Ah, it’s finally March. In a mere two weeks, it’ll all be about upsets and draws. We’ll pick apart 32 games from every possible nuanced angle. But to get to the glory of the double digit Cinderella, we have regular season and conference tournament action on the docket. RotoRob’s March Madness coverage will begin gearing up now with periodic look-ins at the college basketball world.

We’ll kick off with an examination of the bubble teams that look good.

Who’s Looking Out (…of the bubble…on to the inferior teams)

Dayton (24-5, RPI 28) – Obviously, playing in the A-10 ain’t quite as tough as other conferences, but Dayton really shouldn’t have to sweat this one out. It’s been very good with quality wins over Xavier (11) and Marquette (30). Losses to Charlotte (193) and Massachusetts (172) aren’t great, but Dayton is 17-0 at home and have another chance to impress with an away game at Xavier tomorrow. Probable seed: 6 or 8.

Texas A&M (20-8, RPI 34) – A&M should not be in this position. Its schedule should have included decent out of conference games which would have either assured it a spot or definitely shown it doesn’t belong. As it stands, we’re not really sure what to do with this squad. No glaring losses. No great wins. Overall, the RPI is good and it did beat LSU (22). But it lost every statement game. If it beats Missouri on Saturday, it’ll be in a much better spot. Probable Seed: 9 or 10.

Arizona (18-11, RPI 47) – The Wildcats have put up three quality top 25 RPI wins in Kansas (7), Washington (13), and UCLA (25). A couple bad losses at Stanford (110) and at Washington St. (89) are blemishes. Still, Arizona has a ton of good quality victories and just need to finish strong. Probable Seed : 10 or 11.

Michigan (17-12, RPI 48) – Amazingly, the Wolverines haven’t appeared in the NCAA tournament since 1998 (or was it 1989?). Something about scandals and sanctions and whatnot. Michigan has played a really tough schedule this year – it ranks ninth overall – so its 17-12 record is actually better than it looks. Quality wins include Duke (1) Illinois (19), Purdue (24) and UCLA (25) on a neutral court. Among the 12 losses, 11 were to definite tournament or bubble teams. Only Iowa (111) could really go down as a bad loss. Probable Seed: 9 to 11.

Boston College (20-9, RPI 49) – The Eagles have beaten Duke (1), UNC away (3), and Florida State (16) this season. But they also lost to Harvard (247) at home. Come on, how does that happen? Anyway, they’re on the course for the tourney. Probable Seed: 7 or 8.

St. Mary’s (22-5, RPI 53) – Well, this guy seems to think St. Mary’s is in. I guess he’s got a point. The committee has been known to take injuries into account when making selections, and the…ummm…Gaels (that’s a bird, right?) are 18-1 with “star guard” Patrick Mills. Without him, they are 4-4. Quality wins over Utah St. (32) and San Diego St. (46) should propel these winged creatures to March Madness. Probable Seed: 12 or 13.

Obviously, some will disagree that these are all tourney teams if they remain on their current trajectory, but I’ll stand by them…until selection day at least.

For the first time in the history of the NCAA tournament, the selection committee nailed it. Four teams left; four number one seeds. The closest to a mid-major scare was Davidson, who got barely brushed aside by Kansas in the Elite Eight. That leaves just four big time programs in Kansas, UNC, UCLA, and Memphis.

With the exception of the Kansas-Davidson game, the other three Elite Eight games could hardly be called close. Number two seed Texas got blown out by Memphis (the trendy number one seed who everyone picked to lose). UCLA produced its first blowout since the opening round as the Bruins dispatched Xavier by 19 points. Finally, UNC controlled the number three seeded Louisville Cardinals as the Heels punched their ticket to the Final Four.

So onto San Antonio for the finale of the big dance, where scouts will drool at the talent and millions of eyes will be enthralled with their television sets (more than usual, that is). And this writer will be rooting against the Tar Heels who easily dispatched my Cougs (WSU) in the Sweet 16. But that’s beside the point! [Note from the editor -- there's no accounting for taste.]

UNC vs. Kansas, Saturday, 6:07 p.m., EST

Tar Heels coach Roy Williams once led the Jayhawks of Kansas to four Final Fours (say that quickly five times). Now, he has moved on to RotoRob’s favourite, Tar Heel Nation, where he has UNC in the Final Four against his former school.

If you did not know any better, you would think Kansas is the only vulnerable team entering this Final Four as, previously stated, it had the only close Elite Eight contest. But not so fast. The Jayhawks played the Cinderalla of the tourney, scorching Davidson Wildcats (also of North Carolina) featuring scoring machine Stephen Curry. In last week’s column, I told you to watch out for Curry and it is hard to say he disappointed, pouring in 25 points against Kansas. But the Jayhawks were able to avoid a last second upset as a desperation three by Davidson clanged off the rim at the buzzer.

Davidson was the surprise seed of the tournament, and was really one of the only Cinderellas. But the fact that Kansas could overcome the Wildcats in itself shows that the Jayhawks are real. Coach Bill Self finally led his squad to the Final Four after failing in all his previous tournaments as Williams’s successor.

Junior guards Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush played stifling defense on Curry, and despite scoring 25, Curry was held to just 9-for-25 from the field. Chalmers also contributed 13 points and three rebounds while Rush poured in 12 points and a nice seven rebounds.

Kansas has above average guard play so can match up well with the Tar Heels in the back court, but the question is if its big men can hang with National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough. Sasha Kaun had a solid game against Davidson, pouring in 13 points on 6-for-6 from the field, but I’m not quite sure he is quick enough to guard Hansbrough.
UNC just might have too many offensive weapons for Kansas. Not only do the Tar Heels have Hansbrough, but guards Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson are a lock for double-digit points every game as well as a probable first round selections if they were to enter the draft this April. Throw in with super sixth man Danny Green and you have no weak spots up and down the Tar Heels’ roster.

This will be a great game, but my bold prediction is Tar Heels walk away with it.

UCLA vs. Memphis, Saturday, 8:47 p.m. EST

For making three Final Fours in the last three seasons, the Bruins are not getting a ton of respect. Coach Ben Howland has his strongest team out of all the recent Final Four runs, and the Bruins look poised to make more noise in the Finals than they did last season.

Led by guard Darren Collison and freshman sensation Kevin Love, this team is tough. Xavier made a somewhat surprising run to the Elite Eight where it was just absolutely controlled by the Bruins of UCLA. Love chipped in his typical 19 points and ten boards while Collison chipped in with 19 points and five assists. The Bruins’ stifling defense also held Xavier to only 36 per cent shooting from the field. UCLA has a solid rotation with Russell Westbrook, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Josh Shipp joining Love and Collison. All of these players can score, and all of these players can play extraordinary defense as well. They are athletic enough to run with Memphis but, most likely, will try to control the tempo and play a much slower pace than Memphis likes to play.

Memphis has really surprised so far in the tournament despite being a one seed. On ESPN’s predictions of the Sweet 16 last week, all eight analysts picked Memphis as the number one seed most likely to lose. Well, it didn’t. In fact, it wasn’t even close. The Tigers blew out Michigan State by 18 points which was not even a real indication of how lopsided that contest was. Memphis actually led 50-20 at the half in that game! The Elite Eight pitted them against Texas, a game which most thought the Tigers would lose. That did not happen either as they destroyed the Longhorns by 18. In that contest, do-it-all guard Chris Douglas-Roberts chipped in 25 points while freshman Derrick Rose tossed in 21 points. Texas was not able to rally and handle the amazing length of the Tigers.

If you’re a fan of the Tigers, you better enjoy your last glimpse of Rose. More than likely, he’s bolting to the NBA after this season and with good reason as he will be one of the top picks in the draft. With a backcourt of Rose and Douglas-Roberts, Memphis can score with anyone in the nation. Throw in the horses in the middle, Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier, and you have a tough starting squad to defend. If Memphis gets into an uptempo game with UCLA, it has the edge and might be able to take the game from the Bruins. But if the game is close at the end, the Tigers might be in trouble as they were the third-worst free throw shooting team in Division I basketball this season.

Because I’ve seen UCLA play about 20 games this season (however, I’m not a UCLA fan) I know the squad pretty well and know how great of a coach Howland is. That’s not to take anything away from John Calipari (an outstanding coach as well), but UCLA has the experience from two previous Final Fours and I think it will eventually show as the Bruins will squeak by a very difficult Tigers squad.

The Bold Prediction

I’m calling UNC and UCLA for the championship in what will be a great game. But really you can’t go wrong with any of these four teams making the championship. They are four absolutely quality teams that NBA scouts will be going nuts over during this championship weekend.

If it is in fact UNC and UCLA, I think Love will be the best matchup of the year against Hansbrough and UCLA will pull off the victory giving Love a championship in his first and (most likely) only season in college.

There always seem to be those players that step up out of nowhere in the tournament. The guys who have you scratching your head while saying “Wait, who is this guy?” The 2008 head scratcher for many of you (myself included) is Stephen Curry of the Cinderella Davidson squad. In Davidson’s first two games against Gonzaga and Georgetown, Curry has almost single-handedly carried his team to victory. Against the Bulldogs of Gonzaga, he poured in a game high 40 points, and followed that performance with 30 points in Davidson’s upset of number two seed Georgetown. Wow.

So maybe you say the name sounds familiar. Probably true. His dad was Dell Curry, long-time NBA player and three-point specialist. Regardless, I’m sure Stephen Curry was not on too many Players-to-watch lists before the tournament started. But after scoring 70 points in two contests and leading his Wildcats to the Sweet 16, he is plenty well known now. He’s even being projected as a late first round, early second round pick in the NBA draft for his uncanny ability to knock down threes.

March Madness. Where the unknown become the known! [Of course, long-time readers of RotoRob know that we touted Curry in the lead up to last year's tourney.]

Super Sweet 16 (Game of the Week)

Washington State vs. UNC, Thursday 7:40 p.m. EST

Okay, call me a homer (it has to be obvious by now that I’m a Coug through and through), but regardless of my loyalties, this has to be one of the most intriguing games of the Sweet 16. You have the ultimate shutdown defense in Wazzu, and the ultimate high powered offense in UNC. Both teams have absolutely destroyed their first two tournament opponents. Here’s a brief recap of what happened in these teams’ first two games:

Wazzu looked shaky in its first round victory of Winthrop. And by shaky, I mean for a short 20-minute period in which the Cougars went into the half tied at 29. But that disappeared quickly as they outscored Winthrop 42-11 in the second half to win 71-40. Ouch. Talk about defensive prowess.

In its second contest, Wazzu never looked shaky against Luke Harangody and the high powered Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame jumped out to a 5-0 lead early on, but that would be its only lead in the contest as Big East Player of the Year Harangody was held to ten points for the game. Final score, Wazzu 61 Notre Dame 41. For those who are counting, that represnted only half of Notre Dame’s season average point wise.

On to UNC. The Tar Heels have not played a game in doubt yet, as Tyler Hansbrough and company steamrolled their first two opponents. After earning the right to get bitch-slapped by UNC by winning the play-in game against Coppin “A Feel” St., Mt. St. Mary’s was, as expected, bitch slapped. It was not a close contest as Hansbrough and Ty Lawson led the team with 21 points apiece in the Heels’ 113-74 victory. Wow. That’s scary good offense right there.

Many people thought UNC would get a much harder challenge from the tough SEC Arkansas squad. Nope. The Tar Heels once again scored in triple digits in a 108-77 victory, this time led by superstar guard Wayne Ellington. What is even better is the squad played everyone on their bench, with all 15 players seeing some action. Talk about a stacked team.

So why is this such a great game? Mostly because it is the best offense versus the best defense in the nation. But also because of the insane amount of future NBA talent in the game. UNC’s Hansbrough might potentially turn pro after this season, as may backcourt stalwarts Lawson and Ellington. All look to be first round picks. For Wazzu, Kyle Weaver hopes to continue to soar on draft boards with his defensive prowess, and what better an opportunity then to face the number one team in the tournament? Also, senior guard Derrick Low will look to continue a strong tournament and move up his draft status from mid second round to early second round selection.

The final reason it will be the best Sweet 16 game? Because I’m flying across country to see it, so damn it, it better be!

Happy bracket watching everyone.

[Note from the editor -- RotoRob has been a UNC fan since he started following college hoops many a year ago, so this matchup pits two of our staff's teams against one another. All I can say, Daniel, is you better watch your back, or else I will arrange to have extremely flat beer served at your next kegger. I might even confiscate your bong.]

This is where Cinderella happens. This is where draft stocks soar. This is where champions are made. As Dick Vitale would say, “It’s awesome baby!” Yes, March Madness is finally here and office pools and bracket battles are starting all across the country. Who will win it all? Who will come up short? We are here to give you the whole scoop, breaking down each bracket and letting you know who we think will make the Final Four. But with all the madness, don’t blame your monetary losses on us!

SOUTH REGION

By JORDAN FRANK

Don’t tell Memphis head coach John Calipari that the number one seed in a region is supposed to get preferential treatment by the NCAA tournament selection committee. Two years ago, Memphis was a number one seed and was shipped out West, where it lost the regional final against UCLA in Oakland. This year – it’s déjà vu all over again. The Memphis Tigers are the number one seed in the South Region and the regional final site is Houston – which could lead to a potential quasi-road game for Memphis against the number two seed, the Texas Longhorns.

However, it would be a major mistake for either Memphis or Texas to look ahead to its potential regional final battle. Both teams face a difficult path to get through the South Region – most notably in potential regional semifinal matchups. The South Region may not be the toughest bracket top-to-bottom, but it is extremely top-heavy (mmm…top heavy…bow chicka bow bow). The top four seeds — Memphis, Texas, Stanford and Pittsburgh — are all loaded with talent, well-coached, experienced teams who could potentially win this Region.

Although I believe the South Region is top-heavy, there are potential difficult matchups for two of the top four teams in the second round. Memphis and Pittsburgh better beware of potential matchups against Mississippi State and Michigan State, respectively. Both of the underdogs match up well against the favourites and could play spoiler. As for some other potential early upsets, I like Saint Mary’s to knock off Miami and Kentucky to take down Marquette.

The Best Bets

Memphis Tigers (No. 1 Seed): The 33-1 Memphis Tigers are the first school in NCAA history to enter the NCAA tournament with 30 or more wins for the third straight year. The last two runs in the NCAA tournament for the Tigers ended in the regional final, but this year’s team includes sensational freshman point guard Derrick Rose. Memphis played a tough non-conference schedule this year and beat numerous tournament teams including Connecticut, Georgetown, Oklahoma, USC, Arizona and Gonzaga. The Tigers cruised through the Conference USA regular season without a blemish and easily won the conference tournament. Memphis’ only defeat came at home against Tennessee in a tough No. 1 versus No. 2 battle. The Tigers are led by guards Rose (13.9 PPG, 4.2 APG) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (17.2 PPG) who were both first-team All-Conference USA, and forward Joey Dorsey (7.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG) who was on the second-team. The team has struggled with its perimeter shooting all season and ranks 327th of 328 teams in Division I in foul shooting at 59.2 per cent.

Texas Longhorns (No. 2 Seed): After losing Kevin Durant last season, the number two pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, many predicted a down year for the Texas Longhorns. However, they responded with an 11-0 start to the 2007-08 season, which included marquee non-conference wins over UCLA and Tennessee. Additionally, the Longhorns were mere minutes away from beating Kansas in the Big 12 Championship game to capture a berth as a number one seed. The 28-6 Longhorns, who have won 12 of their last 14 games, are seeded number two in the South and their path to the NCAA championship runs through Little Rock, Houston and San Antonio. Texas beat Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas A&M and Kansas State on its way to sharing the Big 12 regular season championship with Kansas, and is led by its stud point guard D.J. Augustin, who was the Big 12’s No. 2 scorer (19.8 PPG) and leader in assists (5.7 APG). Augustin’s backcourt mate, A.J. Abrams, is a deadly outsider shooter who led the team with 89 three pointers and who averages 16.1 PPG and forward Damion James is the Longhorns’ muscle-in-the-middle, averaging 10.5 RPG and 13.2 PPG. It will be critical for the Longhorns to get interior contributions from James, centre Connor Atchley and especially forward Gary Johnson to advance from a potential regional semifinal matchup against Stanford and its twin seven footers.

Stanford Cardinal (No. 3 Seed): Stanford has been under the radar for most of the season due to the team’s soft non-conference schedule and the suspension of Brook Lopez for the first semester. Don’t look now, but Stanford has won nine of its last 13 in a loaded conference and settled for second place in the Pac-10 after a controversial call at UCLA ended its hopes of a regular season championship. The Cardinal are a defensive juggernaut and are in the nation’s top ten in both two-point field goal defense and overall effective field goal defense. The team also ranks in the Top 25 in both offensive and defensive rebounding. The Cardinal can overwhelm teams inside with its twin seven-footers Brook and Robin Lopez. Brook leads the team by averaging 19.2 PPG and 8.5 RPG, while his brother Robin averages 10.0 PPG and 5.6 RPG. Anthony Goods (10.8 PPG) is the main 3-point threat and point guard Mitch Johnson averages 4.8 APG.

The Sleeper

Pittsburgh Panthers (No. 4 Seed): To call the Panthers a dark horse is a bit of a stretch, but this team has overcome significant injuries and is as dangerous as any team in the country. The Panthers won the Big East Conference tournament by beating Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and Georgetown in a four-day span. Despite the injuries, Pittsburgh finished with a school-record seventh consecutive 20-win season. Junior point guard Levance Fields, who averages 11.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 5.4 APG, returned in mid-February after missing 12 games with a broken left foot, and the team lost Mike Cook (10.4 PPG) for the season. The Panthers depend on tough, aggressive defense and the inside scoring of DeJuan Blair (11.7 PPG and 9.1 RPG) and Sam Young (18.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG). Because of its strong and tenacious team defense, Pittsburgh could be a difficult matchup for Memphis in a potential regional semifinal.

Players to Watch

Derrick Rose – Memphis: The freshman guard for the Tigers is arguably the top point guard in the country and is a sure-fire lottery pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. While Rose’s raw stats are solid (13.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.2 SPG), it is his intangibles that are making NBA scouts salivate. Rose has fantastic vision on the court and has an incredible knack of making his teammates better. He has the ability to take over games with his size and athleticism and can get to the rim with ease.

Brook Lopez – Stanford: Lopez is another player destined to be a lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft. He is a fundamentally sound and strong big man who averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 boards and 1.9 blocks per game this season. Lopez has a strong work ethic and has improved his shooting from both the field and the free throw line this season. As true seven-footers, Brook and his brother Robin will pose a tough matchup for smaller teams in the tournament.

D.J. Augustin – Texas: The floor general for the Longhorns is the second best point guard in the country (see above). Augustin is a pure point guard who models his game after Steve Nash. In his sophomore season, Augustin is averaging 19.8 points, 5.7 dimes, 2.9 boards and 1.3 steals. He is an incredible ball-handler who runs the pick-and-roll to perfection and can easily dribble-penetrate to find the open man.

Jamont Gordon – Mississippi State: Gordon is an explosive guard who averages 17 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Bulldogs. In his junior season, he was a unanimous selection to the All-SEC first team and has shown incredible versatility in leading the Bulldogs into the tournament. Gordon uses his size (6′4”, 230) and strength to get to the hole and his improved shooting has garnered the attention of NBA scouts.

Patrick Mills – Saint Mary’s: Mills is a 5′11” Australian freshman guard who is lightning-quick and could shock some teams in the tournament with his scoring ability. Earlier this season, Mills led Saint Mary’s to a victory over Oregon (who was ranked No. 11 at the time) by scoring 37 points. He averages 14.5 points, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals for the Gaels.

Others to Watch

Jarvis Varnado – Mississippi State
Dominic James – Marquette
Chris Douglas-Roberts – Memphis
Dionte Christmas – Temple
Joe Crawford – Kentucky

Projected Region Winner

The Texas Longhorns will benefit from the favourable venues and cut the nets in Houston on their way to San Antonio.

MIDWEST REGION

By ANDY GOLDSTEIN

At first, I was pretty bummed about getting stuck covering the Midwest. I mean, it’s the antithesis of flash. Instead, I get to go on about muckers (UNLV), grinders (Wisconsin), and plodders (Georgetown). Yes, the Midwest is the slowest region in the whole tournament, but there’s beauty in molassas ball, right? Who doesn’t love a 53-50 second round nailbiter!? I live to see the shot clock in the corner go from serene white to impending-doom-red! Every time! Okay, I can’t do this anymore. Seriously, I must have upset the March Madness gods. I hate stone-age basketball. They might as well get rid of the shot clock altogether. Oh no. I just realized Wisconsin could end up facing Georgetown in the third round. That narcolepsy-inducing game should come with a warning: please don’t listen on the radio if you’re operating a vehicle.

The Best Bets

Kansas Jayhawks (No. 1 seed): The Big 12 Champions will be hard to stop behind a senior-laden team. A high power offense will be thrust forth in the early rounds of the tournament and my guess is they will make the Final Four.

Georgetown Hoyas (No. 2 seed): The Hoyas made a huge run in last year’s tournament and look to follow that up this season. Roy Hibbert elected to come back for his senior season instead of going pro and will lead a team with plenty of experience and a great shot in a tough bracket to make the Final Four.

Wisconsin Badgers (No. 3 seed): The Badgers probably feel snubbed. After winning the Big Ten tournament, as well as being ranked fifth in the country, they were only awarded a three seed in the Midwest. If Wisconsin can play as well as its coach Bo Ryan does the dance to Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat,” count them in to at least the Elite Eight with a great shot at making the Final Four.

The Sleeper

Michael Beasley’s Kansas State squad strikes me as the team that could surprise the most. Obviously, they will have the best player in every game, which is a nice starting point. Maybe more importantly, they play a faster paced game than anyone else in the region, and they’re the only low-ranked team that will have a shot at controlling the tempo against the high seeds. While I do see them beating USC in first round, I think they’ll run into a wall against the Badgers. The only other double digit seed that I see with a chance to make a Sweet 16 run would be the Villanova Wildcats, who garnered a 12 seed. Interestingly, their first game against Clemson in the 5-12 matchup will be tougher than the second round matchups. Vanderbilt is a very weak No. 4, but Siena isn’t exactly a dangerous 13 seed, so the winner of Clemson-’Nova should make it another round. I am not that bold, since Clemson is very strong and the Wildcats are too inconsistent, but if they do pull the upset, I totally called it.

Players to Watch

Mario Chalmers-Kansas: Kansas, clearly one of the best teams in the country, is a team that has a number of quality players. It’s almost unfair to single just one or two out, but guard Mario Chalmers has been playing well of late. Against Texas in the Big 12 title game, he scored a career-high 30 points.

Roy Hibbert-Georgetown: The centre from Georgetown can have a big impact on this bracket. Unfortunately, he’s shown a tendency to put himself in foul trouble, which cuts his minutes significantly. But he has plenty of experience after last year’s run.

Michael Beasley-Kansas State: The National Player of the Year runner up, he is an extreme force to be reckoned with. Averaging a double-double, Beasley can almost single-handedly lead his Wildcats to an upset over first round opponent USC and O.J. Mayo.

Others to Watch

Sherron Collins-Kansas
Delonte Huff-Portland State

Projected Region Winner

I hate picking chalk. I despise it. I can’t think of anything worse. But the one redeeming part of having to slog through the Midwest Region is that I get to explain that Kansas is not only going to win the bracket, but also the National Championship. It has the balance to get through anyone.

WEST REGION

By RotoRob

Other than UCLA – a legitimate threat to win it all this year – the West Region isn’t exactly brimming with tourney contenders. Duke as a two seed? This is a team that couldn’t even win the ACC regular season title or the conference tournament. And now the Blue Devils have to travel far from home to try to win their region. Frankly, I’ll be shocked if they survive until the Elite Eight.

There are some interesting schools here, however. Drake, who shocked many by sweeping its way through the always fascinating MVC tourney; Jim Calhoun’s UConn Huskies, who seem to be rounding into form at the right time; and the Purdue Boilermakers, who have done an amazing job of turning the program around.

The Best Bets

UCLA (No. 1 seed): The Bruins probably have the easiest road to the Final Four of any of the No. 1 seeds. After wrapping up a third straight Pac-10 regular season title, UCLA swept through a tourney that featured six teams headed to the dance, and it came away unscathed, stretching an overall winning streak to 10 games. This club, capable of controlling games with its defense, has plenty of experience, having made it to the last two Final Fours. In fact, only Kentucky has more tournament appearances in its history. As long as Kevin Love’s back doesn’t act up again and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s ankle is okay, this team will roll.

Xavier (No. 3 seed): The Musketeers, normally a superb 3-point shooing team, went ice cold in the Atlantic 10 semis, sinking just 1-of-14. The result? Xavier was held to just 53 points, its lowest output of the season. But this team was headed to the dance either way, and the Musketeers, an excellent FT shooting team, are poised for a very deep tournament run.

Drake (No. 5 seed): I’m going out on a limb here a bit, but those Missouri Valley schools have made sexy choices in recent years, and this team did win 28 games this season. The only thing holding the Bulldogs back is experience – they haven’t made the tourney since 1971. But any team capable of ending the No. 1 seed jinx in the MVC (they’re the first club to win the tourney as the top seed in that conference in a decade) must have some kismet on their side. Besides, did you see what Drake did to Illinois State in the tourney final? Woah. The Bulldogs are capable of shredding opponents with an array of 3-point shooters, featuring four players who average well over one trey per game, including Josh Young and Klayton Korver, who both average better than two per game. Assuming Drake can get by a powerful Western Kentucky squad (and those No. 5 vs. No. 12 matchups are always a minefield), this team has a chance to make some serious noise in the tourney.

The Sleeper

West Virginia (No. 7 seed): Because of its ability to get hot and light it up, West Virginia will always be a threat. The Mountaineers showed this when they knocked off UConn in the Big East quarterfinals. I have my doubts about Duke’s ability to get past the Sweet 16, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Devils bow to WVU in the second round. The Mountaineers have an upset in them waiting to be unleashed.

Players to Watch

Jerryd Bayless-Arizona: The athletic and fast Bayless will be a lottery pick, but whether his NBA future is as a PG or a combo guard remains to be seen. Now is his chance to prove he can run an offense. Compared by some to Gilbert Arenas, another less-than-true PG who is an explosive scorer, Bayless averaged 20 PPG but he turns the ball over too much.

DeAndre Jordan-Texas A&M: With Jordan, it’s not so much what’s he done as what he might do. This seven-footer is blessed with a man-child’s body a la Dwight Howard, so NBA scouts are drooling as they consider him for a lottery pick slot. Coming off the bench this year, Jordan didn’t exactly wow anyone in his freshman season, but with his ability to be a fantastic, young low-post presence similar to Andrew Bynum, teams will be coveting this brimming-with-potential, athletic big man.

Russell Westbrook-UCLA: The first of a host of UCLA stars expected to be drafted this summer, this soph exploded onto the scene this year, and was blazing down the stretch, scoring in double figures in eight straight games until the Stanford game Saturday. Westbrook wears No. 0 but is anything but in scouts’ minds, establishing himself as a clear lottery pick with his athleticism and quickness. This lefty combo guard, compared to Monta Ellis, will need to add strength, and is certainly not someone who will step in to the NBA and make an immediate impact, but Westbrook has a chance to cement his status as a top 10 pick with a big tourney.

Hasheem Thabeet-Connecticut: This dude is a serious blocking machine, recording at least two swats per game for the past 14 contests. At 7′3″, he is an incredibly intimidating presence under his own basket, earlier this year putting up a 10-block game. However, as dominating as Thabeet is on D, he is a weak post player, only capable of scoring when he gets position within a few feet of the bucket. Still, Thabeet, who averaged 4.5 BPG this season, looks like he’ll be a lottery pick and take his place as the next Dikembe Mutombo, throwing nightly block parties in the NBA.

Kevin Love-UCLA: Love has scouts drooling with his combination of size (6′10″, 271), strength and skills. There’s almost nothing he can’t do, whether it’s scoring, rebounding, blocking or stepping behind the arc to can a 3-pointer. Gifted with a great jump shot as well as superb post skills, Love looks like a mid first round pick right now, but a big tourney could vault him into a lottery slot. The only major knock on Love is his lack of speed, so he’s best suited to thrive on a half-court team.

Others to Watch

Darren Collison-UCLA
Trent Plaisted-BYU
Luc Richard Mbah A Moute-UCLA
DeMarcus Nelson-Duke
Courtney Lee-Western Kentucky

Projected Region Winner

UCLA is on its way to a third straight Final Four, and is a good bet to go to the Championship game.

EAST REGION

By DANIEL OLSEN

In this writer’s humble opinion, the East is the toughest region in the tournament. Not only does it have the number one overall seed in UNC, but Indiana is an eight seed! The Hoosiers have obviously struggled since the dismissal of cheater, ahem, coach Kelvin Sampson, but still they had a very solid year in a strong Big Ten Conference.

Speaking of Indiana, look for a potential huge matchup with UNC in the second round, assuming the Hoosiers can escape Arkansas in a tough opening round contest.

Also in this bracket you have a previously ranked number one (Tennessee), a former Cinderella mid-major in George Mason, always tough Louisville, and a new Pac-10 powerhouse in Washington State.

With the exception of a few of the lower ranked teams, just about anyone could potentially win this bracket.

The Best Bets

UNC (No. 1 seed):

Tell me you want to bet against the number one overall seed in the tournament and team who finished number one in the final AP rankings. Then I will tell you that you’re crazy. Led by centre Tyler Hansbrough and guard Ty Lawson, this team is tough. Fresh off the ACC championship, the Tar Heels are gunning for the national championship and are poised to make a huge run led by coach Roy Williams. However, after round one, there will be no easy games for the Tar Heels.

Tennessee (No. 2 seed): While the Volunteers stumbled a bit after briefly being ranked number one in the nation, they still finished with a two seed in the East and look poised to dominate the bottom half of the East bracket. Chris Lofton will have to continue to be a super stroker for Tennesse to make a run at the Final Four. With Bruce Pearl at the helm, it looks like the sky might be the limit for the Volunteers. They have plenty of experience with a team that made a deep run into the tournament last season as well.

Washington State (No. 4 seed): Sure they are from Pullman, Washington (where?) and are only making their second tournament appearance in the last 14 seasons. But, it is their second tournament appearance in a row and is being led by one of the most promising young coaches in the nation in Tony Bennett (just ask Indiana, a school that can’t stop gazing at him after the dismissal of Sampson). The Cougars are a senior-led team with guards Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low. They can shoot the three almost as well as anyone in the country with four legitimate three-point threats on the team. Factor in the Pac-10’s best defense statistically, and they could advance to at least the Sweet Sixteen.

The Sleeper

George Mason (No. 12 seed): These guys know how to win. Just two years ago they made it to the Final Four out of nowhere! They still have two starters from that squad in Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas. The Patriots have had some big wins this season, including one over Beasley’s Kansas State. They have plenty enough offense, but they will have to play big time defense in order to have a chance in this tournament.

Players to Watch

Kyle Weaver-Washington State: The 6′6″ senior guard is one of the best defensive players in the land and has had a shutdown season leading him to be a probable late first round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. While he doesn’t always light up the scoreboard with points like Beasley and Mayo, he will chip in 10-15 points a game and a couple of steals per contest. He is the heart and soul of the Cougars.

Tyler Hansbrough-UNC: He’s only the National Player of the Year. No big deal right? Wrong. Hansbrough is unstoppable at times and the centre will only continue to shine in the tournament. Look for him to have a double-double in every contest in the tournament and drop even more scouts’ jaws with his uncanny ability to score and rebound. He should be leading his Tar Heels deep in the tournament.

Reggie Larry-Boise State: Sure, the Broncos are from the mediocre WAC conference, but Larry is definitely something to write home about. The forward is averaging 19.6 points per contest as well as pulling down 9.3 rebounds. The team barely made the tournament after a triple overtime victory in the WAC championship against New Mexico State. What did Larry do in that contest? Oh, he merely poured in 31 points and pulled down 16 points. No big deal.

Luke Harangody-Notre Dame: No one said anything about Harangody prior to the season. Now, the whole nation is raving about him. Going into the tournament, the forward is averaging a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. Notre Dame will need him if it has any chance of advancing, as it has no easy games in the bracket, starting off with Cinderella special George Mason. But, Harangody has shown he has what it takes to lead the Fighting Irish and he will do just that.

Chris Lofton-Tennessee: This senior rainmaker has led Tennessee all season in three-point shooting at a 40 per cent clip while averaging 16 points per game. This is his last chance to shine in the NCAA tournament and he hopes to impress NBA scouts and improve his draft stock which he should be able to do as his Volunteers have a favourable first few games.

Others to Watch

Derrick Low-Washington State
David Padgett-Lousiville
Eric Gordon-Indiana
D.J. White-Indiana
Sonny Weems-Arkansas
Blake Griffin-Oklahoma

Projected Region Winner

I hate being the guy to just go with the obvious, but I will do it anyways. The winner has to be UNC. I do not think anyone can really match up with Hansbrough, and he will dominate all the big men in the bracket. That being said, Tennessee is the one team that can challenge the Heels. But still, go ahead and pick UNC.

The Final Four

Based on our predictions, the Final Four will consist of Texas, Kansas, UCLA, and UNC. That’s right, three number one seeds. Guess we like to play it safe, huh?

Bold prediction: the winner of the best Conference in the land (the Pac-10) will win the 2008 Tournament. Yah, UCLA all the way!

GONZAGA BULLDOGS

SKINNY: This team has had to vault over plenty of obstacles, yet another WCC Championship has the Gonzaga Bulldogs headed back to the tourney for an astonishing ninth straight year. Seeded 10th in the West, the Bulldogs will look to get past the Hoosiers as they hope to best last season’s Sweet 16 showing. The ‘Zags won 11 of 14 in conference play and proved they were capable of huge wins by beating the Tar Heels, the Longhorns and the Cardinal. While there was some question whether Gonzaga would have been asked back had it not taken the WCC, a 77-68 win over No. 2 Santa Clara made that notion moot. The school heads into the tourney on a five-game win streak.

HISTORY: This is nine years in a row and 10 overall in the tourney for Gonzaga, 12-9 overall in NCAA play. Gonzaga built its legend as a basketball power between the years of 1999 and 2001, when it made it at least as far as the Sweet 16 every year, despite never being seeded higher than 10. Again a 10 seed this year, this is the lowest rank for Gonzaga since 2001, so its streak of not losing in the first round since 2002 could be in danger.

STRENGTHS: This team can shoot, whether from the floor, beyond the arc or at the charity stripe, ranking in the top 21 in the country in all three categories. Gonzaga protects the pumpkin well and is also adept at limiting its opponents’ shooting (25th best at 40.3 per cent).

WEAKNESSES: Perimeter defense is an issue (opponents shoot 34.3 per cent from 3-point range; that’s 148th in the country) and if the team’s big gunners go cold, Gonzaga could be in trouble given that this is not a team adept at hooking each other up (just 46 per cent of the Bulldogs’ baskets were assisted, 243rd overall in the nation).

KEY PERSONNEL: Senior PG Derek Raivio has taken more and more of a leadership role in terms of offense as first Ronny Turiaf and then Adam Morrison graduated to the NBA ranks. The son of Rick, one of the best players in the history of the University of Portland, Derek did his old man proud with a WCC-leading 18.2 PPG while adding 2.6 APG. The WCC co-player of the year and tournament MVP lived up to his reputation as a big-game player, and when the team needed him most, Raivio stepped up, scoring a career-high 28 points in the WCC Championship game despite hurling chunks in the second half (and no, he did not have the flu nor was it anything he ate). Heavily recruited out of high school, Raivio averaged 1.5 steals per game and shot very well this year (45.5 per cent from the field). Sophomore shooting guard Jeremy Pargo, brother of Jannero, finished third in the WCC in assists with 4.6 per game. He stepped up to play a major role this year and combined with Raivio to give Gonzaga a very impressive backcourt. Smart and athletic, Pargo also averaged 1.5 SPG and showed his brother’s shooting touch (49.5 per cent from the floor).

INTANGIBLES: As mentioned, Gonzaga had to overcome a lot this year, and like its namesake, it stubbornly ploughed through. Not the least of its hurdles was the loss of sophomore forward Josh Heytvelt, one of conference’s top scorers and the team’s best rebounder, inactive since February 5 after being charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. He’s been suspended indefinitely. The team had to endure a very difficult non-conference schedule, tough enough that it dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in a few years. Gonzaga also saw its 50-game home winning streak (the longest in Division I) snapped. And the Bulldogs didn’t exactly run away with the WCC, finishing a mere one game ahead of Santa Clara, yet in the end they won their eighth WCC title in nine years.

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS

SKINNY: I just want to say that I just, in my head, guessed Wright State’s nickname correctly. I said ‘I bet they’re the Raiders.’ And I was right. And no, I’m not losing my mind and talking to myself about random college basketball teams from Ohio. (That’s right, Mr. Oden, you will win the tournament this year.) Errr, I mean, moving along. Wright State was given a No. 14 seed after beating Butler for the Horizon League Championship and an automatic bid. It’s a good thing the Raiders did beat Butler, because when you lose to Bowling Green, at home to boot, your chances of acquiring an at-large bid tend to dissipate.

HISTORY: The Raiders have only made one previous appearance in the NCAA tournament, which occurred way back in 1993. That Wright State team fought its way to a No. 16 seed and played a back and forth game against No. 1 Indiana. And by ‘back and forth,’ I mean the opening tip-off had some drama. They lost by, well, whatever the margin of 97-54 is. I was never very good at subtraction of that magnitude.

STRENGTHS: The Ramblin’ Raiders (yes, I made up the Ramblin’ part) are a solid defensive team, ranking 31st in the nation in points allowed. They aren’t a big group, but they’ll cause some turnovers and play a cohesive game in front of the basket. Coach Brad Brownell keeps the intensity up by using a deep, nine-man rotation. That’s a luxury that No. 14 seeds don’t always have.

WEAKNESSES: Size, rebounding, and, you know, that other important basketball trait…uh, generally scoring points. This is another team that doesn’t shoot the 3-ball especially well, which is key for a team as a catchup tool. Other than that, they’re like, right there.

KEY PERSONNEL: Wright State will live by the team or die by team. Senior G Dashaun Wood is the gunner with nearly 20 points per game, but the rest of the group plays within the flow of the contest.

INTANGIBLES/OUTLOOK: Well, they should at least do better than the 1993 team. I don’t know if that’s really much of a consolation, though. The Raiders are matched up against No. 3 Pittsburgh, and I don’t think many are considering this to be an ‘upset alert’ game. In fact, more people probably have Pittsburgh getting to the Final Four than have Wright State advancing one time. Still, the Raiders do have some of the components of an upset team with a strong defense and selfless game plan. Plus, they lost by 68 points in 1993, (wait, did I forget to carry a number there?) and that’s just not right. Karma dictates something good happens this year.

- Andy Goldstein

On Sunday, the selection committee unveiled the 65 teams that will participate in this year’s NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament. A total of 63 teams are given automatic entry and the final two teams play each other in the ‘play-in’ game, the winner of which moves on to the main field of 64. All that’s left at that point is to fill out your bracket. Oh. Is that all?

Yes, completing a full bracket, predicting the winners for the 63 tournament games, can be a hugely daunting task, sometimes making you wish you had tried a more simple job, like, say, calculating pi to 68 decimals in your head. So let’s try to keep things simple; it’s way too easy for this process to get so out of control that before you know it you feel like you’ve just been given five minutes to assemble the parts of a high-powered rifle, the instructions of which are printed in Swahili, before a Bengal tiger that hasn’t eaten in a week is released into the room. Take some advice from the cover of the Hitchhikers’s Guide to the Galaxy: Don’t panic!

Here’s some more advice:

• Don’t go crazy. It’s easy to start rifling through endless scouting reports, making multiple calculations and creating probability scenarios. But have you ever noticed how often the person who wins your office pool is the one who selected winners based on where they’d rather be? Or who would win in a battle of their mascots? Hmmm’can a Wildcat beat a Boilermaker? The point here is, while we’re not suggesting employing either of these methods, there’s no need for you to get too complex with your selection process. As it is, there are about 9.22 quintillion (a billion billion) possible outcomes.
• It’s all about seedings. The last thing you want to do is make a lot of mistakes in the first round that compound your errors in subsequent rounds. For instance, if you take a No. 4 seed to go all the way to the Sweet 16, but they actually go down in round one, the domino effect of this incorrect pick can have a devastating impact on your bracket. So choose your upsets carefully. Here are some odds to help you through the first round: top seeded teams, from 1992 to 2006 have never lost a first round game, going 60-0. In fact, since the tourney expanded to 64 teams in 1985, a number one seed has never lost a first round match. So steer clear of those No. 16 seeds that are all paired up against the number ones.

A No. 2 seed has only lost in the first round three times in 15 years, winning 95 percent of the time. Number threes are 52-8 and fourth seeds have lost 12 times (winning 80 per cent of the time). Here’s where it gets interesting. For whatever reason, the No. 5 vs. No. 12 games tend to produce more upsets than any other matchup. The five seed only advances 63 per cent of the time (compared to the No. 6 seeds, which advance 75 per cent of the time). As you get to the No. 7 vs. No. 10 and No. 8 vs. No. 9 games, things become much more muddled (seven seeds win 55 per cent of the time, while eight seeds only win 45 per cent of the time).

Looking beyond the first round, here are some things to consider when looking at round two potential matchups: 85 per cent of the time, No. 1 seeds make it to the Sweet 16; when six seeds meet three seeds, they win slightly better than half the time. While No. 2 seeds dominate the seven seeds (winning 72 per cent of the time), they only win just over half the time when they play the lower 10 seed in round two.

Almost three-quarters of all number one seeds make it to the Elite Eight, while usually two number two seeds make it to this round every year. The odds of the seeds making this level continue to drop until, curiously, the No. 6 seed, which between 1992 and 2006, made it to Elite Eight almost twice as often as the five seeds. Finally, there is usually one seven through 11 seeded team that makes it this far every year. When you start looking at seeds 12 and higher, the chances of one of them getting this far are almost nil. In fact, in 2002 Missouri became the first team seeded 12 or higher to ever make the Elite Eight.

• Look for vulnerabilities. So Team A heads in at 21-8 and Team B is 17-13. Easy call, right? Wait a minute. How did Team A do down the stretch? Oh they lost their last four games? Hmmm. And Team B won 10 of their last 11? Interesting. Watch for specifics in this area in our team preview articles.
• Polls? What polls? Don’t even look at the top 25 list at this point. That was then. This is now. Being a top 25 does not guarantee you’ll be playing in the second round.
• How’d they get there? A number of teams will gain automatic entry into the tourney for winning their conference tourney. That doesn’t necessarily make them a great team, just a team that was good enough to get hot over the course of a few days. Teams that have gained at-large bids have generally enjoyed more consistent season-long efforts against greater competition. Of course, then there are those schools that win their conference tourneys and would have qualified for at-large bids anyway.
• Perfection ain’t easy. Don’t expect to go 63-0 in this thing. More people will likely win the lottery and get bit by a shark in the same day than will have a perfect bracket.
• Hedge your bets. When taking a team for a first-round upset, it’s usually wise not to have that same team going too far into the pool beyond that. That way, if the upset does not occur in round one, your pool can still be corrected by the third round, assuming you didn’t have the upset choice getting past the second round.
• Don’t listen to any of this. Oh sure. Now you tell me. I read this far, and now you’re negating everything I just read? Great. Well, the deal is, this is all about fun, so it’s perfectly okay to just follow your heart and choose your favorite teams. Hell, you actually want to root for those teams, don’t you? There is so much luck involved in winning this thing, that the best advice I can give you is just do what you want. If you want to fill out your bracket employing any means you dream of just do it. Want to dip slugs in paint of the team colour and let them race? Go for it! This exercise is meant to add even more fun to what’s already perhaps the greatest sports tournament there is, not to complicate things.

The bottom line is that an NCAA pool can add great enjoyment to your tournament viewing experience. Having some teams to root for can make that huge bowl of cheese doodles all the more tasty. Of course, it can also make you choke on one when the team you had going to the Final Four loses to a school that’s previous greatest sports claim was winning the collegiate armadillo racing championship.

NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES

SKINNY: I really don’t know what a Purple Eagle is. I’m relatively sure that they don’t actually exist, you know, in the real world. In fact, other than Niagara University, the only mention of Purple Eagle I could find was this bizarre “Multidimensional Healing” site. And I don’t really know what’s going on there. (It should be noted that around these parts, Niagara is best known as being the former employer of coach Jack Armstrong, a current Raptors analyst.) Anyway, Niagara is in the tourney thanks to an 83-79 victory over Sienna in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. (Sienna goes by the Saints, for those wondering.) Tyrone Lewis scored 24 points in the finals and was selected the MAAC tournament’s most valuable player.

HISTORY: Niagara has taken part in two previous March Madnesses, the most recent of which was just two years ago. In 2005, the, ahem, Purple Eagles fell to Cincinnati in the first round. Sadly, they haven’t won an NCAA tournament game since 1970. But, as everyone says, every 37 years or so, you’re due at least one March Madness victory. Right?

STRENGTHS: Well, there’s the…uhhh…offense? It’s ranked about 119th in the nation according to kenpom.com. That may not seem impressive, but compared to their 240th ranking in defense, it’s pretty darn good. Other than that, the Purple Eagles rebound well and are especially aggressive on the offensive boards.

WEAKNESSES: Niagara doesn’t really like playing defense all that much. It will get to the rebounds, assuming there are any, but if this team falls behind (and, it looks like that’s a good possibility), there’s really no way it has any chance to make a comeback. Still, at least they will go down firing, as the Purple Eagles ranked ninth in the nation in field goals attempted.

KEY PERSONNEL: Junior G/F Charron Fisher had to overcome assault charges from last August, but he led Niagara in scoring and finished 13th overall in the nation for putting up points. He wasn’t just a gunner though, as he also picked up over eight boards per game. Any success the Purple Eagles have will probably come as a result of Fisher playing at an elite level. Senior G/F Cliff Brown was 13th in the league in rebounding, and will obviously play a key role in clearing the boards. (Which again, may not come quite as frequently against, say, a No. 1 seed.

OUTLOOK/INTANGIBLES: Niagara was given, for some reason, a No. 16 seed. (The school deserved a No. 15 seed, of course.) Not only that, the Purple Eagles were deemed either the 64th or 65th best team in the tournament, because they have to play Florida A&M on Tuesday just to officially make the final 64. I still don’t get that. Anyway, I expect Niagara to win on Tuesday, but to be destroyed against Kansas. And that’s what it gets for being named after a creepy, mythical creature.

- Andy Goldstein

Joe Aiello over at View From the Bleachers would like to invite any RotoRob reader to enter his March Madness Contest and he’s offering up a book from his vast baseball library to the winner. You can get full details here.

Speaking of March Madness, Andy and I will continue to post as many team previews as we can in the next few days and watch for a strategy essay to help you fill in those brackets.

CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS

SKINNY: As usual, you never know what’s going to happen in the Missouri Valley Conference, and with their win over 11th-ranked Southern Illinois in the final, the Creighton Bluejays earned another trip to the dance and continued an MVC trend whereby no team has won the regular season title and conference tourney in the same year since 1998. Creighton rode a 13-5 conference mark to a 22-10 overall record, led by its trio of seniors. It likely would have been in the mix for an at-large bid either way, but the MVC win eliminated any nail biting Creighton would have had to do this evening when the at-large bids are unveiled. I’m expecting the Bluejays to garner a 10 or 11 seed, perhaps a bit lower, which is going to make getting to the second round a difficult task.

HISTORY: Creighton is making its first trip to the tourney since 2005, but it’s the seventh time in nine years and 15th overall that the Bluejays have made the cut. They have an overall record of 9-16, but their last win was five years ago.

STRENGTHS: FT shooting. They’ve knocked down the second-most free throws in the MVC and, at 75.5 per cent, the Bluejays pace the conference and come in as the 11th-best FT shooting team in the nation. This is one team you do not want to put on the line. It’s a balanced team with strong both a frontcourt and backcourt.

WEAKNESSES: Creighton doesn’t have one overwhelming weakness, but a 44.6 per cent mark from the floor was only the ninth-best in the conference.

KEY PERSONNEL: Senior guard Nate Funk, back this season after redshirting in 2005-06 when shoulder surgery limited him to six games, enjoyed a phenomenal year with a career-high 17.6 PPG (best in the MVC), plus 3.5 RPG and 3.0 APG. The tourney MVP was huge in the semis with a season-high 33 points, and then followed that up with a 19-point, four-assist showing in the finals. The pre-season MVC Player of the Year is a strong outside shooter and a fantastic FT shooter. Centre Anthony Tolliver, also part of Creighton’s senior class, ranked fifth in the conference with 6.7 RPG while adding 13.4 PPG and 2.0 APG. Tolliver came up huge when it counted, pouring in 15 points with 13 boards in the conference finals for his first double-double in 10 games and sixth overall on the season. While his shooting percentage slipped slightly this year, Tolliver definitely enjoyed his finest season, earning first team All-Conference honours in addition to be named a second team Academic All-American.

INTANGIBLES: Getting to the dance hasn’t been a problem with six MVC titles in nine years, but with none of them coming as the top seed, Creighton has experience in pulling off the upset. In fact, the win over Southern Illinois came after the Bluejays had dropped eight straight to the Salukis. Unfortunately, that Cinderella quality hasn’t extended to the NCAA tourney. But with a fairly deep team that has a heavy senior influence (besides Funk and Tolliver, Nick Porter plays a big role and all three made the MVC all-tourney team), perhaps the Bluejays are mature enough to pull off a shocker or two. The fact that their three seniors have all had to overcome injuries probably only makes them hungrier, so maybe this is the year that Creighton can finally travel deeper into the tourney.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH RAMS

SKINNY: First of all, thank you, VCU! By winning the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament, the Rams effectively blocked George Mason from getting a March Madness bid. Now, I don’t have anything against GM (aside from it ruining my 2006 bracket, of course), but I was absolutely frightened that I’d have to deal with this school in my bracket again this season. Anyway, the Rams aren’t exactly new to the big tourney. They last appeared as a No. 13 seed in 2004, and narrowly missed upsetting No. 4 Wake Forest in the first round. This season, VCU went 27-6 overall while setting a school record for wins and a CAA record with 19 wins in conference play.

HISTORY: Including the 2004 team, which lost 79-78 despite leading for much of the second half against Wake Forest, the Rams have made seven NCAA tournament appearances and have gone 4-7 overall in tournament play. In 1985, VCU was given a No. 2 seed, but was upset in the second round by No. 7 Alabama.

STRENGTHS: The Rams don’t excel at scoring or stopping other teams from putting up points, which begs the question: What are VCU’s strengths? The best answer is probably dictating pace. The Rams attack offensively (ranking in the top 25 in the country in free throw attempts) without being careless (ranking in the top 15 in the country in fewest turnovers per game).

WEAKNESSES: VCU is quite…how should I say…vertically challenged. They have one true centre in Calvin Roland, but for the most part, the Rams will play without a big man in the middle. This weakness is evident in their rank in rebounding (202 in the country). When you are one spot below the Binghamton Bears in grabbing boards, it’s probably a bad thing.

KEY PERSONNEL: While he didn’t lead the team in scoring this season, sophomore Eric Maynor became the catalyst to the Rams offense, especially in the Colonial tournament. Against George Mason, it was Maynor who scored 20 points overall and nine straight towards the end of the contest. The guard was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The other guy to watch will be junior Wil Fameni. As the tallest Ram (6′7″) to get over 20 minutes per game, Fameni needs to anchor the Rams shaky defense while forcing opposing big men to exert effort in their own defensive end.

INTANGIBLES/OUTLOOK: Chances are VCU will qualify as either a No. 12 or No. 13 seed, which has historically been a spot from which upsets routinely occur. Unfortunately, the Rams aren’t the kind of squad that make for an attractive upset pick. Their smaller size and lack of defensive toughness are glaring issues. For success in March, VCU will need their controlled attacking game to continue clicking, and some luck. Actually, a lot of luck. But weren’t people saying that about George Mason last year as well? (Arg…&*$#! Dare I pick another CAA Cinderalla?)

- Andy Goldstein

DAVIDSON WILDCATS

SKINNY: The Wildcats rode one of the top offenses in the nation to a school record 29 wins, shattering the previous mark set in 1968-69 ‘ also the last year Davidson won a tourney game. The club lost just once in conference play on its way to the Southern Conference title, and after getting knocked out as 15 seed last season, Davidson can expect a better draw this year.

HISTORY: This is the club’s second straight Southern title and tourney appearance and third title since 2002. Since Coach Bob McKillop took over the coaching reins at Davidson in 1989, he’s guided the team to four tourney appearances, which is a new school record under any one coach. All told, the Wildcats have made it to the big dance eight times, with an overall NCAA tourney record of 5-9.

STRENGTHS: Offense, FT shooting, rebounding, ball distribution. Davidson excels is virtually every facet of its offense, ranking second in the nation in field goal attempts, third in field goals and 3-pointers made and third in 3-point attempts. They lead the Southern Conference is almost everything, but also are in the top 10 in the country in overall scoring with over 81 PPG. Even better, the Wildcats have more defensive and total rebounds than any other Division I school and are tied for fifth in overall assists.

WEAKNESSES: Honestly, it’s hard to find one, but the club is relatively weak in shot blocking, even with Boris Meno averaging 1.1 swats per game. The biggest thing this team has to overcome is the fact that it has played a very easy schedule, ranking 209th in the country in terms of strength of schedule.

KEY PERSONNEL: Freshman guard Stephen Curry turned some heads this year with his conference-leading 21.2 PPG (10th in the nation) and 4.6 RPG. Not highly recruited out of high school, he proved he can bring it with his penchant for big-time plays and an MVP performance in the Southern tourney that saw him score 79 points in three games including 29 in the title game. Curry is an athletic shooting guard who can create his own shot, has the skills of a combo guard and a tremendous knowledge of the game. However, that shouldn’t shock anyone considering he grew up on the game as the son of former NBA player Dell Curry. Junior Jason Richards took over as the Wildcat starting point guard after two years as an understudy and he did a masterful job running the offense, exploding for 13.6 PPG and 7.3 APG, good for second in the nation. A true PG with a pass-first mentality, Richards enjoyed a solid 2.4 assist-to-turnover ration and 1.5 SPG.

INTANGIBLES: Can this team finally get over the hump after opening round losses in its past three appearances? Coach McKillop has developed a great system, and with a powerful offense led by Curry ‘ who has something to prove after being ignored by bigger programs coming out of high school ‘ this could be a dangerous team to face, assuming it can compete against the tougher programs.

EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS

SKINNY: It took a layup with just 2.9 seconds left to pull it off, but the Colonels were finally able to beat Ohio Valley top seed Austin Peay when it counted, pulling off the upset in the title game. Eastern Kentucky had lost to Austin Peay twice this season, but now, as Ohio Valley Champs for the fifth time, they are going to the Tourney for the second time in three years.

HISTORY: The Colonels hope this tourney appearance really will be lucky trip number seven as the school seeks its first ever NCAA tournament victory.

STRENGTHS: Outside shooting, shooting accuracy. Eastern Kentucky paced the Ohio Valley Conference in 3-pointers made, sinking the 25th most in the nation. The school also ranked at the top of the OVC in FG percentage, sinking better than 46 per cent of its shots.

WEAKNESSES: Getting to the line. The Colonels aren’t a horrible FT shooting team, but they simply don’t get to the line enough, relying more on a perimeter attack. EK ranked dead last in the conference in both FTs made and attempts.

KEY PERSONNEL: Senior Julian Mascoll has gotten better every season, culminating in a huge 2006-07 in which he finished second in the conference in APG (4.9) and third in field goal percentage (55.1), a rare combo. Although he had some turnover issues this year, the athletic Mascoll really improved his FT shooting, a weakness throughout his career. Junior F/C Darnell Dialls was not able to duplicate last season’s breakout FG percentage of 57.5, but he still finished among the conference leaders in shooting, remained a top post presence and continues to be one of the team’s go-to players in key situations.

INTANGIBLES: Coach Jeff Neubauer, who guided the club to a 21-11 mark, makes his tourney debut as a head coach, but he is not without NCAA experience, going to the regional finals as an assistant coach with West Virginia in 2005. This is a disciplined team that won’t hurt itself, ranking No. 2 in the country in fewest fouls per game.

WINTHROP EAGLES

SKINNY: While the Eagles barely avoided an upset in the Big South final, edging out VMI 84-81, they became the first team in Big South history to go undefeated in conference play and lost just four games all season, so they could garner as high as a No. 5 seed (although more likely, they will be closer to a 10 seed). As the Big South champion, Winthrop gets the automatic bid, but with an 18-game winning streak that has the school knocking on the door of the Top 25, the Eagles probably would have gotten an at-large bid even if they had blown the conference title game.

HISTORY: This is the seventh trip to the dance in the last nine years, but Withrop is still seeking its first ever tournament victory.

STRENGTHS: Outside game, offensive efficiency, protecting the pumpkin. Winthrop is the top 3-point shooting team in the Big South, averaging better than 36 per cent from beyond the arc, while its 48.1 per cent FG percentage is tied for first. The Eagles give up just 13 turnovers per game, also best in the conference.

WEAKNESSES: FT shooting. The Eagles were dead last in the Big South at the charity stripe. The team’s bench players are particular weak from the line, at that could become a major factor if Winthrop’s starters get in foul trouble.

KEY PERSONNEL: Junior point guard Chris Gaynor runs the offense, and although he struggled with his shot this season, he enjoyed his finest year despite a slight reduction in minutes. Gaynor averaged 7.6 points and finished third in the conference with almost five assists per game, dropping a career-best 10 dimes in the Big South Final. Sixth man Taj McCullough has shown a nice touch off the bench, ranking fourth in conference with a mark of 56.4 per cent from the field. The junior forward, who would probably be a starter on a weaker team, played a much bigger part on the Eagles this year, averaging 8 PPG, and he even showed a decent touch from outside.

INTANGIBLES: Coach Gregg Marshall must be happy that he changed his mind about accepting a coaching gig at the College of Charleston last summer. He’ll be even happier if the team can finally get over the hump after last season just missing out on a big-time upset when they lost to No. 2 seed Tennessee by only two points. Note that all four of the Eagles losses came against teams that ranked in the top 14 in RPI, so this team is capable of beating almost anyone. The school has been knocking on the door for a while, so if Winthrop can get a seed as high as six or seven, it has a chance to not only finally win a tourney game, but perhaps make some noise. Looking for a sleeper when you’re filling out your brackets? Try Winthrop, especially if it gets slotted in a favourable region.

Conference tournaments got underway last week and we’re starting to get our first automatic bids for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tourney. So today, we start our series of team previews to help you identify what to look for and who to watch come March Madness time.

BELMONT BRUINS

SKINNY: For the second straight season, Belmont heads to the tourney with an automatic bid after taking the Atlantic Sun Tourney. The Bears hammered East Tennessee St. 94-67 in somewhat of an upset in the conference championship game. Coach Rick Byrd, in his 21st season at the school, hopes the team can improve upon last season’s one and out at the hands of powerful UCLA.

HISTORY: Last season’s appearance in NCAA Tourney was the first in school history.

STRENGTHS: Outside shooting. The Bears proved why they were the top 3-point shooting team in the Atlantic Sun and how they finished 10th in the nation in 3-pointers made when they nailed 12 treys in the first half alone to seal the conference title game. As good as they are at sinking shots from outside, the Bruins are even better at preventing them, ranking No. 1 in the country in opponents’ 3-point FG percentage. The Bruins also have good depth, with a bench that features at least two key contributors.

WEAKNESSES: Getting to the line. Belmont ranked only eighth in the conference in both FTs made and attempts. Fortunately, their outside shooting doesn’t tend to break down, but if their shots aren’t sinking, this team is in trouble as it is not skilled at drawing cheap points at the charity stripe.

KEY PERSONNEL: Belmont gets solid production from its bench as junior guard Justin Hare led the team in scoring with 14.4 PPG and won tourney MVP honours the past two seasons. He’s the team’s top player and is a pretty smart cookie too, as an Academic All-American. Senior centre Boomer Herndon has dealt with health issues, but he is the club’s top rebounder, supplies some solid shot blocking and has a great touch off the bench. The Tennessee transfer played six minutes less per game this season, but his 62.9 field goal percentage led the Atlantic Sun conference.

INTANGIBLES: For a college known for its music school (supported by the likes of country star Vince Gill), Belmont hopes to make some beautiful music come tourney time. The experience of making it last year will really help and if the Bruins can get a seed higher than last year’s 15, they could be dangerous, especially if they put on one of their patented outside shooting displays.

As we near the end of February, there’s something in the air: the unmistakable sense of March Madness. It’s an affliction many roto widows will have to endure in the coming weeks. Having dealt with this state for a few years now, I thought I’d try to provide some warning signs of this madness for all of you significant others out there who are similarly sports-saturated. If you find yourself faced with any of the 10 situations below, don’t panic. Your spouse has simply caught March Madness and will return to his or her “normal” self on April 3.

10. You find he’s repeatedly explaining to you the definition of a “Tar Heel.”

9. After every purchase he checks the air points balance on your credit card to see if he has enough to get to Atlanta.

8. He starts arranging the french fries, peas and meat loaf on his dinner plate in a bracket formation.

7. He starts rifling through your kids’ paint supplies to see if there’s enough of the right orange hue so that he can be in full support of Syracuse.

6. You ask him to pick up milk and eggs on the way home, but he arrives with bags of cheese doodles, candy corn and celery sticks for his new pet ram, which he rented from the local petting zoo.

5. When you inquire about the sudden spike to the long distance phone bill, you learn that your spouse has been calling all the tournament teams. He’s been inquiring if they are in need of an understudy for the team mascot.

4. Whenever you ask if he can do the dishes (or some other cleaning activity) he starts jumping up and down making a low humming sound in an attempt to distract you. You clue in to his plan when you see on TV that the home crowd makes that very same motion when the opposition has the ball.

3. He thinks it would be fun if you both filled out brackets – a bonding activity – but you find yourself spending way too much time wondering whether a badger or a husky would win if they were in a fight.

2. You arrive home from work on the first Thursday of the tourney to see a strange glow coming from the family room windows. No, aliens have not taken over your home. Your husband has moved every television in the house, all computer screens, and your laptop into the family room so that he can watch all the games that are on at the same time. Don’t even attempt to turn on the lights unless your brother is an electrician.

1. In an attempt at sweet talk when you’re getting intimate, he takes on the raspy tone of Dick Vitale and ends every sentence with a shout of “you’re awesome, baby!” You try to explain that “how’d you like to touch my Dickie V., baby?” is not working as a turn on.