Selection Sunday is officially in the books, and the NCAA Tournament is upon us. In the buildup to the opening round, theScore is previewing each region to get you prepared to pick your bracket. After previously looking at the East, West, and Midwest, today we tackle the final region, the South.
The top teams
No. 1 Arizona
Tommy Lloyd's first season as head coach couldn't have gone any better at Arizona as it claimed the Pac-12 regular-season and tourney titles. The Wildcats ride a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging double-digit points. They're also going into the national tournament as KenPom's fifth-best offense in the country. The major question for Arizona is guard Kerr Kriisa's health. The team's assist leader injured his ankle in the Pac-12 Tournament. But judging by the picture he shared on social media Monday, he probably won't be available for opening-round action.
No. 2 Villanova
Villanova is led by Big East player of the year Collin Gillespie, a standout guard in his fifth season of college basketball. Gillespie was a freshman on the 2018 title winners and brings incredible experience to Jay Wright's outfit. The Wildcats claimed the Big East Tournament title with a win over Creighton and enter March Madness having won seven of their last eight games.
No. 3 Tennessee
If any program should have an issue with its seeding, it's probably Tennessee landing at No. 3. The SEC Tournament winners are KenPom's seventh-ranked team overall, ahead of every No. 2 seed other than Kentucky. The Volunteers are one of the top defensive squads in the country and have scored non-conference wins over North Carolina and Arizona this season. Rick Barnes' outfit enters the tournament on fire with 12 wins in their last 13 games.
The bracket-busters
No. 11 Michigan
Michigan was firmly on the bubble entering Selection Sunday but managed to snag the No. 11 seed in the South. The Wolverines certainly have the talent to compete with almost anybody in the nation, although they've majorly disappointed this season. Add that to Juwan Howard's ugly suspension for the postgame incident against Wisconsin, and it'll take a deep tournament run to flip the mood of the campaign for Michigan. The Wolverines are actually favored in their opening-round matchup and could cause problems with their size in the Round of 32 against Tennessee.
No. 10 Loyola Chicago
Porter Moser might be in Oklahoma now, but Loyola Chicago again finds itself in the NCAA Tournament. First-year coach Drew Valentine has the Ramblers in the No. 10 seed with a favorable opening-round matchup against Ohio State. The Buckeyes have lost four of their last five games, while Loyola has won five of its previous six. The Ramblers are one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country and are led by the backcourt tandem of Lucas Williamson and Braden Norris.
Players to watch
David Roddy
Roddy is an absolute nightmare to guard with his sturdy 6-foot-5, 252-pound frame on the perimeter. The Colorado State star averages over 19 points per contest while connecting on a whopping 46% of his triples. He also adds some serious strength on the glass, pulling down 7.6 rebounds per game. Roddy is the type of scorer who can single-handedly take over a contest and could become a household name with a deep tournament run.
Kofi Cockburn
Cockburn is one of the more dominant big men in the country, averaging a double-double with 21.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Both those numbers rank in the top 15 nationally in each category. One could argue that the Illinois star is as important to his team as any player in the NCAA. Cockburn was either sidelined or had at least four fouls in five of his team's eight losses this season. That's a pretty clear indicator of how significant his presence on the floor is for the Illini.
Peter Kiss
He likely won't be around the tournament for long due to Bryant being a No. 16 seed, but Peter Kiss will attract some attention while he's in it. The nation's leading scorer pours in just over 25 points per contest and is one of college basketball's more colorful characters on the court. He saved his best performance for the most important game, torching Wagner for 34 points in the conference tournament championship.
