It’s back with a twist! The chaos of March Madness begins in Dayton on Tuesday. Brackets will be busted, Cinderellas will be born, and 68 will be cut down to 16, then four, then two, then one. Here are five storylines to watch for in the South region of the bracket.

Can Auburn handle the pressure?

Last year, the first overall seed (UConn) won the whole tournament. This year, player-of-the-year candidate Johni Broome leads the Auburn Tigers (28-5, 15-3 SEC) on a championship-or-bust campaign. The Tigers have one of the most stacked rosters, if not the most, in all of Division I. Broome is accompanied by double-digit-per-game scorers Chad Baker-Mazara, Tahaad Pettiford, Miles Kelly, and Denver Jones in the backcourt. This team has the tenth-best scoring offense in Division I and the second-best adjusted offense, per KenPom. On paper, this team has what it takes to win it all.

The recurring problem for Auburn post-pandemic is the idea of “and then they take the floor.” Auburn has not made it past opening weekend since the 2019 tournament. In order for this team to fulfill expectations, it first has to clear hurdles it hasn’t in a while. One of those hurdles could be 13th-seeded Yale, who Auburn lost to in the first round last year. Can Auburn shed its demons?

Mid-Major Madness

This side of the bracket contains 13th-seeded Yale (22-7, 13-1 Ivy League) and 12th-seeded UC San Diego (30-4, 18-2). Both teams won their respective conferences and both teams have players that can take over a game quickly. Yale represents the Ivy League, which has picked up tournament wins in back-to-back years, including two wins over SEC opponents. UC San Diego, meanwhile, is in its first NCAA tournament ever in its first year of Division I eligibility. The Tritons are winners of 15 straight and beat Utah State in Logan.

For UC San Diego, its game-breaker is Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones. He averages 19.5 points per game and has upped his rebounding game as of late (three straight games in which he’s collected eight rebounds). If Michigan doesn’t contain him or keep mistakes to a minimum, the Big Ten champions may be one and done.

Yale’s John Poulakidas is made for March. He dropped 28 points on Auburn in the Bulldogs’ first-round upset victory last year and just sunk Cornell with 25 points. The senior is averaging 19.2 PPG on the year and, if he misses a shot, Nick Townsend (15.4 PPG, 7.2 rebounds per game) will be there to clean up and Bez Mbeng (5.6 assists per game) will facilitate the offense. Will Texas A&M be ready for Yale or will the Aggies be just another SEC team who overlooked the Ivy League champion?

Marquette mired

Shaka Smart’s run to the Final Four with VCU in 2011 is one of the all-time Cinderella runs. It turned VCU into a mid-major powerhouse with staying power that persists to this day. Since then, Shaka Smart-led teams are 5-10 in the Big Dance. Marquette (23-10, 13-7 Big East) did make the Sweet 16 last year but only faced double-digit seeds. It lost to 11th-seeded NC State after beating 15th-seeded Western Kentucky and 10th-seeded Colorado.

Life without Tyler Kolek has not been easy, but it could be much worse. Kam Jones (19.3 PPG, 5.9 APG) has taken on the challenge of facilitating the offense very well. Jones is averaging 23.6 PPG this March and averaged 22.0 PPG in last year’s tournament. Will he be the hero Shaka Smart and Marquette need? The road to redemption begins against Richard Pitino’s New Mexico Lobos.

Swept up in the Cyclone

T.J. Otzelberger’s Iowa State Cyclones (25-9, 13-7 Big 12) have become fixtures in March since the pandemic. The Cyclones have wins over Marquette, Arizona, Kansas, and Baylor, as well as a top 20 offense and top ten defense per KenPom. It’s high time Iowa State makes noise past opening weekend in March, though. The Cyclones have not advanced to the Elite 8 since 2000.

Many teams that go deep in March have a lights-out scorer and a reliable rebounder. Iowa State has Buffalo transfer from last year Curtis Jones (17.1 PPG) putting up points in bunches, including a 31-point performance in the 96-92 loss to BYU on Thursday. Joshua Jefferson (7.4 RPG) is a menacing presence on the boards and will make any team’s life miserable in the paint. Will Iowa State break through?

January, February, Izzo

Make it 27 seasons in a row where Tom Izzo’s Spartans (27-6, 17-3 Big Ten) have made the NCAA Tournament in a season the tournament was held. No matter who he’s had on the team, Izzo has made it work and found success when it matters most. This year’s Spartans team has a lights-out defense (fifth-best adjusted defense, per KenPom) and a quality group of players that form one of the most cohesive groups in college basketball.

The Spartans’ first-round matchup will be strength vs. strength. Not only has Tom Izzo lost to a 15 seed before, but Bryant’s 41.5 rebounds per game is fourth-best in the NCAA. Michigan State isn’t far behind, clocking in at 39.8 rebounds per game, but it will be a duel on the boards between Jaxon Kohler and Keyshawn Mitchell, with Earl Timberlake pitching in for the Bulldogs. This Michigan State team looks poised to rise to the occasion.

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