UC Irvine Anteaters
Record: 21-12, 11-5 Big West
Head coach: Russell Turner (5th season)
Season summary: The Anteaters may come from a small conference, but there's nothing small about their starting center. At 7-foot-6, Mamadou Ndiaye provides UC Irvine with a go-to scoring option in the post, as well as an intimidating rim protector. The sophomore from Senegal is the team's third-leading scorer at 10.4 points per game and records 1.7 emphatic swats per contest. Forward Will Davis II and guard Luke Nelson lead the way for the Anteaters on offense, but the focus for opposing defenses must be on Ndiaye, who is starting to develop some solid footwork to go with his extreme height advantage.
How they make a run: Ndiaye controls the paint on both ends of the floor and UC Irvine's guards make enough shots to carry the Anteaters deep into the tournament.
How they falter: Athletic forwards like Montrezl Harrell overwhelm the 7-foot-6, 300-pound Ndiaye with their quickness and get him in foul trouble, leaving UC Irvine without a crucial part of their gameplan.
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