Rise of the Planet of the Apes Bracket (No.2 Overall Seed)
1. Kentucky Wildcats* vs. Stony Brook Seawolves*
After struggling early in the season to find the right rotation, Kentucky rattles off 20-straight wins to finish out the season, clinch the SEC regular season and tournament championship but can’t gain the top overall seed. Aaron Harrison shows off his consistent shooting, Andrew adapts to playing with different teammates and the Wildcats tout the best front court in the country, and it’s not even close.
Stony Brook rides the coattails of Jameel Warney towards the America East championships, holding off Albany at every turn. Warney averages a 15-10 double-double and helps the Seawolves capture a huge non-conference win at Cincinnati in December.
8. UCLA Bruins vs. 9. Butler Bulldogs
Steve Alford brings his new-look Bruins together and uses the senior leadership of Norman Powell and top talents of freshmen Kevon Looney and Thomas Welsh to replace the talent he lost from last season. Fighting for the Pac-12 title, the Bruins enter into a three-way tie for third with Stanford and Utah, forcing the selection committee to decide which team deserves a better seed.
Overcoming the loss of their coach for a while, Butler puts everything together and remembers what winning basketball looks like. The return of Roosevelt Jones and Big East POY Kellen Dunham propel the Bulldogs into a position of power, knocking off Villanova at home and going 2-1 in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Butler basketball is back!
5. Kansas State Wildcats vs. 12.Northern Iowa Panthers
Marcus Foster becomes a star for Kansas State, no longer living in the shadows of the freshmen he was once recruited with. Foster carries the load for the team but Thomas Gipson carries the load in the paint for the Wildcats. Giving Arizona a run for their money (a double-overtime game, to be exact) in the Maui Invitational put the nation on notice, but the win at Texas to finish out the regular season gives Kansas State that last boost it needed.
Wichita State runs through the Missouri Valley with relative ease, but suffer its first loss in the regular season in two years on the road to these Panthers. Seth Tuttle gets the recognition he deserves and almost edges out Fred VanVleet for the conference POY award. UNI gets the chance to recapture their fame after the win against Kansas in the tourney a few years ago.
4. Virginia Cavaliers vs. 13. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
Tony Bennett uses his team’s defense to get back to prominence in college basketball while also using the more adaptive offensive prowess of Malcolm Brogdon to the top of the ACC standings. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers won’t surprise anybody this year and teams are ready for them. They’ll have a harder time getting big wins on the road, though nab one at VCU.
Returning Jacob Parker helps the Lumberjacks return to the top of the Southland standings, but without the 29-game winning streak. Stephen F. Austin’s winning ways helps gain popularity on the recruiting circuit, though the focus is on the court throughout the year. Southland opponents don’t match up with them well and the Lumberjacks become another trendy pick for an upset.
6. Syracuse Orange vs. 11. Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
Jim Boeheim is able to look beyond off the court issues and coach up his team. The ACC presents many problems, but the Orange still put together a respectable record. Kaleb Joseph becomes the third point guard in three years for Syracuse to become a first round/lottery pick prospect in the NBA and Trevor Conney sheds the label of being just a three-point shooter.
Frank Haith takes over at Tulsa and doesn’t miss a beat, leading the Golden Hurricanes to a key non-conference win against Oklahoma and finishes second in the AAC. James Woodard continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, but Rashad Ray takes a major step up to ease the pressure off of him.
3. Iowa State Cyclones vs. 14. Georgia State Panthers*
Fred Hoiberg pulls off another transfer steal in Bryce DeJean-Jones, who is the perfect compliment to conference Player of the Year Georges Niang. That duo accounts for over 45 percent of Iowa State’s total offense and are nearly unstoppable when clicking. Monte Morris becomes the point guard Hoiberg envisioned him to be and earns second team All-Big 12 honors.
Ryan Harrow and Sun Belt Player of the Year R.J. Hunter combine for over 40 points per game for a Georgia State squad that nearly beats Iowa State on the road. Kevin Ware becomes fully healthy and helps anchor the defense, reeling in the offensive-heavy backcourt duo.
7. Xavier Musketeers vs. 10. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Losing Semaj Christon doesn’t seem so bad after Remy Abel, the transfer form Indiana, steps in and performs extremely well for Xavier. He and Matt Stainbrook put together a lethal inside-out duo that the rest of the Big East has trouble stopping. Freshman J.P. Macura steps in and becomes a valuable offensive weapon from the first game.
Le’Bryan Nash steps up in a big way and becomes the star Oklahoma State needs him to be. However, LSU transfer Anthony Hickey, Jr. makes up for the loss of Marcus Smart better than most would imagine. A healthy Michael Cobbins proves to be the difference maker as the Cowboys challenge for second in the Big-12, having the final say in the champion as well.
2. Wisconsin Badgers* vs. 15. Weber State Wildcats
Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker become “Bonnie and Clyde: The Midwest Edition”quickly and consistently. Dekker stands out as the better overall player, but Kaminsky still gets recognition as well. Forward Nigel Hayes quickly established himself as the best player nobody’s talking about and takes the pressure off of the big two to make the Badgers dangerous.
Winning the regular season and conference championships in the Big Sky, Weber State gets a crucial home victory over BYU and a road win over Oklahoma, giving them some added confidence headed into conference play. Jeremy Senglin rewards coach Randy Rahe for starting him from day one by taking home the conference Player of the Year award, leading the conference in scoring.
Next: Bracket No. 3