North Carolina Comparisons

Tyler Hansbrough - vs. I couldn't really find someone Psycho-T looked like but I can tell you who dances on his level: Elaine Benes from Seinfeld. Tyler's dance vs. Elaine's dance. Close but no Cigar: Mark Madsen.

Ty Lawson - Ty is the College Version of the road runner


Danny Green - looks like his teamate last year Brandan Wright

Deon Thompson - Looks like Lawrence Fishburne

Quentin Thomas- Looks exactly like that plays a coach at the end of the new NCAA student athlete commercials (No picture available at this point).

Wayne Ellington and Alex Stepheson I couldn't think of adequate comparisons for so I won't make an attempt. If you have any post a comment and I'll update it.

Xavier and UNC to Elite 8

UNC - Washington St.
Well, Washington St. didnt show up to fulfill the upset special. In fact outside of Baynes they looked downright awful. It was close for the first 12 minutes and then UNC went on to roll. Wash St. is a poor man's Wisconsin it seemed. UNC has looked dominant throughout the tournament and are in for a bigger test than anything they have seen in the elite 8.

Xavier - West Virginia
The other game was much more exciting. Xavier was up 18 in the first half before West Virginia cut it to 7 by halftime. I still don't know how they did because both Joe Alexander (CDTN favorite) and Darris Nichols had two fouls and sat for the majority of the half. In the second half it seemed that it was West Virginia's game and just a matter of time before they got over the hump (taking the lead). Well, they took the lead with about 5 minutes left in the game and without senior leadership from Josh Duncan I don't think this game gets to overtime. In the final minute Xavier was up 2 but couldn't get a good possession up so West Virginia had a chance to tie or take the lead. They dumped it down to Alexander and he hit a tough bank shot and got fouled in doing so. He missed the free throw and Drew Lavender's last second attempt was off the mark so they went to overtime.

On an aside, it was a pleasure to have Bill Raftery calling this game. It was obvious he has called scores of games this season and knew about every player on both teams. He even made the calls of the players names before Lundquist (the set PxP guy) on many plays.

In overtime it was a game of who can keep their guys in for longer. C.J. Anderson and Derek Brown both fouled out for Xavier and it seemed that West Virginia was winning that battle until down low Josh Duncan got bumped by Alexander which sent Alexander out with his 5th personal. Great job by Duncan playing with fouls and still remaining aggressive. He had picked up his 4th with 12 minutes to go in regulation yet he remained on the floor and a factor for the entirety. West Virginia got up 4 with two minutes left in this one and it seemed that even without their leader Alexander they were getting enough from contributors Alex Ruoff and Joe Mazzula to hold on. Then after Duncan went 1/2 from the line and Xavier got a stop on D, Drew Lavender hit a 3 to tie the game up. It was a big shot for Lavender who was virtually silent for the entire game. West Virginia answered with a 2 and then B.J. Raymond decided he was ready to join the game. He received the ball at the top of the key and despite not scoring yet in the game he let it fly- wet. Xavier was up 1 and got another stop. Xavier had possession and Wellington Smith punched Drew Lavender's shot out of bounds with 2 seconds left on the shot clock. On the inbounds play West Virginia misscomunicated and left Raymond open on the opposite side of the court as the ball. Stanley Burrell bounced it over to him and he cocked back and hit the biggest shot of his life. It was the dagger in West Virginia's spine and it was just a matter of free throws and clock running out before it was final. Xavier had avenged last year's tough loss to Ohio State and are now one win away from the final four.

Upset Special

Tonight the upset special is Washington St over Carolina. This incredibly overhyped Carolina team is going to encounter Defense and a lot of it. Even though the game is in Charlotte I am picking the Cougers. Hey, both of UNC's losses have been at home this year. Kyle Weaver and D-Low need to be hitting shots for the Cougers for this to happen but with both as seniors I expect that to happen. Oh, it would also put me back into contention in all my brackets so lets hope for the Cougers tonight. Cmon Tony Bennett dont fail me now.

Powerade Jamfest Preview

Tonight the best part of the McDonald's All American Game occurs. The game in itself is nice but is just like any other all star game. Hardly anyone remembers who won the all star game but everyone remembers the dunk and three point contests. Like James White (still don't know why he wasn't in the NBA version this year) or B-Easy last year someone new will give us a taste of overathleticism we aren't used too.

The Three Point Contest contestants are:
Luke Babbit
Willie Warren
Samardo Samuels
Ed Davis
Tyreke Evans
Sylven Landesberg
Mike Rosario
Larry Drew

Of this group my favorite to win it is Mike Rosario. I think the championship will be Rosario vs. Luke Babbit and Rosario will win in the end. On a sidenote it is very interesting that Sylven is out in Milwaukee this week because his season is still happening with Holy Cross HS. His team will play this weekend and NYS bended the rules for him because it was such a acheivement to make the McDonald's game. Also about this competition Samardo will surprise me mightily if he doesn't finish in last. Samardo will be a top 5 center in college basketball next year at Louisville.

The Dunk Contest (the more exciting competition) contestants are:
the rest
Scotty Hopson
Brandon Jennings
Elliot Williams
Iman Shumpert
and the real contestants
Demar DeRozan (right)
Al-Farouq Aminu (left)

this competition will come down to just DeRozan v Aminu. These two athletes are two of the most electrifying players to come out of high school in a while. This is a dunk contest I am really looking forward to. Also it may be looked at as a copout for someone athletic like Tyreke Evans to not participate in the dunk contest.

Round 2 Recap

East Region
There were three blowouts and one close overtime thriller in this region.
-UNC ran past Arkansas very quickly, jumping out to a 35-11 lead after only 11 minutes. Wayne Ellington lead the way with 20, followed by Ty Lawson with 19 and 7 assists. Tyler had 17 and 10 rebounds. UNC looked very good in this one, but lets not forget that it was basically a home game for them, since 90% of the fans there were in Carolina Blue. UNC won 108-77.
-Washington St dominated Notre Dame in this regions 5-4 seeds matchup. The story in this one was Tony Bennett’s team’s defense. Notre Dame shot only 24% from the field and 17% from the 3 Point line. Luke Harangody had 10 points and 22 rebounds, but shot only 3-17 from the field. Washington St jumped out to a 13 point halftime lead and never looked back. They won 61-41.
- Louisville killed Oklahoma on Sunday, proving to everyone that Oklahoma’s #6 seed was completely absurd. They were a 9 seed at best. Just one of many mistakes the committee made this year. Louisville dominated this game in every facet, and their 2-2-1 press really got to the Oklahoma guards. They won 78-48. Watch out, Louisville is clicking and is one of the most dangerous teams in the remaining 16.
-Tennessee beat Butler yesterday, but needed overtime to do so. I watched this game and was rooting hard for Butler. They trailed by 6 or 8 for most of the game but came storming back late in the 2nd half. They forced overtime thanks to some clutch free throw shooting by AJ Graves and his tremendous defense on Chris Lofton (9 pts). What made the difference, though, was Butler could not get sharpshooter Pete Campbell any open looks in the last 15 minutes. Tennessee played a very sloppy game (20 turnovers) and did not look great in the 2nd half. One bright spot for them was the play of Wayne Chism, who was unstoppable late in the game (16 pts).


Midwest Region
With two double digit seeds headed into the sweet 16, the Midwest Region has surely busted a few brackets already.
-Kansas handled UNLV pretty easily, winning 75-56. They had very balanced scoring as usual, and shut down everyone on UNLV except Wink Adams, who had 25 pts and was 15-17 from the foul line. UNLV only shot 27% as a team, and was 5-22 on threes. That won’t cut it against a 1 seed.
-Villanova handled Siena pretty easily behind Scottie Reynolds’ 25 point, 8 rebound, 5 assist performance. I said it on Selection Sunday, and I stand by my point now. Villanova should not be in the tournament. They didn’t play anyone out of conference, went 3-6 against the top half of the Big East, and lost to teams like NC St, Rutgers, Depaul, St Johns, and Cincinnati. To me, Arizona St was far more worthy. Anyway, this wasn’t much of a game. Villanova sliced through Siena’s defense and shot 54% from the floor.
-Wisconsin cruised past Kansas St 72-55. Wisconsin is the most underrated team in the country, period. All they do is win. Since December 8th, they’re 25-2. 25-0 against teams not named Purdue. They did a great job frustrating Mike Beasley the entire game and got Bill Walker to foul out. One key stat from this game: Kansas St. was 0-13 on three pointers.
-Davidson has been the best story of the tournament so far. A school of 1,500 students with the son of a former NBA player as its star, the Wildcats have defeated two national powerhouses in three days. Davidson was down 16 with 15 minutes left. Once again, I think Georgetown was a little overrated this year. They had a lot of good players, but no very good players. Jeff Green was their star last year, and without him they had no go to scorer. For all of you that took Stephen Curry in your drafts, nice work. He’s put up 70 in two games.




South Region
This was the region with the best games. All four of them came down to the wire.
-Memphis barely got by Mississippi St, 77-74. In the process many of Memphis’ weaknesses were exposed. They are only 7 deep, and of those 7, three had at least four fouls. They have issues with free throws (47% yesterday). This was a great game because Mississippi St played a remarkably clean game (8 turnovers, 43% shooting). Calipari had to sweat this one out since Dorsey, Dozier, and Taggart each had four fouls with 14 minutes left. Derrick Rose showed great maturity (17 pts, 9 rebs, 7 assts).
-Michigan St outlasted Pittsburgh, 65-54, behind a great game from Drew Neitzel. He had 21, and was 5-8 from behind the arc. Michigan St did a great job of pushing the ball with Kalin Lucas, Neitzel, and Travis Walton. When they get out in transition, they are tough to stop. In the halfcourt, they can be stopped. Outside of Levance Fields, Pitt shot 27%.
-Brook Lopez’s shot from behind the backboard was enough to beat Marquette 82-81. He hit it with 1.3 seconds left to give Stanford the lead. Coach Trent Johnson was ejected right before halftime, but Assistant Doug Oliver came up with a great game plan for the remainder of the game (get Brook the ball every possession). The Lopez brothers combined for 48 and were too much for Marquette’s frontcourt, especially after Lazar Hayward fouled out.
-The score of the Texas-Miami game doesn’t indicate the true story. Texas led by 12-15 for most of the game until the final two minutes. In fact Texas led by ten with two minutes left. Some threes began to drop for the Canes and that is why it seems so close. Some late free throws were needed to put them away. One interesting storyline is that Frank Haith used to be Rick Barnes’ assistant at Texas, and he considers Barnes a father figure.




West Region
This was another region filled with great second round games. All four were pretty tight.
-UCLA trailed Texas A&M for most of the game, until their defense buckled down in the second half. They held A&M to 20 points, 5 in the last ten minutes. Darren Collison and Kevin Love combined for forty, but they needed a driving layup from Collison with 9.5 seconds left to take their first lead of the second half. Josh Shipp and Russell Westbrook only combined for 5 points.
-Western Kentucky defeated San Diego to move on to the Sweet 16. Courtney Lee had 29 (he clearly tried in this game) and Tyrone Brazelton chipped in with 15. The final score was 62-53. Look for Western Kentucky to give UCLA a game, especially if Courtney Lee (an NBA prospect) can play as well as he did against USD.
-Xavier knocked off Purdue behind Drew Lavender’s 18 pts and 9 assts. It was Lavender’s clutch free throw shooting at the end that made the difference (8-8). If you haven’t seen Xavier play, they are an incredibly balanced team that plays suffocating defense. I’m calling it now. Purdue will be in the 2009 final four. They return everyone.
-West Virginia defeated Duke 73-67 on Saturday. Duke’s 8 McDonald’s All Americans couldn’t do much against Joe Alexander and company. Duke’s downfall was not having a single post presence. If you’re only going to shoot 23% on threes, you need someone to get you points in the paint. Joe Alexander dominated in that aspect with 22 pts and 11 rebs. Duke has been awful in the tournament the last three years (since Paulus got there). Once again Greg Paulus chokes by letting the opponent’s average point guard look like Jason Kidd in the tournament. Remember Eric Maynor last year? Well Joe Mazulla had 13 pts 11 rebs 8 assts. And how about Demarcus Nelson’s “senior leadership” in the tournament? He was 3-18 from the field with 8 points.

Credit Bo Ryan

Class of 2002

Jason Chappell- 6’10 PF New Berlin WI

Alando Tucker- 6’5 SG Lockport IL

Ray Nixon- 6’7 PF Whitefish Bay, WI

Maurice Wade- 6’3 SG Milwaukee WI

Class of 2003

Brian Butch- 7’ 215 lbs.C Appleton, WI 5 Stars

Zach Morley- 6’8 PF Maryville MO 3 Stars

Kammron Taylor- 6’2 158 lbs. Minneapolis MN 3 Stars

Class of 2004

Sharif Chambliss- 6’1 PG Racine WI 2 Stars

Michael Flowers- 6’2 SG Madison WI 3 Stars

Greg Stiemsma- 6’11 225 Randolph WI 4 Stars

DeAaron Williams- 6’4 SF Bartonville IL 3 Stars

Class of 2005

Joe Krabbenhoft- 6’7 SF Sioux Falls SD 5 stars

Marcus Landry- 6’7 PF Milwaukee WI 3 Stars

Class of 2006

Jason Bohannon- 6’3 PG Marion IA 4 Stars

Trevon Hughes- 6’2 PG Delafield WI 4 Stars

J.P. Gavinski- 6’10 C Wisconsin Dells WI 3 stars

University of Wisconsin may be the most pure state university basketball team in the country. Nearly all the players in the program are from the state of Wisconsin, a true rarity in college sports today. Many of their stars are from their home state as well. On this year’s team Butch, Stiemsma, Landry, Flowers and Hughes are 5 of the 7 guys that play significant minutes. On North Carolina, not one of the players from the state of North Carolina sees a significant minute in most games (GravesMinnesota, Illinois (x2), South Dakota, Iowa are all real close to Madison and the furthest recruit is Zach Morley who came up from Missouri. To show the complete opposite extreme Duke (a team who has had less success then Wisconsin these past three years) doesn’t have one player from the state of North Carolina and has a greater connection to New Jersey (2 players), Oregon, Arkansas, California, Oregon, Colorado and Lithuania than the state of North Carolina. comes in for like 30 seconds-doesn’t count). Also the guys that come in from out of state aren’t being flown in cross-country they are from neighboring states.

Not only does Coach Ryan recruit unbelievably well in his home state, once he gets his players to Madison he makes them better. If you are asked which state is home to the best basketball in the country, Wisconsin isn’t even in your top 20. Yet using Wisconsin born players Coach Ryan consistently makes them a top 10 team in the country. Brian Butch for example came into campus as the most highly recruited player Wisconsin has had since 1993. He was a McDonald’s All-American yet he redshirted. He agreed with Coach Ryan that he wasn’t ready for the physicality of the Big 10 and gained 20 lbs. of muscle and is now the best player on a sweet sixteen team as a senior. Kam Taylor was said to be too skinny when he was recruited by Coach Ryan. He came to Madison as a 158 lb. scrawny point guard but left as the best point guard in the big 10 (did I mention he was 175 lbs. and physical). The best example is probably the bruiser on this year’s Wisconsin team Greg Stiemsma. Stiemsma was pretty highly viewed coming out of high school and was given 4 star status but was said to be to slow and not big enough to bruise down low in the big 10. Now he is the classification of bruiser. He has gained 35 lbs of muscle since entering Madison and outmuscled Kansas St. on Saturday for the win.

Maybe teams like North Carolina and Duke should stop going cross country looking for the next big star and instead start working on recruiting in their own backyards. They each missed on Stephen Curry (40 pts in the first round) and now he is starring at Davidson. They both missed on K.C. Rivers who was probably the best shooter in the ACC this year (Duke isn’t that what you pride yourselves on). They should learn from coaches like Bo Ryan who develops his talent and uses homegrown talent. People of Wisconsin can be proud of their team. They are a true state university team that represents the whole state. Congrats Bo, you built a winning program the fans can be proud of.

Year of the Big Man

For the last ten years or so it has been quite apparent that college basketball is guard-dominated. It has been about having perimeter players who can extend a defense with their ability to shoot and, just as importantly, about having guards who can drive and get to the rim or dish it to a teammate. This year, though, I have been astonished by the unmistakeable reestablishment of the low post player, better known to casual basketball fans as the "big man."

Today specifically, the third day of the tournament and first day of the second round, the dominance of low post play, as opposed to perimeter play, has been evident. I have just watched Stanford feed the ball into Brook (not to be confused with twin Robin) Lopez virtually every possession for the last five minutes. Brook finished off the game with 30 points, including the game winning basket with 1.3 seconds left. He was unstoppable. The next game in Anaheim, UCLA vs Texas A&M, Kevin Love had a similar impact. In three of the key possessions in the final three minutes, Love (a 6-10 freshman center) got the ball on the block and scored each time to give UCLA the win.

If you look across the country, this has been an enormous year for power forwards and centers everywhere. Michael Beasley at Kansas State averaged 26.5 points and 12.5 rebounds en route to becoming the consensus best player in college basketball. Tyler Hansbrough will win the National POY and willed UNC to the overall number one seed. Luke Harangody had a fantastic season at Notre Dame (22 points 10 rebounds per) and won Big East POY. DJ White came back for his senior season and had quite a year at Indiana.

Ok, the college game is still heavily guard-oriented, but at least this year the big men were shown some "Love" (no pun intended). I have seen more so this year than any other year a team dump it down to their low post presence during an important possession. This was personified in the Stanford-Marquette game today. Marquette plays three guards at all time. Stanford starts two seven foot centers. In the last ten minutes of the game each team did what they do best. Marquettte had their guards handle the ball and create shots, while Stanford dumped it down to Brook every possession and ran their offense through him. Needless to say, Stanford won.

So there is hope for all you young centers out there. Instead of stepping out to the 3 point line and jacking up low percentage shots, get down to the block. Find a move and a counter. Judging by the change in play this year, there will be plenty of chances for you to touch the rock near the basket. Just look at Kevin Love or Brook Lopez.

Round 1 Recap

I will recap each game and team by region

Raleigh- UNC waltzed over Mt. St. Mary’s but I respect what the Mount tried to come in and do. They didn’t try to slow it down and get into a terrible 30 point blowout but they played up and down like they were used to. Only problem is they were playing a team much better than them at it.

Arkansas beat Indiana by 14 in a game that should’ve come down to the end. Note Dan Dakich got a technical foul within the first five minutes of the game (he is just such an idiot). Eric Gordon never showed up and Sonny Weems played one of his better games. Sad way for D.J. White to go out but Arkansas deserved this game.

Georgetown beat UMBC after UMBC played with them for a most of the first half. Georgetown vs Wisconsin in the sweet sixteen would be a great game to watch as its two teams that play similar styles going at it against each other.

One of my biggest gripes with the tourney committee is that if you’re a lower seed you should be able to play at home. Also they should take the local times of the schools into account. Neither happened for Gonzaga who were a 7 seed playing at Davidson and at 9:30 A.M. on their mental clocks. I like Davidson but outside of Stephen Curry shooting and Jason Richards all around game they have no one.

My Picks in Region: 3-1 went with Gonzaga

Next Round Prediction: UNC over Arkansas, and GTown over Davidson on the road.

Denver- In what was supposed to be a great night session game Gus Johnson and the rest of America got jipped as Notre Dame just blew out George Mason. It was never a ball game. Everyone looked on for Notre Dame and they were shooting well which is a good sign for them as they play…

Washington St. who beat Winthrop on defense alone. At halftime they were tied 29 all and I was worried if Winthrop had enough to hold on and win at the end. I was fooled Washington St. decided to start trying on defense and was up 51-33 before I knew. It was never a game after that.

Michigan St. never really relinquished their mid-teens lock on the game and cruised to beat Temple. Setting up a big time meet in the second Round against

Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh beat Oral Roberts in a game which had a playground feel. If Levance and Ramon are playing well this is a tough team.

My Picks: 4-0

Next Round: Wash St. over Notre Dame and Pitt over Mich St.

Birmingham- Butler had the biggest margin of victory in their contest. They also have reason to be mad at the committee first of all they were the #10 ranked team in the country but only got a 7 seed. Secondly they had to go to play South Alabama in where else Alabama. They vented their frustration and beat the team handily. They now play…

Tennessee. Tennessee had plenty of trouble with my Sweet 16 ’09 pick American http://cuttingdownthenets.blogspot.com/2008/03/team-capsules-part-7.html. Garrison Carr lit them up and it took them until 5 minutes left in the second half to pull away. They won that game on shear athleticism if they don’t start to click Butler will pull the upset.

Louisville played another of those teen fests in their victory over Boise St. Louisville, my championship loser, needs to assert their power and step on team’s throats early like they did here.

Oklahoma held on to win against the trendy pick in St. Joe’s. Blake Griffin tried, if I had known he would Oklahoma would’ve been my pick.

My picks: 3-1 lost on St. Joes

Next Round: Tennessee over Butler (real close) and Louisville over Oklahoma

Omaha- And the winner for the easiest road to the final four is…Kansas. Kansas ran over Portland St.(the best 16 seed who should’ve gotten a 14) and has their offense clicking. On their way to the elite 8 they wont play a team seeded better than 9^th. In the second round they play…

UNLV. UNLV kills me every year and next year I am taking them 1 and done no matter what (worked for me so far this year with Marquette). Kent St. a team I had been hyping just shit the bed. It was a bad day for MAC hoops.

Kansas St. and “Crazy Eyez” Frank Martin won the battle of “How did I get this job” over Tim Floyd and USC. It was the only real upset of day 1 of the tournament and that made me worried this year wouldn’t be very exciting. I was wrong.

Wisconsin held on to beat Cal State Fullerton. Fullerton had a high powered offense and were in the game for most of it. Wisconsin doesn’t really blow teams out and needs to play in the half court which can scare you. They also don’t shoot well but play unbelievable defense.

My picks: 3-1 (damn UNLV)

Next Round: Kansas over UNLV and Wisconsin over K. St.

Tampa- The craziest region was Tampa. I’ll put it this way, minus this region I am a very happy bracketeer. I would be near the top of the pack and would think I had a legitimate shot at winning. Then Tampa happened. I went 0-4 in the region and knocked out 2 of my sweet 16 teams and one elite 8 team. OUCH.

In the first game of the region Drake and Western Kentucky played an epic battle that Western Kentucky won on a game winning three as time expired in overtime. It was demoralizing at the time but if I lose on that I’ll take it. It was a pretty evenly matched game and to win 101-99 on a 30 foot three is great.

In the second game I was made happier because since I had Drake in the sweet 16 I was kicking myself for not taking UCONN there instead. Well, luckily UCONN lost to San Diego on another last second shot in overtime. So now its Western Kentucky vs. San Diego 12 vs 13.

In the South Region, Siena (the ultimate trendy pick started by Seth Davis as the brackets were released) put a beatdown on Vanderbilt. Vandy shouldn’t be allowed to play in their home gym. That gym is the ultimate home court advantage and without it they would lose many more games.

The game that makes me the maddest of the entire first round is Clemson vs. Villanova. Clemson was up 39-21 near the end of the first half then couldn’t buy a basket. Villanova won at the end even after Jay Wright had a technical within the final three minutes of a close game. This game makes me mad because Clemson is the better team. They were the right pick in every sense yet the idiots who say “oh, a 12-5 has to happen so I’ll take Villanova” get to show off about their great picking practices for this one. Makes me sick.

My Picks: 0-4 Region of Death

Next Round: San Diego over WKU and Siena over Nova (please)

Little Rock- Give Texas Arlington a lot of credit. Memphis can blow good teams out by 30 yet they stuck around and kept it within 12 for 32 minutes of the game. Each time I’d look up and think Memphis would pull away they didn’t. Memphis won the game by around twenty but they had more of a test than any other 1 seed this year. They move on to face…

My Mississippi St. Bulldogs. I have adopted Mississippi St. as my all or nothing team this year. They must beat Memphis for me to have a chance. They did a nice job coming back and beating a very talented Oregon team last night. Charles Rhodes came up really clutch putting up 34 points while Jamont Gordon wasn’t playing well.

Texas cruised by the Governors of Austin Peay. Good start for Texas who now has Miami and then gets to play in Houston.

Miami beat St. Mary’s putting the icing on the cake for a bad mid-major year. I thought Kent St. was so good because they beat up on St. Mary’s on bracket buster Saturday but what really happened was two decent teams no good teams got overhyped and lost me two games in the tourney.

My Picks: 3-1 Miami isn’t good I thought

Next Round: Mississippi St over Memphis and Texas over Miami

Anaheim- Stanford rolled in the SAT bowl (glad that joke is over now). Cornell will be back next year though and the experience they gained here will be invaluable. I think they have a good shot at an upset next year. Stanford moves on to play…

Marquette. Marquette didn’t kill me this tournament (yet) like they always do. They beat Kentucky like they were supposed to and now have to play Stanford. Contrasting styles against one another. Stanford and their bigs vs. Marquette and their guards…Should be interesting.

UCLA rolled over Mississippi Valley St. to start off their NCAA championship run. The Delta Devils should’ve been in the play-in game.

Texas A&M beat BYU as Josh Carter went off from downtown. These are the games that frustrate me because I really believe that BYU is a better team than the poser A&M yet they don’t win.

My Picks: 3-1 BYU lost

Next Round: UCLA over A&M and Stanford over Marquette.

Washington D.C.- Starting out with the only non-exciting game of this region Purdue put a smack down on Baylor. I thought that Purdue was fading because they were so young and weren’t ready for the rigors of a college schedule…I was fooled.

Xavier beat Georgia on the legs of a great second half. Sundiatta Gaines killed them but once Xavier turned it on Georgia had no answer. I was nervous because I have Xavier in the elite 8 and they were looking rather shaky in the first half.

West Virginia and “Cutting down the Nets Favorite” Joe Alexander got past Arizona to a matchup which they can win against the Dukies. West Va. Can shoot threes too you know Coach K.

Belmont lost by 1 to those Dukies. I had been telling people that Belmont could win this game but I didn’t actually believe they would have an actual shot. They did and Duke barely held on. Great game and Belmont will get much more respect next year starting with a 14 seed maybe?

My picks: 3-1 (damn Baylor)

Next Round: Xavier and Duke

Team Capsules Part 19 (Last One)

Kentucky (18-12, 12-4) Billy Gillespie’s first year has been a rocky one. They got off to a 7-8 start, which is unacceptable in Lexington. Luckily, though, for Gillespie, freshman forward Patrick Patterson has picked up his game and brought this team to an impressive 12-4 conference record. They are matched up with Marquette in the first round, which will really put guards Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford to the test.

The Good: Kentucky could be facing a tougher matchup than Marquette. Marquette plays three outstanding guards at a time and fortunately for Kentucky, the Wildcats biggest strength is their defense in the backcourt. Guards Ramel Bradley and Jodie Meeks are tested. They’ll have to do a great job on ball screens, something coach Tom Crean loves to utilize. Bradley gambles a lot and gets almost 2 steals a game. He’ll need to stay cautious with his assignment on Dominic James.

The Bad: Patrick Patterson is out for the season. He carried them through several games in the SEC this season, but they will have to play without him. He suffered a stress fracture in his foot three weeks ago. Without Patterson, they have no inside presence. Both teams, Marquette and Kentucky, will be guard-oriented. Marquette’s guards are better.

The Verdict: I think Marquette should take this game. Kentucky has underachieved the entire season. Without their best player I don’t see much of a chance against a sound team in Marquette.




UNC (32-2, 14-2) The Tarheels have had one of the best seasons in UNC history. Of course, in Chapel Hill seasons are measured by how well you do in late March and early April. They finished the season ranked number one basically single handedly driven by the play of Tyler Hansbrough. When point guard Ty Lawson went down in the middle of the season, Tyler carried them through a very telling stretch. That is why he will be the National Player of the Year. UNC is one of the favorites entering the tournament, and this position is well warranted, but I am not completely sold on their odds heading into the dance.

The Good: They have the National Player of the Year. Tyler just plays harder than everyone else (how else can you explain 4 offensive rebounds a game?) Along with Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington has been consistent all year, and Danny Green can put up 20 any given night. Not to mention, a healthy Ty Lawson, which they haven’t had for most of the season. If you’re picking UNC to the final 4, you’re hoping Tyler dominates the offensive glass and Ty Lawson weaves in and out of defenses like he usually does. They have only lost two games all season and both were at home. Plus, they will not leave the state of NC until the final 4 if they get that far.

The Bad: This team is good defensively, not great. Tyler only has 11 blocks this season and isn’t a fantastic defensive rebounder. Everyone else is pretty good. They don’t have that one dominant defensive big man. This isn’t a deep team either. They go 8 deep, and basically only play 3 true guards.

The Verdict: It is really easy to pick this team to go to San Antonio. They won’t board a plane for another two weeks. They’ll have more fans at every game than any opponent. But, I’m taking Louisville out of the East. I think UNC’s poor defense during stretches will catch up to them. I have them going out in the elite 8.




Kansas (31-3, 13-3) The Jayhawks have been the most talented team in the country from the start of the season. They’ve got plenty of Mcdonald’s All Americans and are without a doubt the deepest team in the field. If it were based on pure talent alone, they’d be my pick hands down. But, Bill Self is a choker. Bucknell, Bradley, and UCLA have beaten Kansas the last 3 years. He has never been to a final four. He’s going to have to prove to me he can win on the biggest stage before I can take his team all the way.

The Good: If I were to list everything good about this team, it would be 2 pages long. They are so explosive and balanced, it’s scary. They have an amazing resume this year. They have 7 different players who could average 20 anywhere else. But they have each bought into the team philosophy. They shoot 40% from beyond the arc, which is remarkable. They are ranked 1 in Kenpom’s adjusted offense and defense rankings. I also think they have two of the more underrated players in the tournament in Mario Chalmers and Sasha Kaun. Chalmers can take over any game. He is phenomenal.

The Bad: Bill Self. The guy is a great recruiter, he just doesn’t win in the tournament. 3-3 over the last 3 years at Kansas is unacceptable. They have had enough talent to win it all each of the last 3 seasons. Until he proves to me he can out gameplan and outcoach a guy like Roy Williams or Rick Pitino, he still isn’t on their level to me.

The Verdict: This team will make the final 4. They are way too talented to not make it. In fact I have them going to the final, before losing to UCLA. If they make it that far, Self will win some respect in my book. Until then, he’s a great recruiter and not much else.

Team Capsules part 18

Miami (22-10, 8-8) The Canes were picked to finish last in the preseason ACC poll. After all, they only won twelve games last year. It only took them twelve games to win twelve this year. The only real impressive win out of the twelve was a win at Mississippi State. Since December 23rd they are only 10-10. They have taken advantage of a big down year in the ACC (Don’t give me the parity argument, they only got 4 teams in! enough said). In any other year, this team probably wouldn’t get in. But apparently in 2008, having one marquee win over Duke and another solid win over Clemson is enough to get in.

The Good: Jack McClinton is a PTP’er. I mean the guy hits threes left and right. Plus he’s got an attitude which I like (see both games against Duke). The ball will be in his hands at the end of the game and he’s a 91% free throw shooter. As a team they shoot 74% from the line, which is far better than most teams. Big men Anthony King and Dwayne Collins do the job down low, but could be better presences offensively. They’ve got four guys that can launch and that will help extend St. Mary’s defense, opening up the court for McClinton to penetrate. If they’re going to win McClinton’s gotta score 25.

The Bad: Outside of McClinton they don’t have any proven scoring threats. Guard James Dews is capable of giving you 15, but he’s also scored 2 in a loss to NC State this year. As a team they average more turnovers than assists, which is never a good sign. They rely a lot on offensive rebounds, which can plague them if St. Mary’s boxes out well.

The Verdict: I like St. Mary’s in this matchup. It is basically Patty Mills against Jack McClinton, because both teams rely so heavily on each of these two players. I’ll go with Patty because I think he has a better all around game. Also, Miami has struggled recently (they’re 8-9 in their last 17).




Texas A&M (24-10, 8-8) I saw them play at the Preseason NIT. I came away very, very impressed. Dominique Kirk played like a star on both ends, Joseph Jones looked dominant, and Deandre Jordan came off as a project, but a worthy one at that. Over the course of the season my impression of Texas A&M has shifted dramatically. They don’t play well together. Joseph Jones does not play to his potential. And their point guard by committee strategy with Donald Sloan and Kirk isn’t scaring many teams. Here’s an interesting stat for you. First year Coach Mark Turgeon has played 18 guys this season. Talk about finding different combinations for chemistry. It sure makes defensive slides easier in practice.

The Good: They started the season off 15-1 so you know there is potential there. They also have 6 talented, capable scorers. Most teams would like to have 2. This means that if any two of them have an off night, the other four can put up 60 by themselves. They are a pretty deep team and between Deandre Jordan and Joseph Jones they have a pretty formidable frontcourt. This team gets to the line a lot, a sign of an aggressive bunch. Carter can heat up quickly, he was a 50% 3 point shooter last year.

The Bad: They only make 63% of their free throws. They haven’t gelled as a team since December. They are only 9-9 since January 16, which is an issue of concern. In that span they have lost 5 by 15 or more.

The Verdict: I like BYU in the matchup. I don’t think Mark Turgeon has been able to figure out this group of guys all season. Now would be the time for senior Joseph Jones to pick it up (his ppg and rpg are the lowest of his career). I just don’t see A&M winning this game.



Kansas St (20-11, 10-6) Behind Michael “What study hall?” Beasley and Frank “Crazy Eyed” Martin Kansas St has had its best finish in the Big 12 ever. In fact, Beasley has put up more astounding numbers this year than POY Kevin Durant did last year (Beasley is averaging 26.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg). Martin, Beasley’s former AAU coach, was hired probably as a way to land B-Easy as Aaron refers to him. It has certainly paid off for Kansas State this year. They snapped Kansas’ 24 game winning streak over them with an exciting win in Manhattan (no not MSG, but Manhattan, Kansas).

The Good: They have maybe the best player in the tournament. Ok, they have the best player in the tournament, I said it. There aren’t many defenders in the country that can hold him to under 30 and 10. Beasley’s gonna get his. It’s just a matter of how many his teammates, specifically Bill Walker and Jacob Pullen, can put up. As a fan, you have to like Kansas State’s rebounding. They led the Big 12 in rebounds and offensive rebounds. And it’s not only Beasley that can hit the glass. Bill Walker brings down over 6 a game of his own. Beasley is great at getting opposing centers in foul trouble, which is bad news for USC’s Taj Gibson, who seemingly picks up two fouls on illegal screens a game. If you’re picking Kansas State, you’d better hope Bill Walker or Pullen has a nice game of their own. Chances are Bill Walker will, considering he’s playing against his old high school teammate OJ Mayo. Walker will definitely be giving Dominique Sutton, the team’s best perimeter defender some insight into how to guard Mayo all week during practice.

The Bad: The Wildcats are last in the Big 12 in both three point percentage (a measly 32%) and defensive three point percentage (over 36%). This does not bode well for Crazy Eyes since USC can make a living out there. If Mayo gets hot, look out. Also, they are 5-7 in their last 12. That is not good news for Wildcats believers.

The Verdict: I have gone back and forth in this game all week. I probably won’t have a decision on this until I hand in the bracket. Basically it comes down to who gets in foul trouble. If it’s Gibson, I like Kansas State. If it’s Beasley, I like USC. I think it’ll be Gibson. The pick is Kansas State.

Bracket Look

-The Kansas St.-USC matchup is being booked as a great matchup between Beasley and Mayo but there is a even better matchup going on in this game. It is the battle of "How Did I Get This Job" between "Crazy Eyez" Frank Martin and Tim "Wait is this really O.J. on the phone?" Floyd.

-I really hope Zoubek vs. Smalligan gets to happen. No need to explain this one.

-Battle of Bodymore- Who is the average Baltimore fan rooting for in Georgetown UMBC. Darryl Proctor who looks like he could be a corner boy, or DaJuan Summers who could easily pass for muscle.

-Upset Specials are Western Kentucky, St. Joes, if your feeling real risky Siena or San Diego, and Mississippi St over Memphis in round 2

-I wish the ESPN announcers would go out on more of a limb with picks Bob Knight was the only one to take real risk.

-I have a feeling many of the BYU players went there just because they knew they would have one day off a week.

-Until Bill Self can get his team to a final four I will always bring up Bradley and Bucknell. I would have loved to see the committee pair them with BYU in the second round or Belmont or Boise in the first.
-Name of the Tourney: Longar Longar probably

-Dunk of the Tourney: Probably Russell Westbrook in the first round.

-My Elite 8: UNC Ville Clemson Wisconsin Pitt Texas UCLA Xavier

Team Capsules Part 17

Pittsburgh-(26-9, 10-8) The Pittsburgh bandwagon has grown and grown over the past week. It has even gone so far that Bob Knight chose Pitt to win it all during ESPN Bracketology. Well I have been a Pitt fan since Brandin Knight and was very happy to see this squad win a Big East championship that has so eluded them for the past 4 years. Jamie Dixon took over for Ben Howland five years ago and this could be his best chance for tourney success yet (3-4) so far.

The Good: This team has leadership. Ronald Ramon, Keith Benjamin, Sam Young and Levance Fields are all leaders. This team has guys that can hit the big shot with the game on the line (Fields did it against Duke and Ramon did it against West Virginia). Up front they only are 6’6 and 6’7 but Sam Young and DeJuan Blair are as physical as anyone and will outbruise and outwill other bigs. Sam Young was their leading scorer this year and scored a quiet 18 ppg to me. He willed them through the Big East tournament almost singlehandedly at some points. Also with Levance Fields healthy they are a much better and different team than with him on the sidelines. With the 10^th best offense in the country they know their points will come. And with their bruising Big East style that they are famous for they will outpower Oral Roberts easily. The key to them advancing far will rest heavily on freshman DeJuan Blair’s shoulders. Blair is the first player on Pitt from Pittsburgh in nearly 20 years and has exceeded any expectations out of him. When Pitt outrebounded their competition in regular season play they were 19-1. When they were outrebounded they were a mere 2-8. If Pitt is to advance they must outrebound their opponents.

The Bad: They are not playing at Madison Square Garden. At MSG this year they are 5-0 with wins over Duke, Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and Georgetown. You take away those five wins and they are a bubble team with hardly any good wins. Yes you have to give this team credit for clicking at the right time but playing in Denver and Houston is quite different then playing with something to prove in front of their friends from home.

The Verdict: As a fan of this team I think they can make the Elite 8. As a skeptic I see many flaws. They will waltz into their clash with Michigan St. and depending on which State team shows up will determine who wins that game.

Wisconsin-(29-4,16-2) Bo Ryan must’ve thought he missed his chance. He had National POY candidate Alando Tucker and All Big 10 player Kam Taylor as his senior leaders with a great group of role players and yet the squad couldn’t make it far in the tourney. They were upset early on and everyone forgot about their swing offense and the great story of Alando. Well Ryan is back and the faces change but the game remains the same (small tribute to The Wire). Led by Brian Butch, (the only McDonald’s All-American to redshirt his freshman year) a fifth year senior they have a great post presence. Trevon Hughes has replaced Taylor very nicely running the point and hasn’t had many speed bumps along the way. Michael Flowers, Marcus Landry, Joe Krabbenhoft, and Jason Bohannon fill up the guard and forward spots and have combined to replace Tucker and maybe surpass him as a unit.

The Good: Defense. Defense. Defense. This is the best defensive team in the country. They have Michael Flowers who could be the best defender in the country, (Kramer was not more deserving Big 10) Joe Krabbenhoft who would be a defensive stopper on most any squad, and Marcus Landry their defensive stopper from last year’s squad (who now is the third best defender of their starters). Anyone aside from Stiemsma (who is trying to challenge Lorenzo Mata for ugliest backup center in America) and Krabbenhoft is a legitimate three point threat including Brian Butch. Also within the swing offense that Bo Ryan employs everyone is as important as the next guy so the defense can’t cue in on one guy. They also are better than a three seed would indicate. They were by far the best team in the Big 10 and won 29 games this season. They had won their last ten entering big dance but I guess having the name Duke means something in that tourney selection room.

The Bad: Depth. They only go seven deep and no one else outside of those seven can contribute. Also they must dictate pace. If they get into a shootout they will be eliminated.

The Verdict: I am taking this team to the final four. They play the defense that will drive any team insane. What worries me is that in the second round they play either K-St. or USC. If it is K-St. Beasley will be a tough cover for whoever is chosen to guard him (Krabbenhoft or Landry likely). If they make it to the sweet sixteen to play Georgetown I think their style matches perfectly with Georgetown for the upset.

Georgetown-(27-5, 15-3) Georgetown is the other Big East team I am a fan of. I have Hoya hoops club t-shirts and have been on the JT3 bandwagon ever since he left Princeton. This year’s squad is the last hurrah for Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace and latecomer Patrick Ewing Jr. They had their success last year in making it to the Final Four but this year they want to get back there again. It will be much more difficult without superstar Jeff Green. They still have the talent to beat anyone and in their semifinal of the Big East tournament against West Virginia they looked like that final four team.

The Good: Wallace is the senior leader at point and Hibbert knows how to play the center position. They go 8 deep with guys who are all great role players and they can all play defense. Sapp, Freeman and Wallace can all knock down threeballs and in Ewing Jr. they have someone that can awake them with a wakeup call in the form of a electric dunk. They are experienced play great defense and play a very methodical half court game in which they are as good as anyone in the country at. Also they have 5 guys that can take on the challenge of guarding an opponent’s best wing as they all took turns in wreaking havoc on Joe Alexander. With all this going for them why can’t they make it to the final four again?

The Bad: One word: Wisconsin. In the sweet sixteen they would meet up with Wisconsin who plays a very-very similar game only I believe plays better defense and thus a better overall game.

The Verdict: If they get by Wisconsin (which I don’t think they will) they have a tough test in Kansas. But knowing Bill Self’s ability to implode when it comes to a big game I would give JT3 and Georgetown the advantage.

Team Capsules Part 16

Villanova-(20-12, 9-9) I’ll be honest, I am a Jay Wright fan. I liked him at Hofstra with Speedy Claxton and I loved his Kyle Lowry, Allen Ray and Randy Foye led team at Nova. I still really like him but really couldn’t care less about him being young or handsome or having great hair (thank you that’s enough every announcer). But I didn’t think Jay Wright’s team should have been in the tournament this year. They needed one more win in the big east tournament or at least a decent showing and they got blown out by Georgetown. Surprisingly the tourney committee disagreed with me and gave them a 12 seed. Well now they are playing one of the hottest teams in the tournament in Clemson and are likely one and done.

The Good: Scottie Reynolds. Scottie has the ability to take over any game and is a wet shooter (not Ramon wet but still wet enough). They also are really athletic with everyone in their starting lineup being able to run the floor well and push the ball. They have some good shooters in the Corey’s (Fisher and Stokes) and they have had some pretty good wins this year in the Big East.

The Bad: Size and Experience. They don’t play anyone taller than 6’8 in their rotation and against a good big that is going to cost them. Experience wise they are the most untested team in the entire tournament. They have no seniors on their roster. They start two freshman and only have one player who played any time on the Foye team (Dante Cunningham). Because of their inexperience and going against a hungry Clemson team I don’t see this team doing well. But next year is another story.

The Verdict: Thank You see you next year. They will be back next year and will be a higher seed and more deserving that time.

Clemson-(24-9, 10-6) Goddamn Clemson why do you have to go and blow my cover. that’s what I said on March 10^th. Back when you were still hovering around the 7 or 8 line. But now you have to go out and show the rest of the country that you are really legit. Now I am at a loss for a sleeper. Anyway, Oliver Purnell has done a great job in building this formerly awful program into the third best team in the ACC this year (damn Tobacco Road).

The Good: 3 point shooters. Ogelsby fills the white shooter stereotype perfectly and along with K.C. Rivers they are probably the most lethal shooting tandem in the ACC (take that Scheyer and Paulus). Cliff Hammonds not to be outdone makes nearly two a game himself. Anyone of those three can get really hot and if two get going they are nearly impossible to stop. They have the trademark of a great team in 5 guys averaging in double figures and a 6^th whose really close (8.6). They are also great at rebounding. Rivers, James Mays and Trevor Booker all averaged over 6.4 rebounds a game. Hammonds is also a fourth year starter at point guard who rarely makes mistakes and is very trustworthy bringing it up.

The Bad: Free throw shooting. They were last in the ACC shooting under 60% in conference play and it lost them the ACC championship game against Duke (1 for 8 in the last two minutes). Three of their starters shoot under 60% and Hammonds shoots 46%. This could lose them a game.

The Verdict: I am on the bandwagon; they are defiantly in my sweet 16 it just depends if I feel gutsy enough to take them over Kansas.

Gonzaga-(25-7, 13-1) I used to hate Gonzaga (mainly because they beat my favorite St. Johns team with Reggie Jesse and Bootsy Thornton) but over the past couple of years I have flip-flopped on them like my name was John Kerry. Gonzaga is now one of my favorite teams year in year out. I am a huge fan of Mark Few and think he has one of the best jobs in the country where he is. About this team I am really conflicted. They matched the Zags up with Davidson. Before the tourney was selected I had said to my friend that I was going to take both of them far. Now I have to decide which one to let go. So here is my capsule of Gonzaga.

The Good: They are led at point guard by probably my favorite player in the country, Jeremy Pargo. Pargo was the WCC player of the year (8^th time in a row a Zag has won it) this year and I feel confident saying he is the best point guard in the Midwest region. When he is playing well Gonzaga can beat almost anyone in the country even on their home turf just like they did when they played UConn in New England. Off guard they have Matt Bouldin who is a great defensive player (and for those first timers tuning in and seeing his floppy hair he is not Adam Morrison). I feel they have more firepower off the bench than they do in their starting five. Off the bench they bring in Josh Heytvelt, Austin Daye and Micah Downs. Heytvelt (to the casual fan may be known as Shroomboy) but to me is remembered for his Preseason NIT last year, especially in the game where Heytvelt outmanned Tyler Hansbrough in Gonzaga’s win over UNC. Daye is 6’10 and probably the best shooter on Gonzaga. He weighs a buck-o-five but against the likes of Davidson’s bigs that wont matter since he can extend the floor. Downs was a McDonalds All-American who went to Kansas then transferred to Gonzaga, he can really shoot but is very streaky so we will know what to expect from him within his first 5 minutes in.

The Bad: Outside of Pargo they have no other point guards which means Jeremy can’t get into foul trouble. Also they are playing Davidson in Raleigh. Oh did I mention that Gonzaga’s game will be at 12 which will mean that they are playing at 9 am on their mental clocks. This game will truly test their wills.

The Verdict: I have toyed with this game back and forth. I like both teams and the 9 am mental clock is very tempting. But Davidson has become the trendy pick and I hate the trendy pick. I would rather go down rooting for one of my favorite teams than regret it so Gonzaga is my pick here.

Team Capsules Part 15

Washington St (24-8, 11-7) Coming off the best year in a very long time for the Cougars, Tony Bennett has brought his team back to the dance again. This time they are more experienced and are primed for a run to the second weekend or further. They came out the gates this year very strong, winners of their first 14 games. Since then, though, they have looked very average at points. It has been a season of ups and downs. The only constant is their very stingy defense. The only time they allowed 80 points this season was at UCLA. Bennett hopes to ride seniors Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver, and Robbie Cowgill all the way to the final four in 2008, and it isn’t such a crazy notion to jump on the Cougars bandwagon.

The Good: This team can defend. Weaver is one of the more versatile defenders in the tournament, because he can guard anyone from a 2 to a 4. He is sort of their do everything man, and often comes up with a clutch steal or bucket when the team is on the ropes. Low, from Honolulu, has an unconventional game. For those of you that haven’t seen him, he is not what you’d call a pure point guard, but down the stretch the ball is in his hands a lot. He finds different seams to the bucket and has scored in double figures in his last ten games. If you’re into experience in March, listen to this. The Cougars top seven are all juniors or seniors.

The Bad: This team has been inconsistent all year. They had one stretch where they lost 4 out of 5 including a loss at home to Cal and more recently have lost 3 out of their last 6. They do not rebound particularly well, and also do not force too many turnovers, despite playing solid defense. Also, Forward Daven Harmeling is just recovering from an ankle injury.

The Verdict: To me, they should beat Winthrop. After that, Notre Dame will be a challenge. I think they should find a way of containing Harangody, and they’re the pick to the sweet 16. Against UNC however, I see Tyler having a big game. That’s where the road ends for the Cougars.




USC (21-11, 11-7) The Trojans began the season by losing to the eventual 8th place team in the Atlantic Sun, Mercer. On their homecourt, nonetheless. They have since rebounded and become a very dangerous team in the tournament. They are paired up with Kansas State in a game where the committee clearly wanted to leave a sour taste in the mouth of either OJ Mayo or Mike Beasley. In doing so, they are hoping to entice either one to stay for their sophomore years (not gonna happen). This is intriguing team for a number of reasons.

The Good: They have arguably the best freshman in the country. OJ Mayo can take over any game he chooses with his God Given abilities. He can step back and shoot it (86 made threes)or get to the basket at will. It is not only Mayo though. 6-9 forward Taj Gibson from Brooklyn can and will dunk on anyone. He has great hands and finishes all of OJ’s nice dishes. The other guard, Daniel Hacket will pull from anywhere and can hit usually. Forward Davon Jefferson is vastly underrated. He is another freshman who doesn’t get much publicity because of OJ Mayo. This team’s starting five is about as talented as anyone’s.

The Bad: This is an inexperienced and reckless group. They average about 15 turnovers a game, almost 4 of which come from Mayo (who averages more turnovers than assists). Taj Gibson is very capable of picking up two quick fouls, and if he does USC is in trouble. They do not have many big bodies off the bench that Tim Floyd can rely on.

The Verdict: I still haven’t decided whether I like this team over Kansas St. It is important to note that Kansas State is not an 11 seed. So this game is more accurately a 6 or 7 against an 8 seed. Plus Beasley is good for 30 and 10 every time he laces them up. If Taj Gibson stays out of foul trouble, USC should take it. If not, Kansas State will win.




UT Arlington (21-11, 7-9) The Mavericks finished seventh in the regular season of the Southland Conference. Somehow without Brandon Long, the third leading scorer, they knocked off the two, three, and four seeds in the conference tournament. They lost Long to a season ending wrist injury, which helps explain their 7-9 conference record.

The Good: They are deep. Ten players average nine minutes a game or more. They will need all the bodies they can utilize to keep up with Memphis’ fast pace. They also rebound well, as they have 5 guys averaging 4 or more rebounds a game.

The Bad: They can’t shoot the 3 very well. Only one player, guard Rog’er Guignard has more than 41 threes on the season. They also average almost 18 turnovers a game. Who are we kidding? If you turn the ball over against Memphis it will be a highlight reel for Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier, and Derrick Rose.

The Verdict: This might be the biggest blowout of the tournament. Memphis should run all over UT Arlington and move on to the second round. It should be a moral victory for the Mavericks to come within 25.




UNLV (26-7, 12-4) The Runnin’ Rebels made a sweet 16 run last year, but this year’s team is quite different. The only significant returner is Wink Adams, a 6-0 junior guard from Houston. Coach Lon Kruger is still there, though, and that could spell trouble for UNLV’s opponents. He did a great job gameplanning for Wisconsin and Georgia Tech in last year’s tournament and has probably devised a similar plan for beating Kent St. and Kansas. The question is whether this young, less talented team can execute it.

The Good: This team does not turn the ball over. They only average 10.8 turnovers a game, and will force Kent St. to beat them rather than beating themselves. Everyone on the team rebounds, including Adams, who brings down 4 a game. They play sound defense and will not be intimidated by the pressure of the tournament, since they made it to the sweet 16 last year. They also are a pretty hot team, winners of seven of their last 8.

The Bad: They can’t shoot the 3 (33% as a team). They also do not shoot well from the field (42% as a team). Also, do not take too much from their performance in the Mountain West Conference tournament. It was played on their home court. The team also does not have a real shot blocker and likes to go small. They rarely have more than one player on the court over 6-6. They have gone through some scoring droughts this year and do not prove to me that they’ll avoid a couple in the first round.

The Verdict: I am torn between Kent St. and UNLV. On paper, Kent St. looks like the right pick, but my gut tells me UNLV should pull this one out. I think I’ll have to make Kent St. the pick and hope UNLV can’t find their shooting touch.