The very first game of the first round of the NCAA Tournament will take place between No. 9 West Virginia and No. 8 Maryland in the South Region of the NCAA Tournament bracket.
Our staff gives their predictions for WVU against Maryland and some throw in their overall South Region picks
Ashley O’Brien @ashleyeo): March is here and the slate is clean for the Mountaineers. I think the difference against Maryland will be Erik Stevenson. How does he control himself and be effective on offense with the emotions and pressure March brings. I think guys are drawn towards Stevenson and that us the biggest difference in the game. I think Stevenson sparks the Mountaineers with at least 18 points, and WVU beats the Terps. As for overall, I think Alabama is really good, but I think it will be Arizona heading to the Final Four.
West Virginia 72, Maryland 67
Wesley Shoemaker (@wesleyshoe): West Virginia is finally dancing again. This team had its share of ups and downs this season, but they are where they wanted to be — March. I don’t think Maryland is the best matchup for WVU with their slow pace of play, and with their consistent defense. However, I think WVU will be able to speed Maryland up more than they want to be. I think WVU has the shooters to beat the press, it’s just a matter of not turning the ball over before you get it to guys like Erik Stevenson. Should be back-and-forth, but I’ll take the Mountaineers. As for the region as a whole, this is Alabama’s to lose. Playing two games in your home state before getting a favorable regional location will help in a bigger way than they think. Alabama to the Final Four.
West Virginia 75, Maryland, 70
Aaron Parker (@a_parker29): After a one-year break, the West Virginia Mountaineers return to the NCAA Tournament, this time as a nine seed against the Maryland Terrapins. This team is battle tested after playing through the rigorous Big 12 conference, and with wins over Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU, and Pitt, the Mountaineers have proven they can play with plenty of teams in the field of 68. The Mountaineers will be tasked with trying to get past the eighth-seeded Maryland Terrapins out of the Big 10. Maryland is a solid basketball team that sees four of its five starters average double-digit points per game. The Mountaineers will need to defend senior guard Jahmir Young, who averages 16.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, along with a 6-foot-8 guard in Hakim Hart, who averages 11.5 points per game. To grab this first-round win, I think Erik Stevenson needs to get hot early and stay out of foul trouble in the second half. Stevenson is averaging nearly 19 points per game in his last seven outings, and has had four games in that stretch with 23 or more points. With that being said, I do think Stevenson will shoot well and I think Kedrian Johnson has an efficient game to help the Mountaineers get the win.
West Virginia 76, Maryland 71
Matt Natriello (natriello_matt): After a shaky start to conference play, WVU ended the regular season hot and will look to continue their hot play against a Maryland team who had a disappointing end to their regular season. Maryland is weak against centers, so WVU will need a big game from Jimmy Bell and James Okonkwo to get past the Terrapins.
West Virginia 73, Maryland 68
Mark Wratchford (captmwii16): I will go with a West Virginia win against Maryland, a score of about 73-66. This should be one of the most intriguing of the opening round matchups, and it could certainly go either way. For the South opening matchups, I will go with: Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Virginia, Charleston in an upset, Creighton, and Missouri. For the projected second round matchups, I am not picking any upsets here. Alabama over West Virginia, Virginia over Charleston, Baylor over Creighton, and Arizona over Missouri.
For my projected Sweet 16, I will go with Alabama over Virginia and Arizona over Baylor. I’m thinking Alabama will be the one from the South Region who makes it to the Final Four. They have dealt with a lot of off the court drama but have the pieces to make it to the Final Four.
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
