What to learn about Sunday’s Elite 8 matchups: Recent faces, new locations
Florida Atlantic and Connecticut have already booked tickets for Houston. By the early night Sunday, we’ll know which groups will be a part of the Owls and Huskies within the Remaining 4.
The Elite Eight wraps up with South and Midwest regional finals:
Within the South, No. 5 San Diego State meets No. 6 Creighton with each groups aiming to make the primary Remaining 4 in program historical past.
Within the Midwest, No. 5 Miami takes on No. 2 Texas, the best seed remaining in a match that has already made historical past as the primary with out a minimum of one No. 1 seed within the Elite Eight.
Right here’s what we discovered from Elite Eight wins, what to anticipate Sunday and the essential quantity to learn about every crew:
Comply with the insanity: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules
South Regional
No. 5 San Diego State
One factor to know: San Diego State’s protection is off the charts — simply ask Alabama.
The muse of this system’s success for roughly twenty years, the Aztecs’ protection yearly ranks among the many nation’s greatest. This yr has been no totally different. Going up towards the match’s prime total seed, SDSU held the Crimson Tide to 32.4% taking pictures and fully bottled up future lottery decide Brandon Miller, who completed with simply 9 factors on 3 of 19 taking pictures, together with only one make in 10 makes an attempt from deep.
However Creighton might put this protection to the check. The Blue Jays have scored a minimum of 80 factors in 5 of the previous seven video games and are taking pictures 50.6% from the sector in match play.
Key quantity: 75.
SDSU has given up greater than 75 factors in regulation simply 3 times all season and never since dropping 76-67 to New Mexico on Jan. 14. The opposite two opponents to attain 75 factors had been Ohio State on Nov. 21 and Arizona on Nov. 22.
No. 6 Creighton
One factor to know: Ryan Kalkbrenner might take this recreation over.
The Blue Jays’ huge man has scored a minimum of 20 factors in 4 of his previous six video games, together with a career-high 31 factors in a gap spherical win towards No. 11 North Carolina State. He is the anchor of an inside-out scheme that took over within the second half towards No. 15 Princeton, boosted by a mixed 43 factors from Kalkbrenner and senior guard Baylor Scheierman. Whereas the Aztecs are very able to harassing wing gamers into submission — they maintain opponents to twenty-eight.2% from 3-point vary, third within the nation — SDSU is extra prone inside, making Kalkbrenner the important thing to Creighton’s try to achieve the primary Remaining 4 in program historical past.
Key quantity: 72-69.
The rating when these two applications met within the opening spherical of final yr’s match, with Creighton pulling out the additional time win. Whereas personnel and kinds have modified within the yr since, the Blue Jays outrebounded SDSU (41-32) and shot 44.6% from the sector.
Midwest Regional
No. 2 Texas
One factor to know: Please, simply give Rodney Terry the job.
The work Terry has finished because the Longhorns’ interim coach has greater than earned him the full-time place: Texas has gone 22-7 since he changed Chris Beard in December and is within the Elite Eight for the primary time since 2008 and simply the second time for the reason that match expanded from eight groups in 1951. For years, this has been a program outlined by unachieved expectations; below Terry, the Longhorns have fought via off-court drama and accidents to peak on the proper time.
To this point, the give attention to Terry’s future — and the query of whether or not Texas will conduct a broader, nationwide seek for Beard’s everlasting substitute — seemingly hasn’t weighed on the Longhorns, who’re taking part in quick and unfastened heading into the regional closing towards the Hurricanes. However his candidacy for the full-time job is likely one of the underlying themes behind Sunday’s matchup.
Key quantity: 455.
That is the variety of profession begins for the Longhorns’ 4 main scorers: guard Marcus Carr (156), ahead Timmy Allen (150), guard Sir’Jabari Rice (77) and guard Timmy Hunter (72). All 4 began their faculty careers elsewhere and transferred to Texas, with Carr making stops at Pittsburgh and Minnesota earlier than becoming a member of the Longhorns previous to final season.
No. 5 Miami
One factor to know: The three-headed backcourt is rolling.
Isaiah Wong struggled within the first spherical win towards No. 12 Drake, tying his season low with simply 5 factors, however had 27 factors and eight rebounds within the second spherical towards No. 4 Indiana and one other 20 factors and 6 rebounds in Friday’s win towards No. 1 Houston.
Jordan Miller additionally scuffled towards Drake however rallied with 19 factors towards the Hoosiers and one other 13 factors towards the Cougars.
Nijel Pack has been on level for the reason that begin of match play, averaging a team-best 19.7 factors per recreation and dropping a season-high 26 factors to guide the Hurricanes into the Elite Eight.
After some early struggles, this backcourt has taken over video games to assist Miami earn a second journey in a row to the regional finals.
Key quantity: 14.3.
That is the variety of fouls dedicated per recreation by the Hurricanes, good for twenty first nationally and second amongst groups nonetheless alive in match play, trailing Creighton (13.2 fouls per recreation). Texas ranks 217th (17.3 per recreation). Miami can be fifteenth in free throw share (77.6%).
Comply with faculties reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
