Bracket Buster (Part III)

SOUTH REGION: This is easily the third, if not second toughest region in the tournament. With Memphis, Texas, Stanford and Pittsburgh making up the top four seeds, anyone has a chance to take the road to the Final Four.

Memphis (33-1): Their only blemish this year was against Tennessee, however, that was easily their toughest opponent of the season. The Conference USA was extremely weak this year, which was proven by the fact that Memphis was the only team to receive a tournament bid. To compensate for that, the Tigers did scheduled a rather impressive nonconference schedule which includes wins against Georgetown, UCONN, Arizona, Oklahoma, USC and Gonzaga. Don't let the fact that they played in a weak conference fool you. They are a very good team coached by a very good coach in Jim Calipari. Their biggest weakness is their free throw shooting which was a dismal, 59.6 %. My only concern for Memphis is their ability to close out close games.

Texas (28-6): Many have Texas in their Final Four, and it's hard to disagree. They have an incredible resume that includes beating 2 of the 4 number one seeds. Guards D. J. Augustin and A. J. Abrams might make up the best backcourt in the country, while forward Damion James can be a force inside. The Longhorns should easily march into the Sweet 16 where they'll most likely have a very tough matchup against Stanford, who's style of play is much different.

Stanford (26-7): This is the second best team from the Pac-10, who was the best conference in the country this year. The Lopez twins are unstoppable and should carry them into the Sweet 16. Stanford's biggest weakness is their guard play. Anthony Goods is their only wing who averaged in double figures this season. If junior guard Mitch Johnson steps up, they have the talent to knock out Texas in the regional semifinals.

Pittsburgh (26-9): There may not be a hotter team entering the tournament right now than Pitt. The Panthers swept through the Big East tourney by taking out Louisville, Marquette and Georgetown along the way. Their biggest issue this year has been dealing with injuries. While they recently go Levance Fields back, Guard Mike Cook is still out for the rest of the year. If they can ride their current momentum into the tournament, they could become a major threat in the East Region and possibly be a Final Four representative.

Michigan State (25-8): The Spartans are a team loaded with experience returning all five of their starters from last year who lost to North Carolina in the second round. However, coming from a disappointing Big Ten conference this year, they may not be in shape to handle the talent in the Big Dance. While I don't believe they'll struggle with Temple in the first round, I don't see them getting past Pittsburgh in the second. Keep your eye on guard, Drew Neitzel. He can shoot it from anywhere.

Marquette (24-9): In my opinion, the Golden Eagles lucked out with this bid. Not only do I believe it's too high, but they also get to face a very overrated Kentucky team in the first round. Marquette has a talented backcourt with Jerel McNeal, Dominic James and Wesley Matthews who all average in double figures. In order to go deep into the tourney, you have to have strong guard play, which the Golden Eagles possess. However, their lack of a post game will hurt them when they face Stanford and the Lopez twins.

Miami, FL (22-10): This was the fourth and final seed from the ACC, and given their record and the strength of tradition of their conference, the Hurricanes are in the Big Dance this year. But don't expect them to last. They begin the tournament facing a very talented St. Mary's team who is a very solid pick if you're looking for an upset. Miami is led by their junior guard, Jack McClinton, who averaged 17 points a game this year. However, due to their lack of depth, the Hurricanes could very easily be an early exit.

Mississippi State (22-10): Another SEC team that should struggle in the tournament. I do like the play of their versatile sophomore, Jarvis Varnado, who can play either guard or forward, and proved to have great reach, blocking 4.6 shots per game this year. Don't miss sophomore guard, Ben Hansbrough, the younger brother of UNC's All-American, Tyler, who has a much better shot than his brother. He shot over 40 % from the floor and nearly 36 % from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs aren't a bad pick to escape the first round, but they don't have the talent to defeat Memphis in the second.

Oregon (18-13): Don't let their record fool you. The Ducks can shoot lights out from the perimeter. Like Tennessee, they live and die from the 3 point line. Tajuan Porter will be one of the most exciting players to watch. He's 5-6, but can make some of the most amazing shots you'll ever see. Senior Maarty Leunen also presents a very tough matchup. Standing at 6-9, he can be a great presence inside, but can also shoot the 3 as well as anyone at times. If Oregon catches fire, they will be no easy test for any opponent.

St. Mary's (25-6): While their early season upset win over Oregon doesn't look as impressive as it did before, this is a very athletic team who loves to run and gun. In 31 games this season, they scored at least 80 points or more in 11 of them. Their quality wins include Drake and Gonzaga. If you're looking for a first round upset pick in the South Region, St. Mary's would be a good choice facing Miami in a matchup of 7 vs. 10.

Kentucky (18-12): In my opinion, Kentucky is in the tournament only because of their storied tradition. However, this year, after losing to Gardner-Webb, UAB, Conference USA's Houston and Vanderbilt by 41, they're lucky to even be in the tournament. This is a team who's still in a rebuilding stage. Be sure to watch their SEC freshman of the year, Patrick Patterson, who averaged 16.4 points a game this season and promises to be one of the nation's best in years to come. But if you miss their first round game against Marquette, you'll probably have to wait until next year to see them again.

Temple (21-12): The Owls are back in the tournament for the first time since 2001 after winning the Atlantic 10 conference championship. They have an incredible tandem in guards Mark Tyndale and Dionte Christmas, who averaged over 20 points a game this year. Temple is playing their best basketball of the season as they're currently riding a 7 game winning streak, which could make their matchup against Tom Izzo and Michigan State very interesting. I think the Owls can play with the Spartans for the first 30 minutes, but after that, they'll feel the void of not having a strong post presence.

Oral Roberts (24-8): You have to feel for this Golden Eagle club who will have to face one of the hottest teams in the country, Pitt, in the first round of the tournament. Oral Roberts will rely on their defense, who was the strength of their team this year. In fact, they were 16-0 when they held their opponents to 60 points or less. Either way, no matter how good their defense is against Pitt, they won't be able to keep up with the Panthers' talent, which equals a first round exit for the Golden Eagles.

Cornell (22-5): This is an interesting first round match with the Ivy League conference champs squaring off against Stanford. You can believe the GPA between the two teams will be the highest of any first round matchup. However, a high team GPA doesn't necessarily equal wins. The Big Red's lone quality win this year was Siena, which means they really haven't beaten any team with the talent that would match Stanford. While it was a nice run for Cornell this year, it will end in the first round.

Austin Peay (24-10): The Governors earned themselves an automatic bid into the tourney by winning their Ohio Valley Conference championship. Without that, they wouldn't be here. Without a quality win on their resume, I have every reason to believe that their first round game against Texas could be ugly.

Texas Arlington (21-11): The Mavericks are the fourth best team from Texas in the tournament this year, which isn't saying much since there are only four teams from the Lone Star state. While the Mavs may have the best chance of the four 16 seeds to move on this year, I wouldn't bank on it.


WEST REGION: This is the least talented region of the four this year. Expect to see UCLA dominate the West and punch their ticket into the Final Four.

UCLA (31-3): In my opinion, this is the best in the country. Their depth is unbelievable. Darren Collison, Josh Shipp and Russell Westbrook make up a very solid backcourt, while freshman sensation, Kevin Love has lived up to every bit of his hype. But what makes the Bruins so tough is their style of play. They pride themselves on defense, yet almost everyone of their players can score from nearly anywhere on the floor. Any team that can finish the year 18-2 against Pac-10 competition is sensational. While they did receive several favorable calls towards the end of the season, this is still a team very worthy of their rank. Due to the fact that their region is also the easiest of the four, I expect to see the Bruins walk into the Final Four without much of a fight.

Duke (25-8): This is the weakest number 2 seed of the four this year. The Blue Devils got off to a hot stretch in which they began the year, 20-1 before ending the season on a disappointing 5-4 stretch. That being said, I believe Duke has an easy draw through the Sweet 16. I like their experience with Greg Paulus and DeMarcus Nelson, while they have several great freshman perimeter shooters with Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer. I could see Duke moving on to the Elite 8 before getting blown out by UCLA.

Xavier (27-6): Like Duke, this is the weakest third seed in the tournament. While the Muskateers have been a very familiar face in the NCAA tournament in the past decade, making their seventh trip in the past 8 years, it's hard for me to accept that an Atlantic 10 team is deserving of a third seed considering they didn't even win their conference tournament. This is still a very balanced team with six players all averaging in double figures in scoring this year. While Georgia should be a fairly easy first round test for Xavier, it's tough to count out the Bulldogs who put together an unbelievable stretch to win the SEC. I like Xavier to win, but I think it will be a much closer game than most might expect.

Connecticut (24-8): This was supposed to be another rebuilding year for the Huskies, but give credit to their head coach, Jim Calhoun, who has done an incredible job in leading UCONN to a four seed this season. Another team with a balanced attack that includes five players who average at least 10.4 points a game. This should be UCLA's toughest test en route to the Elite 8.

Drake (28-4): The Bulldogs are somewhat of a mystery this year. After losing four starters and their two top scorers from last season, Drake was picked to finish 9th in the Missouri Valley Conference. Instead, the Bulldogs nearly ran the table finishing 15-3 in conference play en route to winning a conference championship and earning their first NCAA bid since 1971. If they can get past a stingy Western Kentucky team in the first round, we could be looking at an incredible second round matchup against UCONN.

Purdue (24-8): At one time, the Boilermakers were the team to beat in the Big Ten, ripping off 11 straight in the middle of the season before dropping three of their last six to finish the year. Like most Big Ten teams, Purdue is built upon their defense, which presents an interesting first round matchup against Baylor who is much more offensively minded. This might be the toughest pick in the first round. It will come down to which team's strength can outmatch the other.

West Virginia (24-10): The Mountaineers earned an at-large bid thanks to their first year head coach, Bob Huggins, who simply knows how to win. This is a tested club coming from the Big East who could surprise some teams in the tournament this year. Their first round matchup against Arizona should be an excellent battle between the Big East and Pac-10. If they can get past the Wildcats, it will be fun to see them face off against Duke.

BYU (27-7): The Cougars would have been a higher seed had they not fallen to UNLV in the Mountain West Conference championship. This is a team who ended the year on a 15-2 run. BYU has a great inside-outside tandem in guard Lee Cummard and post Trent Plaisted who both averaged over 15 and a half points per game this season. However, the Cougs have drawn a very competitive match in the first round with Texas A&M who could give BYU trouble with their strong post presence.

Texas A&M (24-10): This is a very confusing Aggies club considering they began the year, 15-1, but finished by losing 6 of their last 10. A&M brings a very balanced attack with solid post play underneath, however, they don't have a consistent scorer, which could pose a problem for the Aggies in a tight game. Their first round test against BYU will be tough, and could come down to a last second shot, which doesn't look good for Texas A&M. If they can find consistency on the offensive end, they should move on to the second round for a grueling test against UCLA.

Arizona (19-14): Many skeptics believe that Arizona doesn't belong in the Big Dance this year, and they may be right. However, I disagree. The Wildcats are a very young team, but when they show signs of maturity, can be very explosive. Sophomore Chase Budinger is a 6-7 forward who can shoot it from anywhere on the court, and be sure to watch their freshman guard, Jerryd Bayless who can take over a game at any point. This is a very dangerous 10 seed who could pull off the upset against Duke in the second round if they learn how to mature quickly in the postseason. I at least like them over West Virginia in the opening round.

Baylor (21-10): Despite losing to Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 conference tournament, the Baylor Bears were still able to earn the final at-large bid by the tournament committee. This is a very fast-paced team who loves to run the floor. They've scored in triple digits five different times this season. However, they draw a defensive-minded Purdue team in the first round of the tourney, which should pose as an interesting matchup. One thing the Bears need to fix is their post play. Kevin Rogers is their only forward who averages in double figures, while center Josh Lomers is the second biggest threat inside for Baylor. He averaged just 3.8 points per game.

Western Kentucky (27-6): Many like the Hilltoppers as an upset special in the first round of the tournament, and who could blame them? Western Kentucky finished their season by winning 18 of their last 19 games, and nearly pulled off upsets against Gonzaga and Tennessee. The Hilltoppers are led by their senior Courtney Lee who averages over 20 points. While Drake may have more depth, this is a team who could pull off the first round upset if they can get some help from their bench.

San Diego (21-13): The Toreros come from a much improved West Coast Conference this year that is sending three teams to the Big Dance (Gonzaga, St. Mary's and San Diego). San Diego clinched an automatic bid by defeating the Zags in the conference championship. You can't let their record fool you. This is a very strong team. After beginning the year 8-11, the Tereros went on a tear, wrapping up the season by winning 13 of their remaining 15 games. This is a team that could pull of the upset if UCONN overlooks them in the first round. However, they don't have the talent to compete against the Huskies if they come ready to play.

Georgia (17-16): It's still hard to believe that the Bulldogs are in considering a week ago, they were 13-16 while many believed were down to their final game. Give credit to Georgia as they prevailed through the SEC tournament earning the conference's automatic bid. They'll have to find that inspiration once again when they take on an overrated Xavier team. This is a club that could pull off the upset, but it's a very risky pick considering the clock always seems to strike midnight for these Cinderella teams. You just don't know when.

Belmont (25-8): The Bruins enter the tourney on a 13 game winning streak en route to their 3rd straight Atlantic Sun conference championshipship. And like their previous two trips to the Big Dance, Belmont will once again represent as a 15th seed where the Bruins hope to avoid being blown out for the third straight time. They may be able to hang with Duke for the first half, but the Blue Devils will run away with it in the second.

Mississippi Valley State (17-15): This is a team who's tale is split into two halves. The Delta Devils began the year on an 8 game losing streak, but finished the season on a nine game winning streak earning them a shot at UCLA in the first round. Unfortunately for MVSU, that streak will come to a crashing end at the hands of the Bruins in the first round of the tourney.


Don't forget to fill out your brackets! You have until 10:20 am before the opening round of the tourney begins. Best of luck to all of you!