Tourney breakdown: Midwest Region preview
The NCAA Tournament is upon us now that Selection Sunday is officially in the books. In the buildup to the opening round, theScore is previewing each region to prepare you to pick your bracket. The Midwest Region starts things off with Houston again as the No. 1 seed.
Top teams
No. 1 Houston
Can you even have an NCAA tourney without Houston as a No. 1 seed? The Cougars have been in the top spot in a region for the last three years under Kelvin Sampson. This time, they reside in the Midwest Region, entering as a 30-win team for the fourth straight campaign. The trademark Sampson defense is still prevalent, but this season's roster is perhaps the best offensive unit under his tenure at Houston. L.J. Cryer, Milos Uzan, and Emanuel Sharp all make at least 42% of their three attempts, giving the Cougars a triple threat from deep that few teams can match.
No. 2 Tennessee
If lockdown defense is your jam, grab your Tennessee pom-poms and get ready to sing "Rocky Top." The Volunteers sit third in the nation in KenPom's defensive efficiency rankings and allow just 62 points per game despite playing in the loaded SEC. Whether Rick Barnes can squeeze enough offense from the roster is likely the challenge that'll need to be answered if the coach is going to make his second Final Four in 29 tournament appearances. Last year, the Volunteers could rely on Dalton Knecht to get them a bucket on offense as they went to the Elite Eight. This year, it's on Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier to carry the load and push Tennessee to the next level.
No. 3 Kentucky
Mark Pope hit the ground running in his first season with Kentucky, taking over post-Calipari and leading the Wildcats past numerous injury concerns to grab the No. 3 seed. When Kentucky is cooking, the offense is an absolute joy to watch. Exceptional ball movement leads to plenty of open looks for the Wildcats, and they lead the mighty SEC in 3-point shooting at over 37%. It's a good thing scoring comes easily because the defense - or lack thereof - puts plenty of pressure on that aspect of the game.
Bracket-busters
No. 8 Gonzaga
We're a long way from "Gonzaga ... the slipper still fits!" but the Bulldogs somehow enter the tournament as an 8-seed this year. Sure, they lost eight games, but the only two losses since Feb. 1 came against Saint Mary's - a team they just took down for the WCC tourney title. KenPom's rankings have Gonzaga as the ninth-best program in the country, which means a second-round contest with Houston would be a top-10 matchup. Gonzaga has made nine straight Sweet 16s but will likely need to take the Cougars out to make it 10. With a roster full of talented veteran guards like Ryan Nembhard, don't put it past them.
No. 13 High Point
Nobody enters the NCAA Tournament hotter than High Point. No, seriously. The Big South champs are riding the nation's longest active winning streak, a 14-game run that helped it grab the No. 13 seed in the Midwest. The Panthers take on Purdue in the first round, and the Boilermakers don't have to look far to find an early upset as an overwhelming favorite. Purdue has also lost six of its last nine contests. High Point is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation at over 82 points per game, with Kezza Giffa and D'Maurion Williams capable of taking over in the backcourt.
Players to watch
Braden Smith
Smith is perhaps the main reason High Point wouldn't be able to shock Purdue. The junior standout might be the most well-rounded point guard in the country, averaging 16.2 points, 8.7 assists, and a whopping 2.2 steals per game. Smith also shoots just under 40% from beyond the arc and has taken on the leadership role for the Boilermakers following Zach Edey's departure.
Otega Oweh
Mr. Clutch for Kentucky has a knack for big plays in big moments, especially if his former team, Oklahoma, is involved. Oweh beat the Sooners not once but twice this season with last-second buckets. He posted at least 22 points in four of his last six games.
Kasparas Jakucionis
This will be the Lithuanian freshman's only trip to March Madness with a spot as a lottery pick in the NBA draft in the near future. Jakucionis averages 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per contest this campaign and is the engine that makes the Illinois vehicle move.
Milos Uzan
There are plenty of options to highlight on Houston, but Uzan gets the nod for his brilliant play in the Big 12 tourney. He averaged 17 points per game on a ridiculous 58.3% shooting from deep in leading the Cougars to the conference title. If Houston is finally going to get over the hump and win the national championship, Uzan will be a huge piece of that puzzle.