how well the transfer portal can work if used properly. Brockington, the former Penn State guard, made it possible, posting career-highs in points, rebounds, field-goal percentage and steals.
Player to watch: F Jabari Smith, Auburn
In some circles, the 6-foot-10 Smith is still considered the best NBA prospect in the country. There is nothing this multitalented wing/forward can’t do, as he showed in averaging 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks this year.
The Post’s Pick: Iowa
This is the Sleeper Region, after all, and Iowa is not playing like a five-seed at the moment. It is coming off a Big Ten Tournament crown in which it overwhelmed Purdue in the final and its lone loss since Feb. 17 was a two-point setback at Illinois. Creighton does the Hawkeyes a favor by ousting Kansas in the second round, clearing the way for Keegan Murray and Co. to cruise into an all-Big Ten Elite Eight matchup with Wisconsin, which upsets Auburn in the Sweet 16. There, Iowa and Murray gain revenge from a Jan. 6 loss in Madison to Davis and the Badgers.
[ad_2]