The Edge

How they got here: At-large bid.

They'll keep winning if ...: They score enough to give themselves a chance. West Virginia is 17-0 when scoring 70 or more points in a game. The defense always seems to show up, but the offense is hit or miss. Da'Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff have to be on their games, because if they are cold the team struggles to put points on the board.

Memorable moment: West Virginia isn't the most high-profile Big East program, but it made the most of its opportunity in the conference tournament semifinals when it met No. 2 seed and second-ranked Pittsburgh. Pitt's seniors entered the game having never lost in the Big East tournament before the championship game, but the Mountaineers got DeJuan Blair in foul trouble, and its defense held the Panthers without a 3-pointer for the first time all season. West Virginia came up big at the free throw line, going 24-of-27 from the stripe, to shock the No. 2 Panthers 74-60.

Da'Sean Butler

Go-to guys: Da'Sean Butler is the team's big scorer, finishing fifth in the Big East and averaging 18.2 points per game in conference action. Devin Ebanks had come on strong in the last month both scoring and rebounding, and erupted for 20 points in the team's victory over Pitt. Alex Ruoff is a deadly 3-point shooter, and Darryl Bryant has stepped into the breach created when Joe Mazzulla was lost for the season with a shoulder injury and is averaging close to 10 points per game.

Strengths: It's not surprising that a Bob Huggins team would be known for its defense, and the Mountaineers led the Big East in scoring defense by allowing league foes just 61.3 points per game. Moreover, in a big departure from the John Beilein days, the Huggins team dominates the boards, outrebounding opponents by an average of six a night. Though the offense was the Da'Sean Butler show for most of January, it's been a more balanced attack lately. Butler showed he can carry a team with his 43-point game against Villanova in February.

Weaknesses: West Virginia is undefeated when it shoots a higher percentage than its opponents, but 6-10 when it doesn't. The vast majority of its losses this season haven't been because of bad defense, but because the offense has struggled to get the ball in the basket. When Butler and Ruoff don't play well, or get in foul trouble, that eliminates a lot of the team's firepower.

How they got here: At-large bid; Midwest first round: def. No. 5 seed Utah 84-71; Midwest second round: def. No. 13 seed Cleveland State 71-57.

They'll keep winning if ...: Heading into the first round, Arizona played like a hungry team out to justify its spot in the tournament field. It didn't lose that told-you-so feel against Cleveland State and shouldn't dust the chip off its shoulder in Indianapolis when it lines up against Louisville. They could win again if Jordan Hill and Nic Wise stay out of foul trouble, which might be a tall order against the attacking Cardinals. One of the primary reasons Arizona almost exclusively uses a zone defense is to keep Hill and Wise out of foul trouble and as fresh as can be, but that also leaves the Wildcats exposed against a sharp-shooting 3-point team like Louisville can be. There is little in the way of depth in the post or at point guard.

Memorable moment: Arizona trailed, 63-51, with 9:51 left in a home game against Houston on Jan. 24. The season seemed to be hanging in the balance, as the Wildcats had lost three in a row and were only 11-8 on the season. Houston's Aubrey Coleman was then called for a charge near mid-court, knocking down Chase Budinger. With Budinger still on the floor, Coleman walked over and stepped on Budinger's face -- a moment that became a YouTube sensation. Coleman was ejected, and the Cats stopped playing like a doormat. They pulled off what interim coach Russ Pennell later called a "miracle," coming from 10 down with 52 seconds to play to force overtime in a game Arizona eventually won, 96-90, kicking off a seven-game winning streak.

Jordan Hill

Go-to guys: Arizona has talked all year about its Big Three -- center Jordan Hill, wing Chase Budinger, and point guard Nic Wise, all juniors. As they go, so goes the team. Hill, a potential top-five pick in the NBA draft, and Budinger, a possible mid-first rounder, were chosen to the 10-player All-Pac-10 first team. Wise, a slippery quick 5-9 ball-handler, was a second-team selection. The trio averaged 71.1 percent of the team's scoring in the regular season, and, barring foul trouble, it would be no surprise to see each play 40 minutes in a tournament game. There are some threesomes in the country who are better -- but not many.

Strengths: Despite barely squeezing into the NCAA tournament, Arizona is dangerous because it has NBA talent in Hill and Budinger, and Wise is one of the better point guards in the Pac-10. Arizona is at its best in a faster-paced game, but the presence of the Big Three makes Arizona efficient in a half-court motion offense, with Wise often creating something off of screens. Budinger found his stride in late January when he was determined to be more aggressive getting to the hoop, rather than just settling for jump shots. Hill has an assortment of short shots with either hand near the basket, and he's decent when facing up to the basket from 15 to 18 feet.

Weaknesses: Arizona plays a matchup 1-1-3 zone defense with a lot of man principles, but the Wildcats tend to drop focus, either collapsing too much inside or failing to rotate quickly to contest 3-pointers. Good outside shooting teams could pick apart this defense, which, for example, is what Cal did as it hit 16 of 30 behind the arc in an 83-77 victory in Tucson on March 5. Bottom line: This is not a good defensive team. Arizona goes only six or seven deep, and must get something good offensively and defensively from improved freshman guard Kyle Fogg and enigmatic forward Jamelle Horne, who can either be a rebounding force or he could totally disappear.