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Chicago Tribune
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Beware the No. 12 seed: Michigan and Memphis among No. 5 seeds trying to avoid NCAA Tournament curse
UC San Diego coach Eric Olen knew that his team would be good this season. This good? Maybe not quite. The Tritons were playing Division II ball just five years ago, when the pandemic shut down its tournament and may have kept his team from winning a national championship. The school began the transition to Division I the following year, and in its first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility, the Tritons punched their ticket by winning the Big West Tournament title. All of that is reason for rapture in Southern California. And reason for worry in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Tritons were rewarded with the No. 12 seed in the South Region, where they will face Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan in one of those testy 5-12 matchups that always seem to bust some brackets early. 'It's been a pretty special season, you know?' said Olen, who took over UC San Diego in 2013, when it was a mediocre DII program. 'These guys deserve all the recognition that has come their way. I knew we'd have a good team. I knew we'd be good. But his has been, you know, beyond my expectations of what was possible, to be in this situation, to play at this level for so long this season.' The Tritons have won 15 consecutive games, so they will be taking plenty of momentum into their matchup with Michigan on Thursday in Denver. And lest anyone think they will be intimidated, remember this: They took No. 11 seed San Diego State down to the wire in one of their only four losses this season, 'Teams don't just win 30 games by accident,' said UC San Diego guard Hayden Gray, a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. 'We're going to go out there with confidence. See if they can stop us.' It'll be a tall task for the Tritons, literally and figuratively. Michigan will have a huge size advantage in 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Goldin and 7-foot big man Danny Wolf, and coach Dusty May's team is just as hot as UC San Diego. It toppled three straight Top 25 teams in Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin to cut down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament. Still, there have been 55 times in which the No. 12 seed triumphed since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, including twice last year, when James Madison beat Wisconsin and Grand Canyon knocked off Saint Mary's. 'The process doesn't change. It's still going to be the same things up on the board there before the game,' the Tritons' Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones said. 'We're just going to go out and do what we do.' West Region Much like Michigan, Memphis was probably hoping for a much better seed after winning the American Athletic tourney, but it got stuck with the dreaded No. 5 seed and a first-round matchup with Colorado State, the winner of the Mountain West Tournament. The Tigers, who are led by All-American candidate PJ Haggerty, proved they can beat anyone when they beat NCAA Tournament teams Michigan State, Clemson, Missouri, Ole Miss and UConn. But coach Anfernee Hardaway's crew also showed they can lose to just about anyone, such as Arkansas State and Temple. 'What an incredible story,' said Colorado State coach Niko Medved, whose team will face the Tigers on Friday in Seattle. 'This team, the legacy of this team, will live on forever. Just resilience and staying together. Believing in something that's bigger than yourself and not getting ahead of yourself.' West Region: Florida gets No. 1 seed, followed by Rick Pitino and St. John's at No. 2 East Region Oregon earned its No. 5 seed by having one of the strangest rollercoaster seasons of any high-major: The Ducks won 12 of their first 13 games, beating Texas A&M and Alabama along the way, then endured a five-game skid in Big Ten play, before running off an eight-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The Ducks now get a game Friday against No. 12 seed Liberty, which won the Conference USA tourney but has not played a single Quad 1 opponent this season. Midwest Region Will Wade has No. 12 seed McNeese back in the NCAA tourney for a second consecutive year, and its first-round foe should be awfully familiar: Clemson, where Wade worked as a student manager and started his career as a graduate assistant. The No. 5 seed Tigers, who won 18 games in the ACC, will play the Cowboys on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island.
Fox Sports
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Beware the 12 seed: Michigan, Memphis among the No. 5 seeds trying to avoid NCAA Tournament curse
Associated Press UC San Diego coach Eric Olen knew that his team would be good this season. This good? Maybe not quite. The Tritons were playing Division II ball just five years ago, when the pandemic shut down its tournament and may have kept his team from winning a national championship. The school began the transition to Division I the following year, and in its first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility, the Tritons punched their ticket by winning the Big West Tournament title. All of that is reason for rapture in Southern California. And reason for worry in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Tritons were rewarded with the No. 12 seed in the South Region, where they will face Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan in one of those testy 5-12 matchups that always seem to bust some brackets early. 'It's been a pretty special season, you know?" said Olen, who took over UC San Diego in 2013, when it was a mediocre DII program. 'These guys deserve all the recognition that has come their way. I knew we'd have a good team. I knew we'd be good. But his has been, you know, beyond my expectations of what was possible, to be in this situation, to play at this level for so long this season." The Tritons have won 15 consecutive games, so they will be taking plenty of momentum into their matchup with Michigan on Thursday in Denver. And lest anyone think they will be intimidated, remember this: They took No. 11 seed San Diego State down to the wire in one of their only four losses this season, 'Teams don't just win 30 games by accident,' said UC San Diego guard Hayden Gray, a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. 'We're going to go out there with confidence. See if they can stop us.' It'll be a tall task for the Tritons, literally and figuratively. Michigan will have a huge size advantage in 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Goldin and 7-foot big man Danny Wolf, and coach Dusty May's team is just as hot as UC San Diego. It toppled three straight Top 25 teams in Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin to cut down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament. Still, there have been 55 times in which the No. 12 seed triumphed since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, including twice last year, when James Madison beat Wisconsin and Grand Canyon knocked off Saint Mary's. 'The process doesn't change. It's still going to be the same things up on the board there before the game,' the Tritons' Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones said. 'We're just going to go out and do what we do.' West Region Much like Michigan, Memphis was probably hoping for a much better seed after winning the American Athletic tourney, but it got stuck with the dreaded No. 5 seed and a first-round matchup with Colorado State, the winner of the Mountain West Tournament. The Tigers, who are led by All-American candidate PJ Haggerty, proved they can beat anyone when they beat NCAA Tournament teams Michigan State, Clemson, Missouri, Ole Miss and UConn. But coach Anfernee Hardaway's crew also showed they can lose to just about anyone, such as Arkansas State and Temple. 'What an incredible story,' said Colorado State coach Niko Medved, whose team will face the Tigers on Friday in Seattle. 'This team, the legacy of this team, will live on forever. Just resilience and staying together. Believing in something that's bigger than yourself and not getting ahead of yourself." East Region Oregon earned its No. 5 seed by having one of the strangest rollercoaster seasons of any high-major: The Ducks won 12 of their first 13 games, beating Texas A&M and Alabama along the way, then endured a five-game skid in Big Ten play, before running off an eight-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The Ducks now get a game Friday against No. 12 seed Liberty, which won the Conference USA tourney but has not played a single Quad 1 opponent this season. Midwest Region Will Wade has No. 12 seed McNeese back in the NCAA tourney for a second consecutive year, and its first-round foe should be awfully familiar: Clemson, where Wade worked as a student manager and started his career as a graduate assistant. The No. 5 seed Tigers, who won 18 games in the ACC, will play the Cowboys on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: recommended
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Beware the 12 seed: Michigan, Memphis among the No. 5 seeds trying to avoid NCAA Tournament curse
UC San Diego coach Eric Olen knew that his team would be good this season. This good? Maybe not quite. The Tritons were playing Division II ball just five years ago, when the pandemic shut down its tournament and may have kept his team from winning a national championship. The school began the transition to Division I the following year, and in its first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility, the Tritons punched their ticket by winning the Big West Tournament title. All of that is reason for rapture in Southern California. And reason for worry in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Tritons were rewarded with the No. 12 seed in the South Region, where they will face Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan in one of those testy 5-12 matchups that always seem to bust some brackets early. 'It's been a pretty special season, you know?" said Olen, who took over UC San Diego in 2013, when it was a mediocre DII program. 'These guys deserve all the recognition that has come their way. I knew we'd have a good team. I knew we'd be good. But his has been, you know, beyond my expectations of what was possible, to be in this situation, to play at this level for so long this season." The Tritons have won 15 consecutive games, so they will be taking plenty of momentum into their matchup with Michigan on Thursday in Denver. And lest anyone think they will be intimidated, remember this: They took No. 11 seed San Diego State down to the wire in one of their only four losses this season, 'Teams don't just win 30 games by accident,' said UC San Diego guard Hayden Gray, a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. 'We're going to go out there with confidence. See if they can stop us.' It'll be a tall task for the Tritons, literally and figuratively. Michigan will have a huge size advantage in 7-foot-1 center Vladislav Goldin and 7-foot big man Danny Wolf, and coach Dusty May's team is just as hot as UC San Diego. It toppled three straight Top 25 teams in Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin to cut down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament. Still, there have been 55 times in which the No. 12 seed triumphed since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, including twice last year, when James Madison beat Wisconsin and Grand Canyon knocked off Saint Mary's. 'The process doesn't change. It's still going to be the same things up on the board there before the game,' the Tritons' Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones said. 'We're just going to go out and do what we do.' West Region Much like Michigan, Memphis was probably hoping for a much better seed after winning the American Athletic tourney, but it got stuck with the dreaded No. 5 seed and a first-round matchup with Colorado State, the winner of the Mountain West Tournament. The Tigers, who are led by All-American candidate PJ Haggerty, proved they can beat anyone when they beat NCAA Tournament teams Michigan State, Clemson, Missouri, Ole Miss and UConn. But coach Anfernee Hardaway's crew also showed they can lose to just about anyone, such as Arkansas State and Temple. 'What an incredible story,' said Colorado State coach Niko Medved, whose team will face the Tigers on Friday in Seattle. 'This team, the legacy of this team, will live on forever. Just resilience and staying together. Believing in something that's bigger than yourself and not getting ahead of yourself." East Region Oregon earned its No. 5 seed by having one of the strangest rollercoaster seasons of any high-major: The Ducks won 12 of their first 13 games, beating Texas A&M and Alabama along the way, then endured a five-game skid in Big Ten play, before running off an eight-game winning streak that ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. The Ducks now get a game Friday against No. 12 seed Liberty, which won the Conference USA tourney but has not played a single Quad 1 opponent this season. Midwest Region Will Wade has No. 12 seed McNeese back in the NCAA tourney for a second consecutive year, and its first-round foe should be awfully familiar: Clemson, where Wade worked as a student manager and started his career as a graduate assistant. The No. 5 seed Tigers, who won 18 games in the ACC, will play the Cowboys on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage:
Washington Post
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
North Carolina in, West Virginia out and more selection committee questions
The biggest subplot following Sunday's reveal of the NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket appears to be North Carolina's inclusion, right down to the fact committee chairman (and Tar Heels Athletic Director) Bubba Cunningham was joined for the customary interview with CBS by vice chair Keith Gill of the Sun Belt Conference. North Carolina was a borderline call the whole time. The Tar Heels turned out to be At-Large Team No. 37 when they just as easily could have been seen as At-Large Team No. 38 on the wrong side of the cut line. That's simultaneously a big difference in practice, but not a huge one in terms of evaluation. The real subplot was lurking in plain sight for the past three months, and it was alluded to at the very end of Sunday's final Washington Post bracket projection: Repeating from Saturday: If there's a seemingly safe team that might be in more danger than most think, it's West Virginia. The Mountaineers did much of their best work before Tucker DeVries got hurt in early December. Lo and behold, the Mountaineers were At-Large Team No. 38. West Virginia had six Quad 1 victories, two of them before DeVries was injured after eight games. The Mountaineers also lost to last-place Colorado in the second round of the Big 12 tournament last week, a misstep that seemed like it might relegate them to Dayton. Instead, West Virginia got sent to the NIT. And the one-Quad-1-win twins, North Carolina and Xavier, get to play on in the middle of this week. Among the biggest snubs and surprises from Sunday. … The Tar Heels were the team that, in retrospect, should have been rooting harder for Memphis in the American Athletic tournament championship game. Had the Tigers lost to UAB, Hubert Davis' Heels would have been squeezed out of the field. Instead, North Carolina gets a matchup with San Diego State, a game that features a pair of recent tournament runners-up. North Carolina didn't do much wrong; its worst loss was a one-point setback at home against Stanford. But it also didn't do much right, going 1-12 in Quadrant 1 games, the lone victory over UCLA. It beat two teams in the tournament field (Patriot League champ American was the other). Absolutely no one in Chapel Hill had any right to moan if the Tar Heels got excluded. But they're in after winning eight consecutive games against teams other than Duke over the final month of the season. North Carolina (22-13) needed every last one of those victories to secure a reprieve. The Tar Heels were the team that, in retrospect, should have been rooting harder for Memphis in the American Athletic tournament championship game. Had the Tigers lost to UAB, Hubert Davis' Heels would have been squeezed out of the field. Instead, North Carolina gets a matchup with San Diego State, a game that features a pair of recent tournament runners-up. North Carolina didn't do much wrong; its worst loss was a one-point setback at home against Stanford. But it also didn't do much right, going 1-12 in Quadrant 1 games, the lone victory over UCLA. It beat two teams in the tournament field (Patriot League champ American was the other). Absolutely no one in Chapel Hill had any right to moan if the Tar Heels got excluded. But they're in after winning eight consecutive games against teams other than Duke over the final month of the season. North Carolina (22-13) needed every last one of those victories to secure a reprieve. If someone does have the right to complain, it's the Mountaineers (19-13). Yes, the DeVries injury lowered their ceiling considerably, and they were 8-11 after Jan. 4. They also won at Kansas without the 6-foot-7 wing, and also picked off Iowa State in Morgantown after DeVries was lost for the season. That said, West Virginia was not a metrics darling (between 42nd and 53rd in six of the seven team sheet rankings), and the Big 12 tournament stinker against Colorado was a terrible last impression (especially when compared to North Carolina winning twice in the ACC tournament). Sunday's exclusion makes DeVries's injury an even bigger what-if than it already was. If someone does have the right to complain, it's the Mountaineers (19-13). Yes, the DeVries injury lowered their ceiling considerably, and they were 8-11 after Jan. 4. They also won at Kansas without the 6-foot-7 wing, and also picked off Iowa State in Morgantown after DeVries was lost for the season. That said, West Virginia was not a metrics darling (between 42nd and 53rd in six of the seven team sheet rankings), and the Big 12 tournament stinker against Colorado was a terrible last impression (especially when compared to North Carolina winning twice in the ACC tournament). Sunday's exclusion makes DeVries's injury an even bigger what-if than it already was. How the committee found three teams worth of difference between the Musketeers and North Carolina on its seed list is the most perplexing part of the evening. Regardless, Sean Miller's team made it in after a late-season high-wire act that included seven consecutive victories, largely against the bottom third of the Big East. This could have been much easier for Xavier (21-11) had it defeated Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals after holding a double-digit lead in the second half. Instead, the Musketeers will make the roughly hour-long drive north to Dayton for a play-in game for the first time since 2014. They should have plenty of support in the stands while facing Texas. How the committee found three teams worth of difference between the Musketeers and North Carolina on its seed list is the most perplexing part of the evening. Regardless, Sean Miller's team made it in after a late-season high-wire act that included seven consecutive victories, largely against the bottom third of the Big East. This could have been much easier for Xavier (21-11) had it defeated Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals after holding a double-digit lead in the second half. Instead, the Musketeers will make the roughly hour-long drive north to Dayton for a play-in game for the first time since 2014. They should have plenty of support in the stands while facing Texas. The Cardinals (27-7) ranked 28th or better in all seven team sheet metrics, and while their Quadrant 1 record wasn't fantastic (4-6), they were 11-1 in Quad 2 games and didn't lose to anyone outside that group. It's hard to believe Pat Kelsey's bunch is on the No. 8 line. Louisville is the most blatantly underseeded team in the field. The good news? They'll open the tournament in nearby Lexington and have a chance to pack archrival Kentucky's arena. The bad news? They likely will face Auburn in the second round. That's a much tougher ask than facing a No. 3 or No. 4 seed, even if that would have required some extra travel. The Cardinals (27-7) ranked 28th or better in all seven team sheet metrics, and while their Quadrant 1 record wasn't fantastic (4-6), they were 11-1 in Quad 2 games and didn't lose to anyone outside that group. It's hard to believe Pat Kelsey's bunch is on the No. 8 line. Louisville is the most blatantly underseeded team in the field. The good news? They'll open the tournament in nearby Lexington and have a chance to pack archrival Kentucky's arena. The bad news? They likely will face Auburn in the second round. That's a much tougher ask than facing a No. 3 or No. 4 seed, even if that would have required some extra travel.
USA Today
17-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NCAA Tournament winners and losers: North Carolina, Michigan lead March Madness list
NCAA Tournament winners and losers: North Carolina, Michigan lead March Madness list Show Caption Hide Caption The Florida Gators lead dominant SEC conference in NCAA tournament USAT's Jordan Mendoza talks about Florida taking the SEC over the Vols and how the SEC could dominate the March Madness down to the Final Four. Sports Seriously Selection Sunday revealed one of the least controversial NCAA men's tournament brackets in recent history thanks to a bubble-bursting final stretch of the regular season. The list of teams left out of the 68-team field include Indiana, Boise State and West Virginia. This group might have a bone to pick with the selection committee, which instead gave the last at-large spot to North Carolina despite the Tar Heels' miserable performance in games against Quad 1 competition. But things generally went according to plan for the selection committee, which avoided a late dose of chaos after Memphis topped Alabama-Birmingham in the American Athletic championship game. That leaves Mountain West champion Colorado State as the only bid-stealing team in this year's bracket. The No. 1 line has Duke, Auburn, Florida and Houston. On the No. 2 line are Michigan State, Tennessee, St. John's and Alabama. Among the teams joining the Tar Heels on the back end of the at-large picture are Texas, Xavier and Utah State. Tournament action begins Tuesday with play-in games in Dayton, Ohio, pitting North Carolina against San Diego State and No. 16 seeds St. Francis and Alabama State. Here are the winners and losers from Selection Sunday: Winners North Carolina UNC made the field as a No. 11 seed in the South region despite winning all of one game against Quad 1 competition, which can be seen as both a damning indictment of the Tar Heels' mediocrity and a statement about the dearth of qualified options on the back end of the at-large picture. While the tournament berth puts a positive spin on what has been an often miserable season – and helps coach Hubert Davis avoid a second tournament absence in three years — how far the Tar Heels advance in March depends on how quickly they can reboot, refocus and embrace this opportunity. Duke Duke were locked onto the No. 1 line after beating the Cardinals 73-62 despite missing star freshman Cooper Flagg, who injured his ankle in the ACC semifinals. This performance on Saturday night speaks to the Blue Devils' depth beyond Flagg's brilliance as perhaps the most well-rounded player in this year's tournament. The East region is also kind to Duke, which is projected to face No. 8 Baylor or No. 9 Mississippi State in the second round before potentially facing off with No. 4 Arizona or No. 5 Oregon to decide the Elite Eight. But to get back to the Final Four, the Blue Devils might have to handle a matchup with No. 2 Alabama and the Crimson Tide's high-potency offense. LEFT OUT: Six teams snubbed by the NCAA men's tournament Memphis Memphis was one of the toughest teams to predict in our bracketology, with the potential to land anywhere from the No. 5 line to a No. 7 seed after beating UAB. The Tigers landed as the No. 5 in the West, drawing an opening-round matchup with No. 12 Colorado State and then No. 4 Maryland or No. 13 Grand Canyon for a trip to the Sweet 16. Looking at the resume, it's clear the committee valued the Tigers' convincing run through the AAC and impressive 6-1 mark against Quad 1 teams, including non-conference wins against Missouri, Connecticut, Michigan State and Clemson. The SEC The SEC set a tournament record for a single conference with 14 teams in this year's field: No. 1 Auburn, No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 6 Mississippi in the South; No. 2 Alabama and No. 8 Mississippi State in the East region; No. 1 Florida, No. 6 Missouri, No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 10 Arkansas in the West; and No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Kentucky, No. 9 Georgia and No. 11 Texas in the Midwest. After a banner regular season, the onus is on the SEC to deliver on this well-deserved respect by sending multiple teams to the second weekend and potentially two or more all the way to the Final Four. Losers Michigan Several factors combine to make Michigan perhaps the biggest loser in this year's field. For one, the Wolverines are a No. 5 seed in the South despite beating Wisconsin for the Big Ten championship; the Badgers, meanwhile, are the No. 3 seed in the East. Michigan also plays on Thursday in Denver, giving them a shortened turnaround time to recover from the grind of the Big Ten tournament. Lastly, the Wolverines will take on No. 12 UC San Diego, which ended the regular season No. 35 in the NET rankings after going 30-4 overall and 4-2 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 competition. In Michigan's favor is the postseason track record of first-year coach Dusty May, who led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four two years ago. Louisville That dismal perception of the ACC clearly had a major influence on Louisville, which scaled the conference standings under new coach Pat Kelsey before falling to Duke in yesterday's championship game. Despite winning 27 games during the regular season, including a combined 15 wins against Quad 1 and Quad 2 competition, the Cardinals drew the No. 8 seed in the South and a first-round matchup with No. 9 Creighton. With a win there, Louisville would face SEC regular-season champion Auburn, which spent most the year as the unquestioned top-ranked team in the country. That's a very rough draw for one of the biggest major-conference success stories of this season. But Louisville does get to play the first weekend in Lexington, Kentucky, which might be enemy territory but will provide a very friendly crowd. St. John's There's good news and bad news for the Big East champions, which on Saturday cut down the nets after the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden for the first time in 25 years. (Turns out that Rick Pitino was a good idea.) The good news: St. John's lands as the No. 2 seed opposite No. 15 Nebraska-Omaha in the West region, the program's highest NCAA tournament seeding since that 2000 season. That sets up the potential for a second-round matchup with John Calipari and No. 10 Arkansas, should the Razorbacks get past No. 7 Kansas. The bad news can be found in that West region landing spot. Had they been placed in the East, the Red Storm could've played for a Final Four appearance in nearby Newark, New Jersey.
