The bracket is set and March Madness is officially here. There are 68 college basketball teams ready to dance in Indianapolis, and as usual there was a ton to take away from what we saw during the Bracket Selection show. Each region has its own set of questions and a few teams that are under the radar. Let’s dig into the South Region, where Baylor has the top seed and Ohio State is No. 2. To help break down everything, Matt Gajewski and Ben Rasa are here for some rapid-fire picks for the South Region of the bracket.
March Madness: Expert NCAA Bracket Picks | South Region
Favorite to Win the South Region
Ben’s Pick: Baylor
I hate to go with all the chalk, but this region is clearly Baylor’s to lose. I am not overly sold on some aspect of this team, but there is no doubting their talent and how deep their backcourt is. The COVID stoppage certainly halted their momentum a few times this year, but when in form they look as good as anyone in the country. They are the best 3-point shooting team in the nation, and their zone defense has and will cause opponents problems. The road is reasonable with Purdue and possibly Ohio State in the way, but Baylor should be the team to beat in the South.
Matt’s Pick: Arkansas
Coming out of a strong SEC conference, Arkansas is a team to buy low on. The Razorbacks finished the regular season with a 22-6 record. Their only losses came to the top of the SEC, including their most recent loss to LSU in the SEC tournament. However, Arkansas played that game without big man Jaylin Williams. He played at least 22 minutes in every game before his four-game absence to end the year. Arkansas has battled injury throughout the year, including an additional absence from Justin Smith. Now fully healthy, this team has the depth and star power in Moses Moody to make a run in the South Region.
South Region DFS Player to Watch
Ben’s Pick: Max Abmas – Oral Roberts
Abmas probably will only get one game to showcase himself since Oral Roberts is a 15 seed, but this is a guy worth checking out. Abmas isn’t a household name, but he is the leading scoring in the country, at 24.2 points per game. He shoots 90% from the free-throw line and 43% from behind the arc, so watch out if he gets going. Ohio State is a gigantic step up in competition and most likely will win easily, but expect Abmas to still do his part in keeping this one respectable.
Matt’s Pick: Trevion Williams – Purdue
Arguably the most efficient big man in the country, Williams put his full star power on display against Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament. Williams scored 26 points and secured 14 boards against one of the nation’s strongest frontcourts, Ohio State. Purdue absurdly limits his minutes at times, but Williams accounts for 22.9% of shots, 28.3% of rebounds and 14.9% of assist in Purdue’s last three games.
[MARCHMADNESS]
Most Overrated Team
Ben’s Pick: Villanova
They aren’t even that overrated at this point, as unfortunately the Wildcats are in a free fall. Losing their all-everything guard in Collin Gillespie has put them in a tailspin, and they went from a potential top seed all the way to No. 5. They were beaten by Providence and Georgetown to close the regular season and now will have to regroup without their leader. They still have talent and can get hot from the outside, but stringing together several wins feels like a remote possibility.
Matt’s Pick: Texas Tech
The Red Raiders finished the regular season with a 17-10 record but went 9-8 in the Big 12. Texas Tech also went 4-10 in Quad 1 games, which could mean trouble early on the tournament. The team notably lacks size and depth entering the postseason. Marcus Santos-Silva is the tallest starter at 6-foot-7. He only averages 23.6 minutes per game, routinely fouling his way out of games. Neemias Queta stands 7-foot-0 on the other side and creates an immense matchup disadvantage for the Red Raiders right out of the gate.
Most Underrated Team
Ben’s Pick: Colgate
This isn’t me calling for Colgate to make some sort of miraculous run, but I was hoping for a slightly better seed for them. They dealt with COVID issues all year and played just 15 games total this year, finishing with one loss. They haven’t seen anyone even remotely close to the talent of Arkansas, and that probably will be an issue, but don’t blink when these two square off, as the total is 161 points. Both want to play extremely up tempo, and if Colgate gets hot, this could get have an impact on a lot of brackets.
Matt’s Pick: Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech should be the higher seed in this matchup. They are better than Florida in offensive and defensive efficiency and could take down Ohio State. Virginia Tech recently returned Tyrece Radford after serving a multi-game suspension this year. Radford is one of the best rebounding guards in the country. This provides a significant boost to a Virginia Tech team that mainly struggled when facing some of the elite big men in the ACC.
South Region Round 1 Upset
Ben’s Pick: Utah State over Texas Tech
This spread is just 4.5 points, so this wouldn’t be a huge upset if the Aggies take down Texas Tech. Utah State was a bubble team that avoided the play-in game and now will rely on their talented defense to get the job done. A record of 20-8 and playing in an underrated Mountain West conference is a resume I can get behind, and they are a top defensive team in the country. Texas Tech is a solid team but one I still have questions about, particularly offensively, and I will call for a minor upset here.
Matt’s Pick: Oral Roberts over Ohio State
This is extremely unlikely, but if one elite team is going to fall here, it will be Ohio State. Unlike most mid-majors, Oral Roberts faced significant competition in their non-conference schedule. They played Missouri, Wichita State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Arkansas. They kept four of those games within 15 points and a few others within single digits. Again, this upset is unlikely, but Oral Roberts has already hung in there against elite competition. Oral Roberts also possesses the team make-up to give Ohio State trouble. Three of their starters stand at least 6-foot-6, which bodes well against Ohio State’s frontcourt-heavy approach. Ohio State also ranks 192nd in 3-point defense, where Oral Roberts shoots 41% as a team.
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