University coaches across the country are, in fact, the most qualified to advise you on the classification of the NCAA tournament. They are fluent in KenPom, watch movies until dawn and understand the weaknesses, matchups and nuances that differentiate the underdogs from dogs. Yahoo Sports spoke to a dozen coaches this weekend about the teams they considered vulnerable in this NCAA tournament.
Here is an analysis of your observations with compiled quotes detailing who the sport’s most in-demand experts will immediately be pulling out of your key.
No. 5 Tennessee
Record: 18-8
First round match: No. 12 Oregon State (17-12)
The status of six-foot-tall striker Vols, John Fulkerson, continues to change after he fractured his face with two dirty elbows from Florida’s Omar Payne. (He also suffered a concussion during the play.) He is the second highest rebound for Vols (5.5 per game) and the fourth highest scorer (9.5), averaging over 26 minutes per game. For a team that has struggled to find an offensive identity and flow throughout the season, it is a potentially overwhelming blow. (Tennessee hasn’t officially excluded him from the tournament, but it’s hard to imagine him playing a vital role any time soon.) The Vols have two potential choices for the NBA’s first round: guards Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson, but I still haven’t been able to to mix them up in a veteran formation and make the attack work like a symphony.
Why they are vulnerable: “They were unable to find consistent external shots. They have a lot of guys who come out of the bank and don’t always fit in with the other guys, Victor Bailey being one of them. Some of their problems are that they only have one shipowner, Santiago Vescovi. He’s the only one who can actually take pictures of other guys. They can play driving and kicking, but Vescovi is the only one who can deceive others. If they don’t have Fulkerson, they’ll miss him and that’s a big difference.
No. 5 Villanova
Record: 16-6
First round match: No. 12 Winthrop (23-1)
The Wildcats suffered one of the most significant injuries of the season when senior guard Collin Gillespie tore his MCL on March 3. Villanova lost to Providence to close the regular season and to Georgetown’s No. 8 in the Big East tournament after the injury. There’s no way to sweeten it, Villanova’s chances in the NCAA increased without Gillespie. Winthrop plays as fast as any team in the tournament, which means that Villanova will have a hard time slowing down the game and getting a win.
Why they are vulnerable: “They are really average without Gillespie. He’s a poor version of Payton Pritchard, who does everything for them. Gillespie is the main handler of the ball, which means that the guys are out of position. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is going to have to be Superman for them. The problem is that there is no one to facilitate the offense. I could have seen them winning a few games with the right fights. They would have to put a check line in and dump the disc in the corners and grind it out. They can only play in a certain way at this point. With Chris Arcidiacono playing more than 30 minutes on the spot, a team with a quick guard position can go after the ball and make them uncomfortable. They have a chance if they are able to get into half-court and space under Robinson-Earl on screen-and-roll, which would give Justin Moore and Caleb Daniels a chance in space. “
No. 6 USC
Record: 22-7
First round match: No. 11 Drake (25-4) / Wichita State (16-5) winner
How they got here: USC has been inconsistent throughout the season, despite having the potential for a top three pick in the NBA draft on Evan Mobley 7-foot. The presence of the imposing Mobley brothers – Isaiah and Evan – strengthens the country’s second defense against two-point shots. But Trojans are susceptible to 3-point pitches, as they are in 195th place in the KenPom ranking in defense of 3 points.
Why they are vulnerable: “They are like the team that looks like the party in the layup queue, but if you punch them in the mouth, they will give up. They do not have a guard, and that prevents them from playing in the style they would like. Andy [Enfield] is a heavy ball screen coach, and he had to change. They will be under constant pressure, because the game plan is to put pressure on the guards. This leaves them with a short watch and no one to facilitate and take the ball to Evan Mobley. Mobley is a typical West Coast boy – he is more refined than tough or brave. That’s why Colorado beat them three times – they are brave and they play hard. Mobley is a physical specimen, but he is not a physical player. “
No. 12 Georgetown
Record: 13-12
First round match: No. 5 Colorado
How they got here: Georgetown won the Big East Tournament, winning four games over four nights, giving Patrick Ewing a memorable moment in his fourth season. This could make Hoyas a popular choice to upset, with Ewing’s story the biggest moment in the show’s recent history. Georgetown hasn’t made it to the NCAA since 2015 and hasn’t had an NBA draft pick since Otto Porter in 2013. Georgetown was 9-12 before the Big East Tournament, and the question is whether this was an anomaly or if this sequence is from the new reality show .
Why they are vulnerable: “I am always suspicious of teams that put everything into something. There is a danger of disappointment when they do something. What they did was so rare. I was shocked by what they did. If you had told me to choose 11 teams to win Big East, they would have been in 10th. I give Pat Ewing great credit for being able to accomplish what they did. What they showed is that they learned that they need to defend their [tails] off. They have never been a big challenge defensively. They have been playing with a competitiveness and toughness that we have never seen. This is much more important than what they perform. It is as if they discover that we have to overcome tough people and disarm to win. I give them credit. That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing them on my stand. They are not used to winning. How do they deal with it? I prefer to see Winthrop than Georgetown. “
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