| NCAA
Hoops Menu |
|
| Sports |
|
| Special Features |
|
| SportsFiends
Info |
|
| About
Our Site |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Bring On the Madness: Sweet 16
Thursday, March 25, 2004 - Bill & John Roberts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Talk about a bracket buster. Office pools around the country blew up last weekend with two No. 1 seeds making early exits, and a pair of No. 2 seeds following suit. With most games close into the second half, parity – sparked primarily by the NBA pillaging the college ranks for talent – has never been more obvious. East Rutherford Regional
The only bracket where seeding held through the first two rounds also has the best shot at generating the eventual champion. In fact, the Pittsburgh-Oklahoma State contest is a Final Four tilt two rounds early. Pitt dropped Wisconsin in what was functionally a home game for the Badgers, while OSU smothered an athletic Memphis squad. In the other part of the bracket, St. Joseph’s and Wake Forest are set for a great guard-driven contest.
Predictions
With Phil Martelli and Billy Packer downplaying their Selection Sunday tet-a-tet, people might actually have to focus on the basketball game. Many had St. Joe’s making a second-round exit to either Charlotte or Texas Tech. Instead, the Hawks are still playing while Kentucky and Stanford fans think about next year. Still, Wake Forest presents a unique challenge. They are athletic and can score from all over the court. While the other regional semifinal may be played in the 40s, this one should be a fast-paced, high-scoring affair. Jameer Nelson against Chris Paul could be the best guard match-up in a weekend that will be full of them. One hard-to-argue March maxim is never back a team with a freshman handling the point. There are just too many things that could go wrong and too much pressure on a big stage for the typical frosh to manage. That said, Chris Paul is not your typical frosh, and the Deacons have too much firepower with Paul, Justin Gray and Vytas Danelius.
It’s hard not to like Oklahoma State. Aside from the Baylor-redemption angle with John Lucas, the Cowboys are athletic, defend and don’t mind winning ugly when necessary. The only knock is that they played in a weak conference (one that has as many teams still playing as the ACC or Big East, by the way). But, if Eddie Sutton’s bunch is going home, Pitt is a team that can do it. The Panthers are also versatile, and play traditional Big East basketball: physical. If the score stays low, Pittsburgh has a great chance to advance. The Panthers may also be better in the paint, though it will be a test for their big guards to keep up with OSU’s preferred pace for 40 minutes. In the end, though, Oklahoma State has too many weapons in Lucas, Tony Allen and Joey Graham. And, the Cowboys have a better chance of winning a low scoring game than Pittsburgh does of winning a shootout.
Regional Winner: OKLAHOMA STATE St. Louis Regional
Rumors had it that Gonzaga was overrated as a No. 2 seed, so their loss to Nevada wasn’t a total shock. But Kentucky’s utter collapse against UAB was baffling. The Wildcats didn’t live up to their defensive reputation, and struggled offensively for long stretches. Granted, the Blazers play that frenetic Arkansas-styled defense; but, Tubby Smith should have been familiar enough with it to make the necessary adjustments. Kansas seems to have finally found some momentum, and Georgia Tech has been its own toughest opponent. It’s hard to think anyone in this region can make the title game, unless the Yellow Jackets get another shot at Wake Forest.
Predictions
Nevada is clearly the tourney’s best story. The Wolfpack jumped on Gonzaga early and didn’t let up. Foul trouble for the Bulldogs helped matters, but so did early long-distance shooting and perimeter defense for Nevada. Still, Georgia Tech has more shooters than Gonzaga, and Nevada will be hard pressed to match last weekend’s shooting performance. Georgia Tech is simply too quick and athletic. It’s hard to discount a hot team like Nevada (a lot of people had a Wolfpack team in the Sweet 16, though it was N.C. State), but you’ve got to think they’re already thrilled with their tournament run.
Kansas-UAB is a tough game to call. Which Jayhawk team will show up? And, can the Blazers keep up the defensive pressure for another weekend? Kansas has struggled all year with teams they should beat; remember Richmond, Iowa State and Nebraska, and they have not seen anything like the “40 minutes of hell” UAB is going to throw at them. This Blazer team is tough, talented, and well-coached. They showcased their mental toughness by not wilting in the face of Kentucky’s rally last weekend. Even after Kentucky took a six-point lead, UAB was still playing like the team that had been there before, and Kentucky was playing afraid. UAB’s defense will create the turnovers and keep this game close, and in the end the maturity they demonstrated last week will see them through to the regional finals – just not any further.
Regional Winner: GEORGIA TECH Atlanta Regional
Xavier, wow. Romain Sato and Lionel Chalmers are officially incredible. Watching those two seemingly just break Louisville's spirit with ten minutes still to play in their first round game was amazing. They haven't been able to miss the basket in the last two weeks. It's always been this way in the tourney; one great guard who gets hot at the right time can will his team to victories. Remember Marvin O'Connor for St. Joe's a few years ago? Or Mouse McFadden for Cleveland State back in the eighties? Those are teams with just one great guard getting hot; Xavier has two, and they may be lethal. Memo to Rick Barnes: If you aren't careful you're going lose the label of the coach who can't win big games (and where will that leave poor Mack Brown at Texas?). Barnes coached a great game Saturday night in earning just his second career win over UNC. He spent his timeouts at critical points to stem UNC rallies, and didn't abandon his offensive sets when UNC seemed to have solved them. He stayed with what had brought his team this far and it paid off.
Predictions
Illinois is a team that can challenge Duke. The Blue Devils struggle against teams with speed, and the Fighting Illini are the fastest team in the tournament. The Dee Brown/Chris Duhon match-up is definitely one to watch in this game. Illinois' offense is predicated on Brown slashing to the basket and creating. If Duhon can keep Brown out on the perimeter, it will take Illinois out of their offense. This game will be close regardless, but if J.J. Reddick continues the torrid shooting he showcased last weekend then it's impossible to not like Duke's chances.
Texas is definitely in trouble against Xavier. UNC's rally last week demonstrated Texas' weakness against teams with solid perimeter shooting, and Xavier's has been more than just solid lately, it's been unbelievable. In case you hadn't guessed it already, Xavier has converted at least one person; they're going all the way – well, at least to the regional finals, anyway.
Regional Winner: DUKE Phoenix Regional
(From last week)"This region doesn’t appear to have nearly the upset possibilities of Atlanta." Just continue reading with that in mind. Is there a bigger bust in this year's tournament than Stanford? This squad was touted all season as the "legitimate" undefeated team, and they get bounced by a team that was on the bubble until the final week of the regular season. At least Kentucky dropped to a team that was co-conference champion in a conference that delivered six teams to the dance. Stanford blew a thirteen point second half lead and trailed by as many as seven with 30 seconds to go. That's a 20-point turnaround in seven minutes; that's not supposed to happen to a top seed. As for Alabama, they join Vanderbilt as the only two SEC teams to make it through to the Sweet Sixteen (there's just something horribly, horribly wrong with that sentence). Alabama is playing phenomenal defense right now, and Coach Mike Gottfried seems to have finally convinced them that scoring the ball is an effective way to win games.
Predictions
The Alabama/Syracuse game features a great point guard battle between the Tide's Antoine Pettway and the Orangemen's Gerry McNamara. Pettway has been "Mr. Clutch" for 'Bama all season long -- remember he hit the last second shot against Southern Illinois just to give the Tide a shot at Stanford. McNamara put on one of the greatest performances in recent tournament memory with his 43-point effort in the first round victory over BYU. Ultimately though, this game will hinge on whether or not Alabama can shoot from the perimeter. If the jump shots are falling and the Tide can stretch Syracuse's zone this game will come down to the wire. If not, the 'Cuse walks into the Elite Eight.
As for UConn/Vanderbilt, Emeka Okafor appears healthy, and there is no way Vandy has an answer for his presence on the inside. The Commodores have a lot of height, but they are a finesse team, and Okafor will own the lane against anyone who tries to finesse him. These Huskies will go as far as Okafor's back can carry them, which is at least one more round.
Regional Winner: UCONN
|
|
Related
Articles :
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
