NCAA Tournament Preview: Amherst College vs. North Central College

Last evening I was already putting my NCAA Tournament bracket down to be buried. I'm not used to losing a Final Four team on Day 1. Then of course, I lost another one today. Somehow my title game and the rest of my Sweet 16 and Elite 8 were okay after 28 games save that pair of Final Four teams. Fortunately, these things are healed by my alma mater advancing to the Final Four!

NCC has had different guys step up all postseason long, and tonight it was Vince Kmiec, who according to a friend from my WONC days who works at NCTV, was hitting shots from a ways away. His 31 points helped get the Cardinals the space they needed to close the game out and pull within a game of Atlanta. Another NESCAC looms tomorrow night.

Amherst College vs. North Central College
Salem Civic Center (Salem, VA)- Sat. March 23, 2013- 7:30pm

About Amherst College
From Amherst, MA
28-2, NESCAC Champions
Defeated Plattsburgh State 89-72 in the second round, defeated Randolph-Macon 93-76 in the third round, defeated Cabrini 101-82 in quarterfinals

At the outset of the tournament, there was talk about how no one really wanted the bye's and the week off they gave. Amherst got one, and it obviously hasn't hurt them (Mary Hardin-Baylor got the other and they're also still playing). This team scores in bunches, averaging almost 85 points a game, and it starts with junior Aaron Toomey, who leads the team with 17.6 points a game on about 12 shots. He can shoot from just about anywhere (44.6% from the field, including 42.9% from deep) and put up 17 points in the win over Cabrini. I think the bigger threat though is senior Willy Workman. He scored 21 points tonight (up from his 12.4 season average) and he's not quite as good of a deep shooter (36%, though he shoots 46.6% overall), but averages 7.7 rebounds a game plus a combined 3 steals/blocks per contest. Peter Kaasila is the team's anchor in the middle, averaging 13 points a game on over 64% shooting with 6 boards to go with it. Three other players average at least 9 points a game, so there's depth here.

In a very similar note to thinking about North Central's game against Middlebury though, it doesn't seem like this Amherst team has played a defense the caliber of North Central's. The Cardinals played a tough game for most of a tight first half, then came out and played lockdown defense for much of the second half. You worry a bit about fatigue, but what continues to be so great about this Cardinal team (and is essential at this time of the year) is just how deep this Cardinal team is and how so many different guys have stepped up to be heroes in each game. Tonight it was Vince Kmiec, and that takes a lot of pressure of NABC's Midwest District Player of the Year Derek Raridon. With 19 points in the win over Middlebury, I'm convinced Landon Gamble is the best offensive post player in the nation.

The one thing that scares me about this Cardinal team is their struggles from the free throw line. The Cardinals were 19-29 from the stripe tonight and has stayed around that number all season long. However, this team can go on some scary runs from time to time and you have to guard every single guy on the floor at all times. Amherst may be ranked higher (#2 to NCC's #3), but the Cardinals can definitely pull out this one.

Winner goes to Atlanta to play for a national title. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for this run to end yet. Go Cardinals!