NCAA South Region analysis: Where the bluebloods and freshmen stars align
The South Region includes North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA and many talented freshmen players.
Quite the jerseys in this region with North Carolina, Kentucky and UCLA as the top three seeds. Those programs rank tied for third, second and first in the number of NCAA championships, 24 combined. They’re also the top three programs in Final Four appearances.
The Tar Heels lost in last year’s championship game to Villanova on a buzzer-beater, and several key players returned, including Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year Justin Jackson.
The Wildcats are riding an 11-game winning streak, capped by Sunday’s victory over Arkansas in the SEC Tournament title game. Kentucky figures to go as far as freshmen stars Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox can take them.
The Bruins might have the nation’s top freshman in point guard Lonzo Ball. He’s a triple-double waiting to happen with 14.6 points, 7.7 assists and 6.1 rebounds. And don’t forget about fellow freshman T.J. Leaf, who averages 16.3 points per game. The pair has helped transform a program that finished 15-17 last year.
Fourth-seeded Butler proved it can play with any team in the country, sweeping the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, Villanova. Leading scorer Kelan Martin, who averages 16.1 points, comes off the bench.
Eighth-seeded Arkansas played well down the stretch, making the tournament and taking the heat off coach Mike Anderson, who makes the field for the second time in six years.
Northern Kentucky, the No. 15 seed, made the tournament in its first year of eligibility as the Horizon League champion. But what a first-round draw: Kentucky.
Best matchup
The meeting between seventh-seeded Dayton and No. 10 Wichita State should be one of the most intense of the first round. The programs are coached by guys whose names constantly are mentioned for job openings at bigger-budgeted programs, the Flyers’ Archie Miller and the Shockers’ Gregg Marshall.
Players to watch
Ball, Monk, Fox, Jackson for starters, but getting a jump on the regional is Wake Forest big man John Collins, who averages 18.9 points and 9.8 rebounds. He’ll be a matchup problem for Kansas State in an opening-round game.
Upset special
Many of the players who helped Middle Tennessee State produce last year’s upset of Michigan State are back to perform the same magic on fifth-seeded Minnesota.
Final Four pick
Kentucky over North Carolina
Blair Kerkhoff: 816-234-4730, @BlairKerkhoff
NCAA South Region teams at a glance
No. 1 North Carolina
Chapel Hill, 27-7.
Nickname: Tar Heels. Coach: Roy Williams.
Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 117-45, 47 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (87.7); Justin Jackson 18.1; Joel Berry II 14.8; Kennedy Meeks 12.6; Isaiah Hicks 12.3.
Rebounds: Team (44.0); Kennedy Meeks 9.1; Isaiah Hicks 5.7; Tony Bradley 5.2; Justin Jackson 4.6; Theo Pinson 4.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (18.8/12.7); Theo Pinson 4.1/1.2; Joel Berry II 3.7/1.9; Nate Britt 2.3/0.9; Justin Jackson 2.7/1.6; Kenny Williams 2.2/1.2.
3-pointers: Team (.371); Justin Jackson 90; Joel Berry II 76; Kenny Williams 27.
Last Ten: 7-3.
No. 16 Texas Southern
Houston, 23-11.
Nickname: Tigers. Coach: Mike Davis.
Conference: Southwestern Athletic. Bid: SWAC champion.
Tournament Record: 0-6, 6 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (74.4); Zach Lofton 17.0; Demontrae Jefferson 14.9; Derrick Griffin 11.3; Kevin Scott 9.7.
Rebounds: Team (35.3); Derrick Griffin 10.9; Marvin Jones 6.8; Kevin Scott 4.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.8/11.6); Demontrae Jefferson 3.3/3.2; Dulani Robinson 2.5/1.5; Zach Lofton 2.5/2.4.
3-pointers: Team (.296); Demontrae Jefferson 38; Zach Lofton 33.
Last Ten: 9-1.
No. 8 Arkansas
Fayetteville, 25-9.
Nickname: Razorbacks. Coach: Mike Anderson.
Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At Large.
Tournament Record: 41-30, 30 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (81.2); Dusty Hannahs 14.6; Daryl Macon 13.3; Jaylen Barford 12.6; Moses Kingsley 11.9.
Rebounds: Team (33.6); Moses Kingsley 7.9; Manuale Watkins 3.9; Dustin Thomas 3.8.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.7/12.3); Daryl Macon 2.3/1.8; Jaylen Barford 2.1/1.9; Anton Beard 2.0/1.1.
3-pointers: Team (.377); Dusty Hannahs 70; Daryl Macon 62; Anton Beard 30.
Last Ten: 8-2.
No. 9 Seton Hall
South Orange, N.J., 21-11.
Nickname: Pirates. Coach: Kevin Willard.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 15-10, 10 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (73.3); Khadeen Carrington 16.9; Desi Rodriguez 15.9; Angel Delgado 15.3; Myles Powell 10.7.
Rebounds: Team (39.6); Angel Delgado 13.1; Ismael Sanogo 5.7; Desi Rodriguez 5.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.3/13.6); Madison Jones 3.2/1.9; Khadeen Carrington 3.1/2.2; Angel Delgado 2.2/2.9.
3-pointers: Team (.338); Myles Powell 66; Khadeen Carrington 60; Desi Rodriguez 49.
Last Ten: 7-3.
No. 5 Minnesota
Minneapolis, 24-9.
Nickname: Golden Gophers. Coach: Richard Pitino.
Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 13-12, 12 years. Last appearance: 2013.
Scoring: Team (75.3); Nate Mason 15.5; Amir Coffey 12.1; Jordan Murphy 11.2; Dupree McBrayer 10.9; Akeem Springs 9.5.
Rebounds: Team (39.9); Jordan Murphy 8.8; Reggie Lynch 6.2; Eric Curry 5.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.9/11.7); Nate Mason 5.0/1.8; Amir Coffey 3.1/2.0; Dupree McBrayer 2.7/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.344); Akeem Springs 67; Mate Mason 53; Dupree McBrayer 35.
Last Ten: 8-2.
No. 12 Middle Tennessee
Murfreesboro, 30-4.
Nickname: Blue Raiders. Coach: Kermit Davis.
Conference: Conference USA. Bid: CUSA champion.
Tournament Record: 3-8, 3 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (75.0); JaCorey Williams 17.3; Giddy Potts 15.8; Reggie Upshaw 14.5.
Rebounds: Team (35.5); JaCorey Williams 7.3; Reggie Upshaw 6.8; Giddy Potts 5.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.3/10.4); Tyrik Dixon 3.3/1.3; Reggie Upshaw 2.4/1.5; Edward Simpson 2.2/0.6.
3-pointers: Team (.368); Giddy Potts 74; Xavier Habersham 39; Reggie Upshaw 30.
Last Ten: 10-0.
No. 4 Butler
Indianapolis, 23-8.
Nickname: Bulldogs. Coach: Chris Holtmann.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 21-14, 14 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (76.3); Kelan Martin 16.1; Andrew Chrabascz 11.0; Kamar Balwin 10.0; Avery Woodson 8.6.
Rebounds: Team (32.0); Kelan Martin 5.7; Tyler Wideman 5.1; Andrew Chrabascz 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.2/10.2); Tyler Lewis 3.9/1.0; Andrew Chrabascz 3.2/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.363); Avery Woodson 65; Kelan Martin 58; Kamar Baldwin 31.
Last Ten: 5-5.
No. 13 Winthrop
Rock Hill, S.C., 26-6.
Nickname: Eagles. Coach: Pat Kelsey.
Conference: Big South. Bid: Big South champion.
Tournament Record: 1-9, 9 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (79.7); Keon Johnson 22.5; Xavier Cooks 16.3; Anders Broman 8.3.
Rebounds: Team (37.4); Xavier Cooks 92.; Joshua Davenport 4.5; Duby Okeke 3.9; Keon Johnson 3.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.8/13.2); Xavier Cooks 2.8/2.9; Keon Johnson 2.6/2.3; Bjirn Broman 2.2/1.1.
3-pointers: Team (.373); Keon Johnson 99; Anders Broman 62; Roderick Perkins 50; Bjorn Broman 45; Xavier Cooks 35.
Last Ten: 9-1.
No. 6 Cincinnati
Cincinnati, 29-5.
Nickname: Bobcats. Coach: Mick Cronin.
Conference: American Athletic. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 44-29, 30 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (77.4); Jacob Evans 13.8; Kyle Washington 13.1; Gary Clark 10.7; Troy Caupain 10.2.
Rebounds: Team (37.9); Gary Clark 7.8; Kyle Washington 6.9; Troy Caupain 4.5; Jacob Evans 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.0/10.8); Troy Caupain 4.6/1.2; Jacob Evans 2.6/1.2; Gary Clark 2.0/1.1; Justin Jenifer 2.0/0.5.
3-pointers: Team (.353); Jacob Evans 66; Kevin Johnson 48; Troy Caupain 45; Jarron Cumberland 36.
Last Ten: 7-3.
No. 11 Kansas State
Manhattan, 20-12.
Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Bruce Weber.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 33-32, 28 years. Last appearance: 2014.
Scoring: Team (71.7); Wesley Iwundu 12.5; Barry Brown 11.7; Kamau Stokes 11.6; D.J. Johnson 11.2; Dean Wade 9.4.
Rebounds: Team (32.8); Wesley Iwundu 6.4; D.J. Johnson 5.8; Dean Wade 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.0/13.1); Kamau Stokes 4.3/2.8; Wesley Iwundu 3.4/2.4; Barry Brown 2.4/1.8.
3-pointers: Team (.361); Kamau Stokes 58; Barry Brown 43; Xavier Sneed 38; Dean Wade 38.
Last Ten: 4-6.
No. 11 Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, N.C., 19-13.
Nickname: Demon Deacons. Coach: Danny Manning.
Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 28-22, 22 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (82.7); John Collins 18.9; Bryant Crawford 16.1; Keyshawn Woods 12.8; Dinos Mitoglou 9.0.
Rebounds: Team (36.8); John Collins 9.8; Dinos Mitoglou 6.3; Keyshawn Woods 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.6/11.8); Bryant Crawford 5.4/2.3; Keyshawn Woods 3.5/1.7; Brandon Childress 2.2/1.4.
3-pointers: Team (.387); Austin Arians 57; Bryant Crawford 53; Keyshawn Woods 49; Mitchell Wilbekin 45.
Last Ten: 6-4.
No. 3 UCLA
Los Angeles, 29-4.
Nickname: Bruins. Coach: Steve Alford.
Conference: Pac-12. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 104-40, 47 years. Last appearance: 2015.
Scoring: Team (91.9); TJ Leaf 16.2; Bryce Alford 15.8; Lonzo Ball 14.6; Isaac Hamilton 14.1; Aaron Holiday 12.6; Thomas Welsh 10.7.
Rebounds: Team (39.3); Thomas Welsh 8.8; TJ Leaf 8.3; Lonzo Ball 6.1; Ike Anigbogu 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (21.7/11.7); Lonzo Ball 7.7/2.5; Aaron Holiday 4.2/2.5; Isaac Hamilton 2.8/2.1; Bryce Alford 2.6/1.0; TJ Leaf 2.6/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.422); Bryce Alford 107; Lonzo Ball 73; Isaac Hamilton 67; Aaron Holiday 52.
Last Ten: 9-1.
No. 14 Kent State
Kent, Ohio, 22-13.
Nickname: Golden Flashes. Coach: Rob Senderoff.
Conference: Mid-American. Bid: MAC champion.
Tournament Record: 4-5, 5 years. Last appearance: 2008.
Scoring: Team (76.9); Jimmy Hall 18.9; Jaylin Walker 15.6; Deon Edwin 13.0.
Rebounds: Team (40.5); Jimmy Hall 10.5; Deon Edwin 5.6; Jaylin Walker 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.5/13.1); Jimmy Hall 2.6/3.0; Deon Edwin 2.4/2.1; Jalen Avery 2.2/0.6
3-pointers: Team (.318); Jaylin Walker 83; Deon Edwin 35; Jalen Avery 33; Mitch Peterson 32.
Last Ten: 9-1.
No. 7 Dayton
Dayton, Ohio, 24-7.
Nickname: Flyers. Coach: Archie Miller.
Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At large.
Tournament Record: 19-19, 17 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (76.5); Charles Cooke 16.1; Kendall Pollard 14.1; Scoochie Smith 13.5.
Rebounds: Team (34.5); Charles Cooke 5.1; Kendall Pollard 5.1; Xeyrius Williams 4.8; Ryan Mikesell 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.8/11.9); Scoochie Smith 4.5/2.2; Charles Cooke 2.9/2.1; Kyle Davis 2.7/0.9.
3-pointers: Team (.387); Scoochie Smith 50; Charles Cooke 48; Darrell Davis 40; Xeyrius Williams 39.
Last Ten: 8-2.
No. 10 Wichita State
Wichita, Kan., 30-4.
Nickname: Shockers. Coach: Gregg Marshall.
Conference: Missouri Valley. Bid: MVC champion.
Tournament Record: 17-14, 13 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (82.1); Markis McDuffie 11.8; Landry Shamet 11.1; Darral Willis Jr. 10.2; Shaquille Morris 9.5; Conner Frankamp 9.2.
Rebounds: Team (40.8); Markis McDuffie 5.7; Darral Willis Jr. 5.3; Shaquille Morris 4.9; Rashard Kelly 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.6/11.1); Landry Shamet 3.3/1.0; Connor Frankamp 2.7/0.6; Daishon Smith 2.0/1.1.
3-pointers: Team (.408); Connor Frankamp 70; Landry Shamet 69; Zach Brown 33; Markis McDuffie 32.
Last Ten: 10-0.
No. 2 Kentucky
Lexington, 29-5.
Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: John Calipari.
Conference: Southeastern. Bid: SEC champion.
Tournament Record: 123-50, 56 years. Last appearance: 2016.
Scoring: Team (86.1); Malik Monk 20.5; De’Aaron Fox 16.1; Edrice Adebayo 13.2; Isaiah Briscoe 12.9.
Rebounds: Team (40.2); Edrice Adebayo 7.8; Isaiah Briscoe 5.4; Wenyen Gabriel 5.3; Derek Willis 5.1; De’Aaron Fox 4.2.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.7/11.9); De’Aaron Fox 4.9/2.4; Isaiah Briscoe 4.3/2.5; Mailk Monk 2.3/2.2.
3-pointers: Team (.353); Malik Monk 95; Derek Willis 43; Mychal Mulder 34.
Last Ten: 10-0.
No. 15 Northern Kentucky
Highland Heights, 24-10.
Nickname: Norse. Coach: John Brannen.
Conference: Horizon League. Bid: Horizon champion.
Tournament Record: First year. Last appearance: First year.
Scoring: Team (75.9); Drew McDonald 16.4; Lavone Holland II 14.3; Carson Williams 10.5; Cole Murray 10.2.
Rebounds: Team (37.6); Drew McDonald 7.7; Carson Williams 5.8; Jeff Garrett 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.0/13.6); Lavone Holland II 4.1/3.0; Mason Faulkner 2.1/1.3.
3-pointers: Team (.351); Cole Murray 99; Lavone Holland II 55; Drew McDonald 50.
Last Ten: 9-1.
This story was originally published March 12, 2017 at 8:36 PM with the headline "NCAA South Region analysis: Where the bluebloods and freshmen stars align."