2011 NCAA Tournament: Team Strengths and Weaknesses

It's March Madness time! Before you fill out your bracket, check out each of these top teams' strengths and weaknesses:

Ohio State

Strengths: Very well-rounded team...High-scoring with great shooting efficiency...Top 3 field goal % in the nation.

Weaknesses: Sometimes struggles to close games out against better opponents...Take away Jared Sullinger and rebounds may be hard to come by.


Notre Dame

Strengths: A strong offensive unit...Excellent passing team complemented by solid outside shooting.

Weaknesses: May run into some trouble against better defensive teams.


Kansas

Strengths: Markieff and Marcus Morris provide tremendous post-play...Excels in nearly all facets of the game...Arguably a favorite to win it all.

Weaknesses: Not quite as deep as in years past...Depth may be the only factor holding them back.


Pittsburgh

Strengths: Hard-nosed team with great defensive tenacity...Strong rebounding ball club, ranked 8th in the nation...A true team.

Weaknesses: Lacks a go-to guy...Scoring may become a concern in crunch-time.


Duke:

Strengths:
Tested and proven, Duke returns to defend its title...Well-coached team with tremendous basketball IQ...Great chemistry gives them a chance against anyone.

Weaknesses: Without Kyrie Irving and with a recently injured Nolan Smith, do they have enough in the tank to make a push?...Kyle Singler has not been the consistent player we've come to know...Suspect play in the post, at times.


North Carolina:

Strengths:
Athletic and offensively gifted...Number 1 ranked rebounding team in the country...Able to hold its own no matter who the opponent...Finally starting to come together as a cohesive unit.

Weaknesses:
Young and inexperienced...Very inconsistent...You never know which North Carolina team will show up.

Florida:

Strengths: When they come together and play as a team, look out...With Billy Donovan under the helm, you can never count them out from going deep in this tournament.

Weaknesses: Doesn't do one thing particularly well...Not the greatest passing team, which consequently hurts its offense and scoring opportunities.


BYU:

Strengths: Can put points on the board in a hurry...A decent rebounding team.

Weaknesses: Everyone knows Jimmer Fredette, but who else do they have? Especially considering the loss of Brandon Davies...Scoring efficiency is in question.


Texas:

Strengths: Top-notch rebounding entity...Has two solid anchors in Tristan Thompson and Jordan Hamilton

Weaknesses: Always seems to disappoint during this time of year...Seeing how they've struggled against better opponents this year, is the same fate awaiting them in the tournament?


Louisville:

Strengths: They come up big when the moment counts...Defeated a number of worthy opponents...A headsy team with sound fundamentals due in large part to great coaching.

Weaknesses: Rick Pitino can only do so much with the talent he has...May not have enough firepower to win in the later rounds even with previous track record.


Syracuse:

Strengths: Experienced, tough, and gritty...A recipe for a championship.

Weaknesses:
Racked up a significant amount of losses between mid-January and mid-February, but redeemed itself in the latter portion of the season...Scoring and shot selection may be a concern.

San Diego State:

Strengths: A surprise top-seeded team, this year, with a chance to make a run...Kawhi Leonard is a truly special talent...With BYU handing them their only two loses of the season, they finally came through not only beat them in the Mountain West Tournament, they crushed them.

Weaknesses: Hype may affect them on the big-stage...They haven't faced enough ranked ranked opponents to adequately prepare them for what's to come...May need more than just big games from Malcolm Thomas and Kawhi Leonard if they want advance far.


Kentucky:

Strengths: Lots of talent gives them a huge advantage over weaker opponents...If disciplined, they have the potential to overpower even higher-seeds with athleticism.

Weaknesses: With their youth and inexperience, you have to question their intentions in the tournament...Will the NBA-to-be's play a different, selfish game to raise their draft stock?



Connecticut:

Strengths: Great momentum coming into this tournament...A team that has been doubted all season long could potentially use this to fuel them.

Weaknesses: Much like BYU, they too suffer from one-star syndrome...Take away Kemba Walker, and they will fall apart.