NCAA Bracket 2015: Complete Guide to South Region

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Don't kid yourself: We now sit on the precipice of the greatest—the very greatest—single sporting event that exists on this planet Earth. The NCAA tournament is now upon us. 

You hear me, World Cup? Hear me, Olympics? March Madness is the king.

All right, all right. What was I talking about? Yes, so there are four regions in the big bracket, which was unveiled Sunday evening. In this article, we are concerned with the South Region.

Are you ready for a deep dive? Because I am. This is a full outline of the teams, the key players and some predictions for what to expect. This is your complete guide to this region. There is no other guide above it.

Let's get it on.

Round of 64 Schedule and TV Info

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Thursday

(Games in Portland, Oregon)

Utah (5) vs. Stephen F. Austin (12), 7:27 p.m. Eastern, truTV

Georgetown (4) vs. Eastern Washington (13), 9:57 p.m. Eastern, truTV

(Games in Louisville, Kentucky)

Iowa State (3) vs. UAB (14), 12:40 p.m. Eastern, truTV

SMU (6) vs. UCLA (11), 3:10 p.m. Eastern, truTV

Friday

(Games in Charlotte, North Carolina)

Duke (1) vs. North Florida/Robert Morris winner (16), 7:10 p.m. Eastern, CBS

San Diego State (8) vs. St. John's (9), 9:40 p.m. Eastern, CBS

(Games in Seattle)

Gonzaga (2) vs. North Dakota State (15), 9:50 p.m. Eastern, TNT

Iowa (7) vs. Davidson (10), 7:20 p.m. Eastern, TNT

Must-See Games

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Utah's Delon Wright

No. 5 Utah vs. No. 12 Stephen F. Austin

The most telling statistic for Utah's do-it-all guard, Delon Wright, is his 2.96 assist-to-turnover ratio. That neatly summarizes his team's efficient attack on offense and defense.

But Utah has had trouble in big games, of which this will be one. Stephen F. Austin, though it's clearly played a weaker schedule, has only lost once since November 24. The Lumberjacks excel at sharing the ball—the team tops the entire country with 17.8 assists per game—and are a balanced team.

Utah has faltered lately, while Stephen F. Austin has excelled. These are both very good teams, and an upset could be in the offing.

No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Davidson

Iowa is a fairly unsung club coming out of the Big Ten. Behind the steady frontcourt of Aaron White, Jarrod Uthoff and Adam Woodbury, the Hawkeyes never appear to get too high or too low. They only lost more than two in a row on one occasion this season and performed as well on the road as they did at home. 

The Wildcats were the class of a tough Atlantic 10 Conference. The regular-season experience should serve them well against a physical and seasoned Iowa squad. So will the 80 points they average per game led by conference Player of the Year Tyler Kalinoski.

These are two businesslike ballclubs that will not beat themselves. Something, as they say, has to give.

Top Storylines

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Kyle Wiltjer

Can Larry Brown Make a Run?

Larry Brown has success everywhere he goes, as evidenced by his status as the only head coach to ever win a title at the college and pro levels. 

His stop at SMU has been no different. He's 68-33 since taking the helm in 2012, and this is his first trip to the Big Dance with the Mustangs. At age 74, he won't be able to do this forever.

Will Brown and his grinding defensive club be able to make run as the region's No. 6 seed? We'll have to see, but with Brown there's always a good shot. And best of all? He'll start this bid where he started as a head coach: with a little school called UCLA.

Is Gonzaga Built for March?

The West Coast Conference sets them up; the Gonzaga Bulldogs mow them down.

They've been able to build up some impressive numbers along the way, most notably that 32-2 overall record and an insane, nation's-best 52.4 percent team shooting percentage. 

But what happens when Pepperdine isn't on the schedule?

No. 2 seed Gonzaga is a deep, balanced, talented group. This might be its best group ever. But the Bulldogs will need to show up and prove it on the March stage. On paper, they don't have the toughest draw, but No. 15 North Dakota State is no pushover, and neither is Iowa nor Davidson in the next round. Oh, and you have Duke staring you down at the other end of the bracket. You always have to earn it in the Big Dance.

A Shallow Duke Team Aims for a Deep Run

The Blue Devils are awfully good, but they only go six deep. Just four guys—Jahlil Okafor, Quinn Cook, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones—account for 71 percent of their scoring.

But those four guys are pretty good. The bench will presumably need to contribute at some point, especially with defenses keying on Okafor or tightening up on the three-point line. If Okafor gets into foul trouble, the combo of Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee could be called upon for important minutes. The same goes in the backcourt, where Grayson Allen and Matt Jones may need to step in and hit a big shot if Jones or Cook is struggling. 

Also keep in mind that this is a young team. Okafor, Jones and Winslow are all freshmen. They've never been here before. They haven't given any indication that they're not up to the task, especially with coach Mike Krzyzewski in their corner, but you never know.

Stars to Watch

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Georges Niang

Jahlil Okafor, Center, Duke

Here's your no-brainer. Okafor's a lock as one of the top three picks in the NBA draft whenever he comes out, but forget about that for a second. He's the center of a loaded group, and the Blue Devils offense relies heavily on him and his array of post moves (and the defensive attention they tend to attract). He pulls down nine boards per contest along with 17.7 points a game. His production is a pretty sure thing, and that means Duke is too.
 

Kevin Pangos, Guard, Gonzaga

The West Coast Conference Player of the Year is the unquestioned leader of the Bulldogs. The Man in Spokane stirs the drink for an offense that sometimes seems like it needs two balls to optimize its production. And he gets his own too, notching 11.5 points per contest, which ranks second on the team.

Tyler Harvey, Guard, Eastern Washington

When you shoot 24 percent of your team's shots, you should probably make sure you're good at shooting. So goes Harvey for the Eastern Washington Eagles. But he gets away with putting it up 15 times a game because he converts 47.0 percent of the time—a particularly eye-popping number for a guard. Still not convinced? He led the nation in scoring this season with 22.9 points per contest, contributing 25.9 percent of the Eagles' 80.8 points each game, which itself is good for third-best in the country. 

Georges Niang, Forward, Iowa State

Niang means a whole heck of a lot to the Cyclones. He leads them in scoring (15.5 points per game) and is second in rebounds (5.4) and assists (3.5). The solid 6'8" post man from Massachusetts was deprived of a Big Dance run last season when he broke his foot early in the tournament. Fresh off leading Iowa State to the Big 12 tournament title, Niang appears poised for more big performances.

Favorites Most Likely to Fall

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D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera

No. 4 Georgetown

It's all about momentum in the Big Dance. I don't think I'm breaking any news there. So given the truth of that cliche, Georgetown may be ripe for the plucking.

Sure, it's got some good wins. But it's got some tough losses too, most recently to Xavier in the conference tourney. What's more, it doesn't shoot the ball particularly well, managing only 70.7 points per contest on 45.5 percent shooting.

That could be a problem for the Hoyas against Eastern Washington, which as mentioned is the third-highest-scoring team in the entire nation. If the Eagles get hot and the Hoyas get sluggish, this could get ugly for Georgetown quickly.

No. 5 Utah

Speaking of momentum, it's hard to believe in a team that has alternated a loss with a win for the past eight games. There are the Utes.

And it's hard to trust them in big spots. If it wasn't for a one-point overtime win over Wichita State, they'd have no wins over ranked opponents in five tries. They're a good team, and they're efficient on both sides. I'm a big Delon Wright fan. But they just don't seem to have that extra gear that comes in so very handy this time of year.

And all of this is to say nothing of their opponent, Stephen F. Austin, which may be the most dangerous underdog pound-for-pound in this entire tournament.

Most Likely Cinderella

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Thomas Walkup

Stephen F. Austin

Beware the name. Last name: Austin. First name: Stephen. Middle initial: F.

Besides that slip-up against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the Lumberjacks haven't lost since November 24. That's just outstanding consistency, and it has to be respected come tournament time. The selection committee appears to have done just that by putting SFA in a potential position of strength, the 5-12 upset bid.

Stephen F. Austin's consistency is embodied in its stats. It is tops in the country with 17.8 assists per game. But the Lumberjacks are also ninth and fifth nationally with 79.5 points and 49.1 percent shooting per contest. And with an RPI of 33, it's clear they haven't been crushing cans out there in Texas. 

Southland Conference MVP Thomas Walkup is the engine that makes it all go, but the consistency extends to the full roster. Five Lumberjacks average at least eight points and 1.3 assists per game. It's a team that makes the extra pass and knows what to do once that extra pass finds its target.

A win over Utah feels entirely possible, as does a win over the Georgetown/Eastern Washington winner. The Lumberjacks could very well chop their way clear through to the Sweet 16.

As Rob Dauster of CollegeBasketballTalk notes:

"

SFA is a difficult team to prepare for. They are aggressive defensively, pressuring in the half court and trying to force turnovers by risking picking up fouls. They also are a team that can really shoot it from deep with big men that can play out on the perimeter. It’s going to take a beneficial matchup for them to pull an upset — they don’t have the kind of size to matchup with, say, North Carolina or Oklahoma — but they are certainly good enough to land a win or two.

"

Who Will Make the Sweet 16?

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Domantas Sabonis (right)

Duke

It's hard to see much that will stand in Duke's way, especially early on. Too much Jahlil Okafor, too many Tyus Jones threes. The Blue Devils will overwhelm the play-in game-winner and the St. John's/San Diego State winner in equal turns. They will get their fill, and they will cruise.

Stephen F. Austin

I stand by my Cinderella pick. Sometimes we must be bold in life. Here I go. Walkup and Company keep working together to become more than the sum of their parts, a kind of low-major Voltron, and grab national headlines for reaching the second weekend of the Big Dance.

Iowa State

Behind Georges Niang and Monte Morris, the Cyclones will ride the headwind of their momentum right into the Sweet 16. UAB should be easily winnable, as the Blazers simply don't have the depth or firepower to match Iowa State. Ditto SMU, who will win its first game but fail to adequately stifle the Cyclones' versatile offensive attack.

Gonzaga

Here's guessing the Bulldogs do indeed have what it takes to thrive under the bright March lights. North Dakota State could be bruising. So too could Iowa. But with Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis leading the charge down low, Gonzaga will have the strength to break through. The slipper will always fit in Spokane.

The Elite 8 Matchup Will Be...

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I'm not going to lie to you: The South Region, well, it may not be the toughest of regions. At least not if you're looking at it from Duke or Gonzaga's perspective.

It could have been worse for both teams. A lot worse. Duke is not without its problems, most notably a saggy defense and a shallow rotation. No team in the top half of this region's bracket appears to pose a serious enough challenge on these fronts, though.

But we also said the same thing about Mercer and Lehigh, who pulled massive upsets of the Blue Devils in recent years. However, this team is more talented and should be able to survive. The dance ends here and now for Stephen F. Austin.

Gonzaga has the depth and offensive work rate to give Duke a run. The Bulldogs might be a bit less rested than the Devils, though, what with big-bodied Iowa or high-scoring Davidson on their horizon. Following that, though, they should have enough to handle Iowa State, particularly with their deadly mid-range shooting game. 

The Bulldogs winning three games would be a departure from their tournament history as well. For all of their years being bandied about as a Cinderella, the Zags have reached the Elite Eight only one time, and that was all the way back in 1999. 

But this year, the Bulldogs could be good and tender by the time the Elite Eight comes around, and reach that round they will. Duke will be waiting, though, not a hair out of place.

And the Final Four Team Is...Gonzaga

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Kyle Pangos

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Surprised? I know, me too. 

I was assuming Duke was the lock here. And there's no question it's the favorite to emerge from the South Region, but the Bulldogs slipper is fitting in a big way this season. They're like Magellan, they're so gellin'.

This is a lot of high-level basketball for anyone to play. Duke will take the utmost care to conserve its top players, but here's guessing that when the Elite Eight comes around, it won't quite be enough. 

Why am I going against the top seed? Two reasons. 

First, defense. Gonzaga has allowed only 61 points per game. Duke allows 66. Yes, I know their schedules have been a little different but maybe not as different as you think. Duke's national RPI sits at six; Gonzaga's sits at eight.

Second, depth. And youth-related depth specifically. Duke starts three freshmen while Gonzaga starts none. Losing Rasheed Sulaimon means more than Duke's coaches let on. Green players like Grayson Allen have had to step in to fill the void, and so far that's been an uneven experiment. 

Also, as noted, most of Duke's offensive output comes from only four players. Gonzaga has the height down low to at least slow Okafor down a bit while freeing up its excellent guards to patrol the three-point line, where Duke really earns its bread and butter. Ask Notre Dame how that strategy works out.

But depth is an even, shall we say, deeper issue. Duke has four players who average more than eight points per game. Gonzaga has six. Duke's top three players (Okafor, Jones and Quinn Cook) play at least 30 minutes per game. Only Pangos logs that much playing time for Gonzaga.

You get the idea. It's a numbers game. And though Gonzaga has a tougher road to the Elite Eight, it should be able to outlast Duke and nip the favorites late for a Final Four berth.

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said it himself earlier this season in speaking with USA Today's Nicole Auerbach. I'll let him have the last word. Coach, the floor is yours:

"

I've said that this is probably one of our deepest teams and probably our most balanced team we've ever had...We have a chance to be very good...You have to get there and you have to be good enough to advance. You've got to have that, and then it's a crapshoot. You've got to make the moment happen, and probably catch a break here or there. We just haven't had that yet. We will eventually get there.

"