The Sixer Sense
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10 teams for Sixers fans to watch in the NCAA Tournament

By Christopher Kline

NORMAN, OK - FEBRUARY 17: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners takes to the court before the game against the Texas Longhorns at Lloyd Noble Center on February 24, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Longhorns defeated the Sooners 77-66. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - FEBRUARY 17: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners takes to the court before the game against the Texas Longhorns at Lloyd Noble Center on February 24, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Longhorns defeated the Sooners 77-66. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Gavin Baker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Creighton, 8th seed

The Blue Jays are a tough out for an eighth seed, boasting one of the best backcourts in the country with Khyri Thomas and Marcus Foster. That backcourt is the very reason they make this list.

Thomas has been tied to the Sixers with relative frequency as a potential late-first round option. At 6-3 with a 6-11 wingspan, he’s one of college basketball’s best perimeter defenders and a capable comboguard offensively — the kind of archetype that fits the Sixers’ needs.

While he won’t be a primary ball handler, Thomas is a smart, willing passer who can handle the ball when needed. He’s currently averaging 15.3 points on 41.9 percent shooting from deep, emerging as one of the Jays’ primary options on that side of the ball.

Creighton’s second round matchup, should they knock of Kansas State initially, would likely be Virginia — the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. That might make their run short, but Thomas is a name Sixers fans should have in the back of their mind this summer.