SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
The coronavirus pandemic made for a unique shortened season, but it made it to this weekend’s Sweet 16 for both the men and women in the NCAA Division I tournament.
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The COPID-19 threat also placed both in one area, the men in Indianapolis, the women in San Antonio, and that’s Indiana and Texas, respectively.
The PAC12 put the most teams into the March Madness’ current level, with five men’s and four women’s within advancing to the Elite Eight. Next in the women’s field is the Big 10 with four, the Atlantic Coast Conference with three, and the men with two each in the ACC, Southeastern Conference and Big East.
Three of the top seeds remain among the men, with only Illinois eliminated. But all four women’s top seeds are still in the hunt, and while the men have stayed with East, West, North, South regions, the women decided to go with the Mercado, the Hemisphere, the Alamo, and the River Walk.
Ladies first, and in the Mercado it will No. 1 seed North Carolina State (21-2) taking on 4th-seeded Indiana (19-5), and 2nd-seeded Texas A & M (25-2) facing 3rd-seeded Arizona (18-5). In the Hemisphere, it’s No. 1 seed South Carolina (23-4) against 6th-seeded Texas (20-9), and 2nd-seeded Maryland (25-2) versus 5th-seeded Georgia Tech (16-8).
In the Alamo, No.1 seed Stanford (26-2) plays 6th-seeded Missouri State (23-2), and 2nd-seeded Louisville (25-3) meets up with 4th-seeded Oregon (15-8). And in the River Walk, No. 1 seed Connecticut (25-1) goes against 6h-seeded Iowa (19-4), and 2nd-seeded Baylor (26-2) versus 6th-seeded Michigan (15-5).
The men in the West Region highlight top-seeded, undefeated Gonzaga (26-0) matching up with 5th-seeded Creighton (21-6), and 6th-seeded Southern California (19-8) taking on 7th-seeded Oregon (17-7). In the East, it’s No. 1 seed Michigan (23-3) facing 4th-seeded Florida State (18-5), and 2nd-seeded Alabama (23-4) meets up with 11th-seeded UCLA (17-9).
In the South, the No. 1 seed Baylor (25-2) plays 5th-seeded Villanova (19-6), and 3rd-seeded Arkansas (25-6) meets up with 15th-seeded Oral Roberts (19-10). In the Midwest, 2nd-seeded Houston (26-3) goes against 11th-seeded Syracuse (18-9), and 8th-seeded Loyola of Chicago (27-4) versus 12th-seeded Oregon State (19-12).
The men’s bracket-breakers are sill hanging around, and that’s No. 15 Oral Roberts, No. 12 Oregon State, and No. 11s UCLA and Syracuse.
Nothing like that among the women. The lowest seeds to move on were the three No. 6s, Texas, Missouri State and Michigan. Missouri State is on a 18-game win streak, Maryland has won 19 in a row, Baylor its last 18, UConn its last 15, and North Carolina State, Stanford, and South Carolina are playing their best ball at this stage.
THE WOMEN:
The MERCADO — North Carolina State in a tough region with the other three top seeds, and Indiana is in the tournament for the first time, and hopeful of contending with the taller, more experienced Wolfpack. Texas A & M is a pesky bunch that has no quit and plays hard until the final buzzer, while Arizona has gotten here for the first time in 15 years, and can match up with the Aggies in size, but not in experience.
The HEMISPHERE –: South Carolina has All-America guard/forward Aliah Boston who is tough to defend, while Georgia Tech has been playing inspired ball with a pair of comebacks behind a well-balanced lineup. As it was during the regular season, Maryland is the high-scoring team of the tournament, scoring 100 in its last game and is equally adept at running the floor and hitting jumper, as for Texas, it has had an up-and-down season but is on a recent roll with two grind-out wins.
The ALAMO — Stanford is soaring hot, has experience, size and balance and led by sharpshooter Cammi Williams, and Missouri State is on a real roll, playing its best ball at the right time. Louisville had to come from 18 points down to get past Northwestern, and needs to get more from All-America Dana Evens against a suddenly awakened Oregon team that has picked up the pace down the stretch, and will have to up its defense to contain Evans.
The RIVER WALK: — UConn gets back legendary head coach Geno Auriemma after he tested positive and missed the first two rounds. The Huskies are led by super freshman Paige Bueckers, who is the leading choice for Player of the Year and a certain All-America. But a well-coached Iowa team has freshman All-America Caitlin Clark as the leading scorer in the country and she and Bueckers are close friends. Baylor has put the pieces together with its size and experience, but will have to content with the offensive-minded Wolverines.
Picks to gain the Elite Eight — North Carolina State, South Carolina, Stanford, UConn, but there can be surprises with each region having teams on a run.
THE MEN:
The SOUITH leads off the two days on Saturday game and has a No. 1 seed in Baylor (25-2) as the Bears have have come back from a three-week virus pause and remains an offensive threat and they followed up the 79-55 win over Hartford by getting past a worthy opponent in Wisconsin with a sign that the team’s swagger is slowly returning. In 5th-seeded Villanova (19-6) they have hit by injuries to two starters, but it is well-coached and always confident.
Then there’s 3rd-seeded Arkansas (25-6), which responded to a rocky start, and, led by Justin Smith, has been knocking them in from outside and making its defense more aggressive. Oral Roberts is a real surprise, just the second No. 15 seed in history to make it to the Sweet 16, but the Golden Eagles (19-10) do have a a quality one-two punch with the nation’s leading scorer, Max Abams and his sidekick Kevin Obaner, and seeks respect.
The MIDWEST — The Saturday night closer has the 8th-seeded Loyola of Chicago and its 101-year-old Sister Jean, its chaplain since 1984, it sports a 27-4 record and is only three years away from gaining the Final Four, The Ramblers have a balanced lineup, plus self confidence and yet another run. Now they meet up with surprising 12th-seeded Oregon State (19-12), which upset No. 5 Tennessee and No. 4 Oklahoma State after stellar play in the conference tournament.
Wow, that’s 11th-seeded Syracuse (18-9) after weeks of notice that it would be one of the first four out, but the rejuvenated Orange got behind 6-7 junior Buddy Boeheim, and head coach Jim Boeheim’s son was out of sight with his short and long jumpers and overall game, and now the target is 2nd-seeded Houston (26-3), a team that will be tested by the Boeheim zone defense, but the Cougars have lots of weapons with a high-powered offensive, an aggressive defense, and will be tough to for the Orange to peel.
The WEST — plays Sunday and features top-seeded, undefeated Gonzaga (26-0) seeking its first national championships with experience, size, talent, and a prime example of balance and team work, will be tough to bring down, and will face 5th-seeded Creighton (20-6), which has had its up and downs, but have appeared to be playing better, and when the Blue Jays are on, they can be a a tough opponent.
Two surprises meet in the second game when 7th-seeded Oregon (17-11) takes on 6th-seeded Southern California (18-9), as the Ducks have come back from a late-season collapse to take care of the business they are capable of, and they do have the talent, while the Trojans have come on strong at the right time, doing well in the conference tournament and carrying it over to the postseason behind contributions from key players.
The EAST — There’s No. 1-seeded Michigan (24-2) coming back from a midseason letdown and with injuries to key players, but the Wolverines have gotten fine play from those off the bench and its defense remains stout, so now it has to meet up with a tough foe in 4th-seeded Florida State (22-7), with the Seminoles on a hot streak after losing in the conference finals to Georgia Tech, and they rely on outside shooting, getting inside to use their bulk, and playing smart.
Another surprise, 11th-seeded UCLA (18-12) in game two versus 2nd-seeded Alabama (25-4), and the Bruins, who have the men’s record 10 national championships, will have to continue applying their improved defense and balanced offense to handle the Crimson Tide, which reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004, and are best known for their 3-point shooting, and a trapping defense along with SEC Player of the year, 6-foot-8 senior Herb Jones.
Picks to gain the Elite Eight — Baylor, Loyola of Chicago, Gonzaga, Michigan, and here again there’s surprises that can occur.
