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It’s Selection Sunday, and March Madness officially kicks off this week. Now that the brackets are out, office productivity around the country will take a nose dive.
While there is so much excitement around the games and tradition, NBA teams will be watching closely trying to find their next draft pick.
Here is a look at a few games and top prospects in each region to keep an eye on.
For the first time since 2010, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are back in the NCAA Tournament. They’re on their way there behind head coach Tubby Smith and a starting lineup worth marveling.
So what is it that you should know about Minnesota?
1. If there is only one name you should know on Minnesota’s team, it’s third team All-Big Ten selection Trevor Mbakwe. Mbakwe is a massive load on the interior, standing at 6’8″ and 245 pounds. He puts his size to good use, averaging 10.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 24.9 minutes of action.
2. Minnesota stumbled into the NCAA Tournament, having lost 11 of their past 16 games. With that being said, they own victories over No. 3 Indiana, No. 8 Michigan State, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 20 Memphis and No. 22 Wisconsin.
3. I previously said that Trevor Mbakwe was the one worth knowing if there was only one name to learn. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to know the starting five—Andre Hollins, Austin Hollins, Rodney Williams, Joe Coleman and Mbakwe. These five players account for 78.7 percent of the team’s total scoring.
4. Andre and Austin Hollins are not related. What they are, however, is one heck of a backcourt tandem that accounts for 24.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game. Austin, for the record, is the son of Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins.
5. Seven of Minnesota’s 12 losses have come by single-digits. 14 of their 20 wins have come by double-digits.
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Think back to the days of Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and even Kevin McHale and what a power forward meant to teams. For the most part this position was filled by players with low-post games who were very good rebounders.
Flash forward to the new generation of superstar power forwards, and you see an aging group led by champions Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett. The major difference between these newer stars and those Hall of Famers is the versatility the younger generation brings to the court.
