12-seed Winthrop already buzzing as strong contender to upset Villanova in NCAAs
Winthrop an underdog? Depends on who you ask.
The Winthrop basketball team (23-1) is a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament and will take on No. 5 Villanova in the South Region’s first round Friday.
The Eagles have only won one NCAA tournament game in program history, and, in some ways, locking in a 12 seed alone can be seen as a win for them: It delivers the Winthrop athletic department $75,000, per the Big South’s Basketball Incentive Plan — and that’s in addition to the $100,000 Winthrop earned after winning a Big South title.
But despite all that, the buzz that Winthrop is a public favorite to defeat Villanova (16-6) continues to escalate.
“It’d be an upset if Villanova beat Winthrop,” Pete Thamel of Yahoo! sports tweeted.
On the CBS broadcast of NCAA tournament Selection Show, Seth Davis appeared to agree with Thamel after pointing out that the Wildcats are having to overcome injuries to key guards, including senior starting guard Collin Gillespie, who suffered a season-ending injury earlier this month: “Winthrop is winning that game,” he said.
Las Vegas likes Villanova to start the week. The Wildcats opened as a 7.5-point favorite in the game, according to Circa Sports.
The 12 seed is widely viewed as a fertile starting point for a Cinderella run: No. 5 seeds are 50-90 all-time in the NCAA tournament against No. 12s, per CBS. And if a 12 seed makes it out of the first round, they avoid playing a 1, 2 or 3 seed in the second for a shot at a Sweet 16 appearance.
With a win, Winthrop would play the winner of No. 4 Purdue and No. 13 North Texas.
All the NCAA tournament games will be played in Indiana, and mostly around Indianapolis, in what the NCAA has described as a controlled environment.
“I’ve called five Winthrop games this season so I am not biased at all and Winthrop will make it to the Final Four,” ESPN broadcaster Matt Schick posted to Twitter.
NCAA tournament: Winthrop vs. Villanova game info
Who: No. 5 Villanova (16-6) vs. No. 12 Winthrop (23-1)
Region: South
Game location: Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis
When: 9:59 p.m. Friday
TV: TNT
NCAA tournament 2021 betting odds: 12 vs 5 seeds
Lines are according to CircaSports
No. 12 Winthrop vs. No. 5 Villanova (+7.5)
No. 12 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 5 Creighton (+8)
No. 12 Georgetown vs. No. 5 Colorado (+4)
No. 12 Oregon State vs. No. 5 Tennessee (+9)
WINTHROP’S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Listed by year, seed, tournament result
1999: No. 16 seed, lost to Auburn in NCAA first round
2000: No. 14 seed, lost to Oklahoma in first round
2001: No. 16 seed, lost to Northwestern State in play-in game
2002: No. 16 seed, lost to Duke in first round
2005: No. 14 seed, lost to Gonzaga in first round
2006: No. 15 seed, lost to Tennessee in first round
2007: No. 11 seed, defeated Notre Dame in first round, then lost to Oregon
2008: No. 13 seed, lost to Washington State in first round
2010: No. 16 seed, lost to Arkansas-Pine Bluff in play-in game
2017: No. 13 seed, lost to Butler in first round
2021: No. 12 seed, will face Villanova
Note: The team won the Big South last year with a 24-10 record, but didn’t appear in the 2020 NCAA tournament after it was canceled.
Winthrop’s Twitter buzz
This story was originally published March 14, 2021 at 7:27 PM with the headline "12-seed Winthrop already buzzing as strong contender to upset Villanova in NCAAs."
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