Albuquerque
Region
Washington pulled off an
unexpected No.1 seed. Wake Forest, Gonzaga, and Louisville
are ready to keep the Huskies from pulling any more
surprises in the regional.
Favorites:
Washington (27-5)
You can bet former Huskies
football coach Rick Neuheisiel will have UW advancing deep
in his bracket. Washington sparkplug Nate Robinson, listed
at 5-foot-10 but closer to 5-7, is the nation’s most
spectacular under 6-foot dunker. He keys the Huskies’
offense, the nation’s second best, averaging 87 points per
game.
Louisville (27-4)
The Cardinals are hot, winning
18 of their past 19. Francisco Garcia, one of only two
active players named to C-USA’s Team of the Decade, has come
up big down the stretch after a midseason slump. In their
final C-USA season, maybe the Cards can get the league their
first national title as a going-away gift.
Wake Forest (26-5)
The Demon Deacons closed the
regular season on a 10-1 roll, but played without point
guard Chris Paul, who was serving a one-game suspension for
a below-the-belt punch to N.C State’s Julius Hodge. Paul’s
presence will be needed when he resumes play after an 11-day
absence.
Gonzaga (25-4)
The Cinderella Zags? Please!
Gonzaga earned its seventh straight NCAA bid and its eighth
consecutive 20 win season. Bruising 6-foot8- forward Ronny
Turiaf (who has games of 33 and 40 points) and 6-foot-8
forward Adam Morrison are offensive catalysts, but sophomore
point guard Derek Raivio makes the Bulldogs go.
Key Players:
Adam Morrison, Gonzaga.
Otherwise known as The Next Larry Bird. Off-the-charts
I.Q. Sensational passer. Old-fashioned stripped socks and
floppy hair.
Chris Paul, Wake Forest. In the
open floor, he’s an expert decision-maker and passer. He’s
going to be a sensational pro. But for now, the Final Four
is his preferred destination.
Tiras Wade, Louisiana
Lafayette. Was the Sunbelt newcomer of the year and
tournament MVP. Wade, who averaged 20.1 points per game,
might be the best unknown player in the region. Wade has
the uncanny ability to take a game over at any point.
Nate Robinson, Washington. A
5-9 guard who plays much, much, much bigger. Spud
Webb-like, able to leap taller players in a single bound and
dunk over them.
Sleepers:
UCLA (18-10)
Ben Howland has UCLA back in the
tournament after the Bruins’ string of 14 consecutive NCAA
finishes ended in 2002. This is Howland’s third school he’s
taken dancing. If Jordan Farmer (Pac-10 Freshman of the
Year), Arron Affialo and Josh Shipp get on a roll, upsets
could be a Bruin for UCLA.
George Washington (22-7)
The lightning-quick Colonials,
primed for a big season after returning their top seven
scorers from an NIT team, ended a 29-year drought and won
their first Atlantic-10 Tournament, beating St. Joseph’s
76-67 in the final.
Picks for Sweet 16
No.1 Washington vs. No.4
Louisville
No.2 Wake Forest vs. No.3
Gonzaga
Austin Region
J.J Redick, the MVP of the ACC
tournament, and his Duke team were able to hold off Georgia
Tech to win another title Sunday. Among those in the region
ready to challenge the Devils: Kentucky, Oklahoma, Syracuse,
and Michigan State.
Favorites:
Duke (25-5)
Duke was picked fourth in the
ACC after Luol Deng (Chicago Bulls) jumped to the NBA and
heralded recruit Shawn Livingston never made it to campus.
Still, the Blue Devils won their 15th ACC
tournament title, tying North Carolina’s record total. One
concern: The health of defensive stopper Sean Dockery, out
with a knee injury since Feb.23.
Kentucky (25-5)
Kentucky, as usual, is deep and
talented. Ten players are averaging 10 minutes per game,
and none averages 30 minutes per game. The Wildcats are the
first Division I program to win 1,900 games. But they
haven’t reached the Final Four since 1998, Smith’s first
season.
Oklahoma (24-7)
After a year’s absence, Oklahoma
is back in the NCAA tournament. Since ending a midseason
three-game losing streak, the Sooners finished with a
seven-game winning streak until Saturday’s loss to Texas
Tech in the Big 12 semifinals. A big key for the Sooners’
resurgence is junior Taj Gray, the Big 12 newcomer of the
year.
Syracuse (27-6)
Think the Orange might be due
for a letdown after winning the Big East tournament? Not
likely. Forward Hakim Warrick and guard Gerry McNamara are
veterans of SU’s 2003 national title team.
Key Players:
Hakim Warrick, Syracuse. A
high-flying talent, known for his acrobatic dunks. He was
this year’s Big East player of the year.
J.J Redick, Duke. Reddick,
clearly the Blue Devils best player, can score from anywhere
on the floor. This dynamite shooter has a no fear of
failure attitude.
Andrew Bought, Utah. The
7-footer might be a No.1 pick. Had farewell on Senior night
(he’s a sophomore) Some say passing skills make him the
next Bill Walton.
Juan Mendez, Niagara. Only
player in national Top 10 for scoring (23.6) and rebounding
(10.5). Native of Montreal has 2,188 career points, making
him NCAA’s all-time leading scorer among Canadian-born
players.
Sleepers:
Niagara (20-9)
The Purple Eagles are legitimate
with 6-foot 8, 245-pound Juan Mendez and point guard Alvin
Cruz. Niagara suffered two consecutive losses to Manhattan
in the MAAC Tournament final, including a one-pointer in
2004. After a 34-year absence from the tournament, the
Purple Eagles now have their sights set on a Sweet 16
appearance.
Old Dominion (28-5)
The Monarchs are paced by
6-foot-9 junior center Alex Loughton, an Australian who had
28 points in the 73-66 OT win against VCU in the CAA
Tournament final. The Monarchs are a very solid No.12. Tom
Izzo and the Spartans might be looking at an early return to
East Lansing.
Picks for the Sweet 16
No.1 Duke vs. No.4 Syracuse
No.2 Kentucky vs. No.6 Utah
Chicago
Region
Big Ten champion Illinois is the
team to beat after finishing the regular season 32-1. Just
getting to the Final Four will be a challenge, however, with
Arizona and Oklahoma State waiting.
Favorites:
Illinois (32-1)
The Illini rebounded nicely from
their regular-season closing 65-64 loss at Ohio State,
sweeping through to capture the Big Ten tournament and a
No.1 seed. The Illini feature a three-guard tandem of Dee
Brown, Deron Williams, and Luther Head that will pose
problems for any opponent.
Oklahoma State (23-6)
With nearly the same lineup that
reached last year’s Final Four, the Cowboys are poised to do
it again. The Pokes are senior heavy, led by Joey and
Stevie Graham, John Lucas, Ivan McFarlin and Daniel Bobik.
OSU’s ultimate success, however, may depend on the outside
shooting of freshman JamesOn Curry.
Arizona (27-6)
Since winning the 1997 title,
the Wildcats are 14-7 in their past seven NCAAs. The
Wildcats enter this year’s tournament as one of the nation’s
hottest teams, winning 15 of their last 18. Watch out for
guard Salim Stoudamire.
Boston College (24-4)
After opening the season with 20
consecutive wins, the Eagles have struggled down the
stretch. They earned the program’s first No.1 seed at the
Big East tournament but lost to West Virginia, 78-72, in the
quarterfinals.
Key Players:
Joey Graham, Oklahoma State.
Was a unanimous pick for All Big 12. Graham is a versatile
offensive threat who can score in a variety of ways.
Lottery pick in NBA draft.
Brandon Bass, LSU. The
6-foot-8, 252-pounder became just the fifth LSU player since
1968 to earn SEC Player of the Year honors, joining Pete
Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal.
Nick Fazekas, Nevada. He’s the
WAC Player of the Year, a smooth 6’11 sophomore center ranks
12th nationally in scoring (21.5 points per
game). Be forewarned, Texas.
Dee Brown, Illinois. Leader of
nation’s No.1 team. Maybe the most electric player in the
tourney.
Sleepers:
UAB (21-10)
The Blazers were able to
overcome a late four-game losing streak and close with five
consecutive victories before losing to Louisville in the
C-USA tournament semifinals. UAB pulled off one of the
biggest shockers last year, eliminating No.1 seed Kentucky.
The Blazers’ pressing and up-tempo style, led by twins
Donell and Ronell Taylor, can give teams fits.
UW-Milwaukee (24-5)
The Panthers went 14-2 in the
Horizon League, winning by a four-game margin but needed a
free throw from Adrian Tigert with 4.2 seconds remaining to
escape Detroit 59-58 in the Horizon Tournament final.
Senior guard Ed McCants, who might have an NBA future, leads
the offense. The Panthers have won 17 of their past 18
games.
Picks for Sweet 16
No.1 Illinois vs. No.4 Boston
College
No.2 Oklahoma State vs. No.3
Arizona
Syracuse Region
North Carolina slipped in the
Atlantic Coast Conference tournament but retained a No.1
seeding. And look what lies ahead: Defending national champ
Connecticut, Kansas, and red-hot Florida are in the same
regional.
Favorites:
North Carolina (27-4)
UNC won its first outright
regular-season title since 1993, when it last won a national
title. Roy Williams seeks his first NCAA championship as a
head coach after going to a quartet of Final Fours with
Kansas. UNC, which once made 13 straight Sweet 16 trips
under Dean Smith, hasn’t made it past the first weekend
since 2000.
Connecticut (22-7)
On Jan.30, the Huskies were 4-3
in the Big East following a 78-74 loss to Notre Dame, but
they rallied to finish in a first-place regular season tie
with Boston College by winning nine of their next 10 (losing
77-70 to North Carolina). The Huskies suspended backup point
guard Antonio Kellogg on Monday, for what was deemed
“violation of team policy.” UConn begins the task of
defending the program’s second national title.
Kansas (23-6)
Since starting 20-1, the
Jayhawks have been rocked, losing five of their past eight
contests. Kansas was without senior guard Keith Langford in
the Big 12 Tournament and has had to lean on Big 12 Player
of the Year Wayne Simien ever more. With a healthy
Langford, Bill Self could become the sixth KU coach to reach
the final four.
Florida (23-7)
The Gators are coming off two
wins against Kentucky in a week and their first SEC
Tournament championship. Now it’s time for that other
tournament, the NCAA, where Florida is 2-4 since reaching
the 2000 championship game. UF’s victories? It beat
Western Kentucky and Sam Houston State. And it had
first-round losses to Creighton and Manhattan. This might
be UF’s best chance to make a serious run before they lose
senior David Lee, and juniors Matt Walsh and Anthony
Roberson make a leap to the NBA.
Key Players:
Wayne Simien, Kansas. Simply
Unstoppable force who averages 19.4 points per game. This
year’s Big 12 Player of the Year.
Marcus Williams, Connecticut.
When UConn’s season nearly headed south Williams took over,
averaging eight assists per game. Twice, he had
school-record 16 assists.
Danny Granger, New Mexico. A
wonderful talent who can take over a game. The Lobos went
to him continually in the Mountain West final against Utah.
Eddie Basden, Charlotte. Has
the talent to change a game. Was C-USA’s Player of the year
as well as Defensive Player of the Year.
Sean May, North Carolina. Final
game against Duke, with an ACC regular-season title on the
line. May had 26 points and 24 rebounds. Enough said?
Rashad McCants, North Carolina.
Has the potential to be the best offensive player in the
tournament. Missed the last two weeks of the regular season
with intestinal disorder. If he’s on he could carry the Tar
Heels to the title.
Anthony Roberson, Florida.
Electrifying guard who can score in a variety of ways. May
forgo his senior season to enter the NBA draft.
Sleepers:
New Mexico (26-6)
The Lobos are on a nine-game
winning streak and have made a 12-game improvement from last
season’s 14-14 mark. Smooth swingman Danny Granger, who had
a record 73 points in the MWC Tournament, led the 60-56 win
against Utah in the Mountain West final with 28 points and
11 rebounds.
Charlotte (21-7)
The 49ers appeared in line for a
No.4 or No.5 seed until closing with three consecutive
losses. Led by C-USA Player of the Year Eddie Basden,
forward Curtis Withers and guard Brendan Plavich, the 49ers
can trade points with anyone. How far Charlotte advances
will depend if the 49ers make a commitment to defense.
Picks for Sweet 16
No.1 North Carolina vs. No.4
Florida
No.2 Connecticut vs. No.3
Kansas. |
