DAY ONE OF THE MADNESS!

IOWA STATE SR. G/F DEONTE BURTON, THE TOUGHEST MATCHUP IN THE MADNESS (Photo Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports via sbnation.com)

Most people Board Room A on the 33^rd Floor of the Insanity Towers agreed that this year’s crop of Madness teams dropped down a level as a whole overall that would add to parity in the Madness. This was apparent as Paulsen pointed out that the 16 seeds really made the 1 seeds earn their wins today. There were no easy games for any team today!

No real Madness moments today but solid games. And this bodes well for the Non-Madness of today to balance out tomorrow for some big madness moments!

The morning games were highlighted with Gonzaga’s opening round game vs. the upstart South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Gonzaga were tight for 2/3rds of the game settling for quick treys. They shot three times more treys than they usually do instead playing their typical offense with good ball movement into the paint. A lot of their main players were playing their first Madness game, so the nerves were showing as well as the elevation affecting them playing in Salt Lake City.

Gonzaga found their stride with ten minutes left in the game with Sr. C Przemek Karnowski making his shots in the paint and Jordan Mathew hitting his treys in the second half. Freshman F Zach Collins sparked the run with his quick feet in the half court and long arms affecting Jackrabbit jumpers. It’s safe to say that First Team All-Adolph player, Nigel Williams-Goss played like Nigel Williams-Weak Sauce today, but he’ll rebound on Saturday vs. upstart Northwestern.

The highlight of the day was the lowlight of Vanderbilt’s loss to Northwestern. Vandy made a hoop with about 12 seconds left in the game to go up one and Vanderbilt Jr. Wing Matthew Fisher-Davis inexplicably fouled the Northwestern player to stop the clock as if they were down by 1 point. Fisher-Davis’ reaction was pretty nonchalant shrugging his shoulders saying “my bad”. What the??

J-Dawg said that Chris Webber was forever left off the hook after that silly play. The thing with the infamous timeout-technical from Chris Webber was that Webber very frantically called a timeout that he didn’t have to get the technical foul that clinched the game and the NCAA title for UNC. That is, he may have caved under the pressure, but at least Chris Webber was giving a shit!

Hey man, it’s crappy to see Fisher-Davis and his teammates go through a loss in that manner. But for Fisher-Davis not to even know the score in a crucial situation and then to shrug it off, shows a huge lack of hoop IQ and not caring enough! Come on Fisher-Davis!

This is a holier than thou, Monday morning quarterback statement, but the criticism has to be made on Fisher-Davis. It was such a dumb dumb move!

For the rest of the games, 14 of the 16 total games played had the lower seed move on. By the balance of Madness during the 1^st round, one of the two days is packed with upsets. With this many favored seeds moving on today then expect lotsa upsets tomorrow!!! Whoooo!

Here’s some quick takes:

The good Wisconsin showed up today led by their big three of Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ. Koenig hit some clutch treys to stop many attempted comebacks by Virginia Tech today. Va. Tech showed their typical scrappiness today. Buzz Williams is building a great thing over there. Who knows for how long though with Indiana’s head coach position opening up today, with the Tom Crean no longer with the Hoosiers.

Florida State won their dunk off vs. Florida Gulf Coast and showed their huge advantage with their go-go gadget wing span on the boards.

Maryland didn’t show up vs. Xavier, but if PG Melo Trimble plays his senior season next year than the Terps will be goooood, with this years solid freshmen class having a full season under their belts.

Iowa State looked solid, as did Deonte Burton who showed his hops and great acceleration. Keep your eye on this guy. He’s 6-4 and 250 lbs with the quickness of  6-6 slender wing and strength of a 250 pounder! No player can match up with him.

Middle Tennessee showed some gusto with a second straight upset as a double digit seed, but they didn’t sneak up on anybody as they did with their shocking upset of Michigan State last year. They’re in tough vs. Butler on Saturday who looked solid.today with their win vs. Winthrop. Well not very solid, as that’s their M.O: not looking solid but just finding a way.

Northwestern are still wearing their slippers with the win vs. Vanderbilt. That win was not just due to Fisher-Davis’ snafu, as PG Bryant McIntosh played great for the Wildcats.

Finally, Arizona looked sharp with all their studs playing great as they scored over 100 points vs. North Dakota.

Expect Madness tomorrow!

2017 SOUTH REGION BREAKDOWN

SOUTH REGION BREAKDOWN

1. NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS

Last years Madness finalists return with the same line up and players that have adequately replaced what was lost from last year’s killer team.

16. TEXAS SOUTHERN

This team comes from the lowest rated conference in the nation. Ouchy.

8. ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

Nameless team with underrated wins but usually at home. Had issues winning away from home court.

9. SETON HALL

Has a great forward in Angel Delgado but had issues getting over the hump with wins over Top 25 teams.

5. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

Surprised all with a tourney berth this year. Guards are super quick with lanky forwards that will challenge and block many shots.

12. MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Returns all key ingredients of last year’s team that upset tourney favorite Michigan State in the first year. They responded this year by dominating Conference-USA and getting some key non-conference wins. They are the livest underdog in bracket.

4. BUTLER BULLDOGS

Have a limited line up but found a way for many Top 50 and Top 100 wins. They don’t get much credit as a 4-seed.

13. WINTHROP

Haven’t seen these guys

6. CINCINNATI BEARCATS

Dominated an overrated AAC all season. Good defensive team, but will they be exposed vs. tougher competition?

11. K-STATE WILDCATS

This upstart team has grinded all year despite pressure on Head Coach Bruce Weber. They won their play-in game vs. Wake Forest on Tuesday and looked good with clutch hoops all 2^nd half. One play-in game winner has moved past 1^st Rd for past couple Madness”. Will this year give us another upset?

3. UCLA BRUINS

Freshman Lonzo Ball desrrved the hype he gets from his play and his Dad chomping his gums. But can’t sweat their killer forwards and their improving defense that was within the Top 150 in nation to jump over 50 spots to 76^th ranked defense in the nation in span of last 3 weeks.

KENT STATE

Their first berth since 2008 where they were a great pick to move past 1^st Rd and did not show up at all to get walloped by 40. That loss still stings the Insanity Report Staff!!

7. DAYTON FLYERS

Slightly disappointing season from a Dayton team that has many vets that have had success in past Sweet runs led by scoring PG Scoochie Smith

10. WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS

Shockers are rated in Top 10 in many overall metric systems yet still are given a 10 seed. Great team but little wins vs Top 25 teams.

2. KENTUCKY WILDCATS

This team is a typical inexperience freshmen laden team with atypical out of this world type talent. Always a coin flip of which team will show up. They’re so capable of going to final 4 or losing to 15^th seeded North Dakota who is the 3^rd Dakota team in the tourney.

2017 EAST REGION BREAKDOWN

EAST REGION BREAKDOWN

This is the region of teams on disappointing downturns heading into the Madness

1. VILLANOVA WILDCATS

Josh Hart lead the defending champs to a season that is getting minimal publicity as a defensing champ. Coach Jay Wright went from being underappreciated to coaching a defending champion that is possibly being taken for granted. These guys are a definite tourney favorite.

16. NEW ORLEANS

Good luck.

8. WISCONSIN BADGERS

Great senior talent in Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig but many questions on their often stagnant offense. But whole team can hit clutch shots. They were a possible 2-seed as recent as a month ago that have slid down to an 8-seed.

9. VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES

Really less talented team that absolutely grind and find ways to make hoops and get stops despite lack of size.

5. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS

Great defensive team that have problems scoring. Very very stagnant offense!

12. UNC-WILMINGTON SEAHAWKS

Lively 12 seed!

4. FLORIDA GATORS

They’ve had a solid season with their strength on the defensive side of the ball only to lose starting forward John Egbunu to a torn ACL earlier this month.

13. EAST TENNESSEE STATE

A live underdog according to many pundits.

6. SMU MUSTANGS

Longest win streak in nation. I just don’t see it as they’ve done so vs. average teams. Duke transfer Semi Ojeleye is absolutely legit though.

11. USC TROJANS

A very scrappy team that demonstrated scrappiness last night coming back from 17 points down to beat Providence in the play in game

3. BAYLOR BEARS

Top ranked team in January that peaked in January.

14. NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES

New Coach from Aggie squad that have been a tourney regular outta weak Western Athletic Conference.

7. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

Coming from weak SEC. Good defensive team with top heavy talent.

10. MARQUETTE  GOLDEN EAGLES

Have had great wins in tough Big East. Live underdog here.

2. DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Will say it again. Bar none the most talented team in the nation by a mile. They’ve struggled to find identity all season, but may have found it as they won the ACC Tourney this past weekend. Still no PG, but Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson are executing on ball screens better. If they click then they win the Madness. Period. If not then they lose to Villanova in the Elite 8. That’ll be an instant classic

15. TROY

They have brother of former Mississippi State stud Jarvas Varnado in Jordan Varnado and former NBA 3-pt assassin Chuck Person’s son in Wesley Person. Good genetics but nice “Troy”! They won’t touch Duke. #Paulsen Pun

2017 MIDWEST REGION BREAKDOWN

January February IZZO!!!! (photo credit gamedayr.com)

MIDWEST REGION BREAKDOWN

This is the region of death! So many tough match ups! So pretty much the bracket buster region this is!

1. KANSAS JAYHAWKS

2 super special players in Outhet Player of the Year, Frank Mason and super freshman Josh Jackson. Jackson is a special talent, but jury out if he’s late game special. Lotsa off court issues which then adds to their incredible lack of depth as KU goes 7 deep at best. Main question is how much is in the tank for their studs that have logged HEAVY minutes all year. Definitively a tourney favorite, but also the 1-seed that is in most danger of getting upset before the Elite 8.

16. UC DAVIS AGGIES

Won play in game yesterday. Won’t go further. Thanks a lot KU!

8. MIAMI HURRICANES

Great coaching performance by Jim Larranaga that has made this limited lineup over perform in the tough ACC all season.

9. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

January February IZZO! Freshmen laden line up that have shown their youth all year. Not having a true PG and the typical bruising rebounding of a typical Tom Izzo team have led to a struggling season. However, this line up is still progressing making them a dangerous team vs. Miami and also vs. KU?

5. IOWA STATE CYCLONES

The most under rated line up full of impact players led by 6-4 senior 250-lb Deonte Burton. This guy can explode onto scene with Madness run.

12. NEVADA WOLFPACK

They have been a solid mid-major all season but haven’t had great competition to allow them to progress being in the very weak Mountain West conference.

4. PURDUE BOILERMAKERS

All-Adolph 1^st teamer F Caleb Swanigan is the best psot player in the nation. He had had 20 pt-10 rebound games in 4/5^th of all Boilermaker games. Top team in the Big Ten all year that only garners a 4 seed? Hmmmmm.

13. VERMONT CATAMOUNTS

Pretty good ranked mid major team in many metrics that could catamount to a possible upset. #PaulsenPun

6. CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS

They were having a generation season for this program until they lost their All-American (possible All-Adolph teamer) PG Mo Watson to a torn ACL in January. Don’t sleep on freshman forward Justin Patton who has come outta no where as a top 100 talent to having a season making him a possible NBA lottery pick and one-and-doner. But Patton needs a PG. Too bad for this team.

11. RHODE ISLAND RAMS

This team was a Top 15 rated pre-season team that is finally peaking after finally getting healthy in past month. Solid forwards and great 5^th year senior G EC Mathews will be tough for the newly injured Bluejays.

3. OREGON DUCKS

Jr. G Dillon Brooks can take the Ducks on his shoulders and lead them to the Final 4. He’s that good. He’ll have to be that good as Oregon lost Sr. F Chris Boucher to a torn ACL days ago. It can still happen but is the transition from filling Boucher’s injury too fresh for Oregon? Jr. F Jordan Bell will have to step up.

14. IONA GAELS

Come from the MAAC which was led by upstart Monmouth for a 2^nd straight season only to upset them and rest of MAAC to get the tourney berth. They’re in as a live underdog vs. the newly injured Ducks.

7. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

I’d say the hottest team coming into the Madness winning the Big Ten Tourney with great great PG from Derrick Watson. They also have grinding, solid forwards in Zak Irvin, Mo Wagner and bruising Mark Donnal.

10. OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS

Top rated offense in the nation. Ten years ago they’d likely get worked by any solid defensive team, but the rules have been changed to promote more offense so the Cowboys high paced offense can make a Sweet 16 run in Head Coach, Brad Underwood’s first season.

2. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Get this stat. They have played opponents that amount to the 4^th highest ranked offense only to still be the 5^th highest rated defense in the nation. If you pick these kats as your Final 4 pick outta the Midwest than you ain’t no joke cuz the Cardinals ain’t no joke!

15. JACKSONVILLE STATE

Um no.