First Four Preview: At-large teams arrive with something to prove
Play Tourney Pick'em | Fill out your bracket | Print it | Celebrity Challenge
The First Four tips off Tuesday night in Dayton. To help you decide whether any of the four games is worth scouring all 1,400 cable channels to hunt down TruTV, here's a closer look at each of the matchups:
No. 16 Hampton (16-17) vs. No. 16 Manhattan (19-13)
Tipoff time: Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. ET (TruTV)
Players to watch: Reginald Johnson, G, Hampton; Emmy Andujar, F, Manhattan
Why it's worth watching: If the one liners both coaches have delivered already this week are any indication, the postgame interview might be entertaining. Hampton coach Edward Joyner Jr. to the Associated Press on the potential of facing Kentucky in the opening round: "I'd probably have Jesus on speed dial." Manhattan coach Steve Masiello to the New York Post on not looking past Hampton toward a potential matchup with his alma mater Kentucky: "We are obsessed with Hampton. If Hampton was our girlfriend, there would be a restraining order on us."
Why you should skip it: The postgame interview might be the most entertaining part. Hampton finished 8-8 in the MEAC, notched its best win of the season against Northern Arizona and is likely to be without its top scorer as a result of an ankle injury. Manhattan is quite a bit better, yet your rec league team still stands about as good a chance of beating Kentucky on Thursday as the Jaspers do.
Key to the game: Will 6-foot-8 Dwight Meikle try to give it a go on a bad ankle? He is Hampton's best player and leading scorer. The Pirates won without him in the MEAC tournament, but Meikle would be critical against the Manhattan frontline of Andujar and Ashton Pankey.
Projected winner: Manhattan
No. 11 BYU (25-9) vs. No. 11 Ole Miss (20-12)
Tipoff time: Tuesday, 9:10 p.m. ET (TruTV)
Players to watch: Kyle Collinsworth, G, BYU; Stefan Moody, G, Ole Miss
Why it's worth watching: In a season of slow-paced, defensive-oriented, cold-shooting basketball, BYU is an exception. The Cougars make up for stretches of defensive indifference with a fast-paced, guard-oriented offense that features the explosive Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth and averages the second most points in the nation. Considering that Ole Miss isn't exactly known for its defense either, this should be a high-scoring, entertaining matchup.
Why you should skip it: BYU beat one RPI top 50 team all season (Gonzaga in Spokane). Ole Miss limped into the NCAA tournament having lost four of its last five. The winner has a chance to defeat sixth-seeded Xavier in the next round, but both teams are too flawed defensively to make a VCU-esque Final Four run.
Key to the game: Which team will have more defensive success? Ole Miss isn't especially effective guarding the 3-point line or stopping transition and BYU thrives in both those areas. The Rebels do have a quickness advantage on the perimeter though, a big problem for a Cougars team that lacks either a perimeter stopper or a true center to protect the rim.
Projected winner: BYU
No. 16 North Florida (23-11) vs. No. 16 Robert Morris (19-14)
Tipoff time: Wednesday, 6:40 p.m. ET (TruTV)
Players to watch: Rodney Pryor, G, Robert Morris; Dallas Moore, G, North Florida
Why it's worth watching: One big reason is that North Florida is pretty good. In fact, the Ospreys probably shouldn't be in the play-in game. They beat NCAA tournament-bound Purdue in non-conference play, they swept the regular season and tournament titles in the Atlantic Sun, they have won eight straight games and they're ranked higher in the KenPom rankings than 10 other teams in the field.
Why you should skip it: Over-under on the number of times someone on the broadcast jokes about nation learning what an Osprey is: 17.
Key to the game: This could come down to how North Florida shoots from the perimeter in its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. Robert Morris plays a 2-3 zone and more than 42 percent of the Ospreys' shot attempts this season came from behind the arc. They have five players who shoot 37 percent or better from 3-point range.
Projected winner: North Florida
No. 11 Dayton (25-8) vs. No. 11 Boise State (25-8)
Tipoff time: Wednesday, 9:10 p.m. ET (TruTV)
Players to watch: Jordan Sibert, G, Dayton; Derrick Marks, G, Boise State
Why it's worth watching: Come watch two teams try to prove a point. Dayton thinks it had no business having to play its way into the main field after going 13-5 in the Atlantic 10 and defeating VCU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Richmond and Rhode Island this season. Boise State probably isn't thrilled either after sharing the Mountain West title with San Diego State and beating the Aztecs twice in the regular season.
Why you should skip it: Neither Dayton nor Boise State are equipped to make a real run in this tournament. The Flyers only have six scholarship players and none taller than 6-foot-6, which means they're going to run into a difficult matchup sooner than later whether it's Providence in the round of 64 or Oklahoma in the round of 32. Boise State shoots extremely well from 3-point range and has an underrated star in Marks, but like Dayton, they are undersized. More than one or two NCAA tournament wins feels beyond either team's reach.
Key to the game: How Dayton reacts to playing a game it probably has no business having to play. If the undervalued Flyers play with urgency, they should win on their home floor. If they come out flat, Boise State is an outstanding road team that has already won at San Diego State this season and is capable of taking advantage.
Projected winner: Dayton
- - - - - - -
Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
