Tag: iowa hawkeyes

2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Midwest Region

The Midwest Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament features some great teams and plenty of potential madness. Let’s break it down and preview how the Midwest will play out.

Cover photo taken from the Houston Chronicle.

Welcome back to the Madness. The 2023 NCAA Tournament is upon us with 68 teams and 67 incredible games ahead to crown a champion. The 2022-23 college basketball season has been one of the most unique in recent memory, as the field appears to be as wide open as it has ever been. There isn’t necessarily a clear favorite in this tournament, so March Madness is sure to live up to its name in the coming weeks. To preview the tournament, I’ll be breaking down the 2023 bracket region by region. This is the preview of the Midwest: perhaps the strangest, most unpredictable quadrant of the entire bracket.

Meet the 1 Seed: Houston Cougars

What Kelvin Sampson continues to do at Houston is simply remarkable. Houston has been one of the most formidable teams in the nation for several years in a row, making the second weekend in each of the last 3 NCAA Tournaments, including a Final Four in 2021. Now, he boasts his best team yet: one that has been on top of college basketball all season long. They sat in the #1 spot in the AP Poll for the majority of the season en route to being ranked first in BPI, NET, and KenPom and coming one game away from being the top overall seed in the tournament. This team utilizes so much of what made Houston squads of the past so strong: freak athleticism and ridiculous defense. The Cougars have both in bunches. Star guard Marcus Sasser, a First Team All-American, leads the way, averaging 17/3/3/2 and being an absolute pest on defense. Jamal Shead is his backcourt companion, who leads the team in assists and runs the offense to perfection. Forward J’Wan Roberts holds things down in the paint, averaging 10/8/1/1/1. But the player who has really helped separate Houston from the rest of the country this season has been star freshman forward Jarace Walker, a future lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. At 6’8 240, Walker is an absolute beast down low, averaging 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. Simply put, this is Coach Sampson’s best and most talented team in his time at Houston, which is really saying something. The teams of the past may have had their roads end in heartbreak, but this is a squad that feels destined to change the narrative. They deserve to be the favorites to win a fairytale hometown title.

Meet the Sleeper: #13 Kent State Golden Flashes

Honorable Mentions: #7 Texas A&M, #12 Drake

That’s right. The sleeper is the 13th-seeded team out of the MAC. And by all means, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. But this is March. Nothing makes sense! Kent State enters the tournament as one of the hottest teams in the field, having run the table in the MAC Tournament, including a win over heavily-favored Toledo, en route to a championship. Star guard Sincere Carry leads the way for this exciting offense that puts up nearly 80 points per game. They have all the makings of a Cinderella, relying heavily on their shooting and offensive play to simply outscore teams. But the real strength of this team is their defense, which ranks in the top 40 in efficiency according to KenPom. It’s a formula that nearly earned them road wins over Gonzaga, a 3 seed in the West, and Houston, the 1 seed in this region. In a quadrant of the bracket that looks ripe with upsets, the Golden Flashes are deservedly going to be one of the trendier picks. But don’t be afraid to pick them to win more than one game. They have proven that they have what it takes to do so.

Upset Waiting To Happen: #13 Kent State over #4 Indiana

Honorable Mentions: #12 Drake over #5 Miami, #10 Penn State over #7 Texas A&M

See above. Indiana certainly is the better team in this game, and the Hoosiers almost match up too well with the Golden Flashes. Kent State is pretty undersized while Indiana has one of the best big men in the sport in First Team All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and are extremely well-balanced while Kent State is much better defensively than offensively. But like I said, this is March, a time when nothing makes sense. Honestly, Indiana hasn’t been very impressive down the stretch, and I think they’re over-seeded as a 4. But this would still be a shock for most people. The best upsets are the most unexpected ones, and this could very well be one of those upsets.

Best Potential Games: #2 Texas vs. #7 Texas A&M, #1 Houston vs. #2 Texas

Honorable Mentions: #2 Texas vs. #3 Xavier, #1 Houston vs. #5 Miami (FL)

On the surface, it doesn’t get much better than Texas vs. Texas A&M. Ever since the Aggies left for the SEC, we are never graced with this glorious rivalry. To get it in the second round of this tournament would be a delight. I think Texas is one of the best teams in the field, and I think TAMU is one of the most under-seeded teams in the field. This is a second weekend-caliber game just waiting to happen in the first weekend. Both teams are crazy athletic and extremely fun to watch. I would give the edge to the Longhorns, but I have no doubt that it would be air tight from wire-to-wire in an instant classic which we would be lucky to see so early in the tournament.

The appeal of a potential Houston vs. Texas Regional Final needs no explanation. In-state rivals battling for a chance to go back to the Lone Star State for a shot at the national championship? Sign me up. This game would be a peak display of athleticism and guard play. Marcus Sasser vs. Marcus Carr, Jarace Walker vs. Timmy Allen; the matchups are just too juicy. This is actually my prediction to be the Regional Final. As for who I think will win…

My Pick For Houston: #2 Texas

Honorable Mentions: #1 Houston, #3 Xavier

I love this Texas team. They are just so damn good. They have impressed me all season long. The Longhorns could have fallen apart after a world of controversy hit the program’s head coach Chris Beard, who was dismissed from the program amidst a domestic abuse scandal. Interim HC Rodney Terry has done an incredible job getting the program back on track, going 17-7 and leading the Horns to a Big 12 Tournament championship. They rank 5th in BPI, 6th in KenPom, and 7th in the NET, boasting one of the most-well balanced lineups in all of college basketball. Marcus Carr leads the way in the backcourt, leading the team in scoring (15.9 points/game), assists (4.1/game), and steals (1.8/game). Tyrese Hunter and Sir’Jabari Rice complete one of the best backcourts in the country. Star forward Timmy Allen locks down the paint as one of this team’s key pieces, but a leg injury might have him limited or even unavailable throughout the tournament. Still, I have full faith in Texas. This is a team that went 14-8 in Quad 1 games; they are as battle-tested as any team in the field, and they have been resoundingly successful in the most important games of the year. They won the best league in the nation (by a good margin, in my opinion) in emphatic fashion. They have all the makings of a Final Four team and championship contender. I can’t wait to see what they have in store.

Full Round of 64 Picks:

#1 Houston over #16 Northern Kentucky: Cougars might win this one by 50.

#9 Auburn over #8 Iowa: This could very well be the best game of the first round. Iowa has one of the best offenses in the country, but they’re playing a pseudo road game in Birmingham against Auburn, who have the athletes and defense to slow the Hawkeyes down. It’s going to be a war from start to finish, but I don’t trust Iowa’s defense to come through in the most difficult spots down the stretch.

#5 Miami over #12 Drake: It is so tempting to pick this upset. I would honestly pick Drake if we knew that Miami big man Norchad Omier is out. But the possibility of him playing is preventing me from rolling with the Bulldogs. Besides, the Hurricanes boast some of the best guard play in the country with Jordan Miller, Nijel Pack, and ACC PotY Isaiah Wong. Moreover, much of this team has the tournament experience from last year’s Elite 8 run. That should be enough to put them over the top, even without their commanding defensive presence down low.

#13 Kent State over #4 Indiana: You get the point by now. This game should be fascinating to watch, and I can’t wait to be either vindicated or proven completely wrong.

#11 Pitt over #6 Iowa State: This is a classic case of strength vs. strength. The Cyclones excel on defense, grinding you down slowly over the course of 48 minutes. The Panthers, on the other hand, excel on offense with a subpar defense. In March, I tend to favor the superior offensive team. Moreover, teams that win in the First Four carry some momentum with them into the Round of 64, and I think Pitt will have just enough gas to pull off the upset.

#3 Xavier over #14 Kennesaw State: Xavier has one of the best offenses in the country and can light up the scoreboard with the best of them. I like what they have going on in year one under Sean Miller, but I think the loss of Zach Freemantle will prevent them from going too far in this tournament. Thankfully for them, this first game won’t be too difficult.

#7 Texas A&M over #10 Penn State: Like Iowa-Auburn, this is one of the best games of the first round on paper between two power conference teams. Both A&M and Penn State played for conference championships last weekend, and both are more than capable of playing the role of bracket buster in this tournament. Their matchup should be fascinating. I was far more impressed with the Aggies throughout the course of the season as they went 15-3 with some standout wins in the SEC, which was much tougher than the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions will hang around, but their defense won’t be able to get enough stops late to pull the mini-upset.

#2 Texas over #15 Colgate: While I think Texas will make the Final Four, it won’t start with an easy win. Colgate will not be a pushover; this is their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and in each of their previous three first round games, they have been competitive. The Raiders, who are the best three point shooting team in the nation, won’t go down without a fight, but they simply won’t be able to overcome the athleticism and dominance of the Longhorns for a full 48 minutes.

All stats taken from ESPN.

2022 College Football Season Preview

After 9 long months of waiting, the best sport in the world is finally back. Here’s my preview of the season, from every Power 5 conference to the Heisman winner and the College Football Playoff.

Cover photo taken from Sports Illustrated.

The best sport in the world is finally back. College football has returned and is already in full swing as we dive into Week 1, which promises to be a fantastic opening weekend. If the small sample size of games that have already taken place are any indication, then we are in for another tremendous season of this beautiful game.

As always, a fresh season means a fresh set of predictions and picks for what the next few months hold in store for us. From conference picks to playoff predictions to award winners, there’s so much in this crystal ball to look into. I didn’t have as inaccurate of an outlook as I may have expected last season, but even if these don’t come to fruition, it does not matter. That’s the fun of it all. So, let’s get into it, starting with previewing the results of each Power 5 conference.

Big Ten

Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes
Runner-Up: Iowa Hawkeyes

For all intents and purposes, 2022 will be a return to the norm in the Big Ten. Last season was filled with anomalies, the most notable of which was Michigan finally getting over the hump by beating their arch rivals in Ohio State, winning the conference and reaching the College Football Playoff. I hope that they enjoyed that brief success, because this year will belong to the Buckeyes once again.

Ohio State has a roster that’s as scary as it has ever been. It’s a squad that reminds me of the 2019 one so much, and many consider that to be one of the most talented Buckeyes teams ever. Returning the three-headed monster of CJ Stroud at QB, TreVeyon Henderson in the backfield, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba lining up outside is enough to make any and all opposing defenses lose sleep. Star wideouts like Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are being replaced by incredible talents like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. The offensive firepower speaks for itself in Columbus. The questions reside exactly where they did last season: with the defense that cost them a chance at a national championship. Getting absolutely ran over by Michigan lit a fire under the program that has led to a complete reworking of that side of the ball. HC Ryan Day brought in Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to take over as defensive coordinator after leading the Pokes to a top 5 defense last season. He inherits an incredibly talented defense, many of which return after last season’s sour ending. The defensive line of Jack Sawyer, Zach Harrison, Tyleik Williams, and JT Tuimololau is bound to wreak havoc on offensive lines all year long. The secondary has some very promising pieces like Cam Brown and Denzel Burke, who emerged as the top corner on the team last year. Tanner McCallister is a grad transfer who followed his former DC from Stillwater who will make an instant impact in the secondary as well. If the Bucks can fix their defensive woes, there will be very little that can stop them from realizing their potential, exercising their demons from 2021, and hoisting the championship trophy once again.

The rest of the conference should be fascinating to monitor. I personally think Iowa will build off of a tremendous 2021 season and run it back as champions of the B1G West, but I wouldn’t sleep on Wisconsin, especially with Braelon Allen bulldozing defenses out of the backfield. Michigan will of course have plenty of eyes on them as well, but I just don’t think they can live up to last year’s achievements after losing so much incredible talent to the NFL this year. They have a very good roster despite that, but it’ll just be too hard to compete with Ohio State in the B1G East. Michigan State also saw themselves overachieve last season, winning a New Year’s 6 bowl game in Mel Tucker’s first real season in East Lansing, but like their counterparts in-state, they suffer from being in a one-horse race in their division. A team that I wouldn’t sleep on is Penn State, who should be just as good if not better than they were last year with a very promising young team, especially defensively. Look out for the Nittany Lions to potentially finish second in the East.

SEC

Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide
Runner-Up: Georgia Bulldogs

The 2021 season was perhaps the best the SEC has had in years. The conference truly flexed its colors and showed the country that it was by far the best league in the sport. The results spoke for themselves. And the end result was a delight to watch, with Georgia using their generational defense to mercifully end their title drought and finally eclipse Alabama to be this season’s defending champions, despite losing to them in the SEC Championship Game. Could the Dawgs possibly run it back this year? Well, like the Big Ten, I see more of a return to normalcy.

Alabama is the preseason #1 team in the country according to both the AP and Coaches Poll. And by every metric, they should be. This was the #1 team in last year’s CFP and came extremely close to winning yet another national title. All they’ve done this offseason is return the Heisman-winning Bryce Young at QB and the best player in the sport in edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. Not to mention a plethora of athletic freaks at every position on both sides of the field, like Jase McClellan, Dallas Turner, Henry To’oTo’o, Jordan Battle, and so many more. But where Bama shined brightest this offseason was in the transfer portal, bringing in WR Jermaine Burton from the title-winning Georgia Bulldogs and a lightning-quick RB in Jahmyr Gibbs from Georgia Tech. Losing Jameson Williams removes a level of explosiveness from this offense, but they will still be able to carve up any team on any given Saturday. And their defense is even better, so good luck scoring on them. This is a sensational team across the board, and I’d be shocked to see them lose a game, or the #1 spot, at any point this season.

The defending champs are nothing to scoff at though. They return their star QB in Stetson Bennett, college football’s best tight end in Brock Bowers, and a very good amount of their star-studded defensive players from last season, the most notable of which being Jalen Carter, perhaps the best defensive tackle in the sport. There’s plenty of young talent to go around on both sides of the ball, and unless they return to the choking form of years past, it’s safe to say Georgia will be a playoff contender, if not one of the four teams competing for a title in late December.

The rest of the league is really anyone’s guess, as it tends to be so often. Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ole Miss are teams who had sensational years in 2021, but running that back is so hard in the SEC. I do have high hopes for the Hogs and Wildcats, but less so for the Rebels after losing their star QB to the NFL. It’s also hard to envision the traditional powers like LSU not returning to form, especially as the Tigers begin a new era with Brian Kelly at the helm. Teams like Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee seem primed to make up for the past few seasons. Perhaps the biggest question mark of the entire conference is Texas A&M, who has dominated recruiting and NIL alike with absolutely no success to show for it. This is the year it has to come to fruition for the Aggies. All of the eyes will be on them from start to finish.

ACC

Winner: Clemson Tigers
Runner-Up: Miami Hurricanes

Are you sensing the trend yet? After years of dominating college football, Clemson was perhaps the sport’s biggest disappointment in 2021. It’s not easy to replace a generational QB like Trevor Lawrence, but the Tigers’ offense was genuinely unwatchable last season. It’s hard to imagine it will be that bad again. Despite a complete assistant overhaul with OC Tony Elliott leaving fort Virginia and acclaimed DC Brent Venables going to Oklahoma, Clemson should return to form in 2022 thanks to what is, in my opinion, the best defense in college football. The defensive line is one full of guys who would start in the NFL right now in Myles Murphy, Bryan Bresee, and Tyler Davis. Trenton Simpson is an absolute stud in the middle of the defense. The secondary is stacked with names like Andrew Mukuba and Fred Davis. The offense isn’t the scariest sight, but RB Will Shipley and WR EJ Williams are tremendous young pieces who can make any play on the field. If QB DJ Uiagalelei can return to his 2020-level of play, then this team will be frightening. And if he doesn’t, there’s a very talented freshman QB in Cade Klubnik lying in wait. We know how that went last time for this team.

The ACC outside of Clemson is an absolute mess. This statement has been true for quite some time now. So many teams are in the beginning of new eras; Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and several others are beginning brand new regimes. Who knows who could rise to the top amidst all the chaos? I’m betting on Miami, simply because I think they have the talent to overcome most of the teams in the Coastal. I really like Virginia Tech and the direction they’re going in, Virginia has one of the more prolific passing offenses in college football, Pitt is coming off the high of a season that is impossible to replicate, so why not throw it back and have the Canes back in the spotlight? I have high hopes for the Mario Cristobal era, and kicking it off with a division win would do tremendous things for the program, which is seemingly already back on the rise. They worked the transfer portal and seem to have a very solid lineup on both sides of the ball. If QB Tyler Van Dyke can live up to his potential, we might be talking about Miami as a top 15-20 team by season’s end.

Big 12

Winner: Baylor Bears
Runner-Up: Oklahoma Sooners

The Big 12 is perhaps the biggest mess of a conference in the Power 5. Last year was one of the weirdest in over a decade, with Oklahoma struggling to find its identity, leading to the rise of teams like Oklahoma State and Baylor. This led to a ton of turnover this offseason, and now we have one of the most fascinating seasons ahead of us in this already exciting league.

Lost in the sea of overachieving teams in 2021 were the Baylor Bears, who improbably won the Big 12 and the Sugar Bowl with one of the most stout defenses in all of college football. This season, they return almost all of that unit with almost entirely upperclassmen. The offense is a solid unit, but it will be that defense that wins Baylor games, just as it was last season. I’m not exaggerating when I say Baylor is a top 6-7 team in the country and will be a playoff contender. That’s how strong I feel about them.

Oklahoma was gouged harder than any program I have ever seen this offseason. HC Lincoln Riley left for USC and took the star QB Caleb Williams and so many recruits and other young players with him. The Sooners have brought in former Clemson DC Brent Venables to take over as head football coach, and while I think they will return to form, it’s hard to see them being as great as they were under Riley with all that tremendous QB talent they’ve had. The offense is still solid, led by transfer QB Dillon Gabriel, but don’t be shocked if it’s not even as good as it was in 2021. However, I still think Oklahoma is talented enough on both sides of the ball to bounce back from last year’s shortcomings and be a top 2 team in this league.

Two other teams with plenty of eyes on them will be Texas and Oklahoma State. The Longhorns are one of college football’s most promising teams, with Steve Sarkisian still at the helm, a shiny new QB in transfer Quinn Ewers, the best RB in the sport in Bijan Robinson, and a top 5 WR in Xavier Worthy. However, Texas has still not shown us that they can return to their glory days. If there’s any season to do it, it’s this one. The Pokes, on the other hand, were mere inches away from a Big 12 title and CFP berth last season, but a fateful goal line confrontation relegated them to a Fiesta Bowl win instead. They return a lot of talent, but it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to replicate that level of success again with the rest of the conference catching back up. However, I still like what’s going on in Stillwater, and I can easily see them returning to the title game.

PAC-12

Winner: Utah Utes
Runner-Up: Oregon Ducks

That’s right. The PAC-12 is the only Power 5 conference that is going to play out exactly like it did in 2021. Well, maybe not exactly.

Utah turned it on harder than almost any other team in the country towards the end of last year, absolutely dominating Oregon twice en route to a conference title and Rose Bowl berth. After a slow start to their season, they ended the year 9-1 in games started by QB Cameron Rising. Now, Rising and a promising young offense is back and primed to make a real playoff push. The defense lost some key pieces, but is still a very, very good unit. I don’t see them getting shredded like they did in the Rose Bowl in any of their games this season. All in all, the Utes should make light work of what is, in all likelihood, the worst Power 5 conference in college football.

Oregon has had a tumultuous offseason that saw its beloved head coach leave and several key pieces depart for the NFL. Still, they’re the beneficiary of playing in the absolutely dreadful PAC-12 North, and they have more than enough talent to breeze to another trip to Vegas. Bo Nix comes in from Auburn to take over at QB and inherits a very solid offense with guys like Dont’e Thornton and Troy Franklin catching the ball. And the defense still has studs like Noah Sewell and Justin Flower to lock things down. If the Ducks weren’t in the midst of so much turnover, they’d probably be my pick to win this conference. Alas, they’ll have to deal with a Rose Bowl trip instead (yes, the runner up to the Rose Bowl, more on that later).

Despite all of this, no team in the conference has more eyes on them or more anticipation for this season than the USC Trojans. The program is back in full force as they’ve brought in Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to right the ship. Riley has brought a wave of his OU recruits and players, most notably QB Caleb Williams. They’ve even added other stars from around the country via the transfer portal, such as former Oregon RB Travis Dye and last year’s Biletnikoff award winner Jordan Addison from Pitt. With so much talent and actually competent coaching, why wouldn’t USC splash in year 1 of the new era? Well, I think it’s just too soon. The Trojans will be a ton of fun this season, but not as successful as the media may think. Next year will be the one for this team to truly blossom in to the playoff contender that everyone expects them to be.

Heisman Winner: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State Buckeyes

It is a biased pick. It is a basic pick. There’s nothing fun or exciting about picking the betting favorite to win the Heisman. That is, unless he plays for your team. I went against CJ on the record early last season and he shut me up so badly that I almost never want to bad mouth him ever again. I cannot wait to see what he has in store after last year’s fireworks (4,435 yards, 44 TDs). Leading the nation’s best offense with the nation’s best weapons sounds like a very good formula for success. Other players I wouldn’t sleep on are the obvious ones: Will Anderson, Bijan Robinson, Bryce Young, and even Jalen Carter. Maybe this is the year a defensive player finally wins it again!

Playoff Prediction

(1) Alabama vs. (4) Utah – Chick Fil A Peach Bowl
(2) Ohio State vs. (3) Georgia – Vrbo Fiesta Bowl

Similar to how it was for so much of last season, college football in 2022 really is just Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, and then everyone else. The Tide and Buckeyes should run the table with ease, and I think Georgia still gets in with a loss in the SEC title game by virtue of not losing in the regular season, just like they did last season. The fourth spot in the field could go to any number of teams: Baylor, Clemson, Notre Dame, and maybe even the likes of Oregon or Oklahoma State. But, I’m choosing the Utah Utes based on how they ended last season. It’s just such a solid team with so much returning talent that is bound to do huge things this year. However, the room for error is so slim, as it is with all those teams I mentioned that will be vying for the last playoff spot. With Baylor in the Big 12 which is bound to cannibalizing itself, Clemson playing Notre Dame in South Bend late in the year, Notre Dame opening against Ohio State, and so many other teams’ circumstances, I believe Utah has the best shot to get in at either 13-0 or 12-1. They need to be cautious not to slip up in games against teams like Florida, Arizona State, UCLA, USC, and Oregon, but if this team is what I think they are, they’ll be just fine. If not, then we could be looking at our first Alabama-Ohio State-Georgia-Clemson playoff ever. Either way, I think we’re in for a dandy in late December.

When it comes down to these matchups, it’s hard not to foresee the inevitable Alabama-Ohio State national championship game. And in that scenario, I’d pray every second of every day that the Bucks find a way to pull it out. Of course I’d pick them to win, but this might just be one of those years where nobody stops Alabama. However, I refuse to admit that. I’ve got the Buckeyes over the Tide in an instant classic national title game between the sport’s two biggest brands on its biggest stage. CJ Stroud has a legendary homecoming in SoCal en route to winning the program’s first title in 8 years. And we all go home happy!

The best sport in the world is back and I could not be more excited to be spending my Saturdays with my absolute favorite thing once again. Regardless of how this season plays out, I know I’m going to have the time of my life, as I always do. I hope you do as well.

All stats taken from ESPN.