A viewing guide for Atlanta Hawks fans who want to dabble in the NCAA Tournament this year.
With only 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Atlanta Hawks 2018-19 season is drawing to a close before our eyes.
It’s been an entertaining and enjoyable season for the most part, as the team’s young core has grown up quickly on the fly. Trae Young’s recent resurgence has him back in the Rookie of the Year race, and John Collins is mere percentage points away from averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds at age 21.
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With two likely draft picks in the 2019 Draft (depending on how Dallas’s season progresses), the Hawks will be set up for the future with a terrific young core that can grow together. With Trae Young manning the point, any players around him will be set up for future success – as will he.
Trae is already the best Hawks rookie in franchise history, and he has already established himself as one of the best passers in the NBA. Combine him with Red Pepper (more commonly referred to as Kevin Huerter) and you have the Hawks’ backcourt of the future.
Add in John the Baptist and sprinkle in the return of Omari Spellman and the perimeter stopper DeAndre’ Bembry, and the Hawks are already in good shape.
However, because it’s March, that means most casual (and many hardcore) basketball fans have turned their attention to the NCAA Tournament.
As such, let’s take a look at a hefty slate of games – as well as notable teams – that should be of interest to Atlanta Hawks fans ahead of the tournament starting up in a few days.
First, let’s take a look at some notable games in the first round.
Play-In:
#11 Belmont/#11 Temple, Today @ 9:10 p.m. EST
The first game on the slate is the second play-in game on the schedule. Belmont lost in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament final to an ascendant Murray State team that was led by the transcendent point guard prospect Ja Morant. However, Belmont itself has an NBA prospect on its roster with Dylan Windler. A knockdown shooter, Windler canned 43 percent of his triples in his senior season on nearly 7 attempts per game. We know that Atlanta Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk loves shooters, so keep an eye on this primetime tip on truTV.
First Round:
#3 LSU/#14 Yale, Thursday @ 12:40 p.m. EST
It’s rather wacky to imagine that the LSU Tigers, a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, will likely have all of this season’s winnings vacated due to big-time federal charges levied against its head coach Will Wade. That being said, if LSU goes far in the tournament, that’s all people will remember. However, its stacked roster (which includes gifted freshman big man Naz Reid), faces a tough test in round 1 against a feisty Yale team – a trendy upset pick in the early goings.
#4 Virginia Tech/#13 Saint Louis, Friday @ 9:57 p.m. EST
The Saint Louis Billikens (look it up) made it into the tournament very late as the winner of the Atlanta 10 conference tournament – just barely eking by the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, who are represented on the Atlanta Hawks by rookie Jaylen Adams. Virginia Tech’s best player is Brandon Robinson, and his status for this game as of this writing is unknown. However, the team is still stacked with talent – including potential Atlanta Hawks draft pick Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the cousin of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
#6 Villanova/ #11 St Mary’s, Thursday @ 7:20 p.m. EST
The defending national champions look far different than they did last year, as Jay Wright and the Wildcats lost a massive chunk of their team (Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson and the Atlanta Hawks own Omari Spellman) following a dominant run to the title. St. Mary’s shocked the world by defeating a dominant Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference tournament. Eric Paschall is a definite NBA prospect, and Nova’s switch-everything system is also a good watch if you’re a fan of that NBA-style defense.
#8 Utah State/#9 Washington, Friday @ 6:50 p.m. EST
Despite the Washington Huskies getting rolled by conference rival Oregon in the conference championship game, the Huskies employ the “Boeheim zone” to sterling effect, especially with defensive menace Matisse Thybulle leading the charge. Thybulle memorably produced this spectacular highlight to seal a win earlier in the conference tourney:
We have previously outlined why Thybulle would be a good fit on the Atlanta Hawks in our most recent mock draft, so checking out this game makes sense.
#3 Houston/#14 Georgia State, Friday @ 7:20 p.m. EST
As Atlanta Hawks fans, why not cheer on the reigning two-time Sun Belt conference champions, the local Georgia State Panthers? The Panthers have a vast array of three-point shooters and are led by the bouncy guard D’Marcus Simonds, who is expected to make the jump to the pros this offseason. The scrappy Panthers made history a few seasons ago as a 14 seed, defeating the third-seeded Baylor Bears on R.J. Hunter’s miracle triple:
As the only team from Georgia represented in this year’s NCAA Tournament, it’s only fitting to root for the underdog. As Atlanta Hawks fans, it certainly makes sense.
#7 Wofford/#10 Seton Hall, Thursday @ 9:40 p.m. EST
A tough matchup for the Southern Conference champion Wofford Terriers, as Myles Powell and the Seton Hall Pirates are an athletic, fiery team that plays hard and nearly upset Villanova in the Big East conference championship. Powell, in particular, is a guaranteed bucket and he is averaging a gorgeous 22.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 36 minutes as the team’s top option of offense, per College Basketball Reference.
Now, let’s explore the teams to keep an eye on for Atlanta Hawks fans.
Duke
A relative no-brainer, the Duke Blue Devils have pretty much been can’t miss entertainment for the entire college basketball season due to the presence of four likely top 20 picks in the 2019 Draft. The most notable, of course, is the incredible Zion Williamson, who is easily the best prospect since Anthony Davis. While it seems blasphemous, Zion’s astonishing range of skills might rival only LeBron James in recent memory. If you’re a fan of the Atlanta Hawks, just watch Duke whenever you can.
Gonzaga
An absolute juggernaut that shredded its way through the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga boasts two notable prospects to keep an eye on: Brandon Clarke and Rui Hachimura. While Hachimura came into the season with heaps of hype, Clarke has risen above Rui if you ask many draftniks. Either way, the Zags are high atop the list of best teams to watch for Hawks fans.
Texas Tech
Another likely top pick in the 2019 Draft is Jarrett Culver. Though his stock has risen recently, he might fall to the Hawks if the draft shakes out right. If he does, that would be great news, as Culver is an athletic maven with immense size (possibly still growing) who can dominate on defense and create his own shot.
Virginia
As we all know, the Virginia Cavaliers were the #1 overall seed last year and unceremoniously lost to the 16 seed UMBC Retrievers. While nothing can shake off that ignominy, perhaps a run to the Final Four would help ease the pain of that hurtful loss. However, the Wahoos returned De’Andre Hunter to the fold, who is easily the team’s best player and one of the best defenders in the country. With a seasoned core of player and Hunter, the Cavs might be able to make a run this year behind the strong shooting and playmaking of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome.
Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers could’ve easily been a 1 seed if they had defeated Auburn in the SEC conference final. Instead, they laid an egg and sit on the 2-line. However, this is a deep, talented team led by two future draft picks in Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield (two SDS favorites). While Williams might be the better prospect, Schofield seems to be the clubhouse leader and both player can carry their team to a big win if the need arises.
Iowa State
Last but not least, the Iowa State Cyclones defeated Kansas in the Big 12 conference championship on the back of three NBA prospects: Talen Horton-Tucker, Lindell Wigginton and Marial Shayok. Shayok was a transfer from Virginia, as he yearned for a larger role on offense. He got it at Iowa State, and his impactful play in the conference tournament means this team, which is Top 10 in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom, will get a chance to shine in the NCAA Tournament – and might have a deep run if the bracket breaks right.
So there you have it, Hawks fans. There will be an absolute cavalcade of storylines, games and teams to watch in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, so set your DVRs and get your streaming services in order. Let the madness commence!