2015 NCAA Tournament for March 18: Who, What, When, and Where

Officially the 2015 NCAA Tournament tipped off in Dayton last night with the first two of the “First Four” games. And two teams wrote their names on the bracket for Thursday’s second round. Ole Miss capped a fantastic comeback over BYU in the nightcap with a 94-90 win. BYU led at halftime 49-32 but the Rebels scored an unthinkable 62 points in the second half. In the first game, Hampton earned the right to face Kentucky with a 74-64 win over Manhattan.

Here is a look at tonight’s action.

6:40 PM
#16 NORTH FLORIDA 23-11
#16 ROBERT MORRIS 19-14

As odd as it sounds, the North Florida Ospreys are the only team representing the Sunshine State in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. THey are facing off tonight for the right to face Duke on Friday. The Osperys should not be intimidated in their first ever NCAA bid as they have won at Purdue already this year. North Florida is a team full of shooters and have lived and died by the 3-point shot this year. Dallas Moore averages 16 points a game and can beat you from anywhere on the court. He hits over 37% from 3-point range and is especially good in transition and at getting to the line. 6’7 DeMarcus Deniels is dangerous off the bench and hist 38% of his treys. Against ASC Upstate, he had 22 points and 6 rebounds. This is a balanced team as 6 players average more than 6 points a game and they hit better than 36.0 from 3-point range. This is not a bad rebounding team either with 34.6 boards a game. It’s one of those teams that could shock you if all cylinders are clicking.

The Robert Morris guards like to shoot from long-range as well, but this is a team driven by defense. The Patriots get a lot of steals from their aggressive 2-3 zone and get a lot of baskets off those turnovers. Rodney Pryor (15.2 PPG) and Marquise Reed (14.8) combine for 30 points a game and both shoot around 43% on their 3-pointers. Pryor, a freshman, is the best player on this team and he dropped 24 points versus North Carolina. Look for Lucky Jones (14.3 PPG) off the bench, although he plays starter minutes and leads the team in rebounds with 6.0 a game. He hits 34.5% of his 3-pointers and is second in attempts. This is not a great passing team, so they can be easily disrupted on offense.

9:10PM ESTIMATED
#11 BOISE STATE BRONCOS 25-8
#11 DAYTON FLYERS

Boise State is a team full of shooters as almost everyone in this lineup is effective from long-range. They are led by Derrick Marks who hits 44% of his 3-pointers and averages 19.3 PPG and he can score from anywhere on the court. James Webb III, at 6’8 is very versatile and averages 11.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG while hitting 42% of his 3-pointers. Four of the five starters hit over 38% of their 3-pointers so expect an all out assault. If the Broncos are going to beat you, it is due to their perimeter shooting. They get very little from their offense in the paint and are soft inside defensively.

Dayton made it to the Elite Eight last year and get a home court game in the First Four this year. Former Ohio State guard Jordan Sibert averages 16.6 a game and most of those are from beyond the 3-point line. He shoots 34.9% but can beat you in other ways offensively. Dyshawn Pierre averages 12.7 PPG and 8.2 RPG, but is a bit undersized at 6’6. The whole team is a bit undersized however as the Flyers released their starting center and another big man back in December. As a result, they have a very thin bench and a seven man rotation with no player taller than 6’6. The Flyers remain a dangerous team, but are going to have problems with larger teams.

Next: The WBN talks to Clark Kellogg

More from Wildcat Blue Nation

Home/March Madness