March Madness: Beware Xavier, Miami
In only a few short weeks, we will have the top 68 teams in men’s college basketball going for broke in the NCAA Tournament. The action that drives March Madness will be fast and fierce, and for the first time in years, there is not a clear favorite heading into the fray.
Last season, it was the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats who were expected to roll through the overwhelmed field. Only a great effort from the Wisconsin Badgers was able to keep John Calipari and his boys at bay, with the Duke Blue Devils ultimately cutting down the nets.
This time around, there has been plenty of love going out to the North Carolina Tar Heels, Villanova Wildcats, Michigan State Spartans and Kansas Jayhawks. However, a pair of top-12 teams are not getting enough love, in the No. 5 Xavier Musketeers and 12th-ranked Miami Hurricanes.
Xavier was not ranked coming into the season but under head coach Chris Mack, this team has developed into a legitimate power. Only sitting second in the Big East to No. 1 Villanova, Xavier is 24-3 overall and perhaps on the edge of the No. 1 line for the tourney.
The Musketeers are led by Trevon Bluiett, a sophomore guard out of Indianapolis who is averaging a team-best 15.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Yet it is freshman guard Edmond Sumner who is driving the bus. Xavier is getting tremendous play out of Sumner, who is pouring in 11.4 points per game but doing so in electrifying fashion. The guard play is something that will be brutal on many teams in the tourney, especially bigger squads that can’t handle the slash-and-kick style.
The only question with Xavier is its 31-point blowout loss at Villanova back on Dec. 31. The rematch comes on Wednesday, with the folks in Cincinnati getting a chance at revenge. The Musketeers do have a litany of others wins, including victories over Providence, Michigan, Cincinnati and Butler.
As for Miami, this is one of the most unsung teams in the country. The Hurricanes have a nice track record in their own right, having knocked off Butler, Virginia, Duke and Syracuse. Miami has a stable of talented players, paced by senior guard Sheldon McClellan, who is averaging 15.7 points per game.
The Hurricanes are also coached by Jim Larranaga, who was able to lead George Mason University to a Final Four in 2006. Larranaga is one of the more seasoned coaches in the nation and should be able to guide this team through the potential pitfalls of March Madness.
While all the attention will be on the traditional powers, keep a keen eye on both Xavier and Miami. Look for both schools to make a major run at the title.
