Initial Reactions to URI's Region in the 2018 NCAA Tournament
Selection Sunday has revealed the bracket for the 2018 NCAA tournament and URI now knows who they will be playing and what region they have been placed in.
First of all, out of the 13 teams that I previously stated that URI would not want to see in their region in the 2018 NCAA tournament, they have two of them (Duke and Michigan State). To be fair, out of the four possible number one seeds that they could have been in a region, the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves in the Midwest region. If Udoka Azubuike is healthy, I would make the argument that Bill Self's team would be another team that URI would want to avoid.
A region with the likes of Kansas, Duke, and Michigan State already has to be in consideration for being the hardest region. For numerous reasons, the Midwest region in this year's iteration of March Madness is being deemed "the region of death". I hope that the Rhode Island men's basketball team does a lot of praying and pulls off multiple miracles because they are going to need all of that to make it out of this region. When I first saw the 16 teams that were placed in this region (including URI), my first thought was, "GOOD LUCK" to Rhody. Aside from concentrating on their opponent at hand, I would advise rooting for Iona, Bucknell, and the winner of Seton Hall vs. NC State.
Ironically, the Rams got an ideal first round matchup by drawing the Oklahoma Sooners. I have a great feeling about Dan Hurley's team shutting down the Trae Young show and sending the Sooners packing from the outset. After their first round victory against Lon Kruger's team, they better be ready for the size of Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. If the team from Kingston, RI is somehow able to upset Duke, they need to find some way to deal with Miles Bridges and all of the depth that Michigan State brings. Beyond that, they would likely meet up with a Kansas team that was on fire in the Big 12, despite having a bit less in the arsenal than in past seasons. Overall, I do not envy Rhode Island MBB's task of trying to get out of the Midwest region in the 2018 NCAA tournament.
