2015 NCAA Basketball Tournament: South Region Preview

Arguably the easiest bracket in the 2015 NCAA Basketball Tournament, the South Region might also be the most surprising when all is said and done. No, outside of Duke and Gonzaga, there are no teams that really stand out of this group. But it might be just that that could make this region the most interesting one to watch.

Storylines: The very first storyline to look at is the mid-majors that have had success come tournament time in the past. The 8-seeded San Diego State and the 12-seeded Stephen F. Austin have both had success recently, and both might very well get a crack at the 1-seeded Duke before the tournament is over. Knowing Duke’s track record in recent NCAA Tournaments, look for a potential upset there somewhere in those third-round and Sweet 16 games.

The second story line to look at is the old-school feel of this bracket. Both Georgetown and UCLA, along with Duke, are traditional powerhouses when talking about college basketball in a historical sense. Then, we look down and the 6-seeded SMU Mustangs and throw them into that mix. While they might not be the traditional power that the other schools are, they do have a very traditional and old school coach in Larry Brown. The last time he made the tournament, he was able to win it all, so look for some experience to paly a role there.

And the third and final story line is the ultimate mid-major school, the 2-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs. Mark Few once again has his team back in the tournament, and this time it’s as one of the best teams in the tournament. Gonzaga has all the piece to make a run, including the most important piece of the inside-out threat of former Kentucky Wildcats Kyle Wiltjer. Look for this team to make a bit of a run, as they’re putting everything together just in time.

Players to Watch: Quinn Cook, Duke; Jahill Okafor, Duke; Kyle Wiltjer, Gonzaga; Georges Niang, Iowa State; D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown; Aaron White, Iowa; D’Angelo Harrison, St. Johns; Tyler Kalinoski, Davidson; Jack Gibbs, Davidson; Norman Powell, UCLA; Bryce Alford, UCLA; Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin; Tyler Harvey, Eastern Washington; Venky Jois, Eastern Washington; Lawrence Alexander, North Dakota State; Dallas Moore, North Florida; Rodney Pryor, Robert Morris

Four Teams in Houston: Duke, Stephen F. Austin, Iowa State, Gonzaga

Team That Could Crash the Party: Davidson. The Wildcats are no stranger to being the Cinderella team, as they made a huge run with Stephen Curry before the star went on to the Warriors. Now, with another hot-shooting team, they could be dangerous down the road. Especially is Gonzaga goes cold from three, which is very possible.

South Region Survivor: Gonzaga. Despite being somewhat obvious, only losing two games shows that this team is good. Especially when you consider their only two losses came by a total of 6 points. Combine this with their deadly inside-out play, led by former Kentucky Wildcat Kyle Wiltjer, and this team is simply difficult to beat. If it wasn’t for a certain undefeated team on the other side of the bracket, I’d be tempted to say this team could win it all. And it is very likely that the Gonzaga Bulldogs come out and make a run to the Championship Game, something that would make for a great storyline if it happened. But regardless of what happens after the Elite 8, this Gonzaga Bulldogs team will be the on representing the South Region.