NCAA Tournament Preview: South Region

Let's take a more in-depth look at the players, coaches and matchups that could impact the outcome of the South region.

THE FAVORITES

No. 1 Kansas - Once again, the Jayhawks rule the realm, or at least the Big 12. The regular season and tournament champs boast an experienced squad led by senior forward Perry Ellis and junior point guard Frank Mason. Junior Wayne Selden adds some athletic flair to the mix, including several highlight reel dunks. However, the emergence of sophomore Devonte' Graham is what took the Jayhawks to new heights. Graham went toe-to-toe with National Player of the Year frontrunner Buddy Hield of Oklahoma on two occasions, and came out victorious both times. In addition, he scored a game-high 27 points in the Big 12 Championship Game against West Virginia. A dangerous three-point shooter, Graham canned five treys in the 81-71 win over the Mountaineers, though he was also a perfect 10-of-10 from the charity stripe. Kansas enters the tourney on a 14-game winning streak.

No. 2 Villanova - The Wildcats lost just four times during the regular season, all to ranked squads. A fifth loss in the Big East Championship Game may have cost them a No. 1 seed, though. Still, the Wildcats play a ton of three-guard sets, as coach Jay Wright likes to do. In this iteration of the three-headed monster, Villanova is led by junior breakout star Josh Hart, senior sharpshooter Ryan Arcidiacono and freshman sensation Jalen Brunson. The Wildcats defend well, share the ball and can score from anywhere on the court. Villanova is not a big rebounding squad, though the Wildcats are anchored by the 6-foot-11 Daniel Ochefu in the middle.

No. 3 Miami - The Hurricanes are one of the most athletic teams in the country, led by senior transfers Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan. Miami was considered the third-best team in the ACC, though with juggernauts North Carolina and Virginia receiving No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Sophomore sixth-man Ja'Quan Newton attacks the rim with reckless abandon, while junior Davon Reed never met a shot he did not like. Miami has an impressive resume with wins over Utah, Butler, Duke, Virginia and Louisville, to name a few.

No. 4 California - On paper, the Bears may have the most talented squad in the region. Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb are both projected as lottery picks in this June's NBA Draft, should they choose to forego their remaining years at Cal. Yet senior Tyrone Wallace is the leading scorer and disher, and junior Jabari Bird may have entered college with more fanfare than any of the aforementioned players. Add in junior Jordan Matthews, and the Bears have five players averaging more than 10 points per contest. Cal's starting center also is a nominee for the All-Name Team: Kingsley Okoroh is a sophomore from across the pond.

CINDERELLA WATCH

No. 9 Connecticut - It's March, the Huskies are hot, and they just won their conference championship. Haven't we heard this one before? UConn went from the bubble to an automatic berth in the tourney with a captivating run to capture the AAC Championship, including an unexplainable 4OT triumph over Cincinnati. The Huskies possess a stable of talented guards, including transfer Sterling Gibbs, freshman Jalen Adams and versatile Daniel Hamilton. Cornell transfer Shonn Miller gives them some toughness in the frontcourt, but shot blocker Amida Brimah can be the real difference maker on the defensive end, as long as he stays out of foul trouble. Here's another stat to make you bullish on the Huskies; UConn is the No. 1 team in the country in terms of free throw shooting. As a squad, Connecticut hits 78.5-percent of their free throws. With the game on the line, the Huskies are going to make their foul shots.

No. 13 Hawaii - The Rainbow Warriors will get lost in the shuffle in this region, but make no mistake about it; Hawaii is dangerous. The Big West champions are led by junior Stefan Jankovic, a skilled 6-foot-11 forward who is just as comfortable behind the three-point line as he is in the paint. Fellow junior Aaron Valdes went from a walk-on to being named the MVP of the Big West Tournament. Meanwhile, senior point guard Roderick Bobbitt is the catalyst for the Hawaii offense. If California does not take the Rainbow Warriors seriously, they could be in for an extremely rude awakening, along with a shockingly early exit from the big dance.

BIGGEST BUST

No. 2 Villanova - Unfortunately for the Wildcats, recent history has not been kind when they are a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Last year, the Wildcats lost as a No. 1 seed in their second game to NC State. In 2014, Villanova was defeated as a No. 2 seed by eventual champion UConn. Going back to 2010, the Wildcats were bounced in the second round by St. Mary's. Past precedence does not necessarily predict future failure or success, but coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats will certainly be forced to exercise some demons if they are to make their first Sweet 16 since 2009.

FIRST-ROUND UPSET

No. 11. Wichita State vs. No. 6 Arizona - WSU will have to get past Vanderbilt first in the play-in game, but the Shockers are battle-tested and have loads of experience in the NCAA Tournament. Wichita State finished first in the regular season in the Missouri Valley Conference yet again, though fell to eventual champion Northern Iowa in the conference tourney. The Shockers may have overtaken Gonzaga as the mid-major darlings of college hoops. This Shockers squad is not nearly as talent-ridden as they have been in the previous couple of years, but they still have a stellar senior-laden backcourt with Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, two players who are no strangers to the big stage. The depth at Wichita State is staggering; the Shockers have 10 players that play at least 15 minutes per game. That type of minutes distribution is simply unheard of in college basketball today. The Arizona Wildcats did not live up to expectations this season, though the Pac-12 was also extremely competitive as a conference. Still, the Shockers are tough enough to handle Arizona's size, which appears to be the only big advantage the Wildcats have.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Daniel Hamilton, Guard, Connecticut - What is it about UConn guards come tourney time? First it was Kemba Walker in 2011, then Shabazz Napier in 2014. Hamilton is not your prototypical point guard, as he stands at 6-foot-7 while averaging 8.8 rebounds per contest. He posted three-straight double-doubles to spur the Huskies to the American Athletic Tournament Championship. Hamilton is the leading assist man for UConn, though, managing 4.8 dimes per tilt. He nearly tallied a triple-double in the thrilling Quad-OT win over Cincinnati. As Hamilton goes, so go the Huskies, and he has been on fire of late.

SWEET 16 PICKS

No. 9 Connecticut - The magic is real, and the Huskies are hot heading into the tournament yet again. In a year with such upheaval, it would make sense that the top seed heads home before the first weekend is finished. While Kansas has had a tremendous season, it would be unwise to automatically pen the No. 1 seed into the Sweet 16. The Jayhawks are in for a dogfight, and the Connecticut guards will give KU all they can handle.

No. 5 Maryland - The best matchup in this entire region may be the possible second-round tilt of the Terps facing No. 4 California. Melo Trimble, Diamond Stone, Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown will all be facing each other in the NBA one day. Though both squads have been up and down, the raw talent is undeniable. This is pretty much a coin flip.

No. 3 Miami - The Hurricanes would be unwise to sleep on Buffalo. The Bulls are in the tourney for the second-straight year, but with a different coach, as Bobby Hurley left to coach at Arizona State. Still, Miami coach Jim Larranaga led the ultimate Cinderella, George Mason, to arguably the most improbable Final Four run in NCAA Tournament history. So coach L will have the Canes focused and ready for all comers. In the end, Miami will be too overpowering for Buffalo, and too athletic for Wichita State.

No. 7 Iowa - You'll notice this is not Villanova. The first-weekend nightmare will continue for coach Jay Wright, as the Hawkeyes were at one point considered one of the top teams in the country. The Wildcats do not match up well with the physicality of Iowa. The Hawkeyes are an extremely tough squad behind star forward Jarrod Uthoff and 7-foot-1 center Adam Woodbury. Meanwhile, swingman Peter Jok provides extra scoring for a surprisingly efficient offensive unit. This is a bad matchup for the Wildcats.

FINAL FOUR PICK

No. 5 Maryland - This region is almost impossible to predict in a year with such turmoil at the top. My heart says Miami, my gut says Connecticut, and the statistics would likely back Kansas. However, there was a time early on this season when Maryland was a top-5 team. They finished just 3-5, but three of those losses came to ranked opponents, including Big Ten regular season champion Indiana, and Big Ten tournament champion Michigan State. Melo Trimble and Diamond Stone are both potential lottery picks in this June's NBA draft. And yes, Diamond Stone is an actual person. A 7-foot-1 person with a feathery touch around the rim. In addition, we have seen that elite point guards can dominate the NCAA Tournament. Trimble is the best point guard in this region, and if he catches fire and asserts his will, the Terps could get to the Final Four despite facing a gauntlet of high-caliber opponents.