March Madness: 5 opponents The NCAA tournament teams want to rely on the selection on Sunday

When the NCAA male basketball support is unveiled on Sunday evening, some coaches can subtly the pump under the table.

Maybe they landed in a region with a seed of first four banks with a deadly defect that they can exhibit. Or maybe they drew an opening opponent who culminated in December and skid in March.

The purpose of this now annual column is to identify these opponents that the NCAA tournament teams should want to draw before the medium. These are teams which, for any reason, do not seem to be as strong as those which should receive similar seeds.

Two years ago, identified Purdue for more than a week before becoming the second seeded No. 1 to collapse in the first round. Last year, the Kansas properly torn the kansas as ripe for an early outing but above all balanced and missed the rest. We hope for better results this time.

Marquette Golden Eagles

Record: 22-9, 13-7 Big East | Projected sole: n ° 6

Friday, January 3, Marquette beat Creighton comfortably to improve her record at 13-2 and cement her place in the top eight of the AP survey. As hard as it could believe, it was the last caliber opponent of the NCAA tournament that the Golden Eagles beat.

Since then, Marquette has played as team No. 46 in the country, according to the Bart Torvik ranking. Has the best Marquette victory marked during this period is… in Georgetown? Or maybe at home against Villanova? The Golden Eagles have abandoned the six games against colleagues from the first five Big East teams since early January, the last via a Buzzer drummer from St. John’s in the senior evening.

Marquette is almost certainly a number with a figure during the selection on Sunday thanks to the victories without league compared to Wisconsin, Maryland, Purdue, Georgie and George Mason. However, if the Golden Eagles do not strike more open plans than they generate and do not provide more offensive support to the Guardian of the All-American Kam Jones, their stay in the NCAA tournament is probably in short.

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Purdue boilermakers

Record: 21-10, 13-7 Big Ten | Projected seed: n ° 4

Purdue has an elite offense titled by the most dynamic leader in the country, but even Braden Smith abusing all kinds of ball screen blankets may be enough to hide the defensive weaknesses of his team. The boilermakers find it difficult to find a way to protect the edge without a traditional rim protector.

With Zach Edey went to the NBA and the first year student of 7 feet 4 inch, Daniel Jacobsen, lost against a broken leg, Purdue does not have a center capable of modifying fire in painting or dissuading the opposing players to try them. The adversaries draw on 56.2% from the inside of the interior of the 3 -point arc against the boilermakers, 344th at the national level by Kenpom.

Exacerbating the protection of the already inadequate rim of Purdue is the fact that Smith and his compatriot Fletcher are not exactly known for their defense on the ball. The boilermakers can put on this problem for stretching when their perimeter players remain in front of their man and the track rolling wall, but in the end, they will have to mark extremely effectively to maintain the hope of a deep race of the NCAA tournament.

Michigan Wolverines

Record: 22-9, 14-6 Big Ten | Projected sole: n ° 5 or 6

A team from Michigan who once seemed capable of a deep race for the NCAA tournament enters the playoffs. The Wolverines have dropped three and four thanks in large part to their carelessness with the ball and the inability to guarantee a defensive rebound.

With Tre Donaldson who failed to reach his seasonal score on average seven consecutive games and no other caretaker who is constantly generating score, Michigan has become too dependent on 7 feet on Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. These two carried the offensive but had trouble facing the traps and the double teams, exacerbating the turnover problems of the Wolverine season.

During their last four defeats, Michigan overturned the ball out of a total of 57 times and sold 56 second chance opportunities. It is not a recipe for the success of Mars. It is a formula for an early outing.

Tennessee volunteers

Record: 25-6, 12-6 sec | Projected sole: n ° 2

If you have to meet a seeded among the first two during the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, Tennessee could be the one you want to draw. As usual, volunteers play a difficult physical defense, but they are again more vulnerable to an upheaval than other elite teams because of their methodical rhythm and their irregular erratic attack.

Tennessee ranks 345th at the national level in adjusted tempo, according to Kenpom. The flights want to slow down the pace to a ramp, get their best classified defense set and grind the victories.

Can the transfer from North of Florida, Chaz Lanier, prosper as an essential marker at the end of tight matches on a scene from the NCAA tournament? Can Tennessee chain enough shooting performance outside to advance deeply in a single elimination tournament? Flights are capable of the very first race of the Final Four of their program, but their propensity to make cold on the ground in it a potential candidate upset.

Arizona Wildcats

Record: 20-11, 14-6 Big 12 | Projected sole: n ° 4 or 5

The only criticism that Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd faced in his first three years in Tucson was that his teams underwent in March. He went 84-17 in the NCAAA tournament matches. He went 4-3 in March mad.

The way the Arizona team of this season has flouted in recent times is not a confidence that these wildcats will produce a more memorable qualifying series. Arizona has abandoned five of its last eight games and defense from 94th to 94th in this section. Wildcats do not force the turnover on defense, and they do not defend painting or do not hold opponents outside the offensive boards.

When Caleb Love plays on a conference level, Henri Veesaar provides an inner score and Jaden Bradley and Kj Lewis attack the edge, Arizona can overcome one night outside the defensive defense. When the Wildcats are satisfied with 3 points at the start of the chronometer, they become very, very battable.