South Region team-by-team capsules

By Joe Sullivan

1. Alabama

Conference: SEC

Record: 29-5 (16-2)

Scouting report: This has nothing to do with their tournament potential but it’s incredible that Brandon Miller, an All-American and the best freshman in the country, escaped without punishment in the fatal shooting in February. Enough op-ed. The Crimson Tide have had a season for the ages. They are one of the highest scoring teams in the country, averaging around 82 ppg but they’re also efficient. Their reliance on the three-point shot can sometimes hurt them but mostly it leaves opponents gasping and failing to keep up. Miller is a great shooter and player, might be the next Kevin Durant. What makes this team different, and a national championship contender is the Tide are an excellent defensive team. They’re also deep and they crush teams on the boards.

2. Arizona

Conference: Pac 12

Record: 28-6 (14-6)

Scouting report: There’s not much Arizona doesn’t have. This is one of the highest-scoring teams in the country (82.7) that shoots it very well (49.6 percent). The Wildcats can bash opponents inside with big men Azuolas Trebelis (19.8 ppg) and Oumar Ballo (14.2) or can go on a three-point binge led by the sometimes wild point guard Kerr Kriisa and the steady Courtney Ramey. And they’re deep, too. Coach Tommy Lloyd uses plenty of players. Defensively, the duo of big guys makes it hard for opponents to get easy baskets. This is a national championship contender.

3. Baylor

Conference: Big 12

Record: 22-10 (11-7)

Scouting report: The Bears lost their first three Big 12 games, but eventually straighten things out. They win games on the perimeter with one of the best freshmen in the country Keyonte George combining with two veterans in Adam Flagler and L.J. Cryder. George and Flager are willing sharers of the ball; Cryder will most likely shoot it when he gets it. George, a projected NBA lottery pick, is a true volume scorer, averaging 15.8 but only hitting 38.7 percent of his shots. The Bears haven’t really suffered on the boards with a mediocre front line so coach Scott Drew makes it work by using various combinations.

4. Virginia

Conference: ACC

Record: 25-7 (15-5)

Scouting report: Virginia’s style of play is distinct. Coach Tony Bennett has his team concentrating on the defensive end mostly and then on offense, the Cavaliers really take their time. Heck, point guard Kihei Clark can dribble away the whole shot clock sometimes. They are precise and, many times, just outlast the defense. Plus, there are seven players averaging between 5.9 ppg and 12.5. Bennett’s strategy can leave his team vulnerable to an upset because they’re not capable of rallying from a big deficit. They need to play from ahead.

5. San Diego State

Conference: Mountain West

Record: 27-6 (15-3)

Scouting report: The Aztecs are pretty much a regular in NCAA Tournament because Brian Dutcher has established such a great program. He recruits valuable, overlooked players; was a leader in accepting transfers; and replaces departing talent quickly. Then they always play the same way: Defense first followed by patient, unselfish offense. They rebound viciously. Only one player averages in double figures, guard Matt Bradley (12.9), who’s built like a football player and sometimes plays like one. He's not a great shooter but seems to end up with enough points at the end of the game.

6. Creighton

Conference: Big East

Record: 21-12 (14-6)

Scouting report: A six-game losing streak – a three-game absence of center and leading scorer Ryan Kalkbrenner is responsible for that – seems like a long time ago. The Bluejays flew home from Maui after finishing second in that tournament and had the look of a Final Four team. That faded, but slowly they’ve regained form. Great offensive balance (five players average double figures) and tough defense (opponents only shoot 42 percent) is a recipe for winning. This is team that potentially could outplay its seeding but they’ll need point guard Ryan Nembhard to play well; he wasn’t at his best in the Big East Tournament.

7. Missouri

Conference: SEC

Record: 24-9 (11-7)

Scouting report: Expectations were near zero as coach Dennis Gates came from Cleveland State. He inherited one player of significance, forward Kobe Brown, who is this team’s leading scorer (15.8 ppg) but also contributes as a rebounder and passer. Gates surrounded him with a bunch of transfers including a few from Cleveland State, most notably D’Moi Hodge, this team’s second-leading scorer (14.8). It’s not always pretty, the Tigers get crushed on the boards and don’t get to the foul line as much as their opponents. They compiled a bunch of early-season victories against soft competition but then continued to surprise, holding up against the SEC competition with their best asset being hustle and determination.

8. Maryland

Conference: Big Ten

Record: 21-12 (11-9)

Scouting report: Coach Kevin Willard has had a decent first season and Maryland fans are actually happy. Transfer point guard Jahmir Young is the key to the team, leading the Terrapins in scoring (16.1 ppg) and assists while also grabbing 3.4 rebounds per game. The Terps mostly live inside the arc where they are good; outside the arc, just so-so. Defensively, they’re solid, holding teams to 63.1 ppg and 42.8 shooting percentage. Guard Donta Scott is not a great shooter but he affects the game in many others ways that are critical. One negative is the Terps have shown to be a much better team at home and have a losing record on the road.

9. West Virginia

Conference: Big 12

Record: 19-14 (7-11)

Scouting report: Bob Huggins rebuild his team with standout transfers Erik Stevenson (South Carolina), Tre Mitchell (Texas) and Joe Toussaint (Iowa). Those three lead a balanced offense that features five players in double figures. This is probably not Huggins’ best defensive teams but these Mountaineers still pound the boards as well as anyone. A non-conference schedule that featured 11 home and neutral games wasn’t the most difficult slate.

10. Utah State

Conference: Mountain West

Record: 26-8 (13-5)

Scouting report: The Aggies win games by being outstanding shooters and passers. They’re one of the top teams in the nation in effective field-goal percentage (which accounts for the importance of the three-point shot). They shoot a lot of threes, but there are teams that shoot more. They have three dangerous threats from behind the arc in Steven Ashworth (16.3 ppg), Taylor Funk (13.3 ppg) and Max Shulga (12.1 ppg). It can be beautiful basketball to watch when they’re sharing the ball, they ranked tenth in assists per game.

11. North Carolina State

Conference: ACC

Record: 23-10 (12-8)

Scouting report: There are those who think that NC State is an impossible job; too much nearby competition from Duke and North Carolina. Kevin Keats is trying to disprove that and this season’s success is something to build on. First, he has an All-ACC player in guard Terquavion Smith (17.5 ppg). Smith has a spin move that might remind old-timers of Earl Monroe (Not saying he’s as good as The Pearl, it’s just a style thing). The Wolfpack rely mostly on him and fellow guard Jarkel Joiner (17.1). Both can be erratic at times. Speaking of which, center D.J. Burns has great hands and feet but weight makes stamina a problem. He can look like he has all-league potential and then disappear into the night. If this team is playing well, they’re very dangerous. They’re also a prime candidate for early elimination.

12. Charleston

Conference: CAA

Record: 31-3 (16-2)

Scouting report: One quick gripe, it would have been disgraceful to exclude a 30-win team from the tournament if the Charleston had not won the CAA tournament. It’s a league that has produced two Final Four teams. Anyway, it was a historic season for this program and the Cougars are outstanding. They did beat some good teams, Kent State, Virginia Tech, Colorado State, Davidson … but not enough to move the NET ratings needle. They’re a high-scoring, fast-paced bunch that shoots the second-most threes per game in the country. The most dangerous gunner is Aussie Reyne Smith. Coach Pat Kelsey used 10 players and there are six of them that average between 9.0 and 12.3.

13. Furman

Conference: Southern

Record: 27-7 (15-3)

Scouting report: All right, let’s get two things out of the way. Furman’s Frank Selvy once scores 100 POINTS in a game which is the Division 1 record. Secondly, Furman has one of the cool nicknames, the Paladins – defined as any one of the 12 legendary peers or knightly champions in attendance on Charlemagne – but somehow it’s been shortened to DINS on their jerseys. Just awful. Please make it stop. Anyway, the Paladins haven’t been to the tournament since 1980 but they have a nice two-man combination in guard Mike Bothwell (18 ppg) and big man Jalen Slawson (15.7). They share the ball; they have nearly 200 more assists than their opponents. One worry, they almost blew two big leads in the conference tournament before gasping past the finish line. They’ve got to focus for 40 minutes.

14. UC Santa Barbara

Conference: Big West

Record: 27-7 (15-5)

Scouting report: Joe Pasternack has had a lot of success in his six seasons at UCSB and this is his second NCAA berth. His teams play carefully on offense and are always solid defensively. This year’s edition is no different, but the Gauchos are exceptional shooters, connecting at 49.3 percent clip which is seventh in the nation. Despite that, they still only average 72.2 points per game. This is also an experienced team, but the Gauchos’ best player is sophomore guard Ajay Mitchell who leads the team at 16.4 ppg.

15. Princeton

Conference: Ivy League

Record: 21-8 (10-4)

Scouting report: The Tigers were probably helped by having the homecourt advantage in the conference tournament which helped them emerge from a so-so Ivy League. The Tigers have a great player in 6-8 senior forward Tosan Evbuomwan, who leads them in scoring (14.8), rebounding (6.2) and assists (4.8). Everything runs through him. He’s surrounded by good shooters in Matt Allocco (10.9 ppg), Ryan Langborg (12.0 ppg) and Caden Pierce (8.2 ppg).

16. Texas A&M Corpus Christi

Conference: Southland

Record: 23-10 (14-4)

Scouting report: Steve Lutz has done a remarkable job as the Islanders’ coach. They were 5-19 two seasons ago; he took over and suddenly it’s consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. A former assistant at Purdue, Lutz has 12 transfers on his roster, the most in the nation, according to the school’s web site. The Islanders are led by three seniors, 6-4 guard Trevian Tennyson (15.7 ppg), 6-5 forward Isaac Muschilla (14.4 ppg and 9.7 rpg) and point guard Terrion Murdix (13.4 ppg, 5.4 apg).

16. Southeast Missouri

Conference: Ohio Valley

Record: 19-16 (10-8)

Scouting report: The Redhawks beat the top two seeds to win an evenly-matched OVC including wild, overtime victory in the final. They gave no indication that was about to happen after a regular season when they had an eight-game losing streak and lost their final two games. But they caught fire in Evansville, Ind, winning four games in four days. The Red Hawks are led by guard Phillip Russell, who’s the definition of a volume scorer, averaging 18 ppg by hitting only 40 percent of his shots. It’s a guard-oriented team as Chris Harris is the second-leading scorer at 15 ppg.