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March Madness 2022: Here's what to know about every team in the South region

nick bromberg
College football and motorsports writer
·9 min read
4

[Regional breakdowns: West | East | South | Midwest]

With the field for the 2022 men's NCAA tournament now official, we're breaking down each team in the field in the lead-up to the first tournament in two years. Here's what you need to know about the South region.

1. Arizona (+600 to win national title)

  • 31-3, Pac-12 champion

How healthy is Kerr Kriisa? The point guard suffered a sprained right ankle during the Pac-12 tournament and hopes to be available for the NCAA tournament. If he’s close to 100%, then Arizona should be in really good shape to make a run. The Wildcats are one of the best shooting teams in the country and shoot nearly 50% from the field as a team and over 57% from inside the arc. Bennedict Mathurin leads the team with 17.4 points per game and also shoots nearly 38% from behind the arc.

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2. Villanova (+1800)

  • 26-7, Big East champion

The Wildcats have given up 65 or fewer points in each of their last four games and teams have scored 70 or more points just 10 times against Villanova all season. Getting over 70 against Villanova is key too; five of the Wildcats’ seven losses have come when its opponent has topped 70. That will be a fascinating push pull if we see the top two seeds in the Elite Eight. Both Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore averaged over 15 points per game and this team is exceptionally experienced. All six players for Villanova who average over 26 minutes a game are either juniors or seniors.

3. Tennessee (+2000)

  • 26-7, SEC champion

The SEC tournament champion prevented Texas A&M from getting a berth into the NCAA tournament with a win on Sunday. The Vols can argue they deserved a No. 2 seed too after ending the season with seven consecutive wins. All seven of Tennessee’s losses this season have come to teams that are seeded No. 6 or higher in the NCAA tournament bracket — there hasn’t been a bad loss for the Vols all season. Freshman Kennedy Chandler is Tennessee’s leading scorer with 13.8 points per game while Santiago Vescovi shoots 40% from three.

4. Illinois (+4000)

  • 22-9, at-large

The regular-season Big Ten champions lost to Indiana in the Big Ten tournament five days after clinching the No. 1 seed with a two-point win at home over Iowa. The Illini are led by double-double machine Kofi Cockburn who averages 21 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He’s supported by three senior guards and it’ll be important for the Illini to also get solid contributions from backup guard Andre Curbelo. The sophomore can be spectacular but also leads the team in turnovers per game (2.6) despite playing fewer than 20 minutes an appearance.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 11: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini takes a shot over Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half during the Big Ten Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 11, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 11: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini takes a shot over Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half during the Big Ten Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 11, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

5. Houston (+3300)

  • 29-5, AAC champion

Houston still finished the regular season a win shy of 30 victories despite losing leading scorer Marcus Sasser to a season-ending foot injury in January. Sasser was averaging nearly 18 points per game in 12 contests before the injury. In his absence, Houston has relied on four seniors who all score over 10 points per game and grab at least 4.5 rebounds. Oh, the Cougars play fantastic defense too. Houston allows just 59 points per game and has given up over 70 points in games that didn’t go to overtime just three times this season.

6. Colorado State (+25000)

  • 25-5, at-large

The Rams lost to just one team not named San Diego State or UNLV this season. That game was an overtime loss to a Wyoming team that snuck into the NCAA tournament as one of the final teams in the bracket. The Rams are led by stocky guard David Roddy; he scores 19 points per game and grabs nearly eight rebounds a contest. Roddy has played in at least 32 minutes in every game since he sat for 11 minutes against San Jose State on Jan. 15. Colorado State needs him on the floor a lot to make a tournament run.

Utah State forward Justin Bean (34) guards against Colorado State guard David Roddy (21) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of Mountain West Conference men's tournament Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Utah State forward Justin Bean (34) guards against Colorado State guard David Roddy (21) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of Mountain West Conference men's tournament Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

7. Ohio State (+12500)

  • 19-11, at-large

The Buckeyes ended the season losing four of their last five games. Three of those losses came to Maryland, Nebraska and Penn State — all teams that failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Ohio State’s offense run through EJ Liddell. He’s the only player who takes more than 10 shots a game and averages nearly 20 points a contest. He also leads Ohio State in rebounds and blocked shots.

8. Seton Hall (+25000)

  • 21-10, at-large

The Pirates are back in the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the last six tournaments after a nine-year absence. Seton Hall has won just one tournament game in its four most recent appearances however. The only win in that span came as a No. 8 seed in 2018. Maybe that’s a good omen. Seton Hall won eight of its last 10 regular season games to easily make the NCAA tournament field and senior Jared Rhoden is the team’s leading scorer with 16 points per game.

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9. TCU (+25000)

  • 20-12, at-large

This is just TCU’s second NCAA tournament appearance in the last 24 seasons and the school’s first winning season since 2018-19. The Horned Frogs are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country with 13 per game and have wins over Texas Tech, Kansas, and LSU. Sophomore Mike Miles leads the team with 15 points per game while freshman center Eddie Lampkin pulls down six rebounds in just 21 points per game.

10. Loyola Chicago (+15000)

  • 25-7, Missouri Valley champion

The Ramblers are back in the tournament for a second consecutive season in Drew Valentine’s first season as coach after he replaced Porter Moser. If you haven’t paid attention to Loyola outside of March for the last few seasons, this team will resemble the ones you’ve seen. Loyola plays at an exceptionally slow pace and plays very good defense. Lucas Williamson leads the team with 14 points per game and all three of the Ramblers’ leading scorers shoot at least 39% from three.

ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 06: Loyola Chicago Ramblers forward Ryan Schwieger (13) and Loyola Chicago Ramblers guard Lucas Williamson (1) celebrate winning the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference between the Loyola Chicago Ramblers and the Drake Bulldogs on March 06, 2022, at Enterprise Center, St. Louis , MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images),

11. Michigan (+12500)

  • 17-14, at-large

By now you know that coach Juwan Howard was suspended for the end of the regular season after a confrontation with Wisconsin coaches. The Wolverines got into the tournament despite being three games above .500 and going 5-5 over their last 10 games of the season. Michigan also alternated wins and losses for the entirety of those 10 games and didn’t post a winning streak longer than three games at any point throughout the season. Their title odds here are a reflection of the brand name of the school and nothing more. Hunter Dickinson leads the team with 18.3 points and eight rebounds per game.

12. UAB (+100000)

  • 27-7, C-USA champion

The Blazers enter the NCAA tournament on a seven-game win streak and went the entire season without losing back-to-back games. That seven-game streak included two wins over Louisiana Tech. UAB beat the Bulldogs to end the regular season and then by nine on Saturday to win the Conference USA title. Joradn Walker averages over 20 points per game as UAB’s 80.7 points per game is sixth most in the country.

13. Chattanooga (+100000)

  • 27-7, Southern champion

The Mocs stunned Furman with an epic overtime buzzer-beater to win the Southern Conference tournament and clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016. Opposing teams shot just 30% from three against Chattanooga and the Mocs are content to let teams keep firing from deep. Opponents average 23 threes per game. Malachi Smith scores 20 points per game on 14 shot attempts while David Jean-Baptiste averages 15 points a game.

14. Longwood (+300000)

  • 26-6, Big South champion

The Lancers have had win streaks of 11 and eight games this season as they went 15-1 in the Big South during the regular season and won each conference tournament game by nine or more points. Sophomore Justin Hill leads the team in points per game (14.2) and assists (4.2) and Isaiah Watkins grabs 6.3 rebounds per game.

15. Delaware (+300000)

  • 22-12, Colonial champion

The Blue Hens are back in the tournament for the first time since 2014 and are searching for their first NCAA tournament win in school history. Delaware went 10-8 during the regular season in the CAA and then won the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed as it held all three of its tournament opponents under 60 points per game. Delaware’s leading scorer is Jameer Nelson Jr., the son of former St. Joseph’s and NBA guard Jameer Nelson.

16. Wright State (+500000)

  • 21-13, Horizon champion

The Raiders were 1-5 to start the season before a seven-game win streak put them above .500 for the rest of the season. Wright State clinched got a spot in the play-in tournament with a 72-71 win over Northern Kentucky in the Horizon tournament championship game. Juniors Tanner Holden and Grant Basile combine for nearly 40 points and 16 rebounds per game while Trey Calvin chips in 14 points per game.

16. Bryant (+500000)

  • 22-9, NEC champion

The Bulldogs have won seven consecutive games entering the NCAA tournament and that streak comes after a nine-game win streak was broken by Long Island University on Jan. 30. The play-in game against the Raiders will be a matchup of teams with great scorers as Bryant’s Peter Kiss averages 25 points per game and Charles Pride scores 18 per contest while pulling down nearly nine rebounds.