Welcome to March - Champ Week Preview

For many of us the month of March ranks very high in the calendar power rankings. We get plenty of opportunities to celebrate it as well. There is, of course, the moment when the calendar officially turns to March. Then, conference tournaments tip-off which technically began on March 2nd this season. Champ Week, which officially begins on Monday, is another ceremonial “This is March” moment. Finally, we of course get Selection Sunday and March Madness itself. There is no other month that packs a punch like March. Cinderella stories, the highest of highs and lowest of lows, buzzer-beaters, and much more will dominate national storylines for the next several weeks. Here at KSR we will obviously be focused on the ‘Cats, but we will have big picture content throughout the rest of the month as well.

There have already been six tickets to The Big Dance punched as of Monday morning. Queens won the Atlantic Sun. High Point won the Big South. Northern Iowa won the Missouri Valley. Long Island has already earned the NEC automatic bid due to Mercyhurst being ineligible for postseason play. Tennessee State won the OVC. North Dakota State won the Summit League. Two more automatic bids will be earned on Monday night as East Tennessee plays Furman for the SoCon title and Troy plays Georgia Southern in the Sun Belt championship game. Eventually there will be 31 automatic bids handed out via conference tournament champions. Then, the job of the tournament selection committee is to select the remaining 37 at-large participants.

Trying to follow Champ Week can be overwhelming. Games tip-off in the middle of the work day, go on into the wee hours of the night, and often feature teams that you haven’t watched all season long. That is why we are here with your official Champ Week Preview from Kentucky Sports Radio. We have you covered with players to watch, Cinderellas to cheer for, brackets, and much more. Let’s dive on in and get ourselves prepared for one of the best weeks of the calendar year.

Conference Tournament Brackets

The month of March is all about brackets. Champ Week provides 31 of them before we get to the most special bracket of them all which will be unveiled on Selection Sunday. If you like brackets, easy to follow graphics, and more you NEED to follow friend of the program Projection Sports on Twitter this month. Follow their work @ProjSports.

Most notably from this group of brackets you see the ACC and Big 12 starting on Tuesday while the Big East follows on Wednesday. Saint Louis’ potential run through the Atlantic Sun will be one to follow as well. The Billikens are 27-4 on the season, but have lost three of their last six games. Currently projected as a #9-seed, Coach Josh Schertz’s squad should be in the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens. However, regaining some positive momentum could make them a potential Cinderella to watch in The Big Dance.

This grouping features the Big Ten Tournament which will get underway on Tuesday. That one will be a gauntlet. Both the CAA and the Horizon League will play their respective semifinals on Monday and championship games on Tuesday. The MAAC Tournament will crown a champion on Tuesday as well. That title game will feature #1-seed Merrimack against #3-seed Siena. Merrimack features a very unique zone defense that can be fun to watch. Coach Joe Gallo will be a hot name this cycle for “bigger” jobs as well. Meanwhile, former Syracuse star Gerry McNamara is the head coach of Siena. For boots on the ground coverage of the Horizon League Tournament you can follow @BRamseyKSR on Twitter.

We mentioned earlier how LIU, led by Coach Rod Strickland, had already earned the NEC automatic bid due to Mercyhurst being ineligible for postseason play. They can win the tournament anyway on Tuesday night. The Patriot League championship game will be played on Wednesday night featuring #2-seed Leigh and #4-seed Boston. We also get the Southeastern Conference bracket here with games tipping off in Nashville at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday. Kentucky will play LSU in that first game. The Mountain West is an always competitive mid-major league that is featured here as well. Both San Diego State and New Mexico are currently on the outside of the bubble looking in according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

One of the best stories of Champ Week, which is really Champ Week(s) at this point, has been Georgia Southern. The Sun Belt Conference set up their bracket to really protect their top teams, but the Eagles had other ideas. They now won five games in five days, including knocking off #3-seed Coastal Carolina and #2-seed Marshall, to advance to Monday’s championship game as the #10-seed. Meanwhile, in the SoCon, East Tennessee State will face Furman for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. ETSU head coach Brooks Savage is a name you will hear during this coaching carousel. Tuesday night could feature a rubber match on a neutral floor between Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. That would be one to watch.

Players to Watch

Part of what makes March Madness great is the names that will live on forever. Kemba Walker led UConn on a title run in 2011 and then Shabazz Napier did it again for the Huskies in 2014. Jack Gohlke became a household name by hitting 10 three-point shots for #14-seed Oakland in an upset over #3-seed Kentucky. Even Stephen Curry made his mark in 2008 leading #10-seed Davidson to the Elite Eight. The list goes on-and-on. However, sometimes those names get their start during Champ Week. In some cases, we would never see them in The Big Dance if it weren’t for a conference tournament championship. Here are five star players that you should familiarize yourself with as we get into the teeth of March Madness.

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Robbie Avila (Saint Louis)

There are a lot of fans who likely already know this name. However, if you haven’t seen Robbie Avila play yet, get ready to hear about him throughout March Madness. We just missed getting Avila on a national stage when Indiana State was left out of the tournament in 2024. He will get the chance to go dancing this year at Saint Louis. An All-A-10 performer last season, Avila is averaging 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as a senior.

Zach Cleveland (Liberty)

One of the more unique players in the country, Cleveland is a true “point-forward” for Liberty. The Flames won Conference USA by four games in the regular season and currently project as a #13-seed. Cleveland could lead them to a first round upset. The 6’7″ playmaker averages 11.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.

Kevair Kennedy (Merrimack)

Being realistic, Merrimack isn’t going to advance even if they make the NCAA Tournament. They will be matched up with a #1 or #2-seed and lose in the opening round. However, don’t be surprised if Kavair Kennedy scores 20+ points against a high-profile opponent. The freshman guard has been outstanding this season for Coach Joe Gallo and certainly will be a candidate to follow his coach to a bigger school after this season. Kennedy is averaging 18.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

Ebuka Okorie (Stanford)

Currently listed among Joe Lunardi’s “Last Four Out,” Stanford will need a couple of wins in the ACC Tournament to get a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However, if they do so, look for Ebuka Okorie to become a household name. In a season dominated by elite freshmen, Okorie has quietly been one of the best. He averages 23.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for Stanford.

Nick Townsend (Yale)

Yale will be a trendy #12-seed over #5-seed upset pick when the bracket gets released on Sunday. If the Bulldogs were to make any March Madness noise it would likely be Nick Townsend leading the way for them. The senior forward averages 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while also shooting 48.3% from three-point range. You can close your eyes and picture him hitting six three-point shots in an upset victory and capturing the hearts of America.

Teams to Watch

Every year there are a couple of Cinderella stories that capture the attention of the country. Last season was as chalky as we have seen in a while, but in 2024 #11-seed NC State made the Final Four while #6-seed Clemson went to the Elite Eight. In 2023 the Final Four in Houston featured a #4-seed, two #5-seeds, and #9-seed Florida Atlantic. #15-seed Saint Peter’s advanced to the Elite Eight in 2022. In 2021 #15-seed Oral Roberts made the Sweet 16. The list goes on and on. There will be upsets. That is what puts the Madness in March Madness. Here are five teams to watch for when it comes to Cinderella runs in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

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High Point Panthers

Already locked into the NCAA Tournament field following a 30-4 season that culminated in winning both the Big South regular season and conference tournament championships, High Point will be one of the most dangerous mid-major teams in the field. The Panthers have won 14 straight games and currently project as a #12-seed. Rob Martin and Terry Anderson are very capable of making some noice in The Big Dance.

Hofstra Pride

If Coach Speedy Claxton can cut down the CAA nets the Pride will be a team capable of pulling up a big upset in the NCAA Tournament. Projecting as a #14-seed, the way that Hofstra shoots it from three-point range makes them a potential upset pick. Cruz Davis is their star guard averaging 20.6 points and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 78-193 (40.4%) from three-point range. Freshman guard Preston Edmead adds 15.3 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 83-216 (38.4%) from deep. Those two will give Hofstra a fighting chance in any game they play.

Miami (OH) Redhawks

Are the Redhawks over qualified for “Cinderella” status? Probably so. However, this is a team that will deserve to have a lot of eyes on them in the NCAA Tournament. Miami is 31-0 entering the MAC Tournament and is likely in the field at this point whether they win it or not. Anytime a team wins that many games in a row it means they are dangerous. Knowing how to win is a skill and cohesiveness is underrated in March. This group checks both of those boxes. Lookout for Miami to prove their worth this postseason.

Texas Longhorns

Not every “Cinderella” team has to be an unknown. The Texas Longhorns, currently projected as a #10-seed, is a team that could be very dangerous in the NCAA Tournament. They are built like a team that could break through to the second weekend. Dailyn Swain, who averages 17.7 points per game for Texas, is a star that can take over a game. Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark some veteran backcourt firepower as well. Then, there is 7-foot center Matas Vokietaitis. Coach Sean Miller has the pieces to make a run in March Madness.

Utah State Aggies

Coach Jerrod Calhoun is probably up for a high-major job as soon as he wants one, but a little bit of a run this month certainly would help get him paid. He took Utah State to the NCAA Tournament in his first season last year and now won the Mountain West in year two. The Aggies have a big, veteran backcourt led by Drake Allen, MJ Collins, and Mason Falslev that handles it, shoots it, and passes it at a high level. This team can absolutely win multiple games in the NCAA Tournament.