PITTSBURGH — March Madness has arrived in Pittsburgh.
PPG Paints Arena is set to host first- and second-round NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament games on Friday and Sunday. Those dates have been circled for a while now. But now the matchups in the South Region have been revealed.
Ohio State, a No. 7 seed, matches up with No. 10 Loyola Chicago at 12:15 p.m. Villanova, a No. 2 seed, will face No. 15 Delaware at 2:45 p.m. Illinois, a No. 4 seed, squares off with No. 13 Chattanooga at 6:50 p.m. And No. 5 seed Houston plays No. 12 UAB at 9:20 p.m.
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 Delaware
Records: Villanova 26-7; Delaware 22-12
KenPom ratings: Villanova 11th; Delaware 145th
Key players: Villanova’s Collin Gillespie (15.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.3 apg); Delaware’s Jameer Nelson Jr. (13.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.2 apg)
How they got here: Jay Wright’s Wildcats are on a roll, winning 10 of their past 11, including Saturday night’s Big East championship game against Creighton. The three-time national champions will be heavy favorites against Delaware. But the Blue Hens are balanced, with six scorers averaging more than nine points per game.
No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 13 Chattanooga
Records: Illinois 22-9; Chattanooga 27-7
KenPom ratings: Illinois 17th; Chattanooga 72nd
A general view of the court with March Madness signage is seen during the first round of the 2018 men's NCAA tournament in Pittsburgh.
Key players: Illinois’s Kofi Cockburn (21.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg); Chattanooga’s Malachi Smith (20.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.1 apg)
How they got here: Led by Cockburn, a Naismith Award semifinalist, the Illini are talented. But they’ve lost four of their past nine, most recently in their opening game of the Big Ten tournament to Indiana. Chattanooga, meanwhile, beat Furman in the Southern Conference championship game on a long-range buzzer beater.
No. 5 Houston vs. No. 12 UAB
Records: Houston 29-5; UAB 27-7
KenPom ratings: Houston 4th; UAB 46th
Key players: Houston’s Kyler Edwards (13.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.1 apg); UAB’s Jordan Walker (20.4 ppg, 4.8 apg)
How they got here: The Cougars won the American Athletic Conference without their star player. Marcus Sasser, a key figure in Houston’s Final Four run a year ago, sustained a season-ending toe injury in December. Walker is UAB’s catalyst and showed it again in the Conference USA tournament, averaging 31 points with a 40-point showing in a triple-overtime win against Middle Tennessee State.
No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago
Records: Ohio State 19-11; Loyola Chicago 25-7
KenPom ratings: Ohio State 32nd; Loyola Chicago 24th
Key players: Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell (19.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg); Loyola Chicago’s Lucas Williamson (14 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg)
How they got here: The Buckeyes were ranked as high as 13th in the Associated Press top 25 poll in January. But they’ve dropped four of their past five, featuring a Big Ten tournament defeat to a Penn State team with a losing record. Liddell is also a Naismith Award semifinalist, making Ohio State a tough out. But the Ramblers, who reached the Final Four in 2018, are good enough for another Cinderella run. Plus, they have Sister Jean.
