NCAA Play-In Previews
BY RIVALS.COM
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
3/13/12 at 5:48 AM
The NCAA Tournament begins Tuesday night with two play-in games. Here's a look:
South Regional
No. 16: Mississippi Valley State vs. Western Kentucky
Where: University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio
Time: 5:40 p.m.
TV: truTV-51
The spread: Western Kentucky by 4.5
Records: Mississippi Valley 21-12, Western Kentucky 15-18
How they got here: Mississippi Valley won the SWAC tourney. Western Kentucky won the Sun Belt tourney
Record vs. NCAA field: Mississippi Valley 0-5, Western Kentucky 0-4
The buzz: Western was the surprise winner of the Sun Belt tourney as the No. 7 seed and is the only team in the field with a losing record. The Hilltoppers, who have won six in a row, are lax defensively and can't shoot, but they are athletic. Valley opened the season 1-11 but has won 20 of its past 21. The Delta Devils are a physical group, but their offense is spotty, too. The winner gets top-seeded Kentucky Thursday. Valley's coach is former Kentucky PG Sean Woods.
West Regional
No. 14: BYU vs. Iona
Where: University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio
Time: 8:05 p.m.
TV: truTV-51
The spread: BYU by 2
Records: BYU 25-8, Iona 25-7
How they got here: BYU received an at-large bid out of West Coast Conference. Iona received an at-large bid out of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Record vs. NCAA field: BYU 1-6, Iona 3-2
The buzz: Iona's inclusion might be the biggest controversy of the selection process, but the Gaels can play. This is an extremely gifted offensive team; the Gaels lead the nation in scoring (83.2 ppg), can hit the 3-pointer and have three legit weapons in F Mike Glover (nicknamed "Optimus Prime" for his playground prowess) and Gs Scott Machado and Lamont "Momo" Jones, a transfer from Arizona. Machado is one of the nation's best point guards, averaging 9.9 assists per game. He should feast on BYU's backcourt. Glover is a bit undersized (6 feet, 7 inches, 215 pounds), but he knows how to score in the low post. Iona is not a gifted defensive team; the Gaels allow almost 73 points per game.
