(15) Saint Peter’s vs (3) Purdue – 6:09 PM CDT on CBS
Light blue dots are Game Score Per 40 Minutes in the Cocks’ win over Murray St in the second round last Saturday. Current Cocks in Bold. We discussed this one on Sunday – an out-of-this-world effort from leader KC Ndefo, some clutch shooting again from Doug Edert, and many good performances contributed to the resounding win.Black dots are Game Score Per 40 Minutes in the Boliers’ second round win over Texas on Sunday. Current Boilers in Bold. Everyone did their part against Texas, within their usual range of performance, with the notable exception of Trevion Williams. His 22 points and 7 rebounds in just 24 minutes were crucial.
(4) Providence vs (1) Kansas – 6:29 PM CDT on TBS
Current Friars in Bold. Gray dots mark Game Score Per 40 Minutes performance in the Friars’ second round win over Richmond on Saturday. Top performer Nate Watson put in a solid performance in limited minutes due to foul trouble, but the rest of the team absolutely brought it — five scored in double figures (and a sixth had 9) and six registered assists. Current hocks in Bold. Red dot represents Game Score Per 40 Minutes performance for the Hawkes in their second round win over Creighton on Saturday. Like Providence, kansas got outsized performances from just about everyone in the second round. Remy Martin was on a complete other level — 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists in just 29 minutes — and garnered back-to-back KenPom Game MVP honors for the first time since Feb 2020 when he was with Arizona St. Also humorous to see Charlie Moore way down near the bottom of this list.
(8) North Carolina vs (4) UCLA – 8:39 PM CDT on CBS
Current Heels in Bold. Dark blue dots denote Game Score Per 40 Minutes performance in the Heels’ OT win in the second round over Baylord on Saturday. Brady Manek WILL come back to earth. Caleb Love should as well. The Tar Heels have a tight rotation – only playing six, maybe seven — with Kerwin Walton mostly relegated to the bench and Dontrez Styles‘ minutes varying wildly week-to-week. This analysis calls to question whether Justin McKoy is contributing enough to warrant his modest minutes as well.Current Bruins in Bold. Gold dot indicates Game Score Per 40 Minutes performance in the Bruins’ second round win over Saint Mary’s on Saturday. These results for the Double-J boys at the top seem to belie the eye test — Jaquez has looked reliable and indispensible while Juzang seems like he’s drifting in and out. Tyger Campbell was just as good as hit dot would indicate, and Jules Bernard came away with the KenPom Game MVP honors. This UCLA offense is very good at taking care of the ball — just 6 turnovers on Saturday and #5 in the country for the season — and the Tar Heels do not take it away. They start boxing out once you cross mid-court 🙂
(11) Iowa St vs (10) Miami FL – 8:59 PM CDT on TBS
Current Clones in Bold. Gold dot is Game Score Per 40 Minutes in the Cyclones’ second round win over Wisconsin on Sunday. Iowa St is the one team that can safely claim not to have played very well in the second round, and still won. Ordinarily I’d blame a slow pace on these low marks, but Sunday’s game clipped along at a 69 possession pace, a few more than both school’s average. Overall the Cyclones shot terribly but were solid on the boards and turned the Badgers over just enough to escape with the win. Doubtful they get another Kane-esque performance from Gabe Kascheur tonight, but entirely reasonable to expect improvement from most others.Current Canes in Bold. Green dots are Game Score Per 40 Minutes in the Canes’ second round win over Auburn on Sunday. Charlie Moore started at the bottom (see above) now he’s here. Miami does not rely on its bench much — just 22 minutes total in a relatively-comfortable win Sunday and #354 in the country for the season in Bench Minutes per KenPom — so these top four carry an outsized burden.
