Thursday Night Tournament Previews...

...Pay is tackling the West [Chalk Region] and I'll be handling the South Region...

West Region Game #1:

Kansas (1) vs. Southern Illinois (4)

Southern Illinois have shed the mid-major like Gonzaga has. After six straight trips to the big dance, two of which have led to Sweet 16 visits, the Salukis are a major college basketball program. Kansas aren't expecting some lucky slouches to be across the court. In the last two tournaments, the Jayhawks have been snakebitten by mid-majors. They know fully well that Southern Illinois is the 3rd-best defensive scoring team (56.1 ppg) in Division I, while SIU is cognizant of Kansas' terrific offensive team buoyed by great depth - both hitting its stride in March. It will be a battle of the guards; however, the potential absence of Salukis forward Matt Shaw (sprained ankle sustained Friday night vs. Holy Cross) may allow Kansas to work the ball inside to Wright, Jackson, and Arthur. If the Salukis are to pull this one out, they will have to take an early lead and consistently make shots from beyond the arc with Falker getting his share on the blocks, as the Jayhawks are always due for a quick scoring run regardless of the opposition.

Players to Watch: Tony Young [Southern Illinois] and Sherron Collins [Kansas]

Moment of Truth: How will the team who falls behind by double digits react to the intensity and momentum of the opposition? If SIU gets up by 15, don't expect a swift comeback by Kansas as they did twice against a young Texas squad. If Kansas gets up by 15, it will have meant that the Salukis gave up more than 60 points.

West Region Game #2:

#2. UCLA vs. #3. Pittsburgh

For all intents and purposes, I doubt this one will be pretty to watch. Plain and simple, UCLA's lack of that one extra big men has been exploited this month. The question remains: can Aaron Gray exploit that deficiency? Given his inconsistency since the ankle injury and the proverbial eggs he's laid in big games, Pittsburgh will need lots of help from Mike Cook and the versatile Levon Kendall. Expect Darren Collison to be stifled by Pittsburgh's stingy defense, but do the Panthers have an answer for Arron Afflalo. We see him and the effort of Mbah a Moute getting UCLA into the regional final. (Note: I did not mention the coaches or Howland's daughter)

Players to Watch: Josh Shipp [UCLA] and Levon Kendall [Pittsburgh]

Moment of Truth: When the teams return to the court after halftime, who will hit the big shots before the 16-minute media timeout? My bets are on Afflalo and Shipp. Ramon, Fields, and Graves need to shoot well from the perimeter in order to pave the way for Gray, Cook, and Kendall inside.

South Region Game #1:
#2. Memphis vs. #3. Texas A&M
-This is going to be a knock-down, drag-out boxing match. It’s going 15 rounds and both teams are going to be left battered, bruised, and beaten. Question is: who survives in the end to advance to the Elite Eight? Sure, I picked A&M…but I also grossly underestimated the outside shooting of the Tigers. Calipari seems due for a Final Four one of these years at Memphis, but I wonder if this team has the poise to match clutch shots and key decisions from the likes of Acie Law IV? Perhaps the best clutch player in the tournament, Law exhibits the self-control and fluidity to dominate games in the closing minutes.

Players to Watch: Antonio Anderson [Memphis] & Dominique Kirk [A&M]
Moment of Truth: How Douglas-Roberts’ ankle reacts to the first break in the game. Will he be able to tape it tight enough to last? I honestly have zero idea. What I do know is that without their star backcourt go-to-guy, it’ll be awfully tough for Memphis to survive this all-out battle.

South Region Game #2:
#1. Ohio State vs. #5. Tennessee
-Most of us remember their past encounter on January 18th (68-66 Buckeye victory in Columbus)…especially Oden’s dominant double-double. Yet, Bruce Pearl’s squad is much more under the radar this year than last (when they seemed to be an easily identifiable overrated #2-seed); yet always seem mortal with their customary slow starts to most games. Chris Lofton, as talented as any player in the country, has to be on…and I mean really on. It’ll take over 50% shooting and at least 20-25 points for the Vols star for his squad to grind it out against the Buckeyes. Memo to the Vols: Don’t let Oden stay in the paint the entire game. It’s imperative he be forced to move around and reach a few times for errant balls, perhaps committing that deadly 4th foul before the 8 to 10 minute mark. As for the Buckeyes, they have to guard the perimeter much tougher than they did against Xavier and must allow Oden to get through the typical early cobwebs and then sit back and ride their star 7-footer into the Elite Eight.

Players to Watch: Ron Lewis [Ohio State] & Dane Bradshaw
[Tennessee]
Moment of Truth: Tennessee needs its role players to step up just as they did against the Cavs down the stretch. Bradshaw, a little too quiet thus far in the tournament, may be exposed on defense by the quicker, athletic Buckeyes. Or so Ohio State thinks. It’ll be interesting to see how Tennessee matches up on D and tries to avoid off-the-dribble screens and slashes.

Can another freshman lead his team to the Final Four?
Step 3 of 4 begins around 10pm tonight for Greg Oden.

Play-by-play is a 50/50 tonight. But either way, enjoy the night's matchups...

The Misses

Usually, the shtick for established columnists and up-and-coming bloggers in the sports realm is to highlight their good predictions and ignore the bad misses. Today, I'm going to focus on the misses this season. Let's focus on three misses.

The most obvious miss was Texas A&M. Don't get me wrong, I expected them to make the tournament with a relatively weaker Big XII compared to previous years and a multitude of returning players. I even thought that they had a chance at a 'protected seed' (4 or better). I just wasn't convinced on December 10 when I criticized the embellishing of A&M by one Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline lore. At the time, I didn't expect Acie Law IV to have 25 great games in a 30+ game season.

Another miss was the Pac-10 conference. At season's start, I viewed it as a 3-4 bid conference with UCLA, Arizona, and Washington being the locks. USC was my 4th team. No Oregon. No Washington State. I knew of Aaron Brooks, but what about Tajuan Porter and Maarty Leunen? Not so much. As for Wazzou, I had no clue. (Yes, I rhymed).

Another Texas A&M-associated miss was the non-inclusion of Acie Law IV in my top three preseason All-America teams. Instead, I included the likes of Ronald Steele, Dominic James, Richard Roby (who?), Sean Singletary, and Brandon Heath at the guard positions ahead of Law. What on earth was I thinking?

While there are other misses that can be harped on (namely, Butler during the NCAA Tournament), those are the ones of the highest magnitude. With that said, some of these misses pale in comparison to those of the real media and higher-profile bloggers.

Tomorrow, we'll have our predictions for the Sweet 16 games as well as other observations pertinent to the NCAA tournament and beyond.

Running Commentary for Saturday's Games

Note: Clement stepping in for Pay...just for today.

2:00 pm Late start after a late lunch for me. Ohio State leading 29 to 25 at the half. Ugly shooting to open the game with both teams under 25% in the opening ten minutes. Oden out of foul trouble at the moment; however, he's clearly rushing shots and appears frustrated on offense.

2:45 pm Xavier on a furious run of incredible shot-making. They are leading 55-44 and the first #1-seed is officially on the ropes. Oden with 4 fouls and now it's time for Conley Jr./Lewis/Cook and co. to start making smart shots or the #1 team in the country is TKO'd.

3:14 pm Ron Lewis just capped an incredible comback by the Buckeyes with a 3-pointer with 2 seconds to go to tie the game at 62. Should they have fouled him before he released the near 27-footer? Overtime is upon us...

3:30 pm Following an early Musketeer basket, Conley Jr. drains an open three for the first of his 11 overtime points, 7 of which were unanswered, to give the Buckeyes the lead and the eventual win. The Buckeyes escape Lexington and are the first official entrant to advance to the Sweet 16, despite a valiant effort from the kids at Xavier.

5:00 pm – Things may be getting chippy between the Terps and Bulldogs in the second half. Both teams flopping quite a bit. Meanwhile, A&M and Louisville tied at 28-28 at the half in a quiet game.

5:23 pm – Horrid charging call on DJ Strawberry with 39 seconds to go, preventing the Terps a golden opportunity for a tie. Maryland decided not to foul, Graves with a beautiful pass but a missed three. However, Butler grabs the loose ball and is fouled with less than 4 seconds left. 1 of 2 free throws are made. Crone tips an in-bound and then a second in-bound, with less than .7 left, results in a loose ball that Jones can’t corral. Butler advances to the Sweet Sixteen in one of the better second-round games of the past few tournaments. Time to turn out attention to the Cardinals & Aggies

5:50 pm – A&M leads 50-46 with Law (19) and Kirk (14) battling Sosa (22) as we enter under 12-minutes. Georgetown just tipped with BC and ditto Vandy/Wash. St.

6:00 pm – VCU tips off with Pitt finally. Early baskets for Aaron Gray and BA Walker.

6:20 pm – They’ve called it “snowy” Buffalo a sickening amount of times. Kevin Harlan terrible on the mic as usual. Not having the package from DirecTV is brutal. A&M trails Louisville with 1 minute to go 69-68. Far too many whistles all game long, consistent or not. BC has taken the lead for the first time on G-Town 24-21 under 6 minutes. VCU trails 24-17 as their lack of size and strength is apparent today.

6:25 pm – Deep three missed from Sosa and a Pompay loose ball rebound ends up in Law’s hands with 1.7 seconds left. Not the best three attempt from Sosa that hits the front of the rim. Law IV sinks the first free throw. 71-69. Second one coming. No timeout left for Louisville. A few subs enter. Second free throw is good [26 points for Law now]. Sosa’s heave from half-court is no-good as it hits the top of the backboard. A&M advances to the Sweet Sixteen to face the winner of Nevada/Memphis on Sunday.

6:30 pm – Pitt looks real strong against VCU, who after a 5-8 start is 2 of their last 15 from the field. Pitt takes a 29-19 lead with a little over 5 minutes to go. Poor subs by Grant and a lack of execution on offense seems apparent. Shuler’s deep three cuts it to 7. BC leads Georgetown 30-26 at the half [Dudley with 10 and Rice with 12 while Hibbert and Green have 2 fouls each] AND Washington State, behind Low's 10 points, with a 33-25 halftime lead.

6:48 pm - VCU completely outsized and outmatched by Pitt, who leads 41-26. Rebounding is decidedly with the Panthers who are shooting well over 50%. Grant can't find a quick-fix and hot-headed Maynor had an early technical. He won't allow bigger name schools to push him around, even though the refs always do to mid-majors not named Gonzaga. Meanwhile, VCU is stangnant with the ball shooting 31% (including 2-9 from 3-point territory). Aaron Gray has been solid and Pitt has been very physical inside the paint. Fameni is clearly affected with the broken nose and mask. VCU will need a miracle second-half run to have any chance of not losing by double-digits at this rate.

7:33 pm – Status check: Georgetown holding on against BC 54 to 52 with 3 minutes to go. Vanderbilt trails Washington State 59 to 57 with 2 and change. Pitt had the lead at 19 and it is now 13 after Graves picks up his fourth foul at the 10:10 mark. VCU needs key plays and shots from its backcourt and to continue its successful press. Huge miss by BA Walker after a steal. Kendall playing extremely well.

7:40 pm – Byars with a contested layup miss and Washington State has the ball in a 60-60 game with 24.1 left. Washington State hasn’t scored a field goal in over 7 minutes. VCU trails 10 at the under-8 timeout with Maynor shooting 2 free throws. Georgetown has pulled away from BC with 14 seconds left.

7:41 pm – Georgetown victorious 62-55 and advances to the Sweet Sixteen. Weaver stone-cold bricks a top-corner three with 3 seconds to go for WASU. Byars calls a timeout and the officials are searching to find how much time is on the clock. Vandy should get a second for a final prayer before overtime.

...things get a little crazy here with both games...

7:43 pm - Maynor strokes two free throws and its 58-50 with 6:45 left. Pitt returns with 4 straight to push it back to 12. Time is running OUT for the Rams. 0.5 seconds left for Vandy and the pass sails out of bounds after brief contact with a Cougar. OVERTIME.

7:50 pm – 5 minutes to go and an 11-point Pitt lead. Pellot-Rosa deep three takes it down to 8. 5 seconds again called against Pitt. They aren’t saved by a 'timeout-call' this time. 4:46 left. BA for 3 and its 63-58. Harlan finally acknowledges VCU talent outside of Maynor (who is struggling mightily).

7:58 pm – Tie game in Sacramento. Vanderbilt and Washington State tied at 60. 8.7 seconds to go and its Commodore basketball. My sleeper pick is oh so close to a big upset tonight. Turnover to the Cougars on the in-bound and an amazing block by Byars on a layup attempt the other way! Oh my! 1.2 seconds left for Vandy at mid-court. Could we be at double-overtime? Shades of Gonzaga/Arizona from 2003 are dancing through my head. Timeout Vandy.

7:59 pm – Pellot-Rosa with a crazy reverse layup. Might’ve turned an ankle. Pitt up only 3. Meanwhile, Vandy almost turns the ball over. GREAT no-call. How much time is left? 0.01? Sloppy work. Byars almost worked a foul call. But again, a great no-call by the refs (no Al Thornton-esque moments needed). VCU on a 30-14 run when it was once 51-32.

8:00 pm - BA Walker pulls up with an amazing deep three from the top of the key. If it was Pitt, Harlan would’ve said, “Right between the eyes!” TIE-GAME! TIE-GAME! 67-67 at 1:40 off of another turnover. Oh My Oh My! Anthony Grant is HYPED to say the very least.

8:03 pm – Double overtime for Vandy and Washington State. Instant Classic in the works…

8:04 pm –Chants of “VCU” finally emanating from the crowd. Maynor brings the ball up…

8:05 pm – Pellot-Rosa with a man’s rebound and a stronger put-back. RAM LEAD by 2. Sam Young pretty breakaway layup to tie it, the press got bit. Just like against Duke with Nelson. Shucks. 47 seconds left. Ram ball. Panthers pick up loose ball with 19 off a Pellot-Rosa 3-point miss. Sloppy and rushed shot. Dang. 10 seconds. Foul call with 2 seconds left. Minor contact after the shot. Odd call. Check that: bad call. 2 shots. Anderson blocked it before the foul. Tough tough call with 2 ticks left against Pellot-Rosa who got a little hand after the ball was released and the shooter was comin' down. VCU would’ve had a breakaway, potentially 3 on 1. Imagine. Just imagine if the call went against a Duke, UNC, Syracuse, or UCLA. Imagine the ATTENTION it might get…

8:06 pm – First shot is no good. Second shot…no good as well! Pitt offensive rebound. Jump ball call, it seems as the clock expires. Overtime…apparently. Apparently. Pitt wants 0.2 seconds or so on the clock. Refs checking the clock. Overtime it is.

8:11 pm – Vanderbilt upsets Washington State 78 to 74. A 3-seed is down. Could another be on the way? Probably not, but we’ll watch, hope, and pray anyways…

8:12 pm - Pitt up 4. Fields with the craziest of threes. You knew it would go in with the clock down to 3 and a wild shot being ready to be flung from behind the arc. Pro Pitt-commentators ecstatic for him. Dixon looks so unnerved on the sidelines still.

8:15 pm – Fameni tanks a 18-footer. Horrid execution. Things are getting scary near the 2-minute mark for VCU. Will Pitt score on every OT possession? Ramon 3. Pitt is unstoppable in OT thus far. Up 7 at78-71. Figures. Figures…

8:20 pm – MSU tips off with UNC. Beware of the evil that is Izzo.

8:21 pm –VCU is desperate to say the least. Layup by Pellot-Rosa with 1:15 left to cut it to 5. Pitt breaks the press as we go under a minute.

8:23 pm – Shot clock ticking down. Maynor rebound and down to Shuler. Down 3 at 80-77 off of a Shuler layup off of his own miss. Commercial time. “This is our country” Chevy commercials plagued the NFL Playoffs and continue now. I’d do a lot of harm to the advertising team who created this slogan. I honestly would.

8:25 pm –Pellot-Rosa was scoreless in the 1^st half. He has 17 in the second half. Anderson foul on Young. He bricks the first. Can VCU back out? Possession arrow to VCU. Second free throw…missed. Maynor with a pretty layup after driving to the hoop with relative ease. 1-point game with 22.6 left. I wonder if a kickout-3 might've been more effective, despite all the time. Very close to a steal with 4 guys surrounding Cook. Correct foul call. Pitt up 1 at 80-79. Foul after a good press attempt, Cook drains the first. Kendall can’t look…he’s on the bench b/c he fouled out. Chicken. Second free throw…is good. 3-point game. 19.1 left. Now they make them...

8:26 pm – Brick from Walker at the top of the key. Anderson tips it out near half-court, somehow to a Pitt player and over two Rams it appeared. Foul on Walker. It’s over. Walker’s shot just wasn’t right. I wish Pellot-Rosa had a look, as Walker off of the screen isn’t as strong as Walker straight-up or Jesse creating his own shot.

8:29 pm – Young back at the line. Makes the first and second. 5-point game. Somebody call LJ. And whoever fouled him. Miss by Walker. Pitt in the Sweet Sixteen. VCU better be a top 5 story of the tournament. Check that, top 3.

8:30 pm - One day mid-majors will get the benefit with better non-calls. That foul call at the end of regulation should’ve led to a block and a fast break for VCU. I will never forget that 30/70, not 50/50 call, going against us. I may be the only one. And if you think I’m bitter…I’ll monitor you closely for every close call you pine for after a game. Whoever you are.

8:48 pm - Great 3-point play by Hansbrough. He's going to get eaten for lunch with his post moves and shoulder leans in the NBA. Especially from Dwight Howard. Nevertheless, it's definitely working at UNC. 36-31 with both teams shooting well. Spartans 5-9 from 3-point land. UNC still seems a lock tonight with this pace. The Texas/USC winner has a ton of conditioning to do with Lawson upcoming. UCLA is about to get underway, I believe. Late tip to say the VERY least. See you at halftime...

9:04 pm - UCLA tips off with Indiana as they trade baskets. Meanwhile, UNC 41-33 at the half. Hansbrough with an IMPRESSIVE 19 points. Wow.

9:58 pm - UNC and Michigan State going back and forth. Lawson is lightning quick and the Spartans have a ton of guys in foul trouble. Meanwhile, Neitzel with a crazy drive to the hoop to get a 1-point lead. This feels a lot like Arizona/Gonzaga, especially with Dick Enberg calling the game, in 2003. I reference that twice today. State leads 59-58.

10:30 pm - Just too much NC late as they power past the pesky Spartans 81-67. Strong games for Hansbrough and Lawson. Just about everyone, outside of UNC & USC fans are hoping for Durant and co. to get past USC. I think...

11:00 pm - Despite a near miraculous comeback, Indiana falls short to UCLA mostly due to their own doing. Several missed free throws, a terrible turnover down 2 with 30 ticks left, and poor three-point shots took the Hoosiers down. UCLA 54 to 49 over Indiana. Night ova!

NCAA Tournament Preview

We are now just hours and minutes away from the start of the NCAA Tournament. Clement and Paymon look into Final Four picks, what to expect, what not to expect, and the names who'll make this tournament memorable.

WHAT TO EXPECT -- Clement

Final Four: [East] UNC, [South] Texas A&M, [West] UCLA, and [Midwest] Florida
-UNC has the most actual talent in college basketball and has a very experienced coaching staff, headed of course by Roy Williams, who has worked his depth quite well this season. They’ll outlast Durant and truth be told, I don’t buy Georgetown’s backcourt enough to get past the Heels in a potential dynamic Elite Eight matchup.
-I’ve been ridin’ Acie Law IV all season long. He’s the most clutch player I’ve seen in college basketball this season and I believe the Aggie can control the tempo of the game easily with teams like Memphis or Nevada. A&M also has just enough outside shooting, especially with the streaky Kavaliauskas, to keep Oden away from the boards enough to upset the Buckeyes. My love for them clearly means they’re out by the first weekend though.
-UCLA is the team to beat out West, never leaving the state of California if they keep winning, until the trip to Atlanta for their second-straight Final Four. While Kansas provides scary matchups, Darren Collison is healthier than he’s been in recent weeks and their depth is sorely underrated.
-Florida is the team to beat. While such monikers have plagued squads like Duke, Kentucky, and UCONN over the past few years…it’s also aided teams like Duke, Kentucky, and UCONN over the past few years. As long as they stay healthy and can get two strong shooting nights from Lee Humphrey out of four, they’ll wind up back in the Final Four.

National Championship : UNC vs. Florida
-Predictable, I know. Yet I also felt that way two years ago when Illinois and UNC seemed the two clear favorites to reach the title game. Yet, I see the Baby Heels falling a bit short this time. Horford and Noah may get a lot more calls against Hansbrough than many UNC fans, or Gator-haters, are willing to accept. I also believe Taurean Green can run with the best of them and would be the tipping point for a narrow 5-point Gator victory. Repeat!

Tournament MOP: Al Horford, Florida Gators
-While Noah is the poster-boy, Horford is the better talent. He’ll dominate against UCLA again and find himself ending up with 16 and 11 against the Heels. This guy will be picked in the draft right before teammate Noah…and this will show EVERYONE why.

Top 1st Round Matchup: #6. Notre Dame vs. #11. Winthrop [Midwest Region]
-Alright Winthrop. Put-up or shut up time. Notre Dame is lethal from behind the arc, but more often than not you die by the three before you live by it for two or three straight tournament games. Look for Craig Bradshaw’s name early and often if the Eagles have a real shot of upsetting the Irish. Memo to Mike Bray: wear a tie, please! You look hideous in the sport/coat and solid shirt. Hideous.

Upset(s) of the 1st Round: #11. VCU over #6. Duke & #12. Old Dominion over #5. Butler
-Nothing but biased CAA love. ODU bit me two years ago, when Michigan State rolled all the way to the Final Four after defeating Isaiah Hunter and company. Ditto with VCU, who I naively had defeating Wake (they did only lose by 1) only three tournament brackets ago (my worst ever, by the way). Either way, go CAA go.

Sleeper/Cinderella: Vanderbilt Commodores [East Region] & UNLV Runnin’ Rebels [Midwest Region]
-Vandy’s style of play could have them trailing by fifteen merely fifteen minutes in their opening game. Yet, I view Washington State as the weakest 3-seed (much as I did Tennessee as the weakest 2-last year losing to Wichita State in my bracket) and think Vandy can shoot lights out against Georgetown and control the pact of the game. Who knows if they can honestly make the Elite Eight, but why not have some fun? As for UNLV, it’s nothing more than a feeling and their RPI. That’s all I can really say.

Impact Player You've Never Heard Of: Nevada’s guard Marcellus Kemp
-He can drop 25 and all you thought about all game long was Fazekas. It’s imperative to get by Creighton AND to match up well with the athletes of Memphis that the Wolfpack rely on their best pure perimeter player. I just have a hunch the name Kemp may sound like the name Wheeler did several tournaments ago.

Coach with the Most on the Line: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
-Don’t let the AD comment’s fool you, the guy needs a win. Villanova is probably favored and Tubby knows this. He needs the opportunity to stun a #1 as badly as any coach with an underachieving program this year.

Overrated Pick of the Tournament: Kansas Jayhawks as National Champs
-Losses to Bucknell and Bradley aren’t the worst things in the world, but what has Bill Self done in Kansas except recruit exceptionally well? While their road is relatively easy until the Elite Eight, it’s put-up or shut-up time for a school that has never won the biggest games since the days of Danny Manning.

Underrated Pick of the Tournament: Texas upsetting North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen
-I don’t even know if Texas will be in this game to be honest. Ditto with UNC if Michigan State is up to old ridiculous tricks. Riding freshman is fun (see Pervis, Melo, and a cast of others)…but it’s still rare that it works out with a Final Four appearance. Augustin might be just as key as Durant is in all of this. Ditto with the outside shooting of Abrams. Yet, Rick Barnes is starting to become one of the better coaches, and not just recruiters, in the nation. If the mask does bother Hansbrough just enough and Reyshawn Terry can’t shoot at all for one night (which is never out of the question), perhaps Texas could survive in a shootout with the Tar Heels. Perhaps.

WHAT TO EXPECT -- Paymon

Final Four: [East] Georgetown, [South] Texas A&M, [West] UCLA, and [Midwest] Florida
- Yes, I’m going against my Tar Heels. Could it be the youth? Could it be playing to the level of their opponents? It could also be that should they make it to the Elite 8, they’ll likely have Hoya Paranoia waiting in the wings. I’m not saying that we’ll see the Hoyas faithful clad in Starter jackets, but they’ll be at East Rutherford cheering on their team. Anyways, the better, more experienced team wins.
- In the South, is it that I love Acie Law IV a lot or that I remain unimpressed by the Buckeyes? Mind you, they embarrassed a Butch-less Wisconsin on Sunday. If the Aggies can overcome Memphis in the Sweet 16, I can see Joseph Jones playing the game of his life and Josh Carter hitting the 3s to assist the aforementioned Law IV en route to a Final Four trip.
- A lot of Kansas and Memphis fans have a legit beef with UCLA. For the second time in as many years, UCLA gets the second, but will be playing in their home state as the #2 seed should they advance to the regional semifinals. Home-state advantage or not, the Bruins need to do things: forget about their last two games and get Darren Collison’s sprained ankle to heal.
- I’ll let the real media gush over Florida. They’re good. Nothing I say will be new to you, so I won’t insult your intelligence. If they play Wisconsin in the regional final and Brian Butch is healthy, we may have a game on our hands. Otherwise, they’ll be Gator bait.

National Championship : Georgetown vs. Florida
- Georgetown is the sexy pick to make the finals and take out the Gators. Why? Last year, they came the closest. At this point last season, the Hoyas weren’t quite this dominant. While Georgetown is the hottest team in the country and the team that absolutely no one wants to face, they may be due for the momentary lapse due to their relative inexperience in the backcourt. Last season, the Hoyas let the eventual champions escape - not so this year. Green, Humphrey, and Brewer will give Georgetown fits, but the other Green (Jeff) will be cutting down the nets as he determines whether to go pro.

Tournament MOP: Jeff Green, Georgetown Hoyas
- Green epitomizes the hard working team that JTIII has developed. He has all the tools necessary for the NBA yet he wasn't even in the Top 150 recruits according to rivals.com. Additionally, he has gotten over his weakness, free throw shooting, making him even more of a go-to guy down the stretch for the Hoyas. His calming presence to the inexperienced guards will not be overlooked by admirers.

Top 1st Round Matchup: #6. Notre Dame vs. #11. Winthrop [Midwest Region]
- My prediction is that a lot of 3-point shots will be hoisted. We all know about the stellar three-guard lineups of both teams, but it will be the matchups inside that determine the victor. My bet is on the Kiwi – Craig Bradshaw.

Upset(s) of the 1st Round: Old Dominion over Butler; Winthrop over Notre Dame; VCU over Duke
- Yes, I’m also guilty of the biased CAA love; however, having watched these teams on multiple teams, I know that both can bring it especially when given favorable draws. In ODU’s case, which ODU team will come out? Valdas Vasylius can really have a whale of a game if he asserts himself inside. Watch out for Gerald Lee, who is a star in the making. As for Winthrop, I’ve been touting this team all year, and with good reason. The worst team they lost to all season was Maryland. I’m sure Notre Dame fans use the transitive property (i.e. we beat Maryland and you lost to them; therefore, we are better than you – AKA “The ODU fan base special”) to assert their pre-dominance. I just like Winthrop, their determination, and I feel bad for Notre Dame if they lose, because they’ve played well the last time to rid of themselves of potential fraud status (see Illinois and Purdue). As for Duke, I haven’t liked them at all this year and not because I hate them intrinsically as a UNC supporter. They’re not deep, their ball-handling is suspect, and VCU forces turnovers. Greg Paulus needs to play one of his best games and Scheyer (not this guy) needs to hit those 3s if Duke wants to plays Pitt or Wright State (or Shight State, as my brother put it).

Sleeper/Cinderella: Winthrop Eagles [Midwest Region]
- I would say Southern Illinois, but the Salukis are pretty well-known for their suffocating defense. With that said, the easy choice is Winthrop out of the Big South Conference. All this team does is win games.

Impact Player You've Never Heard Of: Tony Young, G, Southern Illinois.
- Young is a guy that every coach wants on his team -- a physical defender, a solid long distance shooter, and an overall scrapper. If the Salukis end up making noise for the right reasons, Young will play a formidable role.

Coach with the Most on the Line: Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks
- How many more seasons can he go without a long tournament run? If memory serves correct, Self’s longest run was with Tulsa in 2000 when they lost in the Elite 8 to #8 seed North Carolina. He needs a run like none other, as it’s unrealistic to expect all of those talented players to stick around for a few more years.

Overrated Pick of the Tournament: Georgetown Hoyas as National Champs
- In a way, I’m calling myself out. Think about it though. Who has Georgetown beaten this year outside of Pittsburgh twice? People are wooed by the way they play and their quiet confidence – a stark contrast to the sideshow that is the Florida Gators.

Underrated Pick of the Tournament: Southern Illinois getting to the Sweet Sixteen
-Let’s get one thing straight. The Salukis do not play an attractive style of basketball. However, they play great defense and are tough to beat when Tatum and Falker are on. Strangely enough, many are writing off SIU as they face a stingy Holy Cross capable of the upset and potentially Virginia Tech, who are among the most athletic teams in the field.