Taylor's Takes: Games to Watch, Toughest Path to Final Four

The dance is finally here, and boy, are we in for a treat.

Selection Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year because there are always surprises. No matter how many potential brackets come out leading up to the Selection Show, analysts and fans alike just never seem to get it 100-percent right.

This year’s NCAA committee really focused on significant wins as opposed to RPI, which differs from years past. Maryland and Virginia had multiple losses on the year, but they also had huge wins, which landed both with seeds. Programs in less competitive conferences but impressive resumes like Loyola went unseeded and will play on the road.

This week’s “Taylor’s Takes” will look at first-round games to watch and some other things that stand out for this weekend’s action.

The best time of year is HERE! Let’s do this!

GAMES TO WATCH

Stanford vs. Denver

This game will be a rematch of a March 17 contest that resulted in a four-goal Denver victory. In their previous outing, the Pios dominated on the ground, Stanford controlled the draw and both teams performed poorly on the free position line — going 2-for-15 combined. Adjustments to these “little things” categories will be critical for both teams as they play for a chance to take on top seed Northwestern on Sunday.

Florida vs. North Carolina

This is another rematch from an early season battle that saw the Tar Heels leave victorious, 19-10, after almost doubling up the Gators in shots. This game was also the last time that Florida has lost this season, so I’m fascinated to see how this rendition plays out. Out of all the first-round games, this is the one that I was most surprised to see, as these are two powerhouse programs who are often seeded.

James Madison vs. Penn State

These teams haven’t faced each other this season and are on almost opposite trajectories coming into this game. The Dukes started the season red hot but are coming off a big loss to Florida in the AAC championship game, whereas Penn State had a rollercoaster middle of the season but enters this game confident and composed. The draw battle and their similar chaos-inducing zone defenses are what I anticipate being the highlights of this matchup.

TOUGHEST SIDE OF THE BRACKET

After looking at all the pods in the tournament, I think the hardest side will be the one that has some of the perennial powerhouses of the game. Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Penn State, James Madison and Maryland all lie on the same side of the bracket and have to beat one another to make an appearance at Final Four weekend. Having all these teams on the same side of the bracket just proves how much parity there was this season. I’m truly fascinated to see who comes out on top.

SURPRISES

Duke

I was most surprised to see both Duke and Fairfield in the tournament field. Duke struggled in ACC play, at times losing by double digits to conference foes, and didn’t have highly ranked non-conference games. I’m assuming it was Duke’s victories over Virginia and Harvard that were enough to push them into the big dance, but the Blue Devils have a tough road ahead facing Patriot League champion Loyola in the first round.

Fairfield

Similarly, Fairfield lacked any big time wins over top opponents, but the Stags’ victories over tournament teams Niagara and Drexel had to be the push to get them in. The MAAC championship runners up, they will face a crafty Johns Hopkins team in their first-round matchup and will need to be solid across the board to beat them.

BIGGEST SNUB

Perhaps the biggest snub of all in this year’s tournament was Navy. With wins over tournament teams Duke and Richmond and close battles with other NCAA contenders like Loyola and Drexel, I thought for sure that Navy would get another chance to play in May. The Mids always play with a passion and composure that I love to watch. I’m betting it was their one-goal loss to Saint Joseph’s that may have been the deciding factor in keeping them out of this year’s at-large pool.

TOUGHEST ROAD

Out of all the teams in this year’s tournament, I think that Loyola has the toughest road to a national championship. The Greyhounds have been highly ranked all season, yet they didn’t earn a seed or hosting opportunity. As a result, they could potentially have to go through Duke, Penn and Northwestern to get to Memorial Day Weekend, which is a monumental task. They will need leaders like Sydni Black and Chase Boyle to play their hearts out if they want to make a long-awaited appearance at Final Four weekend and battle for a title.