Winthrop Eagles: 26-6, 15-3 in the Big South Conference
Head coach: Pat Kelsey (5th season)
Players to watch: Keon Johnson (22.5 PPG); Xavier Cooks (16.3 PPG, 9.2 RPG); Anders Broman (8.3 PPG, 42.8 3PT%)
Season recap: Once a frequent mid-major in the field of 64, Winthrop will make its first appearance in Kelsey’s reign in Rock Hill,
Winthrop faltered early in the season, starting 4-3 before winning 22 of its final 25 games. In their only two games against major conference opponents, the Eagles fell to Florida State 100-86 on Nov 18., but bounced back three days later to take down Illinois 84-80 in overtime behind an explosive 38-point performance from Keon Johnson.
After a few tough losses, the Eagles rode their prolific offense and sturdy 3-point defense to lock down teams on the perimeter, ranking 20th in the nation in 3-point defense. Outside of Johnson and Xavier Cooks, the Eagles use a deep rotation—eight players saw more than 14 minutes of action per game this season. Johnson is a legitimate scoring threat from beyond the arc, where he shoots at a 40.4 percent clip, and Cooks' 6-foot-8 frame provides the Eagles with a more physical guard that can crash the boards. Andres Broman can also provide lightning in a bottle at times with strong 3-point shooting off the bench.
How they make a run: Led by Johnson, Winthrop rides hot perimeter shooting to a first-weekend surprise.
How they falter: Without a true post presence, the undersized Eagles struggle to compete in the paint with their opponents and get bounced in the first round.
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Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor
A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks.