Hi everyone, it’s our Wednesday tradition, Top 12!! Today’s Top 12 is going to be the top March Madness Storylines as we continue what has been a very crazy tourney so far. Please respond below with your takes and opinion. Always love the banter, have a great Wednesday!!
#12. Can this be the Baylor team to get Scott Drew to the Final Four
This years Baylor’s squad certainly is the best in school history. They have shown their greatness in the dismantling of Hartford and Wisconsin over the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. With Ohio State and Purdue already eliminated and Villanova without Colin Gillespie Baylor is a massive favorite to get to the Final Four. They are also the only team in the country who can play with Gonzaga for 40 minutes, could be a fun Championship game if Baylor makes it there.
#11 Can Leonard Hamilton get to the Final Four
Florida State has had some great teams recently but Leonard Hamilton has still never been able to make it all the way to the final four. This Florida State team is as athletic as any Hamilton has had but has a tough road left in the East Region. Their next opponent is the #1 seed Michigan and if they pull the upset would get either a talented UCLA squad or the #2 seeded Alabama Crimson Tide. Will be a fun Sweet 16 in the East Region
#10 Big Ten’s Meltdown
The Big Ten was pegged the best conference in College Basketball having two 1’s and two 2 seeds in the tourney as well as a strong Purdue squad as a potential sleeper. Well the Big Ten is down to only one team as Illinois, Iowa, Ohio State and Purdue are already out. The only team that remains is Michigan without the likes of forward Isiah Livers. The question we all had with such a condensed nonconference schedule is the Big Ten really the best conference in basketball?
#9 Pac 12’s Dominance
The Conference of Champions (has the ever entertaining and delirious Bill Walton calls it) has been anything but as they haven’t won a National Championship this Century. We aren’t too sure they will crown a Champion this year but at the very least the Pac 12 showed that they can play with other big conferences and were extremely undervalued this season. Anyone who watched USC’s demolition of Kansas on Monday night would agree with that assessment.
#8 Will Villanova continue their run
Many pegged Villanova to fall victim to the 5-12 upset against Winthrop in the first round but the Nova took care of business. Now they are in the Sweet 16 against the heavily favored Baylor Bears. Jay Wright’s Cats are playing with house many without Colin Gillespie but are still one of the most dangerous teams in the entire tourney. Go against the Wildcats at your own peril.
#7 Michigan’s run as the only Big Ten team left
Michigan was able to survive a game LSU squad to get into what is the toughest Region remaining the tourney. If Michigan can get through Florida State and the winner of the Alabama/UCLA to get to the final four the Wolverines would have to be taken seriously if they aren’t already. Not have Isiah Livers does hurt their front line but the back court is still fantastic led by Eli Brooks and Franz Wagner. History tells us that guards win in March Madness and Michigan can score in the backcourt, which still makes them one of the favorites to win it all.
#6 The ratings without any Blue Bloods
There is no Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Michigan State left in this NCAA Tournament. Without the vast majority of the college hoops royalty left (UCLA is left but they haven’t been elite for 15 years and was a play in team this year) what will the ratings be for the rest of the tourney. The masses complain about dynasty’s and love parody. If so then how about you watch the games this year? I’m skeptical that is the case and we are all just a bunch of hypocrites who loves a villain and it’s hard to watch a movie without a villain.
#5 Any Cinderella runs to the Final Four
We still have Oregon State, UCLA, Loyola Chicago (again), Syracuse (again) and of course Oral Roberts as all candidates to make improbable runs to the Final Four. George Mason started this trend in 2006 and we have seen many Cinderella stories to the Final Four since. Who would you take out of those five teams to make it to the final four. Saying that three of those teams are in the midwest Region go against Houston and take the field as an unlikely Final Four participant in 2021.
#4 Jim and Buddy leading Syracuse down a familiar road
Syracuse has been an 11 seed two times in last five years. In 2016 they went all the win to the Final Four, in 2018 they beat my beloved Sun Devils en route to the Sweet 16 where they had Duke on the ropes and lost late. In 2021 the Cuse is back in the Sweet 16 led by some kid named Buddy. You may have heard about him he’s the coaches son and is Steph Curry like in his ability to make any shot from any spot on the court. The Cuse is just as dangerous as they usually are in March and should be a fun game against Houston on Saturday.
#3 Power of Sister Jean
The Loyola Chicago Ramblers are back and are even better than they were when they made a run to the Final Four three years ago. After the demolition of the hottest team (Illinois) not named Gonzaga in the country in the Round of 32. The Ramblers are in a wide open Midwest Region and play an equally hot and dangerous Oregon State Beavers squad on Saturday. Maybe this Loyola Chicago team can get back to the Final Four and go even further this time, never doubt the power of Sister Jean.
#2 Can Gonzaga run the table
The 2021 Gonzaga Bulldogs is one of the best college basketball teams in my lifetime. They do not have a weakness and run 8 deep. In my opinion only Baylor is the only team that can play with them but the power of college basketball is that it’s a one game elimination and maybe Creighton or Oregon gets hot from three or Evan Mobley destroys the Zags down low. Gonzaga is undoubtedly the team to beat, isn’t Drew Timme White Goodman reincarnated plus 15 inches, you be the judge!
#1 Oral Freaking Roberts!!!
The number one story is the 15 seed from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They are the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. They first beat the Mighty Ohio State Buckeys in overtime and broke mine and many others brackets. Then they came back from 11 down to upset the Athletic but sloppy Florida Gators. Now they get to opportunity to play the Arkansas Razorbacks (or as I call them team Piggies) in the Sweet 16. Oral Roberts is not expected to win this game either but we have already learned, never doubt the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, ka ka!