There are still four teams remaining from the south region, ranging from traditional powers to upstart Cinderellas. People have been asking what are the best betting lines to win the 2014 NCAA tournament, and that remains with the No. 1 overall seed, Florida.
But with the way this tournament has gone, UCLA, Dayton and Stanford cannot be counted out. Then again, if you’re looking to make heads or tails of this region, or are looking for more information you can read The Best Odds To Win The 2014 NCAA Tournament From The South Region.
Here is a team-by-team breakdown of the four teams left:
Florida: The Gators had a troubling performance in its 1-16 matchup against Albany, and coach Billy Donovan wanted a wire-to-wire defensive performance against Pitt. Well, he got it, as the Gators held the Panthers to just one field goal in its first 11 attempts in the second half, and took a double digit lead with roughly 10 minutes to go. Pitt shot just 38 percent from the field and committed 11 turnovers while Scottie Wilbekin finished with 21 points.
UCLA: The Bruins are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008, which is a huge turnaround for a once-proud basketball program. UCLA had gone to three straight Final Fours under Ben Howland, but he was fired in the offseason in favor of Steve Alford. It looks like Alford was the right choice, and he will have a chance to avenge the 2006, 07 and 11 teams that were eliminated by Florida.
Dayton: Well, Syracuse fans know all about Dayton now. The Flyers were long the little brother in the series between them and Ohio State, and the 11th-seeded Flyers knocked them out in the first round. Then, with the Orange scoring a season-low 18 points in the first half, the Flyers were able to knock down more than 40 percent of their shots from distance to edge Syracuse.
Stanford: UCLA isn’t the only Pac-12 school in the South Region to make it to the Sweet 16. That other team is Stanford, who notched one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far by knocking off the uber-talented Kansas Jayhawks. Andrew Wiggins, widely believed to be either the first or second pick in the upcoming NBA draft, was completely stymied, going for just four points in what will likely be his final college game. The Cardinal was led by Dwight Powell’s 15 points and seven rebounds, as he played through foul trouble in the second half. It’s been quite the impressive run for Stanford’s first NCAA appearance since the 2008 season.
