Weeks away from March Madness, the hype surrounding the tournament is reaching new heights. The back-back Skyline Conference champions, Yeshiva Maccabees, are headed to the March Madness showdown.
Yeshiva went 19-0 in the Skyline conference, finishing the year ranked #45 in NPI with a 20-8 overall record. Now they have the biggest stage in front of them and an opportunity to prove that they are worth the hype.
The journey from this point isn’t going to be easy. Even though they remained unbeaten in the conference after 19 games, their matchup is going to be against the Bates College Bobcats out of Lewiston, Maine.
The Bobcats play in the NESCAC, which is widely regarded as one of the toughest conferences in Division III basketball. Bates finished the year with an 18-8 overall record and 5-5 in the conference.
Despite losing to the top-seeded Wesleyan University in the conference semifinals, their run this season cemented their place in the NCAA Tournament. The matchup is expected to be a cutthroat competition showcase between two very strong and capable teams.
UConn and Florida For Final #1 Seed in NCAA Tournament
Analysts on CBS Sports argued over who should get the final number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Tuesday broadcast featured takes from Gary Parrish, Ice Young, and UConn alum Emeka Okafor.
“They are playing extremely well,” Parrish said while making a case for Florida. “And if they win out, they will be the fourth number one seed, regardless of what anybody else does. And that’s because if they win out, they would be the outright SEC champion and the SEC Tournament champion. And that’s going to be worthy of a one seed right now. I know most people favor UConn over Florida in this moment, and I’m OK with that. It’s totally reasonable.”
The reason why Parish picked Florida over UConn is that they are higher in the NET and higher at KenPom than UConn. However, he made it clear that he wouldn’t oppose if UConn gets the nod, as they also have a strong case.
“I think Florida maybe is the next seed that is right there and can inch with UConn, especially depending on how they do in the SEC tournament,” Young said about UConn. “For UConn, though, it’s the nucleus that they have that has experienced this, that has won one or two national championships already, and know how to perform this time of year.”
Okafor, the UConn alum, chose her alma mater. Okafor stated that UConn has beaten Illinois, Florida, and BYU, which strengthens their case.
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