{"id":3241,"date":"2021-03-21T17:05:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-21T21:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/?p=3241"},"modified":"2021-03-21T17:11:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-21T21:11:06","slug":"ncaa-tournament-bracket-breakdown-round-of-32-sunday-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/2021\/03\/21\/ncaa-tournament-bracket-breakdown-round-of-32-sunday-games\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Round of 32 (Sunday Games)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

(1) Illinois vs (8) Loyal IL<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong> Illinois \u20137<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong> 133.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 12:10 PM<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Loyola Chicago is back and looking to\u00a0make another run of upsets. They have the first game this Sunday coming<\/span>\u00a0off an 11-point win over Georgia Tech. The 3-ball was f<\/span>alling as they went 11-27 from behind the arc. Lucas William<\/span>son stepped up in a big way with a 21-point performance. Cameron\u00a0<\/span>Krutwig<\/span> had a quiet but effective<\/span>\u00a0game\u00a0and will need to have a big game to\u00a0<\/span>pull off the upset. T<\/span>he Ramblers wi<\/span>ll need to maintain a high level of defensive intensity and knock down shots from deep against this Illinois squad.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Illinois\u00a0<\/span>is entering this game after handing Drexel a 29-point loss in the first round. They looked just as dominant as they have over<\/span>\u00a0the last month. Ayo Dos<\/span>unmu is a triple-double threat every time he is on the floor and Kofi Cockburn is a man amongst boys.\u00a0 Their supporting c<\/span>ast of quick, scrappy guards will give the Ramblers serious problems. Look for Illinois to work from inside out in this match-up and <\/span>kick out for open 3\u2019s\u00a0off of\u00a0Ayo drives or entry passes to Cockburn.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(1) Baylor vs (9) Wisconsin<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong> Baylor \u20136<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong> 138.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 2:40<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wisconsin is coming off their best game of\u00a0the season. They were excellent in every aspect of the game during their 23-point thr<\/span>ashing of UNC. Brad Davison and\u00a0<\/span>D\u2019mitrik<\/span>\u00a0Trice combined for 50 p<\/span>oints and Reuvers was blocking everything inside. They only turned the ball over 7 times and looked unstoppable. If they can\u00a0<\/span>keep that same energy against Baylor this will be an extremely\u00a0<\/span>hard-fought<\/span>\u00a0battle.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Baylor is still looking to get back into mid-season form. They handled Hartford with ease but\u00a0<\/span>are still not as solid on defense as they want to be. Their trio of Butler, Mitchell, and Teague is one of the best in the country and they shoot the 3 as well as anyo<\/span>ne in the country. Jared Butler is looking to put his struggles behind\u00a0<\/span>him<\/span>\u00a0and this Wisconsin team is a great test for the Bears. Look for them to enter the game with<\/span> a locked-in the defensive unit looking to turn the Badgers over and run out on fast breaks.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(3) West Virginia vs (11) Syracuse<\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong> WVU \u20133.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong> 147.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 5:15<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Syracuse is in the round of 32 as a double-digit seed. This is becoming normality <\/span>for the Orange as they just always know how to turn it on in March. They beat San Diego\u00a0<\/span>State by 16 on Friday and held them to 11-40 from 3. the 30-point outburst from coach\u2019s son Buddy Boeheim was huge along with a team effort\u00a0<\/span>of 15-27 from 3. They are very reliant on the outside shot but if they can limit WVU and continue their hot shooting they will be back in the Sweet 16.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

West Virginia took care of business against Morehead State thanks to Miles McBride\u00a0<\/span>also posting a 30-point game. Bob Huggins will have his offensive juggernaut ready to go with a game plan for the 2-3 zone he has seen so many times. WV<\/span>U features a great 3-point shooting lineup but looks for them to try and work the ball inside more. Huggins will try to beat the zone through dribble penetration and then shoot 3\u2019s off of kick<\/span>-outs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(3) Arkansas vs (6) Texas Tech<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong>\u00a0TTU -1<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong>\u00a0140.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 6:10<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Texas played a tough game against Utah State and ended up with a 12-point win.\u00a0<\/span>It was an even scoring effort with four starters in double digits\u00a0and shooting 7-17 from deep.\u00a0<\/span>This team thrives <\/span>off of<\/span>\u00a0their defense and did so on Friday as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>they forced 22 turnovers. They will be looking to get their hands on loose balls and get into their transition offense in order to counter Arkansas\u2019s offense.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Arkansas looked very suspect for the first 15 minutes of their match-up with Colgate but closed it out after that. They took over the game and showed what a dominant force they can be when they play team basketball.\u00a0<\/span>Senior Justin Smith posted 29 points and 13\u00a0<\/span>rebounds<\/span>\u00a0and four other Razorbacks joined him in double figures. These two teams match up very\u00a0<\/span>well as tough, defensive-minded teams with a ton of athletic players who love to get in passing lanes. This game should be the most hard-fought one of the day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(2) Houston vs (10) Rutgers<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong>\u00a0HOU \u20138.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong>\u00a0132<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 7:10<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After defeating Clemson in the round of 64, Rutgers comes into Sunday\u2019s game as heavy underdogs to Houston. It is Rutgers\u2019\u00a0<\/span>first\u00a0<\/span>time in the second rou<\/span>nd of the tourn<\/span>amen<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0in order to\u00a0win they will have to rely on the defensive side of the ball. Houston\u2019s defense has allowed\u00a0<\/span>57.8 points per game, ranking them second among D 1 teams. The Rutgers offense is not as impressive, averaging 69.6 points per game, enough to rank them 204 in the nation.<\/span>\u00a0Led by Ron Harper Jr., the Scarlet Knights will need every one of his 15.2 and 5.9 points and rebounds per game to pull off the upset.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Houston\u2019s Quentin Grimes<\/span> averages 18 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, but will\u00a0likely play\u00a0without fifth-year senior\u00a0<\/span>DeJon<\/span>\u00a0Ja<\/span>rreau. Jarreau averaged 11 points but let his presence known mostly on the defensive side of the ball, named the AAC defensive player of the year.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(7) Florida vs (15) Oral Roberts<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong>\u00a0FLA -8<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong>\u00a0149<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 7:45<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Continuing the upset train is Oral Roberts University, who will play against Florida after their overtime win against Ohio State<\/span>, their first NCAA victory<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>No advantage of fresh legs for the gators though, as their own win against Virginia Tech found an ending in overtime too.\u00a0<\/span>Leading the charge for Oral Roberts is\u00a0<\/span>sophomore\u00a0<\/span>Max Abmas<\/span>. Abmas leads the nation in scoring with 24.4 points per game and had 29 against Ohio State. Abmas looks to be elite, s<\/span>hooting 48.1 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from beyond the arc. If he has a\u00a0<\/span>weakness,<\/span> it is his low 66.7 percent free-throw shooting.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Florida\u2019s offense is spearheaded by Tre Mann<\/span>\u00a0and will\u00a0likely see\u00a0the return of starting point guard Tyree Appleby who left the game against Virginia Tech with a\u00a0<\/span>facial\u00a0laceration. Appleby is the floor general of the Florida Gators, offering 11.2 points and 3.4 assists per game.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(5) Villanova vs (13) North Texas<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong>\u00a0VILL \u20136.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong>\u00a0126.5<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 8:45<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Villanova and North Texas play on Sunday after North Texas\u2019 upset win over the Purdue boilermakers.\u00a0<\/span>North Texas is riding high after its first-ever NCAA win. Led by senior Javion Hamlet<\/span>, averaging just under 15 points a game, the Mean Green excel from beyond the perimeter, av<\/span>eraging 37.5 percent from distance. North Texas is\u00a0<\/span>just as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>dangerous when playing slow, however. They score 1.18 points per possession with\u00a0<\/span>one of the slowest tempos in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

Villanova is no stranger to slow games, also averaging<\/span>\u00a0a tempo above 300. This game has the potential to be boring.<\/span>\u00a0However, the seniors on the wildca<\/span>ts are dangerous, Jermaine Samuels, and Caleb Daniels have combined to score 45 percent of Villanova\u2019s points this season. <\/span>The\u00a0<\/span>team\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>experience and pace of the game, along with\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0measly\u00a013.5 percent chance of turning the ball over<\/span>\u00a0leaves little opportunity for a North Texas victory.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(4) Oklahoma St vs (12) Oregon State<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Line:<\/strong>\u00a0OKST -6<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O\/U:<\/strong>\u00a0142<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Time:<\/strong> Sunday 9:40<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Oklahoma State Cowboys defeated the number 13 seed Liberty, they find themselves confronted with the number 12 seed\u00a0<\/span>Oregon State, who pulled off the first upset of the tournament after dispatching Tennessee. Oregon State\u00a0<\/span>has made something of a name for itself as an underdog, they captured their bid to attend March Madness after winning the Pac-12 tournament despite being picked to finish last i<\/span>n the preseason. Senior Roman Silva led the team with a perfect outing from the field and th<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0team\u2019s hot streak continues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oklahoma St<\/span>\u00a0will look to find some form after their Big 12 Player and Freshman of the year, Cade Cunningham, was ice cold on 3-14\u00a0<\/span>finishing\u00a0<\/span>from the field.\u00a0<\/span>The Cowboys\u2019 young roster\u00a0<\/span>doesn\u2019t\u00a0have to shoot the best if they continue their defensive excellence. They held Liberty to 38.1 percent shooting for the game and\u00a0<\/span>forced 18 turnovers, nine of them steals.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(1) Illinois vs (8) Loyal IL\u00a0 Line: Illinois \u20137\u00a0 O\/U: 133.5\u00a0 Time: Sunday 12:10 PM\u00a0 Loyola Chicago is back and looking to\u00a0make another run of upsets. They have the first game this Sunday coming\u00a0off an 11-point win over Georgia Tech. The 3-ball was falling as they went 11-27 from behind the arc. Lucas Williamson stepped…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4983,"featured_media":3246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4983"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3241"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3247,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3241\/revisions\/3247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportsreporting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}