Regional breakdowns: East | South | Midwest | West
There is no good explanation for the top two teams in the country not being able to meet for the national championship.
NCAA basketball committee chairman Jim Livengood never did adequately explain why, if things play out, Kentucky and Arizona would meet in a national semifinal. Arizona, everybody's top team in the country going into the Pac-10 Tournament, is the top seed in the West. That makes sense.
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| Arizona point guard Jason Gardner provides the Wildcats with valuable senior leadership.(Getty Images) |
No one can accuse Livengood of a conflict of interest. He is the athletic director at Arizona, which is the top seed in the tournament's toughest region.
Duke, Kansas, Cincinnati and Illinois are in the bracket. Eight of the 16 teams won their postseason tournament. Fortunately, Arizona will have almost a week to rest between a first-round loss in the Pac-10 Tournament and a first-round game in Anaheim.
The extra preparation time could make the difference when other teams' tongues are dragging at the end of the month.
The seeds dictate the regional final will come down to No. 1 Arizona against No. 2 Kansas. The teams played one of the season's best games Jan. 25. The Jayhawks led by 13 in the first half and lost by 17 at home.
A rematch would be great.
Three storylines
- Didn't you used to be Gonzaga? They are no longer the cuddly Zags. Everybody knows about them by now. Coaches know how to play them. Surprise is not on their side. Mark Few faces the biggest challenge of his career with Cincinnati in the first game and a possible meeting against Arizona in the second round.
- The return of the cool: Memphis' John Calipari makes his first appearance in the tournament since leading UMass to the 1996 Final Four. Safe to say Calipari will be upstaging the average Anaheim citizen with his Italian loafers and acrylic blends.
- Burlington's morning zoo: Vermont coach Tom Brennan has a morning radio show in the state capital that is the highest rated in its time slot. As a prank, he called (woke up?) Boston University coach Dennis Wolff last week before the America East final.
Slot Brennan in the just-glad-to-be-there category. His program can afford to award only 10 scholarships (13 is the NCAA maximum). Brennan makes less than $100,000 a year, or about 16 times less than Kansas' Roy Williams.
Who will win: It's hard to pick against Arizona. The Wildcats can go 10 deep, they are well-coached and are hungry. It will take an off day by the backcourt of Jason Gardner and Salim Stoudamire for Arizona not to get at least as far as the regional final.
Dark horse pick: This is a region so loaded, third-seeded Duke almost qualifies for dark horse status. We won't go there for those that know Duke is on TV more than Leave It To Beaver re-runs.
Instead, look at Cincinnati. The No. 8 seed is about right, but Bob Huggins knows how to rally his troops in March. These Bearcats have trouble scoring but are rabid defenders and we all know things get tight in the tournament. If Cincinnati catches Arizona on a bad day in the second round, its way is clear to the regional final.
Don't dismiss Illinois, which qualifies as a No. 4 seed. The Illini were expecting as high as a No. 2 seed after winning the Big Ten Tournament.
Best mascot: Chief Illiniwek. The ancient and mystic Illinois mascot has come under fire because of its insensitivity to native Americans. The Chief is a student dressed in full Indian chief gear who does an intricate dance at halftime. He is, as one school website states, "the State of Illinois' most visible representation of its native heritage."
Best point guard: Notre Dame's tireless Chris Thomas hardly comes off the court, playing 36 minutes a game while averaging seven assists. If the Irish are going to make a run, Thomas has to have a typical game.
Also, watch Illinois' irrepressible Dee Brown. The freshman is the fastest thing in Nikes.
Best school colors: In these troubled times, the red, white and blue of Arizona reminds us of where our thoughts should be with the country on the brink of war.
Best coach: Olson. The White-Haired One knows how to massage his team in March. He has got as many weapons at Arizona as he has ever had.
Best reputation: Duke. Good kids, great players. Coach K has the Blue Devils motoring again after winning the ACC Tournament.
Five stars
Jason Gardner, Sr., G, Arizona: Do you know how rare senior guards are? Gardner is on a mission.
Kyle Korver, F, Sr., Creighton: The Fifth Beatle. The surfer-quality blond hair is misleading. Korver is mentally tough with defenses stacked to stop him.
Nick Collison, F, Sr., Kansas: The Big 12's player of the year (coaches) has quicks, heart and an ability to win it all before he checks out at Kansas.
Brian Cook, F, Sr., Illinois: Senior big men are about as rare as senior guards. That's why Illinois could easily come out of this region.
Chris Kaman, C, Jr., Central Michigan: This 7-footer is the best pure center in the country. The NBA top-15 pick gives the Chips a chance in the first round against Creighton.
Notes
- Olson is 39-23 (.629) in 23 previous tournaments.
- Kansas has won its last 19 first-round games. The last time the Jayhawks lost a first-rounder was 1978 to UCLA. Those were the days when the teams were literally picked out of a hat. Because UCLA and Kansas, two national powers, were picked to meet in the first round, it led to seeding that began the next year.
- Fifth-year Central Michigan senior Mike Manciel is an entrepreneurship major. So much for majoring in eligibility.
- Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Vermont from the West are in the tournament for the first time.
- Colorado State's Matt Nelson scored 17 points in 16 minutes Saturday night in the Mountain West final against UNLV. It was amazing the Rams rallied after he left the floor for treatment after getting poked in the eye. Colorado State's comeback was so stirring, Nelson, the tournament MVP, rushed out of the locker room to watch the finish with his one good eye. For a couple of days, at least, the Rams will be one of the biggest stories in the tournament, until they meet Duke.
- Illinois is among the top-five defensive teams in the country, holding teams under 40 percent shooting.
