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Five Expert Bold Predictions for 2018 March Madness
🎥 Tyus Battle after his 29-point performance in Wednesday night’s loss at BC pic.twitter.com/0K7IMgKRq2
— Syracuse Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) 1 de marzo de 2018
Syracuse (18-11, 7-9 ACC) will miss the tournament
That Jim Boeheim 2-3 defense is a hallmark for the Orange. Once again, it is frustrating opponents left and right this season. Unfortunately, only three Syracuse players are reliable scorers: Oshae Brissett, Frank Howard, and Tyus Battle. Duke knew that and focused on shutting down those three players in a 60-44 home win. The Orange have to finish the season with Clemson at home, but let’s say that the Orange beat Clemson and then get on a bit of a roll in the ACC tournament. Given the number of teams that Syracuse could pick up quality wins against, could you leave them out? Given the paucity of scoring options they have, it just doesn’t look like they will survive the bubble this year.Oklahoma (17-11, 7-9 Big 12) will lose in the first round
Right now, the Sooners look headed to a 10-seed in the bracket. That’s a stunning collapse for a top-10 team (back before Big 12 play began). The team has risen and fallen with freshman Trae Young, whose tremendous scoring hit a real wall in conference play, as other teams realized that Young is not a selective shooter and will force the ball from just about anywhere on the floor. That’s good news for more patient defenses like Texas Tech, West Virginia and Kansas (and by the way — did you know that in Kansas’ 14-season run of Big 12 regular season titles, they have never been swept home and away by any conference opponent? Talk about domination). The Sooners did beat Kansas State at home, but I don’t see them lasting long in the conference tournament, and I see them washing out in the Big Dance.Florida (18-11, 9-7 SEC) could push to the March Madness Sweet 16
The Gators pulled off a huge home win against Auburn late in conference play. They had dropped five of seven and had looked like they were sliding into the NIT. However, that win gave them a big Quadrant I result. Now they finish with Kentucky at home, and taking down the always unpredictable Wildcats going into the conference tournament would give the Gators even more buzz. That sort of finish could push them as high as a 6-seed, which gives them a winnable opener and could put them up against a vulnerable squad in the round of 32.St. Mary’s (27-4, 16-2 WCC) will be one-and-done
The peril of playing in the West Coast Conference is that if you lose to anyone not named Gonzaga, your seeding takes a big plunge. That’s what happened to the Gaels, and they have to beat Pepperdine or Santa Clara to take on Gonzaga in that final.
If they don’t want to look at something like a 12-seed, they have to beat Gonzaga in the WCC championship. I don’t see them doing that, and the ennui of WCC play seems to have dulled their edge.
