NCAA Midwest Region analysis: Taking a Lone Star team for Final Four. But which one?
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Your guide to Selection Sunday
Follow The Star’s analysis and predictions as the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed and KU, K-State and Mizzou are seeded for March Madness.
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You have to wonder if Houston benefited from playing its conference championship game on Sunday afternoon. The Cougars fell to Memphis, but they remained the top seed in the Midwest Region over Kansas. The Jayhawks lost their conference tournament final on Saturday.
Houston’s loss may have happened too late for the committee to make a change.
At any rate, it’s the Cougars in the Kansas City region and not Kansas, the top seed in the West. It’s been a solid few seasons for coach Kelvin Sampson’s club. They’ve gotten out of the first weekend in their last three tournament appearances, reaching the Final Four in 2021.
Houston star Marcus Sasser, who injured his groin in the AAC semifinals, said he’s confident he’ll play in the NCAA Tournament. And there’s this for the Cougars: Win four games and they’ll be playing in Houston at the Final Four.
Players to watch
Trayce Jackson-Davis is Indiana’s All-Big Ten forward who averaged 20.8 points and 10.9 rebounds this season.
Miami guard Isaiah Wong was the ACC player of the year, leading the Hurricanes with 16.2 points and 4.3 assists. This is Hurricanes team that made a deep run last season, falling in the regional final.
Iowa’s Kris Murray does it all. He’s the only player in the nation to average more than 20 points and eight rebounds per game while knocking down at least 60 three-pointers.
Drake’s Tucker DeVries became the fourth player to win the Missouri Valley Conference’s top individual honor, and he followed that with becoming the tournament MVP.
First-round upset
No. 13 Kent State over No. 4 Indiana. The Golden Flashes are sitting at 28 victories on the season and one of their six losses was by five points at Houston. They’re led by MAC player of the year Sincere Carry.
Sweet 16 surprise
Drake, also a first-round upset winner, over Kent State.
Regional final
Texas over Houston.
This story was originally published March 12, 2023 at 7:54 PM.
