Duquesne will probably be within the NCAA Tournament for the primary time since 1977. I will not say who, however a few of them have been highschool college students on the time. A 50-year drought was unthinkable on the time. The program was the faculty dwelling of the good Sihugo Green, who was the No. 1 total choose in his 1956 NBA draft, and Chuck Cooper, the primary black participant in NBA historical past.
Along with Green and the Ricketts brothers, Dave and Dick, the Dukes reached the NIT finals in each 1954 and 1955, successful their second championship at a time when the event’s status was looming over the NCAA.
But that is not all. Coach Keith Dambrot revived a program that had solely eight successful seasons in 40 years since Norm Nixon received what was then the Eastern Eight (formally the Eastern League) and pushed the Dukes into the NCAA discipline. He was employed in 2017 to take action. College Basketball League).
Dambrot received 305 video games in 13 seasons at Akron and reached the NCAAs thrice as a Mid-American Conference champion. Duquesne supplied Dambro a giant increase, but it surely simply so occurred that Dambro’s father had performed for the Dukes. He accepted this large problem, and his program was making regular progress even earlier than the pandemic. The 2021-22 season bottomed out with solely six wins, however the previous two groups have reached the 20-win mark. This crew superior to Madness by defeating A-10 energy Dayton within the quarterfinals, then defeated St. Bonaventure and VCU.
It’s additionally greater than that. In his sixty fifth 12 months, Mr. Dambro is debating whether or not to retire to spend time together with his spouse, Donna, who’s battling breast most cancers. She underwent her double mastectomy in early February and he took time without work from the crew to be along with her. He was going to overlook the highway recreation at Rhode Island, however she insisted he was properly sufficient to educate away from the sport. The Dukes received by 14 factors and completed the league with a document of 10 wins and eight losses.
He has not made his intentions public. But if that is true, it is one good option to transfer towards retirement.
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All Eastern Region Team
F – Jadon Ready, San Diego State
G – Tristen Newton, Connecticut
G – Boubouillet, North West
G – Terrence Shannon, Illinois
C – Joni Bloom, Auburn
Eastern Region Best Match 1st Round
No. 8 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 9 Northwestern
Despite having most of the identical members, FAU wasn’t the identical crew this season that made it to the 2023 Final Four, one of many greatest surprises of a fantastic NCAA Tournament. Many criticize the Owls for not enjoying on the identical degree, however the group that beat Kansas State and Tennessee final season can at the least beat a 15-19 Temples crew in an elimination recreation. It must be. They ought to be capable of win a league that features USF, Charlotte, and UAB as contenders. They didn’t seem within the common season or event. That’s why UAB was in there.
Northwestern defeated Purdue at dwelling and compelled the Boilers to additional time on the highway at Mackey Arena. If it weren’t for the Dukes, they’d signify the very best tales within the area. This is the primary time in sports activities historical past that Northwestern has reached the NCAAs in consecutive seasons.
Yes, till now.
Point guard Bou Bouye has a giant position to play on this. He averaged 19.2 factors and 5.1 assists, a giant motive why Northwestern was in a position to overcome accidents to 7-foot middle Matthew Nicholson and taking pictures guard Ty Burr.
Expert Picks: DeCourcy (UConn) | Bender (UConn) | Ayer (UConn) | Yanchulis (South Carolina State)
Seed too excessive
fifth place San Diego State University.
From the second the Aztecs emerged as No. 4 within the NCAA Tournament standings in late February, it was clear they’d obtain leniency from the committee. Nothing they’ve performed earlier than has justified such extravagance. There has been nothing since then to point that they need to keep that place.
They have been 4-9 in first quad matches and 10-10 towards the primary two quadrants. They performed highway video games towards 5 different NCAA event groups within the Mountain West. The outcome was 0 wins and 5 losses.
And regardless of their apparent love for the Aztecs, the committee threw out all different Mountain West event choice seeds. My predictions for every of those groups have been off by at the least one line, and Nevada was off his by three traces.
If the committee loves the crew that completed fifth within the league, why would they hate the opposite crew?
History of seeded upsets:
16 to 1 | 15 to 2 | 14 to three | 13 to 4 | 12 to five
seed too low
No. 13 Yell.
Almost each facet of Yale’s resume reveals that Yale outperforms UAB, particularly with a median predictive metric (KenPom, BPI) of 75 in comparison with the Blazers’ 111 . This did not appear shut in any respect. The Bulldogs received the extremely aggressive Ivy League, though their document within the two Quadrant video games was 3-2 to Yale’s 7-3 document. UAB did not have to beat the crew acknowledged as the very best crew within the nation (FAU) or the league champion (USF) to earn an automated bid from the convention.
upset particular
No. 10 Drake defeated No. 7 Washington State.
There was lots of lamentation about Indiana State not enjoying after successful the Missouri Valley Conference. Well, you could have Drake responsible. Because not solely did they take away the automated bid from the Sycamores, additionally they took away the Grand Judge’s case.
If you wish to get a giant bid at a mid-sized convention, you should be particular. And not successful a season collection towards the very best crew within the league does not make it “particular.” There’s a motive Indiana State wasn’t in a position to accomplish that. It’s Drake’s fault.
Drake received 28 of 35 video games and is among the greatest taking pictures groups in Division I.
More: Bracket Busters to observe in 2024 March Madness
very best recreation
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 3 Illinois, potential second spherical.
The Illini have the No. 3 offense in Division I. Terrence Shannon is quicker and stronger at transition basketball than anybody in faculty basketball. He has scored 90 factors or extra in 5 of his final eight video games.
Did you promote it? Now, BYU ranks eleventh out of 362 groups in offensive energy.
Yes, it is a work it’s best to undoubtedly see.
Printable: Download the 2024 March Madness bracket right here
Best Matchup of Potential Players
Joni Bloom, Auburn vs. Jadon Leddy, San Diego State, potential second spherical choose.
Both Leddy and Bloom have been named Sporting News All-America. Ready was on the second crew and Bloom was on the third crew. The two are very totally different gamers, with Leddy adept at attacking the basketball from the foul line to the rim, and Bloom on one of the crucial highly effective groups within the sport.
They intersect often, so long as their groups do. It must be enjoyable to observe them combat.
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Let’s know
Washington State University coach Kyle Smith.
Some may say Kyle Smith needed to be a Power 5 coach within the worst potential means, however that is as a result of he accepted the task to educate the Cougars after a decade cut up between Columbia and San Francisco. Only the best coaches ever managed to win at Pullman, together with George Lovelling, Kelvin Sampson and Tony Bennett.
So what can we are saying about Smith? Now that WSU is relegated to the WCC (which will not be such a steep drop contemplating Gonzaga University and St. Mary’s University are No. 5 seeds this 12 months), it is time for Smith to discover a new dwelling. could also be coming.
Eventually, almost all the Cougs’ greatest coaches did.
Don’t be shocked…
UConn has received each recreation within the area by double digits. That’s what the Huskies did in six video games in final 12 months’s NCAA Tournament and lately in eight of their previous 10 wins. Not solely is it onerous to beat UConn, but it surely’s additionally onerous to compete with them.
More: Watch the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Sling TV
sleeper crew
Drake.
The Bulldogs got here very near successful within the first spherical final 12 months, main the Final Four-bound Miami Hurricanes by 5 factors inside 4 minutes of play, however misplaced by seven factors. So they know how you can play on this event. This is simply one other step in studying how you can win.
East area remaining 4 choice
Connecticut.
Honestly, when you ask any member of the UConn program (whose drinks have been laced with confessional serum), they’re going to inform you they’re pleased to have Iowa State because the No. 2 seed. That does not imply the Cyclones aren’t nice, by any means. You already know what the ultimate rating was within the Big 12 finals towards Houston. But different No. 2 seeds have extra imposing expertise on the entrance finish. It will take a sensational effort from Iowa State to beat the Huskies’ expertise and geographic benefit and defeat them.