March 13th Auto-Bid Preview

 Today is another look at the auto-bid teams and a deep dive on their teams. 

Big Sky Champion: Idaho

PPG: 78.7

OREB: 10.7

DREB: 26.7

AST: 12.5

FG%: 44.8%

3P%: 35.6%

FT%: 73.5%


Top Players:

  • Jackson Rasmussen (13.9 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 1.3 Ast)

  • Kolton Mitchell (13.7 Pts, 3.3 Reb, 3.9 Ast)

  • Biko Johnson (12.4 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 2.4 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Good defensive rebounding team

  • Shoots the three ball well

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Low volume of two point shots

  • Not the best field goal percentage


Likely Seed:

  • 16

How will they do?

Idaho is a good defensive and rebounding team who can hit the three well when they are on their game. A fun story that is probably going to end in the play-in game, but who knows maybe the Vandals can win a game!


Coastal Athletic Champion: Hofstra

PPG: 75.6

OREB: 12.4

DREB: 26.9

AST: 12.8

FG%: 44.2%

3P%: 36.8%

FT%: 74.6%


Top Players:

  • Cruz Davis (20.2 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 4.6 Ast)

  • Preston Edmead (15.9 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 4.4 Ast)

  • German Plotnikov (9.3 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 0.8 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Great rebounding team

  • Good three point shooting team

  • Holds opponents to a low shooting percentage and points per game

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Not the best scoring team

  • Don’t shoot many free throws


Likely Seed:

  • 13

How will they do?

Hofstra could be a scary team come tournament time. They don’t score the ball the best, but teams also don’t score against them. They are a great rebounding team and teams struggle to get the ball off of them. A good matchup could see Hofstra advancing to the round of 32. While I am hesitant to say they will win, I think they have a better chance than others. 


Horizon League Champion: Wright State

PPG: 80.7

OREB: 11.3

DREB: 24.1

AST: 13.8

FG%: 48.8%

3P%: 36.1%

FT%: 73.6%


Top Players:

  • TJ Burch (12.3 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 3.5 Ast)

  • Michael Cooper (13.4 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 2.2 Ast)

  • Michael Imariagbe (11.8 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 1.8 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Don’t allow many offensive rebounds

  • Good three point shooting team

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Don’t shoot many threes

  • They tend to foul a lot


Likely Seed:

  • 14

How will they do?

I will be curious to see how Wright State does. While they are good at scoring and rebounding, I don’t think they are the best 14 seed out there. I believe they will get bounced round one, but could make a 3-seed sweat for a half or so. 


Mid Atlantic Athletic Champion: Siena

PPG: 70.5

OREB: 10.2

DREB: 24.2

AST: 13.4

FG%: 45.7%

3P%: 30.4%

FT%: 76.9


Top Players:

  • Gavin Doty (17.9 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 2.2 Ast)

  • Justice Shoats (13.2 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 4.4 Ast)

  • Francis Folefac (11.1 Pts, 5.2 Reb, 2.2 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Great defensive team

  • Take care of the ball well

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Don’t score very much

  • Not the best rebounding team


Likely Seed:

  • 16

How will they do?

Siena takes the MAAC and gets the auto-bid, a team not many people thought were going to make it. Unfortunately, they are going to be a 16-seed and have a very tough game going forward. I do not see them winning, but their stout defense could hold up for a little bit. 


Patriot League Champion: Lehigh

PPG: 73.2

OREB: 7.7

DREB: 24.2

AST: 14.3

FG%: 53.1%

3P%: 35.9%

FT%: 73.1%


Top Players:

  • Nasir Whitlock (21.0 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 3.4 Ast)

  • Hank Alvey (15.0 Pts, 6.9 Reb, 2.1 Ast)

  • Joshua Ingram (10.6 Pts, 5.1 Reb, 3.3 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Great at defending the three

  • Doesn’t foul too much

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Not great at scoring or stopping teams from scoring

  • Not many two pointers taken


Likely Seed:

  • 16

How will they do?

Lehigh gets out of a tough Patriot League that many thought was going to be Navy’s for the taking. Lehigh is not the greatest team in the field and will more than likely be a 16-seed. However, we all know what Lehigh did last time they were in the tournament, taking down 2-seed Duke. Will it happen again? Probably not but we shall see!


SoCon Champion: Furman

PPG: 76.5

OREB: 10.9

DREB: 27.1

AST: 15.6

FG%: 47.6%

3P%: 32.7%

FT%: 69.0%


Top Players:

  • Alex Wilkins (17.7 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 4.7 Ast)

  • Cooper Bowser (14.0 Pts, 6.0 Reb, 1.7 Ast)

  • Charles Johnston (9.8 Pts, 9.1 Reb, 1.8 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Tall team, not typical mid-major drinks

  • Top ten in 2-point shooting percentage

  • Great defensive team

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Not the highest scoring

  • Low three point shooting percentage


Likely Seed:

  • 15


How will they do?

The Furman Paladins are team that every high major team should be afraid of. They are a tall team with size that is comparable to many larger schools. While they may not beat from the three, they are going to beat you in the paint. As a 15-seed I struggle to see them winning a game, but I believe they will do well. 


Southland Champion: McNeese

PPG: 80.0

OREB: 12.7

DREB: 22.5

AST: 14.2

FG%: 46.8%

3P%: 31.9%

FT%: 74.7%


Top Players:

  • Larry Johnson (17.5 Pts, 5.5 Reb, 1.4 As)

  • Tyshawn Archie (14.3 Pts, 1.9 Reb, 2.9 Ast)

  • Javohn Garcia (12.0 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 1.6 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Score the ball well

  • Great defense

  • Turn teams over

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • They foul a lot

  • Bad three point shooting team

Likely Seed:

  • 12

How will they do?

Watch out for the Cowboys of McNeese! They are a team that won a game last year in the tournament and everything points to them doing the same thing this year. They turn you over, don’t let you score, all while scoring a ton of points themselves. If teams can force them into a three point shooting contest it could be rough for them, but good teams dig themselves out of those holes. I see them as a sweet sixteen dark horse, they will at least win their first game. 


Sun Belt Champion: Troy

PPG: 80.3

OREB: 12.7

DREB: 25.6

AST: 16.0

FG%: 44.9%

3P%: 33.5%

FT%: 73.8%


Top Players:

  • Thomas Dowd (14.8 Pts, 10.1 Reb, 2.2 Ast)

  • Victor Valdes (14.8 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 4.6 Ast)

  • Cooper Campbell (12.7 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 4.2 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Great scoring team

  • Good on the offensive glass

  • Teams don’t shoot well against them

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Not great at three pointers

  • Teams pass the ball around them well


Likely Seed:

  • 14

How will they do?

Troy is going to be tough to go against. The Sun Belt is always a gauntlet and getting out of it is no small task. I do believe that they will lose in the first round. They defense is going to be their undoing and I don’t think they will be able to stop a strong crop of 3-seeds this year. 


West Coast Champion: Gonzaga

PPG: 85.1

OREB: 12.0

DREB: 27.9

AST: 18.3

FG%: 51.0%

3P%: 34.0%

FT%: 69.9%


Top Players:

  • Graham Ike (19.7 Pts, 8.2 Reb, 2.4 Ast)

  • Tyon Grant-Foster (11.2 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 1.2 Ast)

  • Braden Huff (17.8 Pts, 5.6 Reb, 1.5 Ast)


Biggest Strengths:

  • Great shooting and defensive team

  • Doesn’t turn the ball over

  • Highest volume of shooting team

Biggest Weaknesses:

  • Not a great free throw shooting team

  • Doesn’t make many threes


Likely Seed:

  • 3

How will they do?

Gonzaga is our first high major team to get an auto-bid to the NCAA tournament and it is a shock to no one. Consistently one of the best teams each year and the champions of the West Coast Conference for one last time before they head off to the Pac-12. This is a sweet sixteen team at a minimum. I am not the biggest Bulldogs fan and never have been, but that hasn’t stopped them from proving me wrong in years past. As usual, don’t sleep on Mark Few and Gonzaga.


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