(1) Illinois vs (16) Drexel – 1:15 PM ET
No. 1 Illinois (23-6) lost in the finals of the Big Ten Conference tournament, entering the NCAA tournament as an at-large bid. Illinois enters as one of the top teams in the country in several statistical categories. They are 18th in points per game (80.7), ninth in rebounds per game (37.5) and third in defensive rebounds per game (20.4).
They are also 32nd in assists per contest at 16.2. The team is shooting 50.0% from the field, eighth overall and 38.2% from three-point range, 20th in the country. The Fighting Illini are led by the two headed monster of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn.
Dosunmu leads the team in scoring at 20.9 ppg and is second in rebounding at 6.2 per contest. He is also the team leader in assists at 5.2 per game. Cockburn is second in scoring at 17.3 per game and is the leading rebounder at 9.6 per contest. He is shooting 66.0% from the field.
𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 🏆#Illini | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/Pz3nwNQo6z
— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 14, 2021
No. 16 Drexel (12-7) earned an automatic bid after winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. They have won seven in a row and 14 of their last 15 games. The Dragons are averaging 71.3 ppg while allowing 67.0 points per game, 90th in the country.
They are shooting 47.2% from the field, 46% overall and 77.6% from the free-throw line, 23rd in the nation. Drexel is led in scoring by Camren Wynter at 17.6 ppg and he leads in assists at 5.6 per game. James Butler is second in scoring (13.4) and first in rebounding (9.1).
March Madness Pick – Illinois (-3500)
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(8) Loyola-Chicago vs (9) Georgia Tech – 4:00 PM ET
No. 8 Loyola-Chicago (24-4) earned an automatic bid by winning the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. This is a very good shooting team, hitting on 50.4% of their field-goal attempts, fifth overall and 35.4% of three-point attempts, 99th overall.
However, it is surprising that with such accuracy they are only averaging 71.6 points per game. The Ramblers are built on defense, allowing 55.7 points per contest, ninth in the nation. Loyola-Chicago is led in scoring by Cameron Krutwig at 15.0 ppg.
He is also the leading rebounder at 6.5 per contest. Krutwig is an outstanding shooter, hitting 58.6% of his shots from the field, but only 64.2% from the free-throw line. No other player is averaging in double digits on this team, but six players are averaging between 7.0 and 7.9 points per game.
No. 9 Georgia Tech (17-8) made a nice run to win the ACC tournament, defeating Florida State, 80-75. The Yellow Jackets finished with eight straight victories. Georgia Tech is averaging 75.6 points per game, 72nd in the nation, while allowing 70.0 per contest.
They are shooting 47.5% from the field, 38th in the country, and 73.0% from the free-throw line, 99th overall. Neither of these teams are very good rebounding clubs. The Yellow Jackets are led by Moses Wright at 18.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.
He is shooting 54.2% from the field but only 66.7% from the free-throw line. José Alvarado is second in scoring at 15.5 points per game. He is an outstanding shooter as well, connecting on 51.2% of his shots from the field, including 40.6% from three-point range, but Alvarado is an outstanding free-throw shooter, connecting on 88.1% of his attempts.
March Madness Pick – Loyola-Chicago (-141)
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(5) Tennessee vs (12) Oregon State – 4:30 PM ET
No. 5 Tennessee (18-8) lost to Alabama in the semifinals of the SEC tournament. Star Forward John Fulkerson suffered a concussion and facial injuries in the victory over Florida, and his status is questionable for this game.
Tennessee is averaging 72.5 ppg while allowing 62.7 points per contest, 30th in the nation. The Volunteers are shooting 44.3% from the field, but are a solid free-throw shooting team, connecting on 74.5% of their attempts.
Tennessee is led in scoring by Jaden Springer at 12.4 ppg. Springer is hitting 48.4% of his shots, including 46.2% from three-point range, and is hitting 80.4% of free-throw attempts.
One day away.#GBO / #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/kSSoZEGSoy
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 18, 2021
Victor Bailey, second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game, is also an outstanding shooter, hitting 42.3% of his attempts and 81.7% of his free throws.
No. 12 Oregon State (17-12) earned the automatic bid from the Pac-12 Conference with an impressive tournament run. That included rallying from a 16-point deficit to UCLA, then defeating the conference regular season champs, Oregon, before beating Colorado in the finals, 70-68.
Oregon State is averaging 70.0 ppg while allowing 68.1 points per contest. They are shooting 43.2% from the field but have been great from the free-throw line, hitting 76.0% of their attempts, 37th overall.
The Beavers are led in scoring by Ethan Thompson at 15.5ppg. Warith Alatishe is the leading rebounder at 8.4 per game and is third on the team in scoring at 9.4 points per contest.
March Madness Pick – Oregon State (+280)
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(4) Oklahoma State vs (13) Liberty – 6:25 PM ET
No. 4 Oklahoma State (20-8) lost to Texas in the Big 12 Conference tournament finals. They enter as an at-large bid. Oklahoma State is averaging 76.7 points per game, 59th in the country, while allowing 72.3 points per game.
The Cowboys are a solid shooting team, connecting on 46.6% of their shots, 55th overall. They have been outstanding on the glass too, averaging 35.2 rebounds per game, 50th overall, including 26.0 defensive rebounds per game, 45th in the nation.
The Cowboys are led by guard Cade Cunningham, averaging 19.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Cunningham is a 45.5% shooter, including 85.4% from the free-throw line.
Avery Anderson is the only other player averaging in double digits at 11.1 per game. However, Kalib Boone (9.9) and Isaac Likekele (9.8) are close to the mark.
No. 13 Liberty (23-5) earned an automatic bid by winning the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. It was their third straight conference championship. The Flames are 86th in the nation in scoring at 74.9 ppg, but have been an outstanding defensive club, 11th in the country in points allowed at 58.9 per game.
They are shooting 49.1% from the field, 18th overall, and 39.2% from three-point range, ninth in the nation. Liberty is 28th in free-throw shooting at 76.8 per game.
The Flames are led in scoring by Darius McGhee at 15.5 ppg. He is shooting 46.4% from the field and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Chris Parker (10.1) and Elijah Cuffee (10.0) are also averaging in double digits.
March Madness Pick – Oklahoma State (-350)
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(2) Houston vs (15) Cleveland State – 7:15 PM ET
No. 2 Houston (24-3) earned an automatic bid by winning the American Athletic Conference tournament by blowing out Cincinnati in the finals, 91-54. Houston is averaging 77.2 ppg while allowing 57.6 points per game, 10th overall.
It has been an outstanding performance on the glass by the Cougars that have led this team. They are fifth in the nation in rebounds per game at 38.4 and second in offensive rebounds at 13.3. That has helped the team immensely, as they are 89th in free-throw percentage at 73.3%.
Time to dance!
Houston is a No. 2 seed and will face Cleveland State on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/ezzxqWT7SR
— Houston Men’s Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
Houston is led in scoring Quentin Grimes at 17.9 ppg and he is second in rebounds at 6.2 per contest. Justin Gorham is only averaging 8.2 points per game but has been a beast on the glass at 9.4 rebounds per game.
No. 15 Cleveland State (19-7) earned an automatic bid from the Horizon League after defeating Oakland in the conference finals, 80-69. The Vikings are averaging 69.5 ppg while allowing 69.4 points per contest.
They are shooting 44.6% from the field and have been terrible from the free-throw line at 66.4%, 43rd from the bottom. Cleveland State is led by Torrey Patton at 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
He is shooting 46.1% from the field, but only 29.9% from three-point range and 63.3% from the free-throw line. D’Moi Hodge is the only other player averaging in double digits at 10.3 points per game. He has not been a very good shooter either, hitting on 39.7% of his shots from the field, 29.2% of his three-point attempts, and 66.7% of free-throw attempts.
March Madness Pick – Houston (-2500)
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(7) Clemson vs (10) Rutgers – 9:20 PM ET
No. 7 Clemson (16-7) is making only their third NCAA tournament appearance in the last 11 seasons. They won six of their last eight games but lost to Miami in the first game of the conference tournament.
The Tigers are averaging just 65.4 ppg, 40th from the bottom, but are allowing 61.8 points per game, 20th in the nation. They are shooting 42.6% from the field but have been a solid free-throw shooting team at 76.0%, 34th overall.
Clemson is led in scoring by Aamir Simms at 13.1 ppg. He also leads the team in rebounding at 6.1 per contest. Simms has been the best shooter for the team, hitting 54.4% of his field-goal attempts and is an 82.5% free-throw shooter. He is the only Tigers player averaging in double digits.
No. 10 Rutgers (15-11) was knocked out by Illinois in their second game of the Big Ten Conference tournament. They enter as an at-large bid. The Scarlet Knights are averaging 70.4 ppg while allowing 68.1 points per contest.
Rutgers is shooting 45.2% from the field but has been a terrible free-throw shooting team, connecting on 62.4% of their attempts, 10th from the bottom. The Scarlet Knights are led in scoring by Ron Harper 15.3 ppg. He is second in rebounding at 5.9 per contest. Jacob Young is averaging 14.5 points and 3.5 assists per game. Young is shooting 47.3% from the field.
March Madness Pick – Rutgers (-120)
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(6) San Diego State vs (11) Syracuse – 9:40 PM ET
No. 6 San Diego State (23-4) defeated Utah State to earn the Mountain West Conference tournament championship. The Aztecs have won 14 straight games. San Diego State is averaging 74.4 ppg, while allowing 60.1 points per game, 12th fewest in the nation.
The Aztecs are shooting 45.4% from the field and have been outstanding from behind the arc, hitting 38.0% of three-point attempts, 25th in the nation. San Diego State is led by MWC Player of the Year Matt Mitchell, who averaged 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Mitchell shot 44.7% from the field and is an 81.6% free-throw shooter. Jordan Schakel is second in scoring at 14.4 points per game and is hitting 90.2% of its free-throw attempts.
Our first look at our venue for Friday night’s matchup- 31 hours to tip.
“We have been waiting for this moment.” pic.twitter.com/7tc8rS8Jdh
— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) March 18, 2021
No. 11 Syracuse (16-9) lost to Virginia in the second game of the ACC tournament, 72-69. The Orange are averaging 75.6 ppg, 72nd in the nation, and are allowing 70.8 points per contest. They are shooting 43.6% from the field, but are an outstanding free-throw shooting team, hitting 78.5% of free-throw attempts.
Syracuse is led in scoring by Buddy Boeheim at 16.0 ppg. He is shooting 40.5% from the field and 85.3% from the free-throw line. Alan Griffin is averaging 15.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Quincy Guerrier is averaging 9.0 rebounds per game and 14.5 points per contest.
March Madness Pick – San Diego State (-162)
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(3) West Virginia vs (14) Morehead State – 9:50 PM ET
No. 3 West Virginia (18-9) has lost three of their last four games heading into this contest including getting knocked out by Oklahoma State in their first contest in the Big 12 Conference tournament.
The Mountaineers are 48th in the country in points per game at 77.6 and are allowing 72.1 points per contest. They are 54th in the nation and rebounds per game at 35.2, and have been exceptional on the offensive glass, averaging 12.0 offensive rebounds per game, fifth overall.
West Virginia is only shooting 42.8% from the field, but are hitting on 35.9% of their three-point attempts, 76th overall. The Mountaineers are led in scoring by Miles McBride averaging 15.3 ppg.
Derek Culver is having a monster season, averaging 14.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He is shooting 48.6% from the field, but only 61.8% from the free-throw line.
No. 14 Morehead State (23-7) earned an automatic bid by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, defeating Belmont in the finals, 86-71. The Eagles won their last seven games. Morehead State is averaging 68.6 points per game while allowing 63.4 per contest, 39th in the country.
They are shooting 45.7% from the field, 85th overall, but have not been a good free-throw shooting team, connecting on 67.1% of their attempts. The Eagles are 81st in the country in rebounds at 34.4 per game. Morehead State is led in scoring by Johni Broome at 13.2 ppg.
He is a 57.4% shooter from the field but is only hitting on 60.4% of its free-throw attempts. Broome also leads the team in rebounding at 8.7 per contest. Devon Cooper is second in points (11.7) and third in rebounding (5.1). Skyelar Potter is third in scoring (11.7) and second in rebounding (5.6).
March Madness Pick – West Virginia (-820)
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of Bet365.
