It's not time to give out the national championship -- although it's tempting, North Carolina -- but CBS SportsLine.com has plenty of NCAA Tournament awards to dole out, based on the first two rounds.
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| B.J. Elder's season is one he'll want to forget. (Getty Images) |
NBA stock rising: NBA scouts already liked Louisville guard Francisco Garcia. Two games into the tournament, they've got to love him. Garcia is starting to look like a guy who has wandered into the wrong gym. He's too good for everyone here.
NBA stock falling: Kansas' J.R. Giddens and Nevada's Nick Fazekas announced they won't enter the 2005 NBA Draft. Meanwhile, I'm announcing I won't enter the 2005 Mr. Universe competition.
Best performance in a losing effort: Disintegrating Boston College lost a game it should have won, but don't blame Jared Dudley for that 83-75 defeat to Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dudley had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Worst performance in a winning effort: Anything's possible now, but Wisconsin takes the least impressive tournament resume into the Sweet 16, having beaten Northern Iowa 57-52 and Bucknell 71-62.
Worst performance, period: Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt routinely wonders why senior B.J. Elder doesn't get more credit. This is why: Elder had three points in the Jackets' second-round loss to Louisville, a sadly typical performance for one of the streakiest players in college basketball.
Best coach: Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Bruce Pearl and North Carolina State's Herb Sendek got consideration, as did Bucknell's Pat Flannery and Vermont's Tom Brennan, but the pick here is West Virginia's John Beilein. Two weeks ago his Mountaineers were an NIT team. Now they're in the Sweet 16, and capable of going farther.
Worst coach: Kansas should never lose to Bucknell, Bill Self. Never.
Better get better: Oklahoma State All-American Joey Graham has 15 points in two NCAA Tournament games. With Graham at his best, the Cowboys probably aren't big enough to surpass last season's Final Four showing. With Graham averaging eight points per game, Oklahoma State will have no chance.
Can't get better: With or without Graham, Ivan McFarlin will do what he can. The OSU senior posted the highest-scoring game of the tournament with 31 points in the second round against Southern Illinois. In two games, McFarlin is averaging 24.5 ppg and shooting 78.3 percent.
Best league (big surprise): Trashed all season, the Big Ten advanced 60 percent of its NCAA Tournament teams (three of five) into the Sweet 16.
Worst league (no surprise): Trashed all season, the SEC advanced 20 percent of its NCAA Tournament teams (one of five) into the Sweet 16.
