OK. I'm doing a Sweet 16 preview an hour before the games post. So far, the tourney has been upset-heavy as always.
Midwest Region
#1 Valdosta St. (26-5, 12-4 Heartland) vs. #4 Limestone (26-5, 13-3 CVAC)
Valdosta's really tough. They shoot a ton of 3's, have 10 upperclassmen, outrebound just about everyone and give up 55 points a game. They're not overwhelmingly athletic, but they're solid and very deep. Limestone has a great set of 3 guards in the starting lineup, and are not as deep.
#6 Johnson C. Smith (28-3, 15-1 Central) vs. #2 Lander (23-7, 13-3 Peach Belt). Both teams have one starting guard that scores near 20 points a game. Lander is a very good 3-point shooting team, and has been heavily tested, with a title winning coach. Johnson C. Smith shoots the 3 very well, and is a very strong rebounding team, but they haven't played the toughest competition in the world.
Prediction: Valdosta over Limestone, Lander over JCS, Valdosta over Lander
.East Region (what the hell is happening here?)
In the most unpredictable region in recent DII memory, we have #16 Rockhurst playing #12 UCCS in the first semi. UC-Colorado Springs is a front court driven team, and Rockhurst is majorly underseeded, going 17-12 due to losing a ton of very close and OT games in the difficult Heartland. Neither team shoots very well from the outside. Rockhurst relies on depth, with nobody scoring 9 points a game.
#6 S. New Hampshire vs. #7 Francis Marion
Southern New Hampshire is actually a really strong team for a #6 seed - They're a strong defensive team that can keep any game close. I have no idea how Francis Marion has lost 9 games. They're one of the most athletic teams in DII, and have 2 huge three-point threats on the team.
Prediction: UCCS over Rockhurst, Francis Marion over S. New Hampshire, Francis Marion over UCCS.
South
#1 Kennesaw St. vs. #4 Dominican - Kennesaw is a great combination of low-post prowess and 2 great outside threats. They've never made it past the elite 8 under coach GVSUJulius,but this might be their time. They pass the ball well and don't turn it over often. Dominion has a very proven coach in bvb, two phenomenal players that dominate the scoring, and only 2 losses on the resume. They will be atough challenge for a very game Kennesaw team.
#2. Bentley vs. #11 W. Georgia. - Bentley is one of the most unusual teams in DII. They have not made a 3-pointer all year, are absurdly athletic, and have played a very non-challenging schedule on their way to a 31-0 record. It's pretty much impossible to predict how they will do in the rest of the tourney, but they're definitely difficult to prepare for. W. Georgia is more of a traditional style squad driven by it's strong perimeter game.
I think that the combination of Bentley, Dominican, and Kennesaw make this the most difficult region left. Whoever gets out of this region alive could win the national title.
Prediction: #1 Kennesaw over #4 Dominican, #2 Bentley over #11 W. Ga, #1 Kennesaw over #2 Bentley
West
#5 U of DC vs. #8 Longwood. #5 U of DC is an extremely high scoring team with 3 starters putting up over 20 points a game. Longwood wants to slow it down due to limited depth, and uses their top-notch passing and ball-handling to stymie press teams.
#2 Seattle vs. #6 Concord. Both teams can really run. Seattle doesn't like to shoot 3's a whole lot, and is stronger on defense, and have only lost once all year. Concord is a more well-rounded team, barely squeaking by their round of 32 matchup to get to the sweet 16.
Prediction - #5 U of DC over#8 Longwood. #2 Seattle over #6 Concord. #2 Seattle over #5 U of DC.
Final Four.
Valdosta over Francis Marion, Kennesaw over Seattle.
Title Game: Kennesaw St. over Valdosta St.
6/16/2015 1:48 AM (edited)