March Madness is upon us.
For most regular readers of NBADraft.net, you’re all set. You’re plugged in. You have well-informed opinions, multiple brackets, a list of draft sleepers a mile long, and a working knowledge of Lipscomb’s defensive strategies.
However, you are the top 0.1%. Everyone else has no idea what’s going on.
Many sports fans who don’t follow college hoops with any kind of regularity have spent these past few days cramming information like a high school senior who forgot to study for final exams until the night before.
At Elevator Doors HQ, we like to provide a public service from time to time. If you need a quick cheat sheet to plow through your bracket or some talking points to get through a March Madness watch party, we have you covered. You likely won’t need this, but you might have a friend or family member in need. Send them our way.
Cooper Flagg – and his ankle – is the one to watch.
The college basketball world’s collective heart stopped when Flagg twisted his ankle coming down for a rebound against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament. The injury appeared devastating in the moment, but Flagg appears as if he’ll be ready to go.
If he is even 80% of the player he was this regular season, he will be the best player in the tournament. He is etched in stone as the top overall pick this summer. Many prospects in his position would simply choose to sit out March Madness and not risk further injury. But the fact that Flagg is not only going to play through the pain, but likely excel through it, is exactly why he deserves to be taken No. 1 overall and why he will likely exceed the hype.
If you’re looking to see other potential lottery prospects, tune into Baylor, BYU, and Illinois.
After Flagg, there is a minor drop-off in NBA-ready talent. The draft’s other two hype machines, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, finished 15-17 for a deeply disappointing Rutgers squad.
Some mid-seed teams in this year’s tourney have some top-tier talent, so if scouting future NBA talent is your preferred way to get into March Madness, check out VJ Edgecombe of Baylor, Egor Demin of BYU, and Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois.
Edgecombe started the season a bit slowly but has finished the season on a tear, showing the kind of speed and athleticism that scouts can’t help but fawn over. Edgecombe is a potential two-way terror with terrific finishing skills and emerging playmaking ability. If the jumper sticks, he could be a multiple All-Star selection.
Jakučionis, meanwhile, is almost the exact opposite of Edgecombe at the same off-guard position. What he lacks in elite-level athleticism, he more than makes up for in dead-eye shooting ability and versatility navigating screens. He came into Illinois with a ton of big-game experience already under his belt with Barcelona.
Demin is another high-end Euro prospect who has come to college ball via Spain (Real Madrid for Demin). Demin’s bread-and-butter is his versatility and playmaking. He is averaging an impressive six assists per game in just 27 mpg for BYU this season as the squad’s primary ball handler. He doesn’t look for his own shot as much as you would like, but his unselfish mentality lends itself to the next level – shades of Josh Giddey in Demin’s game.
Also, NBA-minded fans should take a moment to break down Flagg’s teammates, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Sion James, and Tyrese Proctor. I like Knueppel the most out of these players, but all four will likely hear their names called on draft night.
It’s the SEC and everyone else.
To nobody’s surprise, the SEC seems to be navigating this new NIL/transfer portal better than any other power conference. With 14 teams in the field – eight of them six-seeds or higher – it seems likely that they’ll send more than one team to San Antonio for the Final Four. Could they get all four?
Several SEC teams had dominant stretches throughout the season, and you can make a case for many of them to cut down the nets in April. Florida, thanks to the stellar Walter Clayton Jr., is playing the best right now, but Auburn, the top overall seed with the best non-Flagg player in Johni Broome, is a hot pick too (despite losing three of their last four).
Alabama has Mark Sears. Tennessee has Zakai Zeigler. Kentucky is Kentucky. Even semi-disappointing SEC squads like Arkansas, Georgia, and Texas have potentially lottery studs in Boogie Fland, Asa Newell, and Tre Johnson, respectively.
If an SEC team is playing, the game is likely worth watching.
Sleepers? They’re not like us.
I have Drake as my double-digit seed to watch. The Bulldogs have won 30 of 33 games and Bennett Stirtz has all the makings of a March hero. Besides, Drake needs a win in the worst way.
(However, every opposing pep band needs to learn a brass-heavy rendition of “Not Like Us” before any Drake matchup.)
I also like No. 12-seed Colorado State as a potential Cinderella. Nique Clifford is one of those do-it-all college studs who tend to make deep runs in March. CSU/Memphis has the potential to be an awesome game on Friday.
Don’t sleep on the play-in competitors either. A team that wins big on Tuesday can often use that momentum to roll through an unsuspecting No. 6 seed. If I’m Ole Miss, I want no part of North Carolina in the first round.
Best mascot? Zippy, of course!
If you know someone who fills out their bracket based entirely on the mascot, they might end up picking the Florida Gators to win it all, and I can’t say I’d blame them. The Gator is a cool/terrifying mascot (and their team isn’t half bad either). But if you’re trying to get a younger kid into their first tourney, show them a picture of Zippy the kangaroo. I can’t believe Zippy doesn’t have her own Youtube Kids show. Zippy should be at least as popular as Bluey.
Best uniforms? Traditional or wild – take your pick.
I’m a traditionalist at heart. I love the UNC baby blues and the classic St. John’s red. Crisp, clean, eternal.
But if you want something out of the box, Oregon tends to play fast and loose with their green-and-yellow color combos. Both High Point and Grand Canyon – two religiously affiliated schools who are relatively new to tourney play – share an affinity for purple.
My favorite sleeper uniform belongs to the Montana Grizzlies. Every combo they throw out there looks phenomenal. The Grizz alternate between a deep maroon and a teal look that takes a second to adjust to, but it grows on you the more you see it.
Enjoy the games!
