Midwest Region team-by-team capsules

By Joe Sullivan

1. Houston

Conference: American Athletic

Record: 31-3 (17-1)

Scouting report: Kelvin Sampson has transformed Houston from a has-been program into a national championship contender. The Cougars do it mostly on the defensive end where they strangled opponents into submission and are among the nation’s leaders in all defensive categories. They’re not an attractive offensive team but they make up for it with relentless offensive rebounding. The Cougars best player is senior guard Marcus Sasser, who averages 17.1, but he was injured in the conference tournament. The Cougars need him healthy. Freshman forward Jarace Walker is developing into a star. Point guard Jamal Shead is as steady as they come.

2. Texas

League: Big 12

Record: 26-8 (12-6)

Scouting report: The Longhorns did a fantastic job somehow keeping their basketball focus while their head coach was being suspending and then fired for a domestic violence episode (the charges were eventually dropped). Guard Marcus Carr is the team’s leading scorer at 15.9, but here’s the problem … should he be averaging that much on a team with so many other offensive options like Timmy Allen, Tyrese Hunter (practically forgotten), and Sir’Jabari Rice? Carr leads the team in assists but seems to have the ball too much for a team that has that much wide-spread talent. Hunter and Rice should have more shots. The Longhorns’ big man only occasionally have good games. That being said, it’s a talented group and they were terrific in winning the Big 12 Tournament. They could prove me wrong.

3. Xavier

Conference: Big East

Record: 25-9 (15-5)

Scouting report: There two huge differences between this Xavier team and last season’s: Sean Miller is on the bench and Souley Boum is the point guard. It’s turned the Muskies from underachieving, also-ran to a team that could make a deep run in the NCAAs. Miller has toughened this team defensively, and offensively, they’re balanced with lots of options. It’s starts with Boum, the transfer from UTEP (he was an all-CUSA player). He’s the team’s leading scorer (16.5 ppg) and assist maker (4.3 apg); both those assets makes the rest of the roster more dangerous than it was. Overall, this is a balanced offensive team that shares the ball. Shooting guard Colby Jones (15.2 ppg) almost has as many assists as Boum.

4. Indiana

Conference: Big Ten

Record: 22-11 (12-8)

Scouting report: In 2023, how can a player be a first-team All-American without attempting even one three-pointer? Trayce Jackson-Davis is just that because he’s become an absolute terror in the paint, averaging 20.8 ppg and hitting 57.8 percent of his shots. The most entertaining move is the quick pivot followed by a dunk. It’s devastating. He’s also an excellent passer out of the low post; he leads the team in assists. The emergence of freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schfino (13.5 ppg) as a star has proven to be great complement to Jackson-Davis, and as a group, this an excellent three-point shooting team.

5. Miami

Conference: ACC

Record: 25-7 (15-5)

Scouting report: The Hurricanes play with a high intensity that few teams can match. The leader in that category (and often in many others) is senior guard Isaiah Wong, who also leads the team in scoring (16.2 ppg) and assists. Arkansas State transfer Norchad Omier is a wide body who is only 6-7 but is able to contender with talker players. Wong is joined in the backcourt by Kansas State transfer Nigel Pack (and his well-publicized $400,000 NIL deal) and sophomore guard Wooga Popular (a future star). The Hurricanes lack height, and that could be a problem in the tournament, but they make up for it with willingness to fight.

6. Iowa State

Conference: Big 12

Record: 19-13 (9-9)

Scouting report: How come no one compares the biceps of Cyclones’ coach T.J. Otzelberger to retired NFL referee Ed Hochuli? He’s always in short sleeves bursting out of his shirt. Otzelberger may not be the king of the transfer portal but he’s part of the royal family. For the second consecutive year, he’s rebuilt his team completely and this season’s version was near the top of Big 12 all season. The Cyclones mostly do it with defense, rugged man-to-man backup by shot-blocker Osun Osunniyi. Both Osunniyi and Jaren Holmes transferred from Saint Bonaventure. Holmes (13.4 ppg) is the go-to player when the Cyclones need a basket. The other guards, Gabe Kalscheur (12.9 ppg) and Caleb Grill (9.5 ppg) are dangerous, streaky three-point shooters.

7. Texas A&M

Conference: SEC

Record: 25-9 (15-3)

Scouting report: Are the Aggies the team that finished second in the SEC or the team that lost to Wofford … Murray State … Boise State. … Colorado? Those losses were hard to rebound from but they did it. They did it by playing the way coach Buzz Williams like, physical defense and patient offense. They’re not pleasant to watch. The Aggies are led by point guard Wade Taylor IV, their leading scorer (16.6 ppg) and playmaker (4.0 apg). The only other double-figure scorer is forward Tyrece Radford (13.3). Julius Marble, a 6-9 transfer from Michigan State, gives the team some inside presence.

8. Iowa

Conference: Big Ten

Record: 19-12 (11-9)

Scouting report: Will the Hawkeyes’ season be defined by the awful night of Dec. 21 when they suffered an improbable lost to Eastern Illinois when they were a 30-point favorite and somehow gave up 92 points? Only multiple wins in this tournament would make that possible. Make no mistake, they’re capable of it, one of the best offensive teams in the country, averaging 80.6 ppg and playing an entertaining style. Forward Kris Murray is one of the top 15 players in the country; he seems to score with easy. The problem is on the other end of the court where the Hawkeyes allow opponents to connect on 47.4 percent of their shots. Remember, Eastern Illinois scored 92. To be successful, they’re going to have defend better.

9. Auburn

Conference: SEC

Record: 20-12 (10-8)

Scouting report: The Tigers are a bit of a mirage, a team not as a good as its record or maybe not as good as it once was when they put together a string of decent victories in December. In March, they’re vulnerable. And that starts with point guard Wendell Green Jr. It's hard to believe that coach Bruce Pearl lets him have the ball as much as he does since he’s not a good shooter (36 percent) and is turnover prone (a team-leading 87). Jaylin Williams can be unstoppable at times especially with his left hand inside 15 feet but he doesn’t get enough chances. Leading scorer is big man Johni Broome, who can be a force inside at both ends. One thing this team does very well is guard the three-point line (opponents shoot 28.8 percent), they are the among the best in the country at that.

10. Penn State

Conference: Big Ten

Record: 22-13 (10-10)

Scouting report: Any thoughts of an NCAA berth seemed to fall away after a four-game losing streak in early February, but the Nittany Lions were persistent. They won five of their last six then pushed their way into the Big Ten Tournament final to get in. It was a remarkable coaching job by Micah Shrewsberry, the former Brad Stevens assistant who’s already rumored for other jobs. The Lions have one of the most overlooked players in the country in guard Jalen Pickett, a transfer from Siena. He leads the team in scoring (18.1 ppg), rebounding (7.4 rpg) and assists (6.7 apg). He is joined by three good outside shooters in Seth Lundy (14.2 ppg), Andrew Funk (12.2 ppg) and Cam Wynter (8.8 ppg).

11. Pitt

Conference: ACC

Record: 22-11 (14-6)

Scouting report: One of the biggest surprises of the season and this NCAA bid might have saved coach Jeff Capel’s job. He did a great job in the transfer portal, bringing nomads like Jamarius Burton (Texas Texas/Wichita), Blake Hinton (Iowa State/Mississippi), Greg Elliott (Marquette) and Nelly Cummings (Colgate).

Capel has molded this group into a cohesive squad. Federiko Federiko, a 6-11 sophomore, has rapidly improved throughout the season. A big problem for the Panthers is this is not a deep team; at most Capel uses eight players.

11. Mississippi State

Conference: SEC

Record: 21-12 (8-10)

Scouting report: Coach Chris Jans is a lucky guy in a lot of ways. After he was fired at Bowling Green for inappropriate behavior in a bar; he eventually landed at New Mexico State where he had success before escaping to Mississippi State from a situation in Las Cruces where administrators had to suspend the program this season because of a player being involved in a shooting and team hazing. Jans also spent time at Wichita under Gregg Marshall, who was fired for mistreating players. He’s really happy to be in Hattiesburg. He’s done well in his first season; the Bulldogs play conservatively, averaging 65 ppg while limiting opponents to 61. It’s all pretty unremarkable but it’s worked. The Bulldogs’ leading scorer is Tolu Smith who averages 15.8 ppg and 8.5 rpg. He gets to the foul line, too, attempting 246 free throws. Unfortunately, he converts just 65 percent.

12. Drake

Conference: Missouri Valley

Record: 27-7 (15-5)

Scouting report: The Bulldogs are one of the oldest teams in the country. They have four fifth-year starters. It’s a veteran team that knows how to play together. However, their best player is sophomore forward Tucker DeVries, son of the head coach and the MVC player of the year. It’s a team that’s cohesive at both ends, they’re a group of good shooters and statistically, they’re among the top 40 defensive teams. Point guard Roman Penn is a scoring threat and wise with the ball in his hands; he’s in the top 25 in the country in assist-to-turnovers rate. The other veteran starters are guard D.J. Wilkins, overachiever swingman Garrett Sturtz and bulky big man Darnell Brodie.

13. Kent State

Conference: Mid-American

Record: 28-6 (15-3)

Scouting report: Bob Senderoff has had a great coaching career at Kent; he’s had eight 20-win seasons in 12 years. This is only his second NCAA berth, however, and that mostly has to do with the selection committee’s complete distain for the MAC. It’s a league that’s more than good enough to receive two bids (Toledo, this season’s regular-season, is worthy). The Golden Flashes are also dangerous with great guard play from Sincere Carey (17.6 ppg, 4.8 apg) and Malique Jacobs (13.0 ppg, 3.6 apg). It’s like having two point guards. Defensively, the Flashes are a top 25 team in forcing turnovers; their opponent will have to deal with pressure. They proved their worth in two losing, road, non-conference efforts, playing both Houston and Gonzaga tough.

14. Kennesaw State

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Record: 26-8 (15-3)

Scouting report: It was only four seasons ago that Kennesaw was 1-28, one of the worst programs in the country. In fact, the Owls had never had a winning season in 18 seasons in Division 1. No one was expecting this, but coach Amir Abdur-Rahim gradually built a winner and has the school in the tournament for the first time ever. The Owls have decent overall size and a tough inside-out combo with guards Terrell Burden and Chris Youngblood plus big man Demond Robinson. Also, keep in mind that the ASUN is a much improved league; it’s no longer at the bottom of low majors.

15. Colgate

Conference: Patriot League

Record: 26-8 (17-1)

Scouting report: The Red Raiders are dangerous because they are one of the best shooting teams in the country. They connect on 51.4 overall (second in the nation) and 40.8 on three-pointers (first in the nation). They have five players averaging double figures and they share the ball (third in the nation in assists). Their best individual is 6-5 guard Tucker Richardson, a fifth-year player, who averages 13.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 5.7 apg. A true all-around player. Big man Keegan Records (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) is typical Colgate player, better than he looks. Coach Matt Lengel seems to be destined to a bigger job and a first-round victory over more would certainly lead to that. On the minus side, the Raiders are not a great defense team and despite their great shooting, they strangely 326th in free throw shooting.

16. Northern Kentucky

Conference: Horizon League

Record: 22-12 (14-6)

Scouting report: The Norse came out of the well-balance, highly competitive Horizon and it shouldn’t be surprising; they’ve been one of the top teams in the league for a while. Heck, their last 20 games six of the last seven seasons. They’re always good (for their level), and they did beat regular-season champ Youngstown State twice. Plus, they upset Cincinnati back in November. The best player is 6-2 junior guard Marquis Warrick, who averages 19.1 ppg.