As the March Madness takes a look at the Midwest region of the NCAA tournament that kicks off on Thursday:
No. 1 Illinois (23-6)
the seminar: Big ten
Coach: Brad Underwood (4th season)
Post-ing up: In the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight years, the Illini plan to stay a while. Between explosive lead guard Ayo Dosanmu, big man Kofi Cockburn and a quality supporting cast, Illinois is able to return to the Final Four after a 16-year hiatus.
Number 16 Dressel (12-7)
the seminar: CAA
Coach: Zach Spiker (5th season)
Post-ing up: For the first time since 1996 at the NCAA Tournament and the first winning record in seven years, everything out of here is in gravy for the Drakes. Cameron Winter’s veteran corps, James Butler and Zach Walton, ran big marches that one could not expect from the sixth seed in the CAA tournament.
No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (24-4)
the seminar: Missouri Valley
Coach: Porter Moser (10th season)
Post-ing up: The Ramblers are in the Final Four for the first time since their magical run in 2018, but will 101-year-old Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt – his fully vaccinated good luck-charm – be able to feature him in Indy? Senior forward Cameron Krutwig – a freshman on the 2018 team – leads the team with 15.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
No. 9 Georgia Tech (17-8)
the seminar: Acc
Coach: Josh Pester (5th season)
Post-ing up: The Yellow Jackets blew themselves out of the bubble and turned in an incredible automatic bid to win their first ACC tournament title since 1993 with an eight-game winning streak. Senior forward Moses Wright and Christ’s senior guard Jose Alvarado fueled late at Queens High. Leading to Georgia Tech’s first NCAA bid since 2010.
No. 5 Tennessee (18-8)
the seminar: Second
Coach: Rick Barnes (6th season)
Later, Barnes competes in his 25th career NCAA tournament with four schools, including three volunteers, who score 10-7 this season. Freshman guard Jayden Springer led the team in scoring, and another first-year player, guard KO Johnson, connected on about 45 percent of his 3-point attempts.
No. 12 Oregon State (17-12)
the seminar: Pac 12
Coach: Wayne Tinkle (7th season)
Post-ing up: It all came together over three stunning nights in Las Vegas. Inconsistent throughout the year, Oregon State found itself in the Pac-12 tournament, beating BCA to NCAA teams UCLA, Oregon and Colorado to punch an unexpected ticket to the Big Dance, with the team finishing last in their conference Opted for
No. 4 Oklahoma State (20-8)
the seminar: Big 12
Coach: Mike Boynton (4 seasons)
Post-ing up: Casual Hoop fans will get their first marquee look at freshman guard Cade Cunningham, widely projected as the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. While shooting more than 40 percent from 3-point range, the Woodboxes featured the Cowboys with about 20 points per game. He closed out the regular season with a win against four-place conference opponents and defeated Baylor in the Big 12 tournament.
Number 13 Liberty (23-5)
the seminar: Atlantic sun
Coach: Richie McKay
Post-ing up: Having defeated Purdue and Missouri hard and South Carolina and Mississippi State, the power-conference will not fear the flames from the enemy. Liberty enters the tournament, the winner of 12 straight games, and the elite 3-point shooting team, finishing 39th in the nation in fifth place.
No. 6 San Diego State (23-4)
the seminar: Mountain west
Coach: Brian Dutcher (4 seasons)
Post-ing up: The Aztecs allowed the sixth-fewest points in the nation in 60 games per second, ending with a 14–3 conference record, going 17–1 in MWC play, and last year’s NCAA Tourney The total was scattered to 30–2. The two seniors – forward Matt Mitchell and guard Jordan Skakel – provide the bulk of the scoring.
Number 11 Syracuse (16-9)
the seminar: Acc
Coach: Jim Boehm (45th season)
Post-ing up: The Orange ended the regular season with five wins from their final seven matches, going 9-7 in conference play, with their opening round win over North Carolina State to reach double digits in their Big Dance Bubble helped the cause. The coach’s son, junior guard Buddy Boehm, led the team this season.
No. 3 West Virginia (18-9)
the seminar: Big 12
Coach: Bob Huggins (14th season)
Post-ing up: The Mountaineers recorded 11 regular-season wins to finish third in the Minefield Big 12, led by sophomore point guard Miles McBride, junior center Derek Klaver and senior shooting guard Taz Sherman. The Hodgins teams have reached the tournament 10 times in their 14 seasons at Morgentown, having only lost twice in the first round.
No. 14 Morehead State (23-7)
the seminar: Ohio valley
Coach: Preston Spradlin (5th season)
Post-ing up: Depth is important in March, and the Eagles have plenty of them, with six players averaging at least 6.9 points per game. In the tournament for the first time in a decade, Morehead State made a big mess that last came out in 2011, defeating Rick Pitino and fourth seed Louisville as 13-seed.
No. 7 Clemson (16-7)
the seminar: Acc
Coach: Brad Brownell (11th season)
Post-ing up: Miami, who finished 13th in their first game in the ACC tournament, did not hurt the Tigers, who closed out the regular season with six of seven wins with a 10-6 conference record. Senior forward Aamir Sims leads the ACC’s lowest-scoring team (65.4 points per game) in the traditional triple-double categories.
Number 11 Rutgers (15-11)
the seminar: Big ten
Coach: Steve Pikil (5th season)
Post-ing up: For the first time in 30 years, the Rutgers are in the NCAA tournament. Take a bow, coach picil. This team is capable – it defeated Purdue, Maryland Illinois, Syracuse and Michigan State – although it enters the tournament without a quality win in weeks. When shots fall, the defensive-miser Scarlet Knights can play with anyone.
No. 2 Houston (24-3)
the seminar: American
Coach: Calvin Sampson (7th season)
Post-ing up: Sampson has danced for the third time in four years, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2019. Junior shooter Quentin Grimes was named Co-Player of the Year in a conference call with Tyson Etienne of Wichita State. Freshman Tramon Mark kicked off March Madness with a buzzer-baiting, ready to defeat Memphis in a regular-frontier defeat.
No. 15 Cleveland State (19-7)
the seminar: The horizon
Coach: Dennis Gates (2 seasons)
Post-ing up: After five straight 20-loss seasons, Gates made an unexpected change in his second year. He did this with the development of the old times. His top players – Torre Patton, Craig Baudian and Trey Gomillian – improved and junior college transfer D’omie Hodge made an immediate impact.
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