Seth Davis On Zion Williamson, 2019 NCAA Tournament & Players To Watch
(CBS Local)-- Only five days remain until Selection Sunday and things are starting to heat up in the world of college basketball.
Programs like Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky have dominated the headlines this year, but there are several interesting teams to watch heading into March Madness. While teams like Virginia and Gonzaga could make a deep run this month, CBS Sports college basketball analyst Seth Davis is focused this week on the top teams in college hoops.
"You have the blue blood programs that everyone is interested in," said Davis in an interview at CBS Sports NCAA March Madness Media Day. "First and foremost its Duke and Zion Williamson. People want to see him healthy and see him at his best."
This week, teams around the country will attempt to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning their conference tournament. Schools like Bradley and Murray State are already headed to the dance, while programs like Belmont and Ohio State will need some help from the selection committee. Davis says the battle of little school vs. big school could be even more intense this year.
"There's going to be an interesting narrative this year for the selection committee about whether they go with the really good mid-major teams like Belmont or sub .500 power conference teams like Ohio State and Indiana. There's a lot of public sentiment towards the little guys. That's an interesting storyline."
While the power conferences may hold the advantage here, mid-majors always find a way to bust brackets with early round upsets. Davis says there a few players to keep your eyes on during the first weekend of the tournament.
"Wofford is the first one that comes to mind and they have a player named Fletcher Magee, who is a dynamic offensive player," said Davis. "Buffalo is a team that has been ranked all season long and they have a guard CJ Massinburg, who is a real high scorer. Gonzaga has a new player named Brandon Clarke, who transferred in from San Jose State. They're getting good and healthy at the right time."