An interesting region from the top down. Florida is the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and should cruise to the Elite Eight. Even if Joel Embiid (back injury) will miss more than the opening weekend, Andrew Wiggins is playing well enough to make No. 2 Kansas a tough out. No. 3 Syracuse could recapture the magic from its 25-0 start. No. 4 UCLA looked strong in a four-point Pac-12 tourney final win over Arizona, the West’s top seed.
The top line
Beware the Gators
Minutes after edging Kentucky for the SEC title, Florida learned it would be a No. 1 seed for the first time since its national championship season of 2007. The Gators, who were the first SEC team to go unbeaten in an 18-game conference season, shouldn’t have too much trouble in the first few games. Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin, the SEC Player of the Year and tournament MVP, forward Casey Prather (14.3 ppg) and center Patric Young (11 ppg, 6.2 rpg) are three big reasons UF boasts a school-record 26-game win streak.
Overrated
Orange, you worried?
Syracuse’s perfect start ended with a home loss to Boston College on Feb. 19. It got worse. The Orange lost five of seven after that, including a laughable finish to an ACC quarterfinal against N.C. State, missing six shots in a row in the final sequence.
Obviously, No. 2 Kansas is a risky pick because of Embiid’s back. The 7-footer will miss at least the first weekend with a stress fracture. However, the Jayhawks’ Big 12 tourney performance, which ended with a weak loss to Iowa State in the quarters, might be more troubling.
No. 5 VCU didn’t have the height to hold off St. Joseph’s in the Atlantic-10 final. It was the Rams’ second straight loss in that game.
Bracket busters
Lumberjacks more than just OK
The most clear-cut Cinderella candidate is No. 12 Stephen F. Austin, which has won 28 games in a row. The Lumberjacks play slowly but rank eighth nationally in offensive efficiency. Senior guard and Southland tournament MVP Desmond Haymon (14.3 ppg) finds plenty of ways to score.
No. 8 Pittsburgh will be a tough matchup for anyone if it’s playing at the same level it did in the ACC tournament. Senior forwards Lamar Patterson (17.6 ppg, 4.8 rpb, 4.3 apg) and Talib Zanna (12.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg) are tough to handle.
No. 14 Western Michigan is balanced and athletic enough to give Syracuse a tough opener.
Player to watch
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
He’s not “The Next LeBron James” he was billed to be, but the much-scrutinized freshman shook off his midseason slump to become a force in Embiid’s absence. He’s averaging 31 points and eight rebounds in his last three games.
Must-see TV
‘Havoc’ vs. heady ball
Stephen F. Austin’s disciplined, slow play and VCU’s “Havoc” defense are each other’s perfect foils. VCU leads the nation in turnovers forced (18.5 per game), while SFA is eighth (16).
Ohio State and Dayton, about an hour’s drive apart, haven’t played each other since the 2008 NIT. Should be a fun game in Buffalo, N.Y.
New Mexico, which knocked off No. 8 San Diego State in the Mountain West final, could be a tough matchup for Kansas in the third round — if it gets past Stanford.
MATT PORTER
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