Tourney breakdown: Previewing the Midwest Region
The NCAA Tournament is upon us with Selection Sunday officially in the books. 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 South, our eyes now turn to the Midwest and No. 1 Houston.
Top teams
No. 1 Houston
The Cougars are, without question, one of the country's finest teams. Kelvin Sampson's squad is the only one to find itself within the top 12 of KenPom's offensive and defensive efficiency rankings. Despite falling in the AAC Tournament title game Sunday to Memphis, Houston now has just two losses since Dec. 10. While the resume is very impressive, the Cougars likely won't be advancing far without a healthy Marcus Sasser. The senior guard missed Sunday's loss after injuring himself earlier in the AAC tourney. Sasser, who leads the team in scoring at 17 points per contest, is arguably as important to Houston as any player in the country. He's currently listed as probable for the opening-round matchup against Northern Kentucky.
No. 2 Texas
The midseason departure of coach Chris Beard hasn't rocked Texas at all, as the Longhorns find themselves as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest. They also enter March Madness on an absolute heater after winning the Big 12 tournament. Texas has faced the No. 1 seed in the West, Kansas, twice in the last four games and come away with a pair of wins by a combined 36 points. Marcus Carr is the engine that makes the Longhorns go, as the star guard leads the team in scoring and assists. A potential second-round matchup with former rival Texas A&M could make for a blockbuster contest this weekend.
No. 3 Xavier
Sean Miller's first season back at Xavier sees the Musketeers grab a No. 3 seed in the Midwest. Miller relies on a pair of star guards to pace the offense, with Souley Boum and Colby Jones combining to average 32.1 points and 9.1 assists per contest. Whether the team can overcome the loss of Zach Freemantle to injury is the big question, as the standout forward's nightly line of 15 points and eight rebounds will be hard to replace.
Bracket-busters
No. 7 Texas A&M
Many people were shocked that Texas A&M fell all the way to a No. 7 seed after losing in the SEC Tournament title game to No. 1 Alabama. The Aggies had a very impressive 25-9 mark this season and finished just behind the Crimson Tide in the conference standings. Buzz Williams' outfit is a very balanced bunch, with both the offense and defense ranked inside the top 40 of KenPom's efficiency rankings. One has to think that Texas A&M is eyeing a potential second-round matchup against former rival Texas.
No. 12 Drake
Drake will be in very tough against a high-scoring Miami team in Round 1, but the Bulldogs come to March Madness having won 16 of their last 18 games. Drake has a legit game-breaking player in Tucker DeVries, who finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring at 19 points per contest. The Bulldogs were also one of the conference's top defensive units, allowing just 63.9 points per game. Solid team defense, a star offensive player, and great momentum will make Drake a tough out for the Hurricanes.
Players to watch
Marcus Sasser, Houston
Sasser's probable status for the opening round is a huge boost to Houston's national title hopes. He's the only player on the Cougars averaging more than 11 points per contest this season, and he's also a key cog in the team's lockdown defense. The senior is no stranger to strong performances in March, as he played a key role in the Cougars' run to the 2021 national title game.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
This could easily have been a slot for Jalen Hood-Schifino, but the Indiana nod goes to one of the country's most talented bigs in the country. Trayce Jackson-Davis is averaging a double-double at 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per contest and is a finalist for the Wooden Award. The senior forward is also red-hot entering the NCAA tournament with 100 points and 41 rebounds combined over his last four games.
Kris Murray, Iowa
Another year, another prolific Murray leading Iowa to the NCAA Tournament. With brother Keegan now in the NBA, it's Kris' turn to take over during March Madness. The 6-foot-8 junior exploded into a bigger role this season by scoring over 20 points and ripping down almost eight rebounds per contest. Murray's top goal is to avoid what happened last year when No. 5 Iowa fell in the opening round to No. 12 Richmond.