By Lamar Reevers
The most participated event in college history in March is here, brackets are already being filled up by fans across the United States for the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments. Many people predict who’s going all the way to win the national championship for both men’s and women’s. There will be a lot of upsets, buzzer-beaters and good ball movement because, for these college athletes, it’s about putting everything on the line for a one-elimination bracket.
There are a few teams on both sides to look out for that have had wonderful seasons, or sleeper teams that will have unexpected potential to go all the way to the elite eight, final four, or the national championship.
NCAA men’s basketball
The team many fans should look out for is, of course, Duke University. Duke has been amazing in the past few decades of college basketball. They are known for basketball and have had great recruitment throughout their years. Duke’s biggest player this year for this team is a 6’9″ freshman named Cooper Flagg. Flagg is a big part of Duke averaging 19.4 points per game and 7.6 rebounds this season.
The next team to look out for is Auburn. Auburn had a wonderful season this year, with standout senior Johni Broome. Broome, the leading captain and veteran of his team, is shooting a much more efficient field goal percentage this season, averaging 51% all around the court and averaging a double-double of 19 points per game and 10.6 rebounds. The past season he averaged 16 points per game which shows a lot of his improvement this season.
This next team is potentially a sleeper on a lot of people’s brackets, but the odds are very high that Michigan State may go all the way. This season Michigan State is having an incredible year in college hoops, leading their conference as the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten. Michigan State has been a fun team to watch recently because of players like Jaden Akins and Jace Richardson, son of two-time dunk contest winner in the NBA, Jason Richardson.
Another sleeper team who has had a great season is the Florida Gators. The Gators finished second in the conference with a record of 30-4. The team has a great average field goal on the court at 47%. Walter Clayton Jr. has had a good season, being the leading scorer of the team averaging 17.5 points per game to lead his team to the playoffs.
NCAA women’s basketball
Women’s college basketball is gaining a higher viewership than ever before. Like last year, when various teams were on the talks all over social media. Some teams this year are still yielding continuous chatter and should be considered when building your bracket.
The first team everyone thinks has the odds to win another national championship is South Carolina, who would be back-to-back champions if they pulled out another win this year. After last year, South Carolina is looking to complete what they started at the beginning of this season and hang another championship banner up. South Carolina has had an outstanding record of 30-3 and is well coached by former WNBA player Dawn Stanley. The team shares the ball a lot, averaging 17 assists per game, and with great defense averaging 9 steals per game. The person to look out for is their leading scorer Joyce Edwards who averaged 13 points with 55% from the court.
USC is another team not to be messed with, as they are the number one in the BIG Ten conference. USC is well known for their defense this year, averaging 11 steals and seven blocks per game. Dynamic duo stars Juju Watkins is averaging 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and shooting 42% from the court alongside Kiki Iriafen, who is averaging 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and shooting a well 50% from the court. Together, these two have the potential to lead their team to the national championship.
This team might be a sleeper on some brackets but, but Uconn has had an outstanding season. Uconn has the most efficient team from the field, shooting a great 50% from the court, and is mostly known for their great share of team basketball, averaging 21 assists per game and 11 steals per game. The players on this team who are expected to have a big impact are Paige Beckers, who is averaging 19 points per game, shooting a great efficiency of 53.6% of the court and 40% from 3, and Sarah Strong, averaging 16 points, 8.3 rebounds and 57% field goal, along with Azzi Fudd averaging efficient from 3-point-range and free throw.
The final team that is looking to win it all again is LSU. With last season’s key player Angle Reese in the WNBA, LSU hasn’t lost the touch of their game. LSU has more team-based basketball too, with the team averaging 15 assists and 10 steals and being efficient on defense. LSU has three main players to watch out for. Flau’Jae Johnson is one of the big three who is averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 46% efficiency on the court. Another is Aneesah Morrow, who is averaging a double-double with 18.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 49% efficiency on the court. The final of the big three is Mikaylah Williams, who averaged 17.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 46% efficiency on the court. These three players can lead to impact for LSU to win another national championship.
