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Saturday’s NCAA Tournament Previews

The 2021 NCAA Tournament is finally here!

Check below for a breakdown of today’s games:

Georgetown/Colorado
This game features a fascinating point guard battle between Hoyas freshman Dante Harris and Colorado senior McKinley Wright. Georgetown should ride a wave of momentum into this matchup following last week’s run at the Big East Tournament. Colorado is one of the most experienced teams in the bracket. 

UNC Greensboro/Florida State
Something has been off with the Seminoles over the last few weeks. They’ll need to right the ship against a dangerous team with a dangerous star in Isaiah Miller. The 6-foot guard enters this tilt averaging an impressive 19.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and four assists. 

Eastern Washington/Kansas
The Jayhawks are going to be down a few bodies in this game due to COVID-19, but should have enough in the tank to advance. Eastern Washington coach Shantay Legans is a rising star in the coaching ranks and a name to watch moving forward. 

St. Bonaventure/LSU
This is one of the best games in the Round of 64. The Bonnies are exceptionally well coached while the Tigers are incredibly talented. Keep an eye on LSU’s Darius Days, who could drag Bonnies’ big man Osun Osunniyi away from the basket with his face up game. The Tigers are 18-1 in games this season in games where Days scores in double figures.

Michigan/Texas Southern
The Wolverines are the most vulnerable number one seed in the bracket due to Isaiah Livers’ foot injury, but they’ve still got more than enough to advance in this game. Keep an eye on veteran forward Brandon Johns, who will see extended minutes with Livers out of the lineup.

UC Santa Barbara/Creighton
Joe Pasternack has built a program that has a roster that could play in the American Athletic Conference. It’s that good. The real matchup to watch in this game? The point guard battle between UC Santa Barbara’s JaQuori McLaughlin and Creighton’s Marcus Zegarowski. 

Iona/Alabama
This game looks great on paper, but will probably be a mismatch on the court. Alabama is one of the top two-way teams in the sport. Iona is rebuilding. Beating the Crimson Tide is a tall task for anybody — even Rick Pitino. 

Drake/USC
Scoring against USC is like trying to get blood from a stone. Drake is about to find out first hand. Trojans freshman Evan Mobley has a chance to be one of the standout players in the NCAA Tournament.

Grand Canyon/Iowa
Every single game that the Hawkeyes play moving forward could be the final tilt of Luka Garza’s career. That’s bad news for Grand Canyon. Look for Garza to add an extra layer of relentlessness to his game as he gets set to begin what he hopes is a long NCAA Tournament run. 

Maryland/UConn
UConn freshman Adama Sanogo is the best big man to play in the Huskies’ program since Andre Drummond. His presence may be the difference in this game. Maryland’s inability to identify a capable and consistent five-man all season could hurt them against UConn. 

Ohio/Virginia
Ohio’s Jason Preston is one of the more entertaining players to watch in the entire NCAA Tournament. Is he alone enough to lead the Bobcats to an upset of Virginia? Don’t rule it out of the realm of possibility following the Cavaliers’ quarantine period due to COVID-19. This is a tricky spot for Virginia on a short prep. 

Missouri/Oklahoma
These teams have both been Jekyll & Hyde all season long. Which one will advance and get a crack at Gonzaga in the Round of 32? To be determined. This is the epitome of a 50/50 game. Oklahoma will be shorthanded without De’Vion Harmon, who is out due to COVID-19. 

Gonzaga/Norfolk State
The West Region should be named “The Gonzaga Invitational”. It’s hard to see anyone in this portion of the bracket beating the Bulldogs, especially a 16 seed.

UCLA/BYU
How much do the Bruins have left in the tank after Thursday night’s emotional win over Michigan State? We’ll find out on Saturday against BYU. Keep an eye on the matchup inside between UCLA’s Cody Riley and Cougars big man Matt Haarms. 

Abilene Christian/Texas
Joe Golding has done one of the best coaching jobs in the country this season, but beating a team like Texas feels like an insurmountable task —- especially if Jericho Sims plays like he did last week at the Big 12 Tournament. The 6-10 big man averaged 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and three blocks in two games last week in Kansas City. 

VCU/Oregon
Oregon is the most underseeded team in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and has several players — Will Richardson, Chris Duarte, LJ Figueroa and Eugene Omoruyi — that can play at the next level. VCU has one in Bones Hyland. You do the math. 

Leftovers: