South Region: Despite latest struggles, Auburn is No. 1 general for a cause

The top overall seed, Auburn, lives here. Even though the Tigers wobbled a bit at the end of the regular season and Southeastern Conference tournament with three losses in four games, they still amassed a whopping 16 Quad 1 wins from a 28-5 worksheet.

They might have the nation’s best player in Johni Broome, excellent depth and a great motivational tool — the memory of their first-round loss last March to Yale in Spokane. Auburn’s best appears to be a bit better than everyone else’s best.

Which is not to say others can’t win in this region. Michigan State has excellent balance and a coach (Tom Izzo) who knows a little bit about winning in March. Iowa State will suffocate you with defense, and Texas A&M will rebound and defend you into the floorboards.

Three SEC teams are among the top six seeds, with Ole Miss in there at six. There’s even the potential for one of the most intriguing First Four games in recent memory on Tuesday night when San Diego State tangles with North Carolina for the right to play Ole Miss.

TOP SHOT

If there is an area of concern about Auburn, it’s a recent reliance on Broome. He averaged 26.7 points per game in the last three games and took 28 shots against Alabama on March 8. Guys like Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford need to step up sooner instead of later.

Michigan State played this season like a program with something to prove for the first time in a while. What it proved is that it can make the Final Four, even without a true go-to guy. But it might have to make better than 30.8 percent of its 3-pointers – 325th in Division I — to hand Izzo his second national title.

GAMES TO WATCH

No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton. The Cardinals’ comeback season after a few years in hell finds them in the first round against the Bluejays and 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner. Louisville coach Pat Kelsey will need a lot from a high-scoring backcourt of Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr.

No. 11 North Carolina vs. No. 11 San Diego State. Many bracketologists had neither one in the field after they stumbled in their conference tournaments. Instead, the Tar Heels and Aztecs meet Tuesday night in Dayton for what could be one of the better First Four games in a while.

No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego. The Tritons give America’s Finest City two NCAA Tournament teams. Well-drilled, well-coached and efficient on both ends, they face a supreme test in the Big Ten tournament champs and their twin 7-footers, Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin.

GET TO KNOW

Johni Broome, forward, Auburn. The guy who might be the national Player of the Year averaged 18.9 points on 51.3 percent shooting, along with 10.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 blocked shots. No player nationally affects the texture of a game like him.

Sean Pedulla, guard, Ole Miss. After helping Virginia Tech win its first ACC tournament title two seasons ago, Pedulla has quietly backed that up with two more good years. In his first season with the Rebels, he leads the team in scoring and assists while helping them commit the third-fewest turnovers in Division I.

Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, UC San Diego. The team that co-leads Division I in fewest turnovers is led by this guy. Tait-Jones was the Big West Player of the Year after averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He canned 57.6 percent of his shots from the field.

SPREAD THE NEWS

No. 11 North Carolina is a 3.5-point favorite against San Diego State in the First Four Tuesday night. The Tar Heels have played well down the stretch, albeit against some bad ACC teams. It’s tempting to take them and give the points, but the Aztecs have two wins (Houston, Creighton) that are better than any of North Carolina’s this season. It almost feels like a sucker bet either way.

No. 4 Texas A&M weighs in as a 7 1/2-point favorite against Ivy League champion Yale. The Aggies aren’t the best shooting team around so their games tend to be close. The Bulldogs proved last year in their upset of Auburn they can play with anyone on any day. Don’t be afraid to say boola boola and take the points.

No. 2 Michigan State is favored by 18.5 points in its first-round game with Bryant. While the Bulldogs are more athletic than your average America East outfit with St. John’s transfer Rafael Pinzon and Memphis transfer Earl Timberlake, they’re prone to turnovers. That doesn’t work too well against Sparty.

OUT OF THE SOUTH

Some are wondering if Auburn’s recent slide is indicative of what it will do in the tournament. Don’t overthink this, gang. The Tigers are the No. 1 overall seed for a reason, and they’ll show it by cutting down nets at the end of the month to make the Final Four for the second time under coach Bruce Pearl.

–Field Level Media