Taking a look at some of the potential lower seed upsets in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
With CBS Selection Sunday just concluding, here are some initial reactions of potential upsets by lower seeded mid-majors. I’ll dive deeper into the games Sunday night and Monday morning before making my official picks. These are just a few that immediately jump out.
No.13 Chattanooga Mocs over No.4 Illinois. Illinois (22-9) enter the tournament just 6-4 over their past 10 games with the Mocs (27-7) going 8-2 in the same stretch. After the Mocs magical three-point buzzer beater by David Jean-Baptiste to get in, they have that feel of a team of destiny perhaps. Mocs are No.46 in field-goal percentage (46.9) with Illinois just No.103 (45.3). Chattanooga is also No.58 in free throws with Illinois No.201. So in a close game, Chattanooga has the edge. The Mocs have a mature roster capable of the upset. No.10 Loyola-Chicago over No.7 Ohio State. The MVC champs Loyola-Chicago (25-7) returned 95 percent of their roster from last years Sweet 16 team. They only lost 7-footer Cameron Krutwig who is playing pro in Europe so their experience will be key. Ohio State (19-11) has been so inconsistent all season it would be a shocker to see them put a run together. The Buckeyes are just 5-5 in their past 10 with the Ramblers 7-3. Ramblers are the No.10 three-point shooting team in the country. No.12 Wyoming over Indiana (first four game) and then over No.5 Saint Marys. Wyoming (25-8) have been one of the best teams in college hoops all year. Their head coach Jeff Linder is as good as they come and should be in the mix for several major conference job openings at the end of the year. Indiana (20-13) lost seven of their last 9 regular season games. The Cowboys should get through Indiana and then go on to beat an overrated Saint Marys who are the No.5 seed. No.16 Georgia State vs No.1 Gonzaga. I'm not saying Georgia State (18-10) is going to beat Gonzaga (26-3). However, the Sun Belt champs are going to be a very TOUGH out for the Zags. Senior forward Eliel Nsoseme is one of the best defenders in college basketball and could give Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren some trouble. They also have two senior guards Corey Allen (14.7PPG) and Kane Williams (12.5 PPG) that can play. The Panthers could give the Zags a scare.
