2022 NCAA Tournament Region Breakdown (Midwest) - No Idea Who Here Is Even Good And Mayhem Is Guaranteed
I’ll be looking at each region over the next couple of days as the NCAA Tournament gets ready to tip. We’ll look at matchups to watch, previews, picks, players to watch and what team could be a sleeper to come out of each region. I’ll be releasing my entire bracket on Thursday morning so there won’t be a ton of revealing here.
Midwest Region
Storylines
1. Can you actually trust Kansas? - I think Kansas is good. But then I keep remembering some of the defensive mistakes or how much Bill Self loves playing through McCormack when his best players are Abaji and Wilson. They just won the Big 12 so that's how I know they are good. But how much trust can you have with them? I think they might have the weirdest floor/ceiling difference than any other 1 seed.
2. Auburn away from home is a problem - Auburn is another team like Kansas. I'm pretty sure they are good. Shit, in fact they were the favorite to win this shit at one point it felt like. But away from home they are a completely different team. Barely beat Georgia, Mizzou. Lost to Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida and UConn. It's a credit to Auburn Arena but something to keep an eye on.
3. Will Wade was fired - I still don't get what the point was of firing Will Wade now. You backed him for 3 years, pretty sure the NCAA doesn't give a shit if you fired him last week or next week. Either way you now have LSU without a head coach. It will go one of two ways. They will lose by 100 or come together and kick the shit out of Iowa State. Your guess on which way.
4. Providence luck factor - Come on, it's one of the biggest stories in the sport. Everyone calls Providence lucky, because they keep winning close games. That's what matters. But you start to play law of averages and wondering if they truly are a top-16 team and all that. They draw the sexy underdog pick in South Dakota State.
5. Johnny Davis being healthy - Johnny Davis didn't look right against Michigan State. He was short on a bunch of shots. You could tell he didn't have the same burst. It's not exactly a secret that Johnny Davis not being healthy really caps on what Wisconsin can do. That bottom half of the bracket can be mayhem, so Davis being healthy could be a difference from an Elite Eight or 1st round exit.
Players to Watch
There are a couple ways to look at this, but I’m looking at this strictly as an intrigue factor. These are players that could be lottery picks in the NBA Draft, could put a team on their back or are just flat out good players. I'll try to avoid the obvious like Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero.
1. Wendell Green (Auburn) - Here's the pro with Wendell Green. He can get hot, win you a game and shoot from basically anywhere. Here's the con with Wendell Green. He might think he's the best player on the floor at all times. He might shoot you out of a game. He might lose you a game. True wildcard.
2. Justin Minaya (Providence) - What makes Providence so good is the fact Minaya is a fucking menace defensively. Could make a legit case for him as DPOY. In this draw he could have South Dakota State's guards, Iowa's guards and then Agbaji. Pretty important.
3. Isaiah Mobley (USC) - The other Mobley. Remember that when Bill from Accounting is talking about him. Big for him to come back from injury and still be able to play 35 minutes a game.
4. Iziah Brockington (Iowa State) - If you think LSU is going to pack it up without Will Wade, get to know Brockington. He's really the only consistent offense for Iowa State. Also good luck figuring out Iowa State. They might score 40 a game, they might score 55 and win. It's impossible to guess. But Brockington is legit awesome.
5. Christian Braun (Kansas) - Agbaji gets all the press clippings and rightfully so. People know about Remy Martin, David McCormack, even Jalen Wilson. But it's Christian Braun who is their second best player and does a little bit of everything. Can shoot, will yam on you and can be a playmaker.
Team underseeded: Iowa (5)
Team overseeded: LSU (6)
Matchup you most want to see: No. 5 Iowa/No. 2 Auburn (Elite Eight)
Best bet to win region (via Barstool Sportsbook) Wisconsin +1000

