The Pure Hoops Quick Hitters

Mississippi State under coach Ben Howland is solid at both ends. Senior Guard Quinndary Weatherspoon is explosive and has great shooting range. Tyson Carter and Lamar Peters are solid guards who are both capable of going on hot streaks. And they have quality non conference wins over Cincinnati and Wofford. Could be a real sleeper in the tournament.

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Temple hopes to make legendary coach Fran Dunphy’s final dance a memorable one. Their high scoring backcourt led by junior Shizz Alston gives the Owls a chance to go far in the tournament.

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VCU is one of the top defensive teams in the country. Marcus Evans is VCU’s best player, but his health is an issue after injuring his knee in the A-10 Tournament. De’Riante Jenkins and Isaac Vann provide balance on offense and Marcus Santos-Silva’s all around game complements those three well. But Evans’ health is paramount of the Rams expect to go far.

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Colgate represents the Patriot League and has won 11 straight games heading into the tournament. They are suspect defensively but will try to keep the pace very slow to compensate. Rapolas Ivanauskas is a big time talent and Jordan Burns averages 15 and 6 with a 35 point game in the conference championship.

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Minnesota is back in the dance after missing out last season. They can be inconsistent, but their defense never takes a night off. Richard Pitino has solid talent on the floor in 6-6 senior Jordan Murphy, a double double machine as well as 6-8 Amir Coffey, a solid all around performer, and 6-10 freshman center Daniel Oturu. If Coffey is on, the Gophers are a threat.

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Marquette has great guards who can light it up, especially Markus Howard. The 5-11 junior scores over 25 points a game. Brothers Sam And Joey Hauser provide lots of depth. They have several excellent non conference wins and are a dangerous opponent.

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Kansas has the talent to do well, even though its streak of consecutive Big 12 championships ended at 14 this season. Although they’ve had injury issues this season, they have a top coach in Bill Self and major talent in Dedric Lawson and Quentin Grimes. Devon Dotson and Marcus Garrett provide excellent balance for the Jayhawks.

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Houston had a great regular season with their stifling defense and solid wing play. Under coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars played well in last season’s NCAA Tournament and they expect to go even further this season. Galen Robinson, Corey Davis, and Armoni Brooks are solid and they have a future NBA talent in Dejon Jarreau.

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Baylor stumbles into the tournament on a four game losing streak. Star forward Tristan Clark was lost for the season with knee surgery back in January, but Makai Mason, a transfer from Yale has helped fill the void averaging 15 a game. If Mario Kegler and Jared Butler can regain their consistency, the Bears can make some noise in spite of their recent slump.

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Louisville features a solid defensive team and Jordan Nwora, the ACC’s most improved player. Under coach Chris Mack, they are efficient on offense and feature good height in the front court.

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