“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

I can only assume that Andy Williams was singing about March. There is no better time of the year for sports fanatics such as myself than the month of March, mainly because of March Madness. The tournament brings people together like no other competition as a massive celebration of everything great about college basketball; the stars, the no names, the underdogs, the overachievers, the blue bloods, the absurd mid-majors, and the unparalleled drama that can transpire in just 40 minutes on a basketball court.

Another crucial aspect of March Madness is filling out a bracket with friends and family. Whether money or pride is on the line, everyone has their own methods and superstitions in their pursuit of bracketology glory. So today, I’ll give you my thoughts on the most intriguing first round matchups and my picks for potential “Cinderella” stories for the 2022 edition of March Madness.

Best Games – Round of 64 (1 per region)

West Region:

Alabama (6) vs Rutgers/Notre Dame (11) – March 18th, 9:40pm EST, CBS

Rutgers and Notre Dame will play in the final First Four matchup to decide who gets to face Alabama, and no matter which team wins, this game will be one wild ride. Alabama is a true wild card in this year’s field. They are extremely volatile, having beaten both Gonzaga and Baylor by 9 but also having lost to Texas A&M by 16 more recently. They have a highly talented offense which runs an efficient pick and roll offense, surrounding their superb guards with shooters to spread the floor. Rutgers and Notre Dame are both battle tested, experienced teams with unique strengths that jump off the page immediately. Rutgers is a tenacious defensive team which thrives off forcing turnovers to score in transition, while Notre Dame runs a high octane offense which uses off-ball screens to get their shooters open looks. All three of these teams have loads of talent that will be on display, and it should make for a memorable game between the two teams which end up squaring off.

South Region:

Ohio State (7) vs Loyola Chicago (10) – March 18th, 12:15pm EST, CBS

This game will be the classic case of whether one spectacular player can defeat a team which functions as a unit on both ends of the floor. The spectacular player in question is E.J. Liddell, Ohio State’s star Junior forward. This season, he averaged about 20 points and 8 rebounds per game on 49% shooting, and he was recently named to AP’s All-America Third Team. Ohio State runs a “high-low” offense where they swing the ball around the perimeter, moving the opposing defense out of position so Liddell can relocate to a spot on the floor where he can get an open look. The Buckeyes will look to avenge their embarrassing defeat to 15 seed Oral Roberts in the first round of March Madness last season. Loyola Chicago, on the other hand, is a true team which heads into the tournament with loads of experience. On offense, they run the basketball equivalent of play action, faking handoffs and using screens to misdirect the opposing defense. On defense, the Ramblers rank in 23rd in the nation for efficiency, and they are keen on using aggressive double teams to cause disruption. With Loyola’s superfan Sister Jean expected to be in attendance, this should be a great game with lots of physicality and coaching strategy on display.

Midwest Region:

San Diego State (8) vs Creighton (9) – March 17th, 7:27pm EST, truTV

San Diego State and Creighton are two seemingly obscure programs who have been on the rise in recent years. The Aztecs boast the 2nd best defense in all of college basketball, while the Bluejays rank 17th on that side of the floor. San Diego State use their athleticism and agility to swarm the ballhandler absolutely everywhere, resulting in some erratic miscues which allows the Aztecs to turn defense to offense on the fastbreak in the blink of an eye. To combat this, Creighton will look to play at a slow pace to set up their signature offense, setting screens both on and off the ball to open up space for three-pointers and layups. This strategy was particularly effective for the Bluejays in both of their wins over UConn this season. With all of these factors at play, it’s hard not to envision a close game from start to finish.

East Region:

Murray State (7) vs San Francisco (10) – March 17th, 9:40pm EST, CBS

What happens when an efficient mid-major offense meets an efficient mid-major defense? Murray State may be Ja Morant’s alma mater, but this year, the Racers are Tevin Brown’s team. Brown has made more three pointers than any other player in Ohio Valley Conference history, and his ability move off the ball before using his length to rise up over defenders is truly remarkable. The San Francisco Dons, meanwhile, rank 21st in defensive efficiency, and they’re particularly effective at neutralizing pick and roll offenses. Their guards hop over screens with ease, but even if they get beat, they have the speed to recover and steal the ball from behind by hiding in the ballhandler’s blind spot. Just like the Racers, the Dons love to shoot threes and this game will likely be an offensive duel to the death. It will definitely be worth the watch.

Best “Cinderella” Picks (1 per region)

West Region:

Vermont (13)

The Vermont Catamounts have been a staple of March Madness in recent years, as they’ve made 3 of the last 5 tournaments. However, they haven’t crashed the party since they famously upset Syracuse in the first round of the 2005 tournament. This Vermont team ranks 2nd in the history of college basketball in defensive rebound percentage, rebounding 81% of their opponent’s misses. Their offense is relatively efficient, and they’re among the best in the country at taking care of the ball, averaging just 11 turnovers per game. Maybe this year will be their year to make a “Cinderella” run, and the first step is a matchup against the inconsistent Arkansas Razorbacks.

South Region:

UAB (12)

UAB is my personal pick to make a “Cinderella” run this March. They check all the boxes for me. They have an elite offense which ranks 27th in efficiency, a superb one-two punch of scoring guard Jordan “Jelly” Walker and shot blocking center Trey Jemison, and they defend just well enough to get by. They punched their ticket by winning the Conference USA tournament, meaning they’re getting hot at the right time. They’ll face off against the Houston Cougars, a team with an impressive resume who I believe have not been truly tested down the stretch of their season. I predict that the Blazers will make a run to at least the Sweet 16.

Midwest Region:

South Dakota State (13)

South Dakota State is the best three point shooting team in the nation. In fact, the Jackrabbits lead the country in three point percentage (44.2%), and the next closest team sits four percentage points behind them. Yes, you read that right. In the first round of March Madness, they’ll face a Providence team with the 80th best defense in college basketball, and the eye test shows that the Friars have trouble defending the perimeter. If the stars align, South Dakota State could advance to the next round, if not farther.

East Region:

Virginia Tech (11)

Virginia Tech are riding high after upsetting Duke to become champions of the ACC Tournament. They are an active team on both ends, but they’re particularly adept at causing confusion for opposing defenses with screens and off-ball movement to get their shooters open. They rank 18th in offensive efficiency and 54th in defensive efficiency, which are very impressive marks for an 11 seed. The Hokies are also very experienced – in fact, they’re one of the oldest teams in the field – and they’ve made the tournament in each of the last 5 seasons. They’ll play against Texas in the first round of March Madness.

Who’s your “Cinderella”? Who’s winning The Big Dance? Comment your picks down below!

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Author: Ben Pawlak

Published: 3/16/22 at 6pm EST

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Sources/Works Cited:

2022 Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings, https://kenpom.com/.

Google Images, Google, https://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en.