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Ricky Rothstein
NCAA Tournament Preview: South Region
The South Region of this year’s March Madness tournament is generally thought to be the most wide-open of the four. While N0. 1 Duke is considered to be a surefire lock for the Sweet 16 (and, depending on who you talk to, the Elite 8), there are a few “teen” seeds — No. 13 Siena especially — that could be ripe for a surprise.
Let’s take a look at some of the keys to this portion of the March Madness bracket. All relevant NCAA college basketball betting lines come courtesy Sports Interaction’s online sportsbook:
Duke (2010 NCAA Championship outright odds: 13/2)
The Blue Devils will tell you there’s no easy road to the Final Four, but if you were to make the case that their was one, well, Duke would have it. There’s little doubt they’ll sweep past Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opening round, and then will likely make mincemeat out of the winner of the 8-9 that’s to follow — either Cal or Louisville.
The Dukies are a veteran, well-balanced and defensive-oriented team that can match up with anybody in the country. Because their scoring is so evenly spread amongst the top three guys — Jon Scheyer leads with 18.6 ppg, but Kyle Singler (17.6) and Nolan Smith (17.3) are right behind — the Blue Devils don’t need to rely on a single guy and can beat you from a myriad of ways on the floor. Add in the fact that F Miles Plumlee (5.4ppg) and C Brian Zoubek (5.3) have emerged as effective, can-beat-you-if-you-lose-them-type scorers in the ACC Tournament and, well, Duke is Duke. They’re really good.
The Wildcats are the most tourney-tested team in the region, having rode the heroics of Scottie Reynolds last year all the way to the Final Four. There’s much to like about the Wildcats — they have great guard play (Reynolds is an excellent veteran; Corey Fisher can score in bunches), they’re a veteran group, they’re battle-tested having played all year in the Big East, and they’re in a region where seemingly anything can happen. Their one downfall is, and most likely will be, a lack of size in the middle — forwards Antonio Pena and Taylor King are hard-working and robust post players (albeit undersized ones) that will run into trouble when they’re forced to guard elite big men in the tournament.
The Bears are easily the most intriguing team in the South. Just a few years ago, this program was in tatters and the prospect of a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament was laughable. But with some solid recruiting and Juco transfers, coach Scott Drew’s team has emerged as a national power.
Everybody tends to focus on leading scorer LaceDarius Dunn as the driving force behind Baylor, but their most important player (in my eyes, anyways) is F-C Ekpe Udoh. the 6-10 manchild transfer from Michigan has been an absolute stud this year, a virtual double-double machine that averaged 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season. Udoh is a physical specimen that you don’t often see at the NCAA level — again, 6-10, 240lbs — and he can dominate games with his strength and shot-blocking ability. If he gets hot and Baylor can stroke it from the outside, the Bears could be a real darkhorse contender for the Final Four.
If you’d like to check out this and other NCAA college basketball betting lines, head on over to the Sports Interaction online sportsbook today!
