The following games will be played Thursday in Oklahoma City.
No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks vs. No. 16 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (+25.5, --)
A No. 16 seed has never beaten a No. 1 seed, and a historic win like that isn’t going to happen for the first time here.
Kansas (32-2) is the overwhelming favourite to win the national championship, and its size, speed, depth and skill is way too much for Lehigh.
Lehigh (22-10), winner of the Patriot League tournament, faced just one NCAA tournament team all year, losing at Richmond 65-53 in its season opener on Nov. 13.
The Mountain Hawks can shoot from the outside, led by freshman C.J. McCollum, last year’s Ohio state high school player of the year. But size down low is limited. Jayhawks 6-11 junior Cole Aldrich and 6-8 sophomore Marcus Morris could have a field day – if they play in the second half.
Prediction: Kansas 82, Lehigh 48
No. 8 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels vs. No. 9 Northern Iowa Panthers (+1.5, 113.5)
A true contrast of styles. UNLV (25-8) is quick and likes to score. Northern Iowa (28-4) leans on teams before its superior depth puts the game in its favour. The Panthers don’t let teams score – they’re No. 2 in the nation allowing only 54.3 ppg. Whichever team can control the tempo will have the edge.
UNLV can go as many as 11 deep, and seven players average at least 10 minutes per game. The backcourt is its strength, led by junior Tre’Von Willis (17.3 ppg) and 6-8 sophomore swing Chace Stanback (10.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg).
The Rebels will need that depth. UNI senior center Jordan Eglseder (12.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) goes 7-foot, 280 pounds. Forward Adam Koch (11.8 ppg), the Missouri Valley player of the year, is 6-8, 255. The top two frontcourt reserves each weigh 255.
UNI played just one team that got to the NCAA Tournament: The Panthers hammered Siena 82-65 on Dec. 12. UNLV played 10 games, going 5-5.
Prediction: Northern Iowa 61, UNLV 58
These games will be played Thursday in Providence, R.I.
No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 11 San Diego State Aztecs (+2.5, 125.5)
No single-digit seeded team is more of an enigma than Tennessee (25-8), which beat Kansas and Kentucky but also lost badly to Georgia and Southern Cal. It’s hard to tell which Tennessee team will show up. You’d think the Vols would get up for the big games, but they lost to archrival Kentucky 74-45 in the SEC tournament semifinals.
Sophomore 6-7 guard Scotty Hopson (12.5 ppg) and 6-9 forward Wayne Chism (12.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are the leaders, but both can be streaky.
Tennessee feels disrespected by its No. 6 seed, and that could be the motivation it needs to bring out its best for San Diego State.
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve been doubted and disrespected, so it’s nothing new to me,” senior Brian Williams told the Associated Press. “It just makes us hungrier as a team and more focused on knowing what we’ve got to do to get to the next round.”
San Diego State (25-8) is big and balanced. The Aztecs have four starters 6-7 or taller, and a 6-11, 300-pounder in Brian Carlwell waiting on the bench.
Four players average in double figures, led by the 6-7 freshman forward Kawhi Leonard’s 12.8 ppg and 9.9 rpg. San Diego State has never won an NCAA Tournament game.
One telling stat: Tennessee is 12-2 in games decided by single digits.
Prediction: Tennessee 71, San Diego State 70
No. 3 Georgetown Hoyas vs. No. 14 Ohio Bobcats (+13.5, 137.5)
Most of the season, Georgetown was a solid defensive and rebounding squad. Most of the season.
Georgetown came to play against the elite teams of the Big East, but at times struggled against the bottom feeders, hence its pedestrian 10-8 conference record.
In the Big East tourney final, the Hoyas were outrebounded by West Virginia 40-23, but still only lost 60-58.
But the Hoyas are big and physical. Greg Monroe, a 6-11 sophomore, averages 16.1 ppg and 9.5 rpg. Guards Chris Wright (14.8 ppg) and Austin Freeman (16.7 ppg) give G’town a solid inside-out game. Depth is a concern, but their first-round opponent probably won’t be able to expose that.
After going just 7-9 in the MAC, Ohio (21-14) won two overtime games and came through with the conference tourney title.
While the Bobcats’ two starting frontcourt players, Kenneth van Kempen and Reggie Kelly, average 6-9 and 264 pounds, the team was among the MAC’s worst in rebounding and blocked shots. Against a big and physical Georgetown front line, Ohio will have to bring its ‘A’ game down low.
Prediction: Georgetown 74, Ohio 59