Today is Day 2 of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and Day 1 of the women’s tournament.
Three Arizona teams will be taking the court: on the men’s side, the fourth-seeded University of Arizona Wildcats take on 13th-seeded Akron in Seattle this afternoon, while the 13th seeded Grand Canyon Antelopes play fourth-seeded Maryland, also in Seattle. The GCU women are also a 13 seed and will play four seed Baylor in Waco shortly after noon.
Brad Cesmat, CEO of Sports360AZ.com, joined The Show to break down their chances.
Full conversation
BRAD CESMAT: Mark, here we go, another year of March Madness and the teams within our state.
BRODIE: Another year of March Madness. So let's start with the U of A. This, of course, their first season in the Big 12. They are a fourth seed. This has been an up and down season for them, right?
CESMAT: It really has been. If you look at today's matchup with how the Cats have played, not just this season under Tommy Lloyd, they've had some very impressive victories, but at times they haven't been able to shoot the ball very straight from 3-point country. They meet an Akron team today. The Wildcats defensively are not very good. Akron has hit 15 or more threes seven times already this season.
Dropping knowledge on you, Mark, about this, and I think if you look at what could be one of those upsets, if you're a diehard U of A basketball fan in March Madness, guess what? You've died hard over the years. Because they have this penchant for everybody getting excited, bear down and all that, and all of a sudden all the air comes out of the balloon. It's the lead balloon at a party. So can the Zips, what a great nickname by the way, Akron Zips, can they, can they hold you away inside? That's the key to the game. UA has a lot of size. Akron doesn't have one player over 6'7. A lot of times they'll play kids that are 6 '3, 6' 4, very small lineup, Mark.
BRODIE: All right, so speaking of 13 seeds, the GCU Antelopes, the men's team, won their conference tournament last week. Now they get a date with fourth seeded Maryland. GCU has been a strong team the last couple of years, and it seems as though maybe their strongest player is rounding into form as they head into the tournament?
CESMAT: Yeah, Tyson Grant Foster is a terrific player. He's had some injuries this season. I feel like there's a missing element to this year's GCU team. When I've watched them play in person, the leadership, their senior from last year, Gabe McLaughlin, provided. I haven't seen that glue guy step forward this season. It's a different game now, Mark. You've got players that are looking at what is being put into their checking accounts rather than what their shooting percentage is, and I'm not saying that directly to GCU. It's just, yeah, you got some guys that really like playing the game and then you have some guys that really want to get paid to play the game, and so I feel like Bryce Drew's done a heck of a job coaching this season. Maryland though, man, tall, tall task, literally. The Terps have big inside presence. I think for GCU today it's, it's all about, “can they spread the ball around the floor and try to not be that team that goes inside?” Because it just looks like the Terrapins are far too big on the inside for them.
BRODIE: So maybe 3-point shooting is a big key for the Antelope men today.
CESMAT: Yeah, I think the Lopes, if they can get out and run, it's one of those games where, as we've seen Bryce Drew through the years, you know, Jerry Colangelo will be in the stands, of course, big GCU supporter and President Mueller and the way that GCU has built this program, it's phenomenal to think that Grand Canyon was just sitting there, about ready to be closed back in the early 2000s, and here they are now in the NCAA tournament, almost an afterthought of every season, GCU is going to make it into March Madness.
BRODIE: All right, so Brad, we've got to talk about the GCU women, who are a 13 seed playing the fourth seed Baylor, but my goodness, they're on a 30-game win streak?
CESMAT: Mark, this is a great story, and remember next year the Final Four is here for the women's in Glendale. And so you look at the job that their head coach Molly Miller has done. Her name is attached to the Arizona State job that's open. Her name is also attached to the Arkansas job that's open. Molly Miller has done a tremendous job of building her program. And she has eight seniors, OK, so you have a veteran team. You have a team that really enjoys the game.
When you watch them play, they have a joy and a spirit about them that you want March Madness to be all about. Add to that the Havocs, the fans, the student section, all that. It's just a phenomenal story, and they play the game the right way. This is not a 3-point shooting team from start to finish. A lot of the games you see now, it's 3-point shot, 3-point shot. This is a real basketball team. They play the game the right way. So a couple of storylines there, you know, they're going to go to Baylor. That's tough, very tough one. Two — is this Molly Miller's last run at GCU? Because from every indication, Arizona State is all over her trying to get her.
BRODIE: Interesting. All right, so Brad, just about 40 seconds left. I'm gonna put you on the spot. Of these, of these three teams, which one, if any of them do you think comes away with a win today?
CESMAT: Oh wow, who I want to or … it's gonna take care of the Zips today, you know, the Zips, that nickname started in the 1920s with the Zips of all people. They shoot straight, Akron could give them a game, but I think UA is gonna come through today.
