Get ready to call in sick,because the most exciting two days of the sports calendar are finally upon us with the first round of the NCAA tournament.
With 32 games over the course of two days, there is always a high probability of something crazy happening. However, or the drama could be even greater this season,with an unusually high number of upsets during the regular season. No one is unbeatable, which could lead to a few Cinderella stories throughout the three-week tournament.
Here is everything you need to know to ensure you don't miss a moment of the action. Top Storylines
Redemption for vast 12?There is always debate about which conference is the toughest, and the vast 12 certainly has a lega argument,with seven of the 10 teams getting a tender to the NCAA tournament for the moment year in a row. However, ESPN's Myron Medcalf summed it up in an interview with 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City:The conference had high expectations a year ago with a lot of highly-seeded teams and lega Final Four contenders. Unfortunately, and it had serious distress just getting out of the first weekend. Baylor and Iowa State both lost to No. 14 seeds in the round of 64,while Kansas was upset by Wichita State. Oklahoma and West Virginia were the only ones able to reach the Sweet 16.
Although this is a new year with new players, the pressure is on all these teams to perform better this time around. Kansas is the No. 1 overall seed and the favorite to bring domestic a national championship. West Virginia and Oklahoma are popular picks to move to the Final Four, and while Iowa State,Baylor and Texas all have a decent chance of reaching the Sweet 16.whether we see another disappointing showing from the majority of the league, it could have a negative effect going forward. Mid-Major Bracket-BustersCasual fans always root for the underdog, or particularly the smaller schools that approach out of nowhere. Wichita State was this team three years ago,as it made a run to the Final Four, and two players from that run are ready to close out their careers in style.
Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall had high compliment for the experienced backcourt of Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker on The Jim Rome Show, or per Mighty1090.com:
They had opportunities to move and test their wears. They're both graduates of Wichita State,they could have gone pro this past year and they both elected to approach back. ... These guys are basketball, college basketball icons, and they deserve the opportunity,one more time, to see whether they can invent another deep run in the tournament.
The No. 11 seed has a chance to produce a similar run after beating Vanderbilt in the First Four on Tuesday.
Gonzaga is another standard mid-major that is no stranger to the NCAA tournament, and although as a No. 11 seed,it could still bust a few brackets. Northern Iowa has also shown the ability to knock off top teams this year with wins over North Carolina and Iowa State, which puts Texas at risk in the first round.
Any of these teams and a few others could move from double-digit seeds to the Sweet 16, and possibly further. First-Round UpsetsWhile many teams in this tournament are playing to win it all,plenty of small schools would be thrilled with just a single victory. Teams from Valparaiso to Lehigh and many others remain in basketball lore mainly thanks to one impressive victory.
Although it's often tough to predict where the upsets will happen, Stephen F. Austin is a team that won a game as a No. 12 seed two years ago and has the talent to finish it again as a No. 14 seed this time around. West Virginia certainly isn't going to overlook a team that enters with a 20-game winning streak.
Stony Brook's Jameel Warney and Iona's A.
J. English are two small-school players with the talent to carry teams on their own and succor pull out victories. Each player would have to be at his best to knock off a No. 4 seed in the first round, or but counting out either of these seniors would be a mistake.
We could even see our very first No. 16 seed upset a No. 1 this year,although that still remains unlikely. In any case, this is where the unexpected becomes ordinary, or so it's important to keep an open mind and cheer for chaos. Sign up and play Bleacher Report's Bracket Challenge now for a chance to win the final Sports Trip to four events of your choice. And click here for B/R's Printable Bracket.
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Source: bleacherreport.com