March Madness.
Yes friends, it’s that time again. And with the proceedings getting started a little later this year (the championship game won’t take place until April 7), there’s no shortage of anticipation for the upcoming 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Here’s the Dutchess Beat’s overview of all four regions and what to expect. Adjust your brackets accordingly.
EAST
The Favorite: North Carolina. Led by junior All-American Tyler Hansbrough and speedy sophomore point guard Ty Lawson, the Tar Heels are loaded – on offense. But UNC isn’t really interested in guarding, which didn’t hurt them when they won the title in 2005. But that squad was even more talented than this one. It might be difficult for this Roy Williams team to overcome its glaring defensive inadequacies.
The Sleeper: Louisville. The 3-seeded Cardinals suffered two brutal last-second losses at the end of the season to Georgetown and Pittsburgh. But this might still be the best squad in a Big East that placed eight teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Center David Padgett gives Louisville a strong inside presence to go with the Cardinals’ lethal perimeter game.
First Round Upset Possibility: (12) George Mason over (5) Notre Dame. George Mason, the darling of the 2006 tournament, has a lot of experience this time around. Senior forward Will Thomas and senior guard Folarin Campbell lead the way for the Patriots. Expect them to take advantage of an inconsistent Irish team that nonetheless boasts Big East Player of the Year, sophomore Luke Harangody.
Best Player: Hansbrough. Most pundits expect the junior to come back to school next year for his senior season. He’s a powerful rebounder and an unstoppable inside scorer who should be a household name by the end of this tournament.
Survivor: Louisville. Rick Pitino is their secret weapon.
SOUTH
The Favorite: Memphis. Undefeated for much of the regular season, the Tigers finally lost to Tennessee a few weeks ago. Still, Memphis finished 33-1, albeit in the weak Conference USA. Memphis still has first-team All-American junior guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. But the difference between this team and previous Memphis squads that came up short of the Final Four is freshman point guard sensation Derrick Rose.
The Sleeper: Pittsburgh. The 4-seeded Panthers are coming off a rousing Big East Tournament championship. Sometimes teams that peak in conference tournaments don’t do well in the field of 64. But Pittsburgh’s resiliency in the face of so many injuries has been admirable and now they’re on a roll. Brooklyn guard Levance Fields is back and playing with a lot of grit and Sam Young has been a pleasant surprise, finishing second in the conference in scoring. Can the Panthers keep up the inspired play? I wouldn’t bet against them.
First Round Upset Possibility: (12) Temple over (5) Michigan State. The Spartans were unbeatable at home (17-0) but mediocre (7-7) on the road and at neutral sites. Expect that trend to continue when Michigan State is upended by the underrated Owls who are propelled by leading scorer Dionte Christmas and senior forward Mark Tyndale.
Best Player: Rose. He’s the most likely player in this region to take over a game. Think the Knicks are paying attention?
Survivor: Memphis. They can’t shoot free throws, but there’s nobody in this region that will make them pay.
MIDWEST
The Co-Favorites: Kansas and Georgetown. This is the region with the least inspiring top seeds. Coach Bill Self has yet to advance to a Final Four but with junior star Brandon Rush (who was set to declare for the NBA draft last spring before tearing his ACL), he thinks this might be his best chance yet. Georgetown center Roy Hibbert is overrated and tends to disappear in big games. Both of these teams had good regular seasons, but are ripe for upsets.
The Sleeper: Gonzaga. The Zags used to be a perennial Cinderella team until recent years when they began getting higher seeds. They’re back in a familiar position this year with a 7-seed in the Midwest. Junior center Josh Heytvelt is a strong inside presence, but as usual the Zags are led by a group of scrappy guards including Matt Bouldin and Jeremy Pargo.
First Round Upset Possibility: (11) Kansas State over (6) USC. Yes, USC has freshman guard O.J. Mayo. And while he can be spectacular, he’s not nearly as polished as 6-10 freshman forward Michael Beasley, the Big 12 Player of the Year. A player as special as Beasley is usually good for one win in the tournament.
Best Player: Beasley. He averaged 26.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game this season and scored 44 points in a loss against Baylor. His team isn’t great but he’s worth the price of admission.
Survivor: Gonzaga. I’m required to make one crazy pick. This is it.
WEST
The Favorite: UCLA. Not only are the Bruins the runaway favorites in the West, there doesn’t appear to be much in the way of resistance in this region. The 2-seed Duke Blue Devils are not a vintage Mike Krzyzewski squad and the Bruins are stocked, led by freshman Kevin Love and a stifling defense that held opponents to under 60 points per game.
The Sleeper: Xavier. The Musketeers are a 3-seed after a 27-6 regular season as well as a 16-2 record in the A-10. With credentials like those, Xavier hardly seems like a sleeper. But Sean Miller’s squad doesn’t have a high national profile despite being led by the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year (senior Stanley Burrell) and Sixth Man Award winner (senior Josh Duncan). If anybody has a chance of upending the mighty Bruins, it is this underrated, well-coached group.
First Round Upset Possibility: (13) San Diego over (4) UConn. Jim Calhoun’s Huskies have been up-and-down all year. They were boosted late by the return of suspended sophomore guard Jerome Dyson and they do boast the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in Hasheem Thabeet. But this UConn team is not very deep and the Toreros – who have no seniors – have big wins on their resume over Kentucky and Gonzaga.
Best Player: Love. The young center has a high basketball I.Q. and can pass as well as score from the post.
Survivor: UCLA. The one no-brainer choice.
Finally, look for UCLA and Louisville to win in the national semifinals before the Bruins capture yet another NCAA title in honor of ailing coaching legend John Wooden. Enjoy the tournament!