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Virginia Tech Hokies

 

 

  • Seed & 1st Rd Opponent: No. 11 vs. No. 6 Texas (East Region)
  • Record: 23-12 overall; 11-9 in ACC
  • Rankings: 27th in NET; 23rd in KenPom; 19th in BPI
  • Odds: 150/1 to win title; 25/1 to make Final Four
  • Notable Wins: Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame (twice)
  • Notable Losses: Duke, Memphis, North Carolina (twice)
  • Key Players: Keve Aluma (senior center); Storm Murphy (senior guard); Nahiem Alleyne (junior guard); Justyn Mutts (senior forward)
  • Head Coach: Mike Young (3rd season)
  • Last Tournament Appearance: 2021 – 1st Round loss to Florida as No. 10 Seed

Virginia Tech likely would've been on the outside looking in to the NCAA Tournament if not for a surprising postseason run. After beating Notre Dame, North Carolina and Duke in consecutive days, the Hokies are the ACC Tournament champs and thus get an auto bid into the bracket. The double-digit title win vs. Duke was especially impressive. Virginia Tech is now 13-2 in its last 15 games and could carry the hot streak over into this first-round matchup vs. a vulnerable Texas team. Plus, remember that the Hokies nearly upset Florida in the first round last year before ultimately falling in overtime. 

 

Richmond Spiders

 

 

  • Seed & 1st Rd Opponent: No. 12 vs. No. 5 Iowa (Midwest Region)
  • Record: 23-12 overall; 10-8 in Atlantic 10
  • Rankings: 81st in NET; 83rd in KenPom; 173rd in BPI
  • Odds: 500/1 to win title; 100/1 to make Final Four
  • Notable Wins: Davidson, Saint Louis, Dayton, NC State
  • Notable Losses: Davidson, Utah State, Mississippi State, Saint Louis, Dayton
  • Key Players: Jacob Gilyard (senior guard); Grant Golden (senior center); Tyler Burton (junior forward)
  • Head Coach: Chris Mooney (17th season)
  • Last Tournament Appearance: 2011 – Sweet 16 loss to Kansas as No. 12 Seed

Despite having the sixth-best record in the Atlantic 10 this year, Richmond made a run in the conference tournament to earn the auto bid. The Spiders beat VCU, Dayton and Davidson in consecutive days and are riding high. Senior point guard Jacob Gilyard is the NCAA's all-time leader in steals, but he can also get it done offensively while running the show. A matchup vs. Iowa is certainly tough for a Richmond team that prefers to play in lower-scoring games, though. If the Spiders can force some turnovers and take advantage of the Hawkeyes' subpar defense, anything can happen! 

 

Yale Bulldogs

 

 

  • Seed & 1st Rd Opponent: No. 14 vs. No. 3 Purdue (East Region)
  • Record: 19-11 overall; 11-3 in Ivy League
  • Rankings: 142nd in NET; 147th in KenPom; 151st in BPI
  • Odds: 800/1 to win title; 200/1 to make Final Four
  • Notable Wins: None
  • Notable Losses: Auburn, Saint Mary's, Seton Hall, Vermont
  • Key Players: Azar Swain (senior guard); Jalen Gabbidon (senior guard)
  • Head Coach: James Jones (22nd season)
  • Last Tournament Appearance: 2019 – 1st Round loss to LSU as No. 14 Seed

Imagine this scenario real quick. You're on Yale's college basketball team and you nearly pull off a first-round upset over LSU as a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Your Yale squad is then the best Ivy League team the following season, but there's no March Madness due to the COVID pandemic. Then, your entire next season is canceled due to COVID concerns again. Now, three years later, you're a senior and Yale is back in the NCAA Tournament as Ivy League champs. That's basically what seniors Azar Swain and Jalen Gabbidon have lived since they were on Yale's 2019 team – and now they get a shot to prove everyone wrong and beat Purdue. Sounds like a movie script to me. 

 

 

 

Akron Zips

 

 

  • Seed & 1st Rd Opponent: No. 13 vs. No. 4 UCLA (East Region)
  • Record: 24-9 overall; 14-6 in MAC
  • Rankings: 127th in NET; 131st in KenPom; 102nd in BPI
  • Odds: 800/1 to win title; 250/1 to make Final Four
  • Notable Wins: Toledo, Wright State, Kent State
  • Notable Losses: Ohio State, Toledo, Kent State (twice)
  • Key Players: Ali Ali (sophomore wing); Xavier Castaneda (senior guard); Enrique Freeman (sophomore guard)
  • Head Coach: John Groce (5th season)
  • Last Tournament Appearance: 2013 – 1st Round loss to VCU as No. 12 Seed

Two years ago, Akron had the best record in the MAC and looked like a strong contender to head to the Big Dance. Well, COVID intervened there and the Zips never got the opportunity. In 2022, Akron took care of business in the conference tournament as they defeated two of the MAC's best teams (Toledo and Kent State) to earn an auto bid. It's their first March Madness appearance since 2013 and it's good to see them back. This first-round matchup vs. UCLA sure is daunting, but it's interesting that a MAC team has won in the first round in three straight NCAA Tournaments. Could Akron make it four in a row?


Jacksonville State Gamecocks

 

 

  • Seed & 1st Rd Opponent: No. 15 vs. No. 2 Auburn (Midwest Region)
  • Record: 21-10 overall; 13-3 in Atlantic Sun
  • Rankings: 143rd in NET; 146th in KenPom; 126th in BPI
  • Odds: 1000/1 to win title; 250/1 to make Final Four
  • Notable Wins: None
  • Notable Losses: Alabama, VCU, Wichita State
  • Key Players: Darian Adams (senior guard); Jalen Finch (junior guard)
  • Head Coach: Ray Harper (6th season)
  • Last Tournament Appearance: 2017 – 1st Round loss to Louisville as No. 15 seed

Despite losing in the conference tournament semifinals, Jacksonville State earned the Atlantic Sun’s automatic bid into the bracket due to league champ Bellarmine being ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. It’s definitely an awkward way to get into the Big Dance, but the Alabama-based program likely isn’t complaining. The Gamecocks had the A-Sun’s best regular season record and feature an offense that lives and dies from three-point range. They have the country’s 13th-best three-point rate this season (38.2%) and will try to shoot their way to wins. It almost worked against Alabama earlier this season, when Jacksonville State lost by just six points on the road to the Crimson Tide. An upset over Auburn isn't totally impossible. 
 

Join the 2022 Fantasy Alarm March Madness Bracket Challenge now to win FREE CASH! Make your picks here. 

Looking for more College Basketball content? Check out FREE 2022 March Madness NCAA Tournament previews on Top Mid-Major Teams & and Dark Horses!

 


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