The Spire

Patrick Grudberg ‘24

Sports Section Editor

Football season has finally come to an end. For some, this means focusing their attention on baseball spring training. Maybe tuning in to the last third of the hockey season. For me, it means for the next six weeks, it is all things college basketball full-steam ahead. The first conference tournaments begin in two weeks, when the Fairleigh Dickinsons of the world punch their ticket to the big dance. March Madness. The greatest show on Earth. One upset win and you are forever enshrined in the hall of Cinderellas alongside 2018 UMBC, 2012 Lehigh, and (sadly) not 2016 Holy Cross. Here’s a survey of the college basketball scene to get you ready for who might make their names come March 21.

First, let’s take a trip to Terre Haute, Indiana, where the likes of Larry Bird once played the game. Yes, the Indiana State Sycamores are finally back in the mix. Last week, they were in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1979 (when Larry was on campus). Sadly, they dropped their next two games and now sit at 22-5. Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology has them as a 12 seed, but they might slip to the 13 seed line after those two missteps in conference play.

This team plays like anyone would when firing up 2K. They play five out. Every player on the court, including their center (remember the name Robbie Avila) can shoot from three. They cut off the ball. It’s really beautiful stuff. 37% from three puts them at 16th in the country, and they’re even better inside the arc (61.9% and 2nd in the nation). 50% of their field goals are three point attempts, which is one high-risk, high-reward strategy for some March underdogs. They shot an ugly 24% from deep in their last two losses, but a typical shooting night for the Sycamores come March could see them upset a big power six program. As long as they win the Missouri Valley Conference (no small feat), they’ll be dancing this March.

Second, we’re headed to southwestern Louisiana to visit a familiar character in college basketball. If you’ve followed college ball in the past half decade, you might remember the name Will Wade, former coach at LSU who led the Tigers to a sweet sixteen trip in 2019. Four years and a huge recruiting scandal later, and we find Mr. Wade in Lake Charles, Louisiana coaching little known McNeese State. After the scandal, McNeese was the only school willing to give Wade a shot. Even after being suspended for the first ten games, Wade has led the Cowboys to a  23-3 record. Projected as a 12 seed, they also sport impressive victories over VCU, Michigan and UAB. Indiana State might play prettier basketball, but McNeese better fits the Cinderella profile; they rarely turn the ball over, create the 7th most turnovers on defense, get to the free throw line at a high rate, and crash the glass enough to create enough second-chance shots. They shoot it better than Indiana State from deep (40% for 5th in the NCAA), but are not nearly as reliant on the three ball (only 33% of their shots come from deep). With a favorable 5-12 matchup, I’m taking McNeese without any hesitation.

Our third Cinderella is a more familiar name for us New Englanders. The Ivy League is more well known for their academics, but did you know that they play pretty good basketball? Three teams are currently jostling for the top spot in the league, but one really stands out to me – the Yale Bulldogs. We’ve seen Yale in the tournament three times since 2016. They upset Baylor as a 12 seed in 2016 (a game I attended!), narrowly lost to LSU in 2019, and fought valiantly versus Purdue in 2022. March underdogs are often led by a memorable leading star. Think Lehigh’s CJ McCollum in 2012 or Oral Roberts’s Max Absmas in 2021. Yale has that in 7’0” phenom sophomore Danny Wolf, a burgeoning star who’s averaging 14 points, ten boards, two assists, and a block per night. He’s a smooth operator down low, has excellent ball handling skills, and has a knack for finding open shooters while in the post. John Poulakidas and August Mahoney are lethal shooters from three (42% and 41% respectively), giving the Bulldogs a balanced offensive attack. They have a top 100 offense and defense per KenPom’s metrics and currently stand at a 13 seed. Their biggest challenge will be taking down Princeton and Cornell in the conference tournament. James Jones has orchestrated March upsets before, and he could do it again this year.

To finish, here’s a quick fire list of three other teams to look out for as conference tournaments begin. The Grand Canyon Antelopes (they have a physical campus along with the online program you’ve certainly seen commercials for) are 24-2 and would likely be an 11 seed if they win the WAC tournament. No 6 seed wants to run into the Lopes this year and for good reason. Hailing from the Southern Conference, the Samford Bulldogs are 23-4 and would be around the 13 seed line if they can punch their ticket. They don’t have the impressive non-conference wins that McNeese and Grand Canyon have, but they’re lethal from deep (2nd in the nation at 40.5%) and are led by all-name team legend Achor Achor. 

Finally, here’s an unorthodox one – the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Wait, Gonzaga? The team that made the national championship three years ago? Yes. This Bulldogs team is nowhere near as good. Without any impressive non-conference wins, they’re stuck with a mediocre resume with few opportunities to improve it in the West Coast Conference. For the first time in years, they’ll need to win the conference tournament to get in. If they can get there, Mark Few’s squad will be the most dangerous 11 seed imaginable. Don’t sleep on this team. Don’t sleep on any of these teams. And if I’m wrong, I redact everything I just said.

Copy Edited by Caroline Kramer