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by Vegas Writer
Sunday, Mar 16, 2025Now that the Selection Committee has done its job, it's time for me to do mine and provide you with a Buyer Beware speech before the dance gets underway this week.
While many are on the prowl to identify the right team to invest in, the one with the right odds and that can make a run at the title, I'm alerting you to a couple of higher-seeded teams I see bowing out sooner than expected so you don't make any financial mistakes.
AUBURN (No. 1 seed, South Region)
Of the No. 1 seeds in this year's event, the Tigers appear to be the most vulnerable, and one I don't think makes it into the national semifinals, let alone the South final. The Tigers bowed out of the SEC Tournament with a 62-57 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, and come into the tournament losers in three of their last four games.
They closed the regular season with consecutive losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, and I have to tell you, I think Bruce Pearl's troops is going to have problems when it gets locked into physical games due to its knack for fouling.
Auburn ranks 318th in the nation in committing 18.6 fouls per game, and by putting teams on the line, the Tigers could shoot themselves in the foot as early as the second round against either Louisville or Creighton.
PURDUE (No. 4 seed, Midwest Region)
I bought into the Boilermakers early on this season, after they bolted out to an 11-2 mark in the Big Ten. But then they lost four in a row, and ended up closing the season, and postseason tournament, with losses in six of their last nine games.
The defense scares me, as it went from allowing 69 points per game over its first 24 games but then gave up 78 per contest over the last nine.
The other problem with this team is turnovers. Yes, they rank 48th in committing only 10.4 miscues per game, but this team has an upset-minded High Point in the opening round and then could face Clemson and Houston if it gets as far as the regional semifinal. The Boilers would suffocate under Houston's pressure.
While many are on the prowl to identify the right team to invest in, the one with the right odds and that can make a run at the title, I'm alerting you to a couple of higher-seeded teams I see bowing out sooner than expected so you don't make any financial mistakes.
AUBURN (No. 1 seed, South Region)
Of the No. 1 seeds in this year's event, the Tigers appear to be the most vulnerable, and one I don't think makes it into the national semifinals, let alone the South final. The Tigers bowed out of the SEC Tournament with a 62-57 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, and come into the tournament losers in three of their last four games.
They closed the regular season with consecutive losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, and I have to tell you, I think Bruce Pearl's troops is going to have problems when it gets locked into physical games due to its knack for fouling.
Auburn ranks 318th in the nation in committing 18.6 fouls per game, and by putting teams on the line, the Tigers could shoot themselves in the foot as early as the second round against either Louisville or Creighton.
PURDUE (No. 4 seed, Midwest Region)
I bought into the Boilermakers early on this season, after they bolted out to an 11-2 mark in the Big Ten. But then they lost four in a row, and ended up closing the season, and postseason tournament, with losses in six of their last nine games.
The defense scares me, as it went from allowing 69 points per game over its first 24 games but then gave up 78 per contest over the last nine.
The other problem with this team is turnovers. Yes, they rank 48th in committing only 10.4 miscues per game, but this team has an upset-minded High Point in the opening round and then could face Clemson and Houston if it gets as far as the regional semifinal. The Boilers would suffocate under Houston's pressure.
