College Basketball Experts Club

Rock Chalk, Champs

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:30:00 -0600

Mario’s Miracle

Twenty years after Danny Manning and the Miracles won it all, Kansas defeated Memphis, 75–68 in overtime, for the national championship, thanks to a miraculous shot by Mario Chalmers at the end of regulation.

“Unbelievable game, unbelievable finish,” said Kansas coach Bill Self, who won an NCAA title in his first trip to the Final Four.

Down by seven points with just 2:13 remaining in the second half, the Jayhawks started to foul the Tigers. After shooting 59.6 percent (483-of-811) as a team during the regular season, coach John Calipari’s team had improved to 70.2 percent (113-of-161) in the NCAA Tournament.

In fact, the Tigers shot a combined 84.7 percent (50-of-59) from the charity stripe in runaway wins against UCLA and Texas.

But just as it did in Memphis’ only previous loss this season (66–62 vs. Tennessee), free throw shooting became a problem down the stretch against Kansas.

“I take full responsibility,” said Calipari, following a difficult loss.

“When you’re up seven… you’re supposed to win that game.”

At first, the foul plan didn’t work. Worse, it seemed to backfire.

Robert Dozier converted both ends of a one-and-one to give Memphis a 60–51 lead with 2:12 to play. Then, following a made KU 3-pointer, a foul on Chris Douglas-Roberts resulted in two made free throws and a 62–56 margin with 1:39 remaining.

Soon enough, however, Memphis’ bricks from the line paved the way to a Kansas crown.

After two Chalmers free throws, Kansas trailed 62–58 with 1:23 to play. A quick foul was followed by Memphis’ CDR missing the front end of a one-and-one. Then, a Darrell Arthur jumper from just inside the 3-point line pulled the Jayhawks within two, 62–60, with exactly one minute on the clock.

Old habits die hard, and the Tigers missed three of their four free throws in the final 16 seconds to give the fans who cheer "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk" a reason to scream at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Douglas-Roberts rimmed out on consecutive free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but was bailed out by an offensive rebound by Dozier.

Following a quick foul and a KU timeout, Memphis superstar freshman Derrick Rose — who finished with 18 points, eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and several highlight reel plays in the second half (after disappearing in the first half) — had two shots from the free throw line with a 62–60 lead and 10 seconds to play.

But the phenom from Chicago who wears No. 23 short-armed and faded-away from the first shot. With the outcome of the game in his hands, Rose could only manage to make one free throw, giving the Tigers a 63–60 lead they would eventually relinquish.

Kansas’ Sherron Collins pushed the ball up the court, then lost his footing and fumbled a pass to Chalmers. The junior Alaskan assassin dribbled, pulled up and swished a game-tying 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining — a shot that will define the 2008 national title game and go down as one of the greatest moments in Kansas history.

“I had a good look at it,” said Chalmers. “When it left my hands it felt like it was good, and it just went in.”

From there, the Jayhawks outscored the Tigers 12–5 in the seventh overtime in national championship game ever. With a 75–68 victory, Kansas claimed its third NCAA title (1988, 1952), thanks in large part to Coach Self and Final Four M.O.P. Chalmers, who finished the game with 18 points, four steals, three rebounds and three assists.

“This could not have been scripted better for us. On the 20th anniversary of 'Danny and the Miracles.' Danny gets elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame yesterday,” said Self, referring to current assistant coach Danny Manning, who led Kansas’ last title as a player in 1988.

“I thought this would be great, but it’s a lot better than I thought it would be.”

Power Rankings

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:20:00 -0600

1. Kansas - Jayhawks' comeback a win for the ages.

2. Memphis - Tigers' collapse will not be forgotten.

3. North Carolina - Tar Heels had no answer for KU.

4. UCLA - Offensive limitations too much to overcome.

5. Texas - Horns run over by the Memphis express.

6. Louisville - Cards played their best ball when it mattered most.

7. Tennessee - A disappointing finish for a great season at UT.

8. Xavier - It was a great run for a great group of veterans.

9. Davidson - Stephen Curry delivered one of the best NCAA performances ever.

10. Stanford - Big men could only carry the Cardinal so far.

11. Wisconsin - Badgers blitzed by Davidson in the Sweet 16.

12. Butler - A tough draw pitted Butler vs. Tennessee in Round 2.

13. Duke - Blue Devils' NCAA Tournament frustrations continue.

14. Washington State - Cougs' biggest win? Holding onto Tony Bennett -- for now.

15. Michigan State - Spartans overwhelmed by Memphis' athletes.

16. Georgetown - Hoyas can't recapture magic from '07 Final Four run.

Kansas Roots

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:10:00 -0600

After Calipari’s playing days were over, his coaching career started. In 1982, Calipari went Midwest to become a graduate assistant under coach Ted Owens at Kansas University, where the first basketball coach in school history was Dr. James A. Naismith — the game’s inventor.

“I went out there with two pairs of shoes, three pairs of slacks, a blue blazer, three shirts and two ties, happy as hell,” said Calipari.

After Calipari’s first year, Owens was replaced by Larry Brown, who had a decorated past as a player, assistant and head coach. Before arriving in Lawrence, Brown was a point guard under Dean Smith at North Carolina, a gold medalist for the U.S.A. National Team at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, an assistant coach at UNC and the head coach of four different teams — the Carolina Cougars (ABA), Denver Nuggets (ABA-NBA), UCLA Bruins (NCAA) and New Jersey Nets (NBA).

In order to learn from one of the game’s top minds in Brown and be a part of one of the richest basketball traditions in the country at Kansas, a young Calipari did whatever was asked of him.

“I would serve peas or corn. ‘What would you like? I’ll be there early for practice if you want to do some extra shooting. What would you like, peas or corn?' That’s what I did,” said Calipari.

“It was tough for a 25-year-old because you’re not going to hang around the students; you didn’t have any money to go to the country club. … I just got into basketball.”

From humble beginnings, Calipari rose through the coaching ranks, leaving KU in 1985 to become an assistant under Paul Evans at Pittsburgh. Then, in 1988, the “Coach Cal” era started at the University of Massachusetts, where he coached for eight seasons.

After leading UMass to the Final Four in 1996, Calipari went to the NBA as coach of the New Jersey Nets. Although Coach Cal led the Nets to a winning record and a berth in the 1998 NBA Playoffs, his head coaching career in the Association was a short one.

Following one year as an assistant to his former Kansas boss Brown — the 1999-2000 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers — Calipari returned to the college game.

In 2000, the University of Memphis hired Calipari. And the rest is history.

In eight seasons with Coach Cal at the helm, the Tigers have a 219–65 record, with four NCAA Tournament appearances including this year’s run to the national title game against Kansas.

During Calipari’s 16-year college coaching career at Memphis and Massachusetts, he has accumulated a 412-136 overall record with a 23-10 mark over 10 NCAA Tournament appearances.

But things may not have turned out the way they did had Calipari not started from the bottom and worked his way to the top. He finished one win short from being at the pinnacle of his profession at Memphis, but he can be proud of a career that grew from humble roots at Kansas, where a then-grad assistant did hard work for little pay and less glory.

“You know what?” asked Calipari. “It was the greatest time of my life.”

Self Obsessed

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:05:00 -0600

Billionaire oil tycoon and Oklahoma State alum T. Boone Pickens wants to bring a top coach to Stillwater. Rumor has it, Self — who played basketball for the Cowboys from 1981-85 — is atop Pickens’ short list of candidates.

Pickens is also likely to offer more money than any other school can compete with. Having already donated $165 million to the OSU athletic program, Pickens is a man of action and he means business.

Having come to power and fame through mergers, acquisitions and hostile takeovers, the 79-year-old Pickens has trouble taking “no” for an answer. Despite the speculation, Self is not thinking about any school other than Kansas, which won its first national title since 1988, when a Larry Brown-coached “Danny Manning and the Miracles” squad won it all.

“Out of fairness to me,” Self said, “with my contract situation, why would I say that I’m positively (staying at Kansas) when I don’t even know if they’re gonna extend me? I’ve got three years left on my contract, and what I’d like to have is what everybody would like to have. I’d like to have some security. When I say security, I mean years.”

Athlon's Players of the Year

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0600

National Player of the Year: Michael Beasley, Kansas State
For the second straight season, a freshman from the Big 12 earns National Player of the Year honors from Athlon Sports. Last year it was Kevin Durant; this year, it was Beasley who dominated the league. The 6'10" forward averaged a Big-12 best 26.2 points per game and led the nation in rebounding with 12.4 per contest. He scored 40 points or more three times, topped the 30-point mark on eight other occasions and scored in double figures in all but one game. In addition, Beasley led Kansas State to its first win in the NCAA Tournament since 1988; the Wildcats, a No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region, knocked off No. 6 USC 80–67 before falling to No. 3 Wisconsin.

Freshman of the Year (other than Beasley): Kevin Love, UCLA
The savvy 6'10" center from Oregon emerged as one of the elite big men in his first (and only?) season at UCLA. The Pac-10 Player of the Year averaged 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds while shooting .559 from the floor. He started his career with a 22-point, 13-rebound game against Portland State in November and added 22 more double-doubles to his resume before a season-ending loss to Memphis in the Final Four.

Sophomore of the Year: D.J. Augustin, Texas
He’s one of the most difficult players to guard in college basketball, and he’s the primary reason Texas won 31 games and advanced to the Regional Finals. The jet-quick point guard averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 assists for the Horns, who won more games and advanced farther in the NCAA Tournament in 2008 after losing the ’07 National Player of the Year Kevin Durant.

Junior of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
You could make a very strong case that Hansbrough, not Beasley, deserves National Player of the Year honors. The heart and soul of the top-ranked Tar Heels averaged 22.6 and 10.2 rebounds. He has said he will remain in college until North Carolina wins a national title; he’ll have a decision to make after his Heels were bounced by eventual national champion Kansas in the national semifinals.

Senior of the Year: Shan Foster, Vanderbilt
The sweet-shooting swingman averaged a career-high 20.3 points while shooting .523 overall and .469 from 3-point range. Foster scored 20 points or more in eight of the 16 regular-season SEC games, including a spectacular 42-point performance in an overtime win over Mississippi State on Senior Night. He ended his career as Vanderbilt’s all-time leading scorer and ranks second in SEC history in made 3-point field goals.

Coach of the Year: Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
The Badgers lost two seniors from last year’s team who accounted for over 50 percent of their offense, including first-team All-American Alando Tucker. Ryan didn’t miss a beat, guiding Wisconsin to the outright regular season Big Ten title and the Big Ten Tournament title.

Transfer of the Year: Tyler Smith, Tennessee
South Carolina point guard Devan Downey had more impressive numbers, but Smith, who spent one season at Iowa before moving back to his native Tennessee, had a huge impact on Bruce Pearl’s club. The combo forward averaged 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds and gave the Vols’ some much-needed toughness around the basket.

Junior College Transfer of the Year: Marcus Thornton, LSU
Thornton stepped in and provided the Tigers with some scoring punch in the backcourt, averaging a team-high 19.6 points per game, thanks in part to three games (all in league play) of at least 36 points.

North Carolina Tar Heels

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:04:00 -0600

NORTH CAROLINA
Tar Heels

2007-08 Record: 36–2 (14–2 ACC)

Head Coach: Roy Williams (6th Final Four)

The UNC alum and former Dean Smith assistant is making his sixth trip to the Final Four as a head coach. As the coach of Kansas from 1988-2003, Williams took the Jayhawks to four Final Fours, including two national title game losses. Since taking over at Carolina in 2003, this is Williams second trip to the Final Four, having won it all in 2005.

Star: Tyler Hansbrough, Junior, Forward

“Psycho T” played like a mad man against Louisville in the Elite Eight, with 28 points and 13 rebounds during an 83–73 victory. But it was Hansbrough’s big shot making down the stretch — from just inside the 3-point line — that was most impressive. After being eliminated by Georgetown last year and George Mason in 2006, this is the first trip to the Final Four for Hansbrough, who is averaging 21.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in the tournament this year.

Co-Stars: Ty Lawson, Sophomore, Guard; Wayne Ellington, Sophomore, Guard

Hansbrough’s value is obvious, since the junior big man is a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate. But Lawson may be more important, since Coach Williams has no reliable back-up at point guard. In order for the Tar Heels to win the national title, Lawson must continue to protect the ball and push the tempo. Lawson has 20 assists and only six turnovers in the tournament. Meanwhile, Ellington, who is averaging a steady 15.5 points per game, must make defenses pay the price for double-teaming Hansbrough by knocking down open shots.

Supporting Cast: Deon Thompson, Soph., Forward; Marcus Ginyard, Junior, Guard

Thompson has become more of an inside force alongside Hansbrough, while Ginyard is Carolina’s top defender on the wing. Both players are solid rebounders with the ability to finish around the rim and make the occasional mid-range jumper.

Bench: Danny Green, Junior, Forward; Alex Stepheson, Sophomore, Forward

Green is the Tar Heels’ sixth man spark off the bench and is more likely to go on a scoring spree than either Thompson or Ginyard. With versatility and energy, Green provides a lift to the starting unit when he enters the game. Stepheson sees limited action but can be called on for more minutes at any time depending on foul trouble.

Road to San Antonio: Raleigh, N.C., to Charlotte, N.C.

First Round – (16) Mount St. Mary’s (113–74)
Second Round – (9) Arkansas (108–77)
Sweet 16 – (4) Washington State (68–47)
Elite Eight – (3) Louisville (83–73)

Quote:

“When I was at Kansas and we played North Carolina in the Final Four in ’91 and ’93, I said I hated it. … I have no idea what my emotions will be. I’m just ecstatic for this club right now to be going to San Antonio.”

— Roy Williams, who will be coaching against Kansas for the first time since leaving KU to take over as head coach of UNC.

Kansas Jayhawks

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:03:00 -0600

KANSAS
Jayhawks

2007-08 Record: 35–3 (13–3 Big 12)

Head Coach: Bill Self (1st Final Four)

Prior to this year, Self, a former player at Oklahoma State, led Tulsa (2000), Illinois (2001) and Kansas (2004, 2007) to the Elite Eight — joining Rick Pitino as the only active coaches to lead three schools so far in the NCAA Tournament. Unlike Pitino, however, Self had not been to the Final Four or won a national championship. This year, Self is making his highly anticipated Final Four debut and hopes to take the title back to Lawrence with him.

Star: Brandon Rush, Junior, Guard/Forward

Rush struggled against Davidson, scoring 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Jayhawks leading scorer (13.1 ppg) is a reluctant star, but will need to become more aggressive in order for Kansas to advance past North Carolina. KU is one of the few teams that can match UNC’s talent and keep up with its relentless pace throughout the game. But when the clock is winding down, someone will have to step up and match (if not stop) proven Carolina hero Tyler Hansbrough. Coach Self would like for Rush to take hold of that late game role and there is no time like the present.

Co-Stars: Mario Chalmers, Junior, Guard; Darrell Arthur, Soph., Forward

Chalmers is a consistent contributor who can play either guard spot effectively. If Rush is unwilling or unable to rise to the occasion against the Tar Heels, Chalmers may step into the spotlight. The new “Alaskan Assassin” is a proven big game player (30 points vs. Texas in Big 12 title game) who has taken a backseat for the good of the team, but that might need to change. Meanwhile, Arthur will have to bring his ‘A-game’ and stay out of foul trouble against Hansbrough.

Supporting Cast: Darnell Jackson, Senior, Forward; Russell Robinson, Senior, Guard

Jackson is a fierce rebounder, defender and dunker who may be the X-factor against a North Carolina frontline that does not appear to have a player with the same size-speed combination. Robinson is the Jayhawks’ primary ballhandler but will need to shift his attention to staying in front of UNC point man Ty Lawson.

Bench: Sasha Kaun, Center, Senior; Sherron Collins, Sophomore, Guard

Much like Coach Self did against Davidson’s Stephen Curry, expect a rotation of fresh defenders to guard Hansbrough and Lawson, with Kaun and Collins taking over for Jackson and Robinson after they relieve Arthur and Chalmers. If Kansas can find a way to wear down Carolina’s top two players, the Jayhawks could be playing on Monday night in the national title game.

Road to San Antonio: Omaha, Neb., to Detroit, Mich.

First Round – (16) Portland State (85–61)
Second Round – (8) UNLV (75–56)
Sweet 16 – (12) Villanova (72–57)
Elite Eight – (10) Davidson (59–57)

Quote:

“I thought it was 1,200 pounds, 800 may have been a little light.”

— Bill Self, responding to how he felt having the “800-pound gorilla” removed from his back after punching his first ticket to the Final Four.

UCLA Bruins

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:02:00 -0600

UCLA
Bruins

2007-08 Record: 35–3 (16–2 Pac-10)

Head Coach: Ben Howland (3rd Final Four)

After leading Pittsburgh to consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in 2002 and 2003, Howland took over at UCLA, where he proceeded to miss the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and exit after the first round in 2005. Since then, Howland’s Bruins have gone to the Final Four three consecutive seasons — losing to eventual champion Florida in the national title game in 2006 and in the semifinal in 2007. UCLA fans are hoping the 18th all-time Final Four appearance results in the school’s 12th national title now that the Gators’ Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer are in the NBA.

Star: Kevin Love, Freshman, Center

No stranger to stardom, Love’s father is former Lakers forward Stan Love and his uncle is Beach Boys founding member Mike Love. The 19-year-old Kevin is following is their footsteps by carrying the Bruins to the Final Four on his wide shoulders — averaging 21.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 blocked shots and 2.5 assists per game along the way. Although only a freshman, Love has one of the most advanced all-around games in the country — highlighted by his fullcourt outlet or inbounds passes, which start fast breaks and often lead to layups or dunks at the other end.

Co-Stars: Darren Collison, Junior, Guard; Josh Shipp, Junior, Guard

As good as Love is, UCLA cannot force him to be a one-man team and still expect to beat Memphis. The Bruins other top options have been no-shows during stretches of this year’s NCAA Tournament, with Collison fouling out against Western Kentucky and Shipp going scoreless against Texas A&M. In fact, Shipp is averaging half as many points in the Tournament as he did during the regular season — 6.3 compared to 12.3 — and must find his shot soon if UCLA hopes to contend for a national title.

Supporting Cast: Russell Westbrook, So., Guard; Luc R. Mbah a Moute, Jr., Forward

Ideally, athletic defender Westbrook would focus his attention on stopping Memphis star point guard Derrick Rose. But that may leave a mismatch on Chris Douglas-Roberts, who is the Tigers’ leading scorer. As a result, Collison will have to do better than Texas’ D.J. Augustin did vs. Rose, while Westbrook covers the hot-hand or attempts to lockdown one of the two. Mbah a Moute is a perfect role player who does a little bit of everything. Defense and rebounding will be his top priorities against an athletic Memphis team, however.

Bench: Lorenzo Mata-Real, Senior, Center; Alfred Aboya, Junior, Forward

Mata-Real, Aboya and sophomore forward James Keefe will have their hands full against the ferocious Tigers frontline in the Final Four. None will be counted on offensively, but the 15 fouls between the three forwards could come in handy against a terrible free-throw shooting Memphis team.

Road to San Antonio: Anaheim, Calif., to Phoenix, Ariz.

First Round – (16) Mississippi Valley State (70–29)
Second Round – (8) Texas A&M (51–49)
Sweet 16 – (12) Western Kentucky (88–78)
Elite Eight – (3) Xavier (76–57)

Quote:

“We’ve been runner-up and semifinalist. Now we need the other thing.”

— Kevin Love, referring to UCLA’s losses to Florida in the 2006 national title game and 2007 Final Four. The “other thing” that’s missing is a national championship.

Memphis Tigers

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:01:00 -0600

MEMPHIS
Tigers

2007-08 Record: 37–1 (16–0 Conference USA)

Head Coach: John Calipari (2nd Final Four)

Calipari led the University of Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996 before taking over as head coach of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets the following year. Since arriving in Memphis in 2000, Coach Cal has won an NIT title and made the NCAA Tournament five times — with back-to-back Elite Eight finishes in 2006 and 2007 before breaking through to the Final Four this year. The Tigers were the most popular early exit among high seeds, since hardly anyone wanted to pick four No. 1 seeds before the Tournament began. That fact has not been lost on Calipari, who is hoping to take the “us against the world” mentality all the way to a national title.

Star: Derrick Rose, Freshman, Guard

Memphis has a shot at winning it all if it gets two more NBA games out of Rose, who played more like an All-Star than an All-American against Texas — with 21 points, nine assists, six rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal during an 85-67 blowout in front of a burnt orange Houston crowd. When Rose is on his game, the potential No. 1 overall pick makes his teammates better with highlight reel assists leading to easy baskets, explosive dunks and shutdown defense on the opponent’s lead guard.

Co-Stars: Chris Douglas-Roberts, Junior, Guard; Joey Dorsey, Senior, Forward

CDR has been overshadowed by Rose lately, but remains the Tigers’ top scoring option. While Rose was busy filling the statline against Texas, Douglas-Roberts scored 25 points and hit 14-of-17 from the free throw line in the victory. Meanwhile, the 6’9”, 260-pound Dorsey has become an even more intimidating and powerful force. Dorsey’s go-to move is a two-handed throw-down dunk that Darryl Dawkins should name at some point.

Supporting Cast: Robert Dozier, Junior, Forward; Antonio Anderson, Junior, Guard

Dozier fouled out of the Elite Eight match-up with Texas after scoring only two points. But the lanky forward averaged 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds this season and will be expected to bounce back in the Final Four against UCLA. Meanwhile, Anderson could be a secret weapon against the Bruins, who will be more concerned (and rightfully so) with stopping Rose and CDR.

Bench: Doneal Mack, Sophomore, Guard; Shawn Taggart, Sophomore, Forward

Mack, Taggart and guard Willie Kemp will likely be featured players on next year’s Memphis roster. But the sophomores probably won’t see much action against the Bruins unless something unforeseen (foul trouble or injury) happens during the course of a Final Four match-up that Coach Cal thinks he can win with a tight rotation of proven players.

Road to San Antonio: Little Rock, Ark., to Houston, Texas

First Round: (16) Texas-Arlington (87–63)
Second Round: (8) Mississippi State (77–74)
Sweet 16: (5) Michigan State (92–74)
Elite Eight: (2) Texas (85–67)

Quote:

“He just has a will to win. It may be with a defensive stop. It may be with a rebound that he nicked his head on the rim as he went to get it. It may be outrunning the entire field when he started behind everybody. It may be a steal, a dive, a tip out of nowhere. And then again, it may be a drive baseline and dunk on their team.”

— John Calipari, discussing his freshman point guard Derrick Rose.

Bracket Breakdown

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0600

Big 12 (10-5 record)

Final Four
Kansas (1)

Elite Eight
Texas (2)

Two and Out
Oklahoma (6)
Texas A&M (9)
Kansas State (11)

One and Done
Baylor (11)

Pac-10 (8-5 record)

Final Four
UCLA (1)

Sweet 16
Stanford (3)
Washington State (4)

One and Done
USC (6)
Oregon (9)
Arizona (10)

ACC (6-3 record)

Final Four
North Carolina (1)

Two and Out
Duke (2)
Miami (7)

One and Done
Clemson (5)

Conference USA (4-0 record)

Final Four
Memphis (1)

-----------------------

Big East (11-7 record)

Elite Eight
Louisville (3)

Sweet 16
West Virginia (7)
Villanova (12)

Two and Out
Georgetown (2)
Pittsburgh (4)
Notre Dame (5)
Marquette (6)

One and Done
Connecticut (4)

Big Ten (5-4 record)

Sweet 16
Wisconsin (3)
Michigan State (5)

Two and Out
Purdue (6)

One and Done
Indiana (8)

SEC (4-6 record)

Sweet 16
Tennessee (2)

Two and Out
Mississippi State (8)
Arkansas (9)

One and Done
Vanderbilt (4)
Kentucky (11)
Georgia (14)

Southern (3-1 record)

Elite Eight
Davidson (10)

Atlantic 10 (3-3 record)

Elite Eight
Xavier (3)

One and Done
Saint Joseph’s (11)
Temple (12)

Sun Belt (2-2 record)

Sweet 16
Western Kentucky (12)

One and Done
South Alabama (10)

Horizon (1-1 record)

Two and Out
Butler (7)

MAAC (1-1 record)

Two and Out
Siena (13)

Mountain West (1-2 record)

Two and Out
UNLV (8)

One and Done
BYU (8)

West Coast (1-3 record)

Two and Out
San Diego (13)

One and Done
Gonzaga (7)
Saint Mary’s (10)

Missouri Valley (0-1 record)

One and Done
Drake (5)

MAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Kent State (9)

Colonial (0-1 record)

One and Done
George Mason (12)

Big South (0-1 record)

One and Done
Winthrop (13)

Summit (0-1 record)

One and Done
Oral Roberts (13)

Big West (0-1 record)

One and Done
Cal State Fullerton (14)

Ivy League (0-1 record)

One and Done
Cornell (14)

WAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Boise State (14)

America East (0-1 record)

One and Done
UMBC (15)

Atlantic Sun (0-1 record)

One and Done
Belmont (15)

Ohio Valley (0-1 record)

One and Done
Austin Peay (15)

Patriot (0-1 record)

One and Done
American (15)

Big Sky (0-1 record)

One and Done
Portland State (16)

Southland (0-1 record)

One and Done
UT-Arlington (16)

SWAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Mississippi Valley State (16)

Northeast (0-1 record)

One and Done
Mount St. Mary’s (16, play-in winner)

MEAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Coppin State (16, play-in loser)

East Region Preview

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:04:00 -0600

EAST
Charlotte

Top Dog – North Carolina (1)
Coach Roy Williams’ team cruised through the opening weekend with a 113-74 win over Mount St. Mary’s in the first round and a 108-77 blowout of Arkansas in the second round. Thanks to the average 35-point margin of victory by the Tar Heels, 15 players were able to see floor time in the NCAA Tournament, with all of them scoring points. Big man Tyler Hansbrough has been his usual relentless self in the Big Dance so far, but it is point guard Ty Lawson who has been most impressive — averaging 20 points per game on 13-of-18 shooting from the field and 10-of-11 shooting from the free throw line, while also controlling the ball with an 11:0 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Underdog – Washington State (4)
The Cougars are the lowest seed left in the East Region, the only region where each of the top four teams advanced to the Sweet 16. Although the chalk ruled out, Wazzou is a Cinderella story — winning multiple NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 1941, after falling just short in double-overtime against Vanderbilt in the second round last year. Coach Tony Bennett led his Cougs to a 71-40 win over Winthrop, then a 61-41 statement victory over Notre Dame. After holding opponents to 27.6 percent shooting (29-of-105), Washington State will now attempt to contain mighty North Carolina.

Go-To Guy – Tyler Smith, F, Tennessee (2)
The Volunteers’ versatile forward has averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot per game in hard-fought victories over American (72-57) and Butler (76-71 OT). Even more important than his numbers, the Iowa transfer has been making big plays when it matters most all year long. Whether it is a game-winning basket (vs. Ole Miss), an offensive rebound on a missed free throw (vs. Florida) or a blocked shot (vs. Butler), the Vols look to Smith for big plays down the stretch.

X-Factor – Juan Palacios, F, Louisville (3)
The 6’8”, 250-pound senior from Columbia was a freshman starter on Louisville’s 2005 Final Four team. Injuries have limited Palacios’ career and caused him to miss the first nine games of this season. A healthier Palacios will need to provide quality minutes for coach Rick Pitino against a talented Tennessee frontcourt in order to keep U of L center David Padgett, forward Terrence Williams and forward Earl Clark fresh in what will likely be a high-octane fast-breaking Sweet 16 shootout.

Midwest Region Preview

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:03:00 -0600

MIDWEST
Detroit

Top Dog – Kansas (1)
Coach Bill Self’s crew has yet to be tested in the NCAA Tournament, coasting to an 85-61 win over Portland State in the first round before taking a 75-56 victory against overmatched UNLV in the second round. The Jayhawks were able to take (and make) any shot they wanted before advancing to the Sweet 16 — shooting 55.9 percent (62-of-111) from the field and 44.7 percent (17-of-38) from the 3-point line in two blowouts. KU’s 55.9 percent (19-of-34) from the free throw line might be a concern had the games been closer. As it stands, Kansas is playing like a champion as it attempts to win the school’s first NCAA title since “Danny Manning and the Miracles” in 1988.

Underdog – Villanova (12)
Following a 75-69 upset of No. 5 seed Clemson in the opening round, the No. 12 seed Wildcats were actually favored heading into their match-up with No. 13 seed Siena, which ended in a 84-72 victory and trip to the Sweet 16. Nova has received consecutive big games from shooting star sophomore Scottie Reynolds, who is averaging 23 points and six rebounds per game in the Big Dance. Reynolds, however, has been inconsistent — with two assists and six turnovers vs. Clemson, then five assists and zero miscues vs. Siena — and can only carry the Cats so far.

Go-To Guy – Stephen Curry, SG, Davidson (10)
The son of 16-year NBA veteran Dell Curry was arguably the most outstanding player of the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend. Stephen Curry scored 40 points (including 30 second-half points) in an 82-76 upset of Gonzaga. Then, the sophomore sharpshooter turned around and dropped 30 points in a shocking 74-70 knock out of powerhouse Georgetown. The Wildcats leader has connected on 13-of-25 shots from 3-point range (8-of-10 from downtown vs. Gonzaga) and 13-of-16 from the free throw line (9-of-10 under pressure vs. Georgetown) during Davidson’s remarkable Sweet 16 run. Nearly as impressive, the Cats are on a 24-game winning streak after starting the year with a 4-6 record.

X-Factor – Michael Flowers, PG, Wisconsin (3)
The Badgers are a well-coached, aggressive defensive unit that led the country by holding opponents to only 54.3 points per game during the regular season. Wisconsin has "relaxed" a little during the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, allowing an average of 55.5 points in two victories — a 71-56 win over Cal-State Fullerton in the opening round and a 72-55 win over Kansas State in the second round. Against Davidson’s Stephen Curry, two-time Big Ten All-Defensive team member Flowers will likely be charged with locking down the top scorer in the Big Dance thus far.

West Region Preview

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:02:00 -0600

WEST
Phoenix

Top Dog – UCLA (1)
Coach Ben Howland’s club dominated Mississippi Valley State 70-29 in the first round — holding Jerry Rice’s alma mater to the lowest points total in the NCAA Tournament since 1946 — but struggled against Texas A&M 51-49 before advancing to the second weekend of the Big Dance. The Bruins are in search of their third consecutive Final Four and 12th all-time national championship. In order to accomplish either of those goals, freshman center Kevin Love (19 points, 11 rebounds, 7 blocked shots vs. Texas A&M) and junior point guard Darren Collison will need help from their supporting cast. Against the Aggies, Love and Collison combined to score 40 of the team’s 51 points.

Underdog – Western Kentucky (12)
Even before the NCAA Tournament, the hoops-heads who follow the NBA Draft closely knew who Courtney Lee was. Now, even casual basketball fans know about the Hilltoppers from Bowling Green, who are far from a one-man team. In the opening round against Drake, it took a desperation 26-foot 3-pointer by Ty Rogers as time expired in overtime to earn Western Kentucky’s first Tourney win since 1995. Following the 101-99 March Madness miracle, the Hilltoppers followed Lee, Rogers and Tyrone Brzelton to march past San Diego 72-63 and into the Sweet 16, where they will play UCLA.

Go-To Guy – Joe Alexander, F, West Virginia (7)
West Virginia’s blue-collar junior forward has made quite a name for himself lately. Since March 1, Alexander has averaged 24.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots over eight games, including two in the NCAA Tournament — a 75-65 win over Arizona and a 73-67 upset of Duke. Against the Blue Devils, the 6’8”, 230-pounder had 22 points, 11 boards and three blocks. The WVU leader will need to keep his March momentum going if the Mountaineers are going to climb past favored Xavier.

X-Factor – Drew Lavender, PG, Xavier (3)
The Musketeers will go as far as their 5’7” senior point guard can take them. Lavender is a flashbulb with a basketball who can light up a scoreboard by shooting or distributing to teammates. An Oklahoma transfer who was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school, Lavender led Xavier to a 73-61 comeback against Georgia in the first round before scoring 18 points and dishing out nine assists while blowing by Purdue 85-78 in the second round. Now, the smallest man will play the biggest role in hopes of the first-ever Final Four in Xavier history.

South Region Preview

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:01:00 -0600

SOUTH
Houston

Top Dog – Memphis (1)
Coach John Calipari’s squad crushed UT-Arlington 87-63 in the opening round before fighting a winning 77-74 battle against Mississippi State to advance to the Sweet 16. The one-loss Tigers entered the Big Dance with only one obvious flaw — their free-throw shooting. After sinking just 59.6 percent (483-of-811) from the charity stripe during the regular season, Memphis has hit 55.2 percent (37-of-67) in the Tourney, including a 46.9 percent (15-of-32) afternoon that left the window of opportunity open for Mississippi State. Star guards Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined to hit 56.3 percent (9-of-16) at the line, which was enough to get the job done.

Underdog – Michigan State (5)
The Spartans are the lowest seed standing in the South Region, but will not be sneaking up on anyone. MSU is coached by 2000 NCAA Tournament champion Tom Izzo and led by clutch-shooting senior guard Drew Neitzel — who struggled in a 72-61 win over Temple before catching fire from behind the arc (5-of-8) in a 65-54 victory against Pitt. With veteran leadership and a tough, defensive-minded roster featuring sophomore forward Raymar Morgan and junior center Goran Suton, Michigan State could make March Madness even crazier with an upset of Memphis in the Sweet 16.

Go-To Guy – Brook Lopez, C, Stanford (3)
Brook and brother Robin give the Cardinal a pair of 7-foot “twin towers,” literally. During an 82-81 overtime nail-biter over Marquette in the second round, the Lopez twins combined for 48 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. But it was Brook who took over in the extra period, scoring eight of Stanford’s 11 overtime points — including a leaning baseline jumper to seal the victory with 1.3 seconds to play. The game-winner capped a 30-point effort and bailed out coach Trent Johnson, who had been ejected in the first half. In order to beat Texas in Houston, Brook may need an identical performance.

X-Factor – A.J. Abrams, SG, Texas (2)
The Longhorns’ long-distance sharpshooter has been on the mark during Texas victories over Austin Peay (74-54) and Miami (75-72). Abrams has back-to-back 26-point games with repeat 6-of-10 shooting performances from 3-point range. Along with 60 percent (12-of-20) shooting from downtown, Abrams has connected on 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the field and is perfect (6-of-6) from the foul line. Horns fans in Houston are hoping Abrams can stay hotter than a pistol from outside against Stanford. Those 7-foot giant Lopez twins can protect the rim from the paint, but can’t defend the 3-point line.

Bracket Breakdown

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0600

Big East (10-5 record)

Sweet 16
Louisville (3)
West Virginia (7)
Villanova (12)

Two and Out
Georgetown (2)
Pittsburgh (4)
Notre Dame (5)
Marquette (6)

One and Done
Connecticut (4)

Big 12 (7-4 record)

Sweet 16
Kansas (1)
Texas (2)

Two and Out
Oklahoma (6)
Texas A&M (9)
Kansas State (11)

One and Done
Baylor (11)

Pac-10 (6-3 record)

Sweet 16
UCLA (1)
Stanford (3)
Washington State (4)

One and Done
USC (6)
Oregon (9)
Arizona (10)

Big Ten (5-2 record)

Sweet 16
Wisconsin (3)
Michigan State (5)

Two and Out
Purdue (6)

One and Done
Indiana (8)

ACC (4-3 record)

Sweet 16
North Carolina (1)

Two and Out
Duke (2)
Miami (7)

One and Done
Clemson (5)

SEC (4-5 record)

Sweet 16
Tennessee (2)

Two and Out
Mississippi State (8)
Arkansas (9)

One and Done
Vanderbilt (4)
Kentucky (11)
Georgia (14)

Conference USA (2-0 record)

Sweet 16
Memphis (1)

Southern (2-0 record)

Sweet 16
Davidson (10)

Sun Belt (2-1 record)

Sweet 16
Western Kentucky (12)

One and Done
South Alabama (10)

Atlantic 10 (2-2 record)

Sweet 16
Xavier (3)

One and Done
Saint Joseph’s (11)
Temple (12)

------------------------------------

Horizon (1-1 record)

Two and Out
Butler (7)

MAAC (1-1 record)

Two and Out
Siena (13)

Mountain West (1-2 record)

Two and Out
UNLV (8)

One and Done
BYU (8)

West Coast (1-3 record)

Two and Out
San Diego (13)

One and Done
Gonzaga (7)
Saint Mary’s (10)

Missouri Valley (0-1 record)

One and Done
Drake (5)

MAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Kent State (9)

Colonial (0-1 record)

One and Done
George Mason (12)

Big South (0-1 record)

One and Done
Winthrop (13)

Summit (0-1 record)

One and Done
Oral Roberts (13)

Big West (0-1 record)

One and Done
Cal State Fullerton (14)

Ivy League (0-1 record)

One and Done
Cornell (14)

WAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Boise State (14)

America East (0-1 record)

One and Done
UMBC (15)

Atlantic Sun (0-1 record)

One and Done
Belmont (15)

Ohio Valley (0-1 record)

One and Done
Austin Peay (15)

Patriot (0-1 record)

One and Done
American (15)

Big Sky (0-1 record)

One and Done
Portland State (16)

Southland (0-1 record)

One and Done
UT-Arlington (16)

SWAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Mississippi Valley State (16)

Northeast (0-1 record)

One and Done
Mount St. Mary’s (16, play-in winner)

MEAC (0-1 record)

One and Done
Coppin State (16, play-in loser)

East Region Preview

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:04:00 -0600

EAST
Charlotte

Top Two – North Carolina (1), Tennessee (2)

North Carolina (32-2) enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. Fresh off of an 86-81 win over Clemson in the ACC Tournament championship — after clinching the conference’s regular season title with a 76-68 victory at Duke — the Tar Heels enter the Big Dance at full speed. Coach Roy Williams has led five teams to the Final Four during his career at Kansas (1988-2003) and North Carolina, winning it all in 2005. This year’s team is among his most talented ever, with Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansbrough in the paint, shooting guard Wayne Ellington on the wing and lightning fast point guard Ty Lawson controlling the tempo.

Tennessee (29-4) earned its first outright SEC regular season since 1967 before losing to Arkansas 92-91 in the SEC Tournament semi-finals. Prior to that defeat, the Volunteers only losses came at Texas, at Kentucky and at Vanderbilt — following an emotional victory at Memphis (the Tigers’ only loss of the season thus far) three days earlier. Coach Bruce Pearl’s squad runs a high-octane attack led by sharpshooters Chris Lofton, last season’s SEC Player of the Year, and JaJuan Smith on the perimeter, along with fiery forward Tyler Smith, a transfer from Iowa, and Wayne Chism down low.

Prime Time Player – Tyler Hansbrough, F, North Carolina (1)

It has already been announced that Hansbrough’s No. 50 jersey will be retired by UNC when the 6’9”, 250-pound junior forward’s playing days are over in Chapel Hill. The Poplar Bluff, Mo., native known by many as “Psycho T” is averaging 23.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.9 percent from the field and 81.7 percent from the free throw line, this season. At his best with the game on the line, Hansbrough knocked down a game-winning baseline jumper (following an offensive rebound) to beat Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament.

Upset Watch – Oklahoma (6) vs. Saint Joseph’s (11)

The Hawks are led by lanky 6’10” senior forward Pat Calathes (17.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg), who is the older brother of Florida’s co-SEC Freshman of the Year, Nick Calathes. Along with a versatile inside-outside threat in Calathes, coach Phil Martelli’s team is anchored by 6’9” junior forward Ahmad Nivins (14.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg), 6’8” senior forward Rob Ferguson (11.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and junior 6’4” guard Tasheed Carr (10.9 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.1 rpg). The Sooners will have their hands full with this veteran Atlantic 10 power.

Sweet 16 Sleeper – Butler (7)

The Bulldogs made it to the Sweet 16 as a No. 5 seed last year with strong guard play and no fear. This year, it’s more of the same, as Horizon League Player of the Year Mike Green (14.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.1 apg) and fellow senior A.J. Graves (13.3 ppg, 87.7 FT%) return for another chance to play on the second weekend of March Madness. To do so, coach Brad Stevens’ team will have to get by tough No. 10 seed South Alabama in the opening round and No. 2 seed Tennessee two days later.

Midwest Region Preview

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:03:00 -0600

MIDWEST
Detroit

Top Two – Kansas (1), Georgetown (2)

Kansas (31-3) defeated Texas 84-74 for the second straight year in the Big 12 Tournament title game, avenging an earlier loss to the Longhorns and securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Since arriving in Lawrence in 2003 as Roy Williams’ replacement, coach Bill Self has had posted a 136-32 overall record with a 64-15 Big 12 mark. But Self plays a different tune in the Big Dance, with consecutive first round losses in 2005 and 2006 bookended by Elite Eight trips in 2004 and 2007. This year, KU is not just loaded with Final Four talent but NCAA championship potential — with slasher Brandon Rush, big man Darrell Arthur and point guard Mario Chalmers leading the way.

Georgetown (27-5) lost to Pittsburgh 74-65 in the Big East Tournament title game after winning the conference’s regular season title outright. Coach John Thompson III’s team went to the Final Four last year, edging Vanderbilt on a controversial last-second shot by Jeff Green in the Sweet 16 and outlasting North Carolina in overtime in the Elite Eight. This time around, the Hoyas do not return Green but do have a tough, defensive-minded club anchored by 7’2”, 275-pound senior center Roy Hibbert. With an intimidating presence in the paint on defense and an offense that prefers to squeeze the air out of the ball, the Hoyas are holding opponents to 57 points per game on 37 percent shooting.

Prime Time Player – Roy Hibbert, C, Georgetown (2)

With a gray or dark blue t-shirt under his jersey and a shot-blocking scowl on his face, Hibbert is a throwback Georgetown center who would have fit in perfectly with the 1980’s “paranoia” of the original coach John Thompson. Although Hibbert will not be mistaken for Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning or Dikembe Mutombo, he does average 13.6 points (on 60.1 percent shooting), 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocked shots and countless altered shots per game. Plus, he is the cornerstone to JT3’s new Georgetown defense meets Princeton offense philosophy.

Upset Watch – Gonzaga (7) vs. Davidson (10)

The Wildcats are making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 and are riding the nation’s longest active winning streak with 22 straight victories. The SoCon champs are led by guard Stephen Curry, who averages 25.1 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field, 43.8 percent (139-of-317) from 3-point range and 89.8 percent (114-of-127) from the charity stripe. Coach Bob McKillop’s Cats also have a pass-first senior point guard in Jason Richards (12.6 ppg, 8.0 apg) and a trio of 6’8”, 220-pound forwards in Boris Meno, Thomas Sander and Andrew Lovedale. Underdog Davidson will not be intimidated by David-turned-Goliath Gonzaga.

Sweet 16 Sleeper – USC (6)

O.J. Mayo (20.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.3 apg) has made it clear that he is off to the NBA following this season. So, this is Mayo’s only chance to show the country what kind of NCAA Tournament player he is. Coach Tim Floyd’s prized recruit is not alone on the court, the Trojans also feature talents like forwards Davon Jefferson (12.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Taj Gibson (10.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg). A win over No. 11 seed Kansas State and fellow freshman Michael Beasley then an upset of most likely No. 3 seed Wisconsin will be USC’s road to the Sweet 16.

West Region Preview

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:02:00 -0600

WEST
Phoenix

Top Two – UCLA (1), Duke (2)

UCLA (31-3) is attempting to make the Final Four for the third straight year, after being eliminated by back-to-back national champion Florida the past two seasons — in the Final Four in 2007 and in the title game in 2006. More important, coach Ben Howland’s team is aiming to win the school’s 12th national championship and first since 1995. The Bruins are a balanced and unselfish team that recently claimed the Pac-10 Tournament title with a 67-64 victory over Stanford. With freshman center Kevin Love manning in the middle, junior point guard Darren Collison leading the break and shooting guards Josh Shipp and Russell Westbrook on the wings, UCLA has the talent to win it all.

Duke (27-5) was unexpectedly upset by Clemson 78-74 in the ACC Tournament — the Blue Devils’ fourth loss in their last nine games. Prior to the late season stumble, Duke was 22-1 with only a 65-64 overtime loss to Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden standing in the way of perfection. Coach Mike Krzyzewski has won three national championships (2001, 1992 and 1991) and has led his team to the Final Four 10 times. This season, Coach K’s club has been a run-and-gun team that relies heavily on the 3-point shot. And with five players who average double-digits — DeMarcus Nelson, Kyle Singler, Gerald Henderson, Jon Scheyer and Greg Paulus — Duke is hard to defend.

Prime Time Player – Kevin Love, C, UCLA (1)

A 19-year-old freshman with an old school game, Love has paced the Bruins in scoring and rebounds this season, averaging 17.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. And after snaring a rebound, Love is one of the great outlet passers in the game — as if 10-time NCAA championship coach John Wooden himself had taught young Love one of basketball’s lost arts and most effective fast-break starters. Recent back problems may or may not become an issue in March, but Love is the best player on one of the country’s best teams when healthy.

Upset Watch – West Virginia (7) vs. Arizona (10)

The Wildcats are a sleeping giant loaded with talent and excuses. Zona has a one-two punch of future NBA players in guard Jerryd Bayless (20.0 ppg, 4.1 apg, 2.7 rpg) and forward Chase Budinger (17.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.9 apg) but could only manage an 8-10 record in the Pac-10 because of an unexpected coaching change (Lute Olsen took the year off for personal reasons and was replaced by Kevin O’Neill) and a rash of injuries. Having lost eight of their last 12 games, the Cats have a lot to prove to the “bubble” teams whose season burst on Selection Sunday. An upset of the Mountaineers would prove Arizona belongs.

Sweet 16 Sleeper – Drake (5)

Got to love the Drake. One of the best shooting teams in the Big Dance, the Bulldogs top four scorers — Josh Young (15.8 ppg), Leonard Houston (14.0 ppg), Jonathan Cox (11.8 ppg) and Klayton Korver (10.0 ppg) — combined to hit 38.3 percent (253-of-660) from 3-point range and 78.0 percent (297-of-381) from the free throw line this season. Coach Keno Davis’ team will have to hold off No. 12 seed Western Kentucky and shooting star Courtney Lee before most likely facing No. 4 seed Connecticut in the second round in order to advance to the Sweet 16.

South Region Preview

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:01:00 -0600

SOUTH
Houston

Top Two – Memphis (1), Texas (2)

Memphis (33-1) is the only team from Conference USA in the NCAA Tournament. But the Tigers’ non-conference schedule included wins against Georgetown, Connecticut, USC, Oklahoma, Gonzaga and Arizona. Only a hard-fought 66-62 loss to in-state rival Tennessee prevented coach John Calipari’s team from an undefeated regular season. Memphis has a star-studded backcourt — with freshman point guard Derrick Rose and go-to shooting guard Chris Douglas-Roberts — along with size and athleticism to spare. The obvious weak link, however, is at the free-throw line, where the Tigers shot 59.6 percent (483-of-811) as a team this season.

Texas (28-6) is coming off of an 84-74 loss to Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament title game, where a win may have given the Longhorns enough to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Horns’ resume included non-conference wins over UCLA and Tennessee, along with an earlier Big 12 victory over Kansas. Last year, Texas was in the spotlight thanks to one-and-done phenomenon Kevin Durant. This season, coach Rick Barnes’ team has quietly gone about their business, with the backcourt firepower of point guard D.J. Augustin and shooting guard A.J. Abrams, along with a roster full of players who know their role, producing a Final Four caliber product.

Prime Time Player – D.J. Augustin, G, Texas (2)

One of the best point guards in the country, Augustin has averaged 19.8 points, 5.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game this season, while shooting 45.0 percent from the field, 79.1 percent from the free throw line and 38.1 percent from downtown. The New Orleans native also averages 37.2 minutes per game; and with no true backup for the sophomore superstar, Augustin is counted on to dominate from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer. And there may not be a better overall floor general — as a leader, distributor, scorer and defender — in the country than Augustin.

Upset Watch – Marquette (6) vs. Kentucky (11)

The Wildcats began the season with a loss to Gardner-Webb, then started coach Billy Gillispie’s first season in Lexington with a 7-9 record. But since beating Tennessee at Rupp Arena on Jan. 22, the Cats are 11-3, with losses at Tennessee, at Vanderbilt and in a postponed game to Georgia at the SEC Tournament. Although UK is without freshman star Patrick Patterson (16.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg), the senior duo of Ramel Bradley (15.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.3 apg) and Joe Crawford (17.3 ppg) has carried the Wildcats down the stretch this year. In Big Blue Nation, a win over Marquette will be an upset in seeding only.

Sweet 16 Sleeper – Mississippi State (8)

The Bulldogs have all the ingredients to make a surprise run in the NCAA Tournament. MSU has a top-flight point guard in Jamont Gordon (17.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 apg), a senior big man in Charles Rhodes (16.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and key role players — namely guards Barry Stewart (11.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.7 apg) and Ben Hansbrough (10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.6 apg), and shot-blocking center Jarvis Varnado (7.9 rpg, 4.6 bpg). Coach Rick Stansbury’s squad will have to outlast No. 9 seed Oregon before a match-up with No. 1 seed and not-too-distant rival Memphis in order to advance to the Sweet 16.

Bracket Breakdown

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0600

Big East – 8
Georgetown (2)
Louisville (3)
Connecticut (4)
Pittsburgh (4)
Notre Dame (5)
Marquette (6)
West Virginia (7)
Villanova (12)

Big 12 – 6
Kansas (1)
Texas (2)
Oklahoma (6)
Texas A&M (9)
Baylor (11)
Kansas State (11)

Pac-10 – 6
UCLA (1)
Stanford (3)
Washington State (4)
USC (6)
Oregon (9)
Arizona (10)

SEC – 6
Tennessee (2)
Vanderbilt (4)
Mississippi State (8)
Arkansas (9)
Kentucky (11)
Georgia (14)

ACC – 4
North Carolina (1)
Duke (2)
Clemson (5)
Miami (7)

Big Ten – 4
Wisconsin (3)
Michigan State (5)
Purdue (6)
Indiana (8)

Atlantic 10 – 3
Xavier (3)
Saint Joseph’s (11)
Temple (12)

West Coast – 3
Gonzaga (7)
Saint Mary’s (10)
San Diego (13)

Mountain West – 2
BYU (8)
UNLV (8)

Sun Belt – 2
South Alabama (10)
Western Kentucky (12)

Conference USA – 1
Memphis (1)

Missouri Valley – 1
Drake (5)

Horizon – 1
Butler (7)

MAC – 1
Kent State (9)

Southern – 1
Davidson (10)

Colonial – 1
George Mason (12)

Big South – 1
Winthrop (13)

MAAC – 1
Siena (13)

Summit – 1
Oral Roberts (13)

Big West – 1
Cal State Fullerton (14)

Ivy League – 1
Cornell (14)

WAC – 1
Boise State (14)

America East – 1
UMBC (15)

Atlantic Sun – 1
Belmont (15)

Ohio Valley – 1
Austin Peay (15)

Patriot – 1
American (15)

Big Sky – 1
Portland State (16)

Southland – 1
UT-Arlington (16)

SWAC – 1
Mississippi Valley State (16)

MEAC – 1
Coppin State (16, play-in)

Northeast – 1
Mount St. Mary’s (16, play-in)

Big Ten: Ready for Redemption

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:00:00 -0600

As conference tournament action commences this afternoon, several Big Ten teams will have an opportunity to prove they’re better than either their record or the public’s perception suggests they are.

Case in point: fans and ‘experts’ still don’t buy Purdue as a serious contender, even though they twice beat Wisconsin and won 24 games this year.

And who can blame naysayers for giving a thumbs down to Michigan State? The team picked by many to dominate the conference, Michigan State has stumbled all season. Should the Spartans put together a three-game winning streak this weekend, however, that will all change.

There is no greater opportunity for redemption than the present, and there is no conference tournament with as many teams fighting to prove they belong as this one.

Here’s a look at how the Big Ten tournament field shapes up:

No. 1 seed: Wisconsin (26-4, 16-2)

First game: The Michigan/Iowa winner

Why they’ll win it: The Badgers are the conference’s most balanced teams and most experienced in pressure situations. They’re also as well coached as any team in America.

Why they won’t: For whatever reason the frontrunner in this tournament has a history of stumbling, and Wisconsin is a likely candidate for that, perhaps in the second round where they’ll meet the winner of Michigan State/Ohio State – two clubs clawing for their lives.

No. 2 seed: Purdue (24-7, 15-3)

First game: The Penn State/Illinois winner

Why they’ll win it: Well, they’re the only Big Ten club to have defeated the tournament’s top seed, Wisconsin, and they have a lot of spark.

Why they won’t: Youth. The Boilermakers’ inexperience started to show down the stretch, and it could be argued that they’re ripe for a huge March letdown.

No. 3 seed: Indiana (25-6, 14-4)

First game: The Minnesota/Northwestern winner

Why they’ll win it: There is no more talented team in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have the league’s top two players – Eric Gordon and D.J. White – and they have extra incentive to prove they’re still worthy of a good seed in the Big Dance. And, oh yeah, they have a slight advantage over the other programs due to the tournament’s location.

Why they won’t: Drama. Some might suggest that this team put the Kelvin Sampson fiasco behind it already – but that’s not the case. Other teams have switched coaches mid-season and gone on to have success in March, but those teams didn’t lose to Penn State in overtime.

No. 4 seed: Michigan State (24-7, 12-6)

First game: Ohio State

Why they’ll win it: The Spartans have a favorable path to the title game. In fact, Ohio State might present a stiffer test than likely round two opponent, Wisconsin.

Why they won’t: See below under the heading, ‘Most Disappointing Team.’

No. 5 seed: Ohio State (19-12, 10-8)

First game: Michigan State

Why they’ll win it: There wasn’t a hotter Big Ten team down the stretch (outside of top seed Wisconsin, of course). The Buckeyes have one of the league’s most polished players (Jamar Butler) and several ‘no-name’ types able to do some damage in a three-game stretch.

Why they won’t: Of all the teams to play in the first game, the worst possible matchup for Ohio State is Michigan State. The Spartans are the only Big Ten team with as much to gain (and lose), and it’s doubtful Ohio State can duplicate the success it had against Tom Izzo’s club in the season finale.

No. 6 seed: Minnesota (18-12, 8-10)

First game: Northwestern

Why they’ll win it: Tubby Smith knows a thing or two about success in March.

Why they won’t: Has this team delivered once all year?

No. 7 seed: Penn State (15-15, 7-11)

First game: Illinois

Why they’ll win it: Martians might swoop into Conseco Fieldhouse and kidnap the other 10 teams, allowing the Nittany Lions to win by default.

Why they won’t: Penn State used up all of its heroics in the overtime thriller against Indiana.

No. 8 seed: Iowa (13-18, 6-12)

First game: Michigan

Why they’ll win it: Should they beat Michigan (probable) and somehow win a low-scoring affair with Wisconsin in round two, the Hawkeyes have already proven they can beat either of their two possible third round opponents, Ohio State/Michigan State.

Why they won’t: Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Now it’s time to return to reality …

No. 9 seed: Michigan (9-21, 5-13)

First game: Iowa

Why they’ll win it: This is a growing team waiting to explode. During the year it beat Ohio State and Iowa, and kept close to Wisconsin.

Why they won’t: Michigan can be beaten in every facet of the game by just about every team in this conference. After all, it’s the only team to have lost to Northwestern.

No. 10 seed: Illinois (13-18, 5-13)

First game: Penn State

Why they’ll win it: Let’s map out the Illini’s path … first, they’ll beat a Penn State team lacking playmakers. Next, they could upset a young Purdue team looking ahead a round. After that, a bit of revenge against Indiana for stealing away Eric Gordon. Then a Cinderella performance in the final. There you have it.

Why they won’t: Illinois is soft, dealing with injuries, and deflated after a monstrous season. There you have it.

No. 11 seed: Northwestern (8-21, 1-17)

First game: Minnesota

Why they’ll win it: I’ve employed a team of MIT thinkers to come up with a theory for how Northwestern could sneak through the conference tournament. I’m still waiting for a response …

Why they won’t: This team can be fun to watch at times, but it’s rarely ever competitive. While I do believe the Wildcats could pull off magic in round one, this team only has so many tricks in its bag.

Big Ten Tournament Picks

First round
Iowa over Michigan
Illinois over Penn State
Minnesota over Northwestern

Quarterfinals
Wisconsin over Iowa
Michigan State over Ohio State
Purdue over Illinois
Indiana over Minnesota

Semifinals
Michigan State over Wisconsin
Indiana over Purdue

Finals
Indiana over Michigan State

-- 2007-08 Big Ten Awards --

Most Surprising Team: Purdue

The Boilermakers might have been the biggest surprise in the country, let alone the conference. Road losses to Indiana and Ohio State (overtime) stole away some of this team’s thunder, but even so no other conference team can compare. Purdue shocked us all.

Most Disappointing Team: Michigan State

With false optimism I’ve waited ... and waited ... and waited for things to turn around, but alas, it was not to be. Perhaps the Spartans will take command of the Big Ten tournament and make believers out of us all. Wait, there I go again …

Player of the Year: D.J. White, F, Indiana

The word ‘complete’ comes to mind. The conference’s leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, White can hurt teams inside and out, on both ends of the floor. His 19 double-doubles really say it all. A no-brainer for this award.

Freshman of the Year: Eric Gordon, G, Indiana

Believe it or not, this pick wasn’t as easy as it should have been. Purdue’s Robbie Hummel was a difference-maker and Michigan’s Manny Harris was fourth in the conference in scoring – often his team’s only offense. Gordon was simply too good to ignore, even on his ‘off-nights.’ He led the conference in scoring – the only player to average more than 20 points per game – and still has plenty of room for growth.

Most Underrated Player: E’Twaun Moore, G, Purdue

For all that was written about the Boilermakers this season, freshman Robbie Hummel seemed to get the most ink. Yet fellow freshman Moore scored more points, played more minutes, and was comparable in virtually every other category. The reason for Purdue’s success had a lot to do with the contributions of both players, even if Hummel stole a few more headlines.

Coach of the Year: Bo Ryan, Wisconsin

What? Were you expecting Matt Painter of Purdue? He’d make a fine selection, too, but let’s not forget that the Badgers were a team expected to plummet after the departure of superstars Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor. Purdue was a young and talented team not yet expected to compete. Purdue’s success is one part coaching, one part advanced player progression. Wisconsin’s success is almost all to the credit of Ryan, who is college basketball’s master of getting the most out of the least to work with. Who replaced Tucker’s scoring? No one. Who replaced Taylor’s floor leadership? No one (Trevon Hughes is not yet the leader Taylor was, nor may he ever be). Nope, the Badgers have lived off of Ryan’s disciplined style and game-by-game approach.

First-team All-Big Ten

Eric Gordon, G, Indiana
Jamar Butler, G, Ohio State
D.J. White, F, Indiana
Raymar Morgan, F, Michigan State
Brian Butch, F/C, Wisconsin

Second-team All-Big Ten

E’Twaun Moore, G, Purdue
Drew Neitzel, G, Michigan State
Robbie Hummel, G/F, Purdue
Marcus Landry, F, Wisconsin
Kosta Koufos, C, Ohio State

Wisconsin-based writer Mike Beacom covers the Big Ten for Athlon

Beasley is the Big 12's best

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:00:00 -0600

So Kevin Durant put together the greatest season a freshman has ever had in Big 12 Conference history, that is until Michael Beasley outdid just about every one of his accomplishments.

The question is, “Who’s coming next?”

No, seriously, who? Is there anyone out there in the prep ranks that will be able to come in next season and making a bigger impact than Beasley did in his one — and how couldn’t it be only? — season in Manhattan, Kan.?

It seems unlikely, more so even than one-upping Durant, that someone could step in and be more dominant than Beasley has been since first donning a Kansas State uniform. He began his career with 32 points and a Big 12-record 24 rebounds against Sacramento State and went for at least 30 points in four of his first five games, proving early on that he was far too good for the college game.

Beasley has gone on to average 26.5 points and 12.5 rebounds, both marks that, should they hold up through the postseason, will be Big 12 single-season records. He also set an NCAA freshman record with 26 double-doubles while leading the freshman-laden Wildcats to a 20-10 record, including a 10-6 mark in conference play. That bought them the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and has them on the verge of playing in the school’s first NCAA Tournament since 1996.

For all of those reasons, Beasley is the only choice to win the Big 12 player of the award.

“I’m extremely happy, and I’m proud for him because I know how hard he’s committed himself to working to become a very good player, to represent our university the way he has and continue to improve,” Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. “I know how hard he worked, once we lost David Hoskins, to lead our basketball team with a bunch of first-year guys, to compete at a high level in what I thought, and still do, is the hardest league in the country.”

Let’s hand out a few other awards:

Freshman of the Year: Michael Beasley, F, Kansas State

Did I mention Beasley was a freshman? The presumptive top pick in June’s NBA Draft took away Mitch Richmond’s Kansas State single-season scoring record. He had 13 games with 30 or more points and hit at least 40 three times, including a Big 12-record 44 in a loss to Baylor.

Defensive Player of the Year: Mario Chalmers, G, Kansas

Chalmers led the Big 12 in steals for the third straight season (3.4 per game) and was a key part of the league’s best defensive team. The Jayhawks led the Big 12 in both points allowed and field-goal percentage defense.

Newcomer of the Year: DeMarre Carroll, F, Missouri

The season was something of disappointment for Carroll and the Tigers. Carroll, a transfer from Vanderbilt, was limited by a high ankle sprain for most of the last three months, while the team fell to 10th in the Big 12 standings after being projected fifth in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches. But even with the injury, Carroll still managed to average 13.1 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds to rank in the top 15 in the Big 12 in both categories.

Coach of the Year: Rick Barnes, Texas

Most everyone assumed the Longhorns would be playing for second place after losing Durant to the professional ranks. But under Barnes’ direction, they tied for first — for the second time in the past three years — and claimed the top seed in the Big 12 Tournament by virtue of their head-to-head victory over Kansas. Barnes oversaw the development of two of the most improved players in the conference in sophomore Damion James and junior Connor Atchley, who helped lighten the blow of Durant’s departure.

All-Conference — First team

Michael Beasley, Kansas State — Probably will lose out on most of the national player of the year awards to Tyler Hansbrough but put up better numbers than the North Carolina sophomore with significantly less talent and experience around him.

D.J. Augustin, Texas — Arguably the nation’s best point guard, finished second in the Big 12 in scoring (19.8 ppg) and first in assists (5.7 apg) while logging heavy minutes for the depth-deprived Longhorns. Sophomore should join Beasley as a first-team All-American.

Curtis Jerrells, Baylor — Big 12’s best guard outside of Austin averaged 14.8 ppg. Junior has Bears on verge of playing in their first NCAA Tournament in 20 years. Made 20 of 24 free throws and scored 36 points on Jan. 23 in quintuple overtime victory against Texas A&M that was the league’s game of the year.

Aleks Maric, Nebraska — One of three Big 12 players to average a double-double (16 ppg, 10.2 rpg). Australian-born senior center helped Cornhuskers finish in a tie for seventh in the conference standings after starting league play 0-4.

Brandon Rush, Kansas — Jayhawks best player the second half of the season as his knee continued to get stronger after offseason surgery. KU’s balance hurt his numbers, but junior guard averaged a team-high 13.5 points during league play and shot league-best 43.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

Second team

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma — In most years would have been a runaway winner of the freshman of the year award. Prototypical NBA power forward averaged team-leading 15.2 points and 9.2 rebounds for NCAA Tournament-bound Sooners. Would have been a first-team selection but missed two Big 12 games and parts of one other with knee injuries.

Bill Walker, Kansas State — Athletic freshman forward averaged 16.6 points to rank third in the league in scoring in conference play. Inconsistency kept him from being on the first team.

Damion James, Texas — Arguably the Big 12’s most improved player, sophomore forward finished second in the conference in rebounding (10.7 rpg) and also contributed 12.9 points for the first-place Longhorns. Provided Texas with inside-outside threat it lost with Durant’s departure.

A.J. Abrams, Texas — Junior guard averaged 16.2 points and made nearly three 3-pointers per game to lead the Big 12. Got hot in the second half against Kansas State as Longhorns handed Wildcats their first and only Big 12 home loss.

Darrell Arthur, Kansas — Future NBA lottery pick didn’t dominate the way many expected with Julian Wright off to the professional ranks, but sophomore forward still averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 53.5 percent from the field.

Third team

Mario Chalmers, Kansas — Big 12’s best defensive guard also averaged 12.1 points and shot 46.8 percent from 3-point range for Jayhawks, who tied for regular-season title.

Kevin Rogers, Baylor — Provided inside presence for guard dominated Bears. Junior forward averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds and had 12 double-doubles.

Byron Eaton, Oklahoma State — Led Cowboys’ second-half surge by reaching double figures in last seven games. Junior guard, who finished with better than two steals per game, averaged 20.6 points during OSU’s five-game winning streak.

Jiri Hubalek, Iowa State — Senior center was bright spot in otherwise forgettable season for Cyclones, who finished 11th in the Big 12 with only four league wins. Averaged 13.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in conference play.

Martin Zeno, Texas Tech — Frustrated Red Raiders coaches a lot of the season but still averaged a team-best 16.3 points, which ranked fourth in the Big 12 Conference, and helped Tech tie for seventh with seven league victories. Senior guard enters Big 12 Tournament 12th on Big 12’s all-time scoring list with 1,909 career points.

And now a few specialty teams:

All-Rookie Team

Michael Beasley, fr., forward, Kansas State
Blake Griffin, fr., forward, Oklahoma
Bill Walker, fr., forward, Kansas State
LaceDarius Dunn, fr., guard, Baylor
John Roberson, fr., guard, Texas Tech

All-Defensive Team

Mario Chalmers, jr., guard, Kansas
Marcus Dove, sr., forward, Oklahoma State
Byron Eaton, jr., guard, Oklahoma State
Russell Robinson, sr., guard, Kansas
Michael Beasley, fr., forward, Kansas State

All-Improved Team

Damion James, soph., forward, Texas
Connor Atchley, jr., forward, Texas
Leo Lyons, jr., forward, Missouri
Darnell Jackson, sr., forward, Kansas
Alan Voskuil, jr., guard, Texas Tech

All-Bench Team

Sherron Collins, soph., guard, Kansas
LaceDarius Dunn, fr., guard, Baylor
DeAndre Jordan, fr., center, Texas A&M
Mike Singletary, fr., forward, Texas Tech
Taylor Griffin, jr., forward, Oklahoma

All-Shooters Team

A.J. Abrams, jr., guard, Texas
LaceDarius Dunn, fr., guard, Baylor
Brandon Rush, jr., guard, Kansas
Mario Chalmers, jr., guard, Kansas
Alan Voskuil, jr., guard, Texas Tech

All-Dismissed Team (four-man)

Stefhon Hannah, sr., guard, Missouri
Xavier Silas, soph., guard, Colorado
Mike Taylor, sr., guard, Iowa State*
Kalen Grimes, sr., forward, Missouri*
*dismissed last summer

BIG 12 TOURNAMENT BACK IN KANSAS CITY

For the eighth time in its 12 years, the Big 12 Tournament will be back in Kansas City, only it will have a new home in the Sprint Center, which opened in October in downtown.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as play begins Thursday:

* No team enters the conference tournament with more at stake than Texas A&M, who could find themselves left out of the NCAA Tournament if it can’t find a way to beat Iowa State in its first-round game. The Aggies overall record is a solid 22-9, but Mark Turgeon’s team played a fairly pedestrian nonconference schedule with its best win coming against NCAA bubble team Ohio State. A&M also only finished 8-8 in league play after losing five of its last seven games.

“I have a feeling, if the tournament was today, we’re in,” Turgeon said earlier this week. “But it’s not today. … Some things are going to happen this week. It’s going to shrink the field a little bit as far as BCS schools. We’ll see.

“I feel good about where we are because the league’s so darn good. … But we’ve got to try to get as much as we can done in Kansas City this weekend.”

* Baylor, which enters the tournament seeded fifth, is the best bet to blow up the bracket and make a run to the final without the benefit of a first-round bye. The Bears are a difficult matchup because of their loaded backcourt and ability to score. They led the Big 12 in points per game in league play.

Scott Drew’s team shouldn’t have any trouble getting past 12th-seeded Colorado, a team they beat on the road during the regular season. Then Baylor will face Oklahoma, a team that swept it in the regular season. But the first of those victories came with the Bears still trying to catch their breath three days after a quintuple-overtime affair against Texas A&M. OU needed a four-point play and two missed free throws from Curtis Jerrells in the last 10 seconds of overtime to edge the Bears 92-91 in overtime on Feb. 19.

If Baylor can avoid a third loss to Oklahoma, it should run into top-seeded Texas in the semifinals. The Longhorns have won 22 straight in the series between the two teams, but they had to overcome a 14-point deficit to win this season in Austin and nearly blew a 14-point lead in the final three minutes in Waco. Texas and Baylor played a memorable game in last season’s quarterfinals with the Longhorns, led by Kevin Durant, rallying from a 20-point second-half deficit to win.

* The dream scenario for tournament organizers and local fans should start with a Missouri victory over Nebraska on Thursday night to set up a Friday night that includes the Tigers playing archrival Kansas at 6 p.m., followed by Kansas State’s game against the winner of Texas A&M and Iowa State.

Saturday afternoon would bring more local intrigue if Kansas and Kansas State both advance. Those two teams split the regular-season series. The Wildcats snapped a 24-game home losing streak against the Jayhawks and handing them their first loss of the season on Jan. 30. KU got revenge on March 1, beating K-State 88-74 despite a 39-point effort from Michael Beasley. A third meeting might be the tournament’s most anticipated game.

* The final figures to pit Kansas against Texas for the third consecutive season. It would be appropriate because those have been the league’s two best and most consistent teams all season long. The winner should have a strong case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Longhorns scored a 72-69 victory the only time the two teams met in the regular season, but that game, played Feb. 11, was in Austin.

This one would be in the Jayhawks’ backyard, only 43 miles from their home in Allen Fieldhouse, which is why Kansas will be the team cutting down the nets after winning its third straight conference tournament title and sixth since the Big 12’s inception.

ACC: Best conference may only get four bids

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:00:00 -0600

It was another strong regular season for the ACC, with the league posting the nation’s best RPI for the fourth year out of the last five and registering the top winning percentage in competition with the other five power conferences.

Yet with play soon to begin in the 55th annual ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., plenty of prognosticators predict that the conference will receive just four bids to the NCAA Tournament.

“I don’t understand what has happened where our league doesn’t get the credit it deserves,” Miami coach Frank Haith said. “We have great teams in our league, we do what we’re supposed to do. Percentagewise, we win more games than any other conference against other top conferences across the country.

“Then we get in our league play, and we just beat each other up because it’s so competitive and there are no bad teams in our league. I don’t think we get credit for that. There’s no way that I don’t think six teams should not get in the tournament from our league. At least.”

While Haith wants what’s best for the ACC, he need not worry about his own team. The Hurricanes (21-9, 8-8) should join North Carolina (29-2, 14-2), Duke (26-4, 13-3) and Clemson (22-8, 10-6) in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of what happens in conference tournaments around the country this weekend.

But after Miami, who knows?

Virginia Tech (18-12, 9-7) and Maryland (18-13, 8-8) appear to be on the outside looking in, despite posting league records of at least .500 in the No. 1 conference in the country.

“As far as where we are with the NCAA, it used to be that if you went 8-8 in the ACC, you were in,” Maryland coach Gary Williams said. “But that doesn’t necessarily hold true anymore with the number of teams that get into the tournament now. I know our league RPI-wise is the strongest in the country, but at the same time, there are a lot of good teams out there. Hopefully we can play well in the ACC Tournament.”

Maryland must do that because it enters play at Charlotte Bobcats Arena having lost four of its last five games. The Terrapins have a victory at North Carolina to their credit, but they are a combined 0-6 against the other teams seeded ahead of them in the conference tournament (Duke, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Miami).

Plus, Maryland has back-to-back home losses to Ohio and American in its portfolio. That contributes to the Terrapins’ unfavorable position of No. 69 in the RPI.

“I really don’t follow the RPI,” Williams said. “I don’t know it. Maybe I should. I don’t worry about other teams because the only thing that counts is if you win games. That takes care of everything.”

The No. 6 seed Terrapins get a chance to get back on track Thursday against No. 11 seed Boston College (13-16, 4-12), but even a win in that game might not be enough to earn them a spot in the Big Dance.

Maryland likely would not be in this precarious position had it not blown a 20-point second-half lead in a 73-70 loss to Clemson on March 2. Virginia Tech also can blame the Tigers for its postseason predicament.

In a battle for third place in the league Sunday, the Hokies led Clemson by five points with 3 minutes to play and held a 69-68 advantage after a layup by Deron Washington with 9.1 seconds left. But Clemson’s Demontez Stitt made a pair of free throws with 3.8 seconds remaining to lift the Tigers to a 70-69 victory.

Had Virginia Tech picked up its 10th league victory and finished the regular season in third place, the selection committee would have had little choice to but to put the team in the NCAA Tournament.

But fourth place and nine league wins is an easier combination to reject, especially considering some other key factors. Virginia Tech (RPI No. 57) is 0-6 against teams in the RPI top 50 and played a relatively easy ACC schedule, facing the league’s other top four teams (UNC, Duke, Clemson and Miami) just one time apiece.

Also notable is the fact that the Hokies have road losses to Penn State, Old Dominion and Richmond in their past.

Given all that, Virginia Tech might have to reach the ACC championship game to gain an at-large berth for the NCAA Tournament. But Hokies coach Seth Greenberg will leave all the guessing to others.

“All we’re trying to do is get better,” Greenberg said. “If we spend an ounce of energy worrying about where we’re getting picked or what someone thinks about in the game, out of the game, on the bubble, off the bubble — you can’t spend time worrying about those things.

“You can only spend time worrying about the things you have control over, and that’s trying to get better. Why waste time on that other stuff?”

ACColades

With the regular season completed, here’s a look back at the year that was in the conference.

Best team: North Carolina

The Tar Heels’ record and No. 1 national ranking are impressive, but even more impressive is how they got there. UNC kept winning despite significant injuries to point guards Ty Lawson and Bobby Frasor, showing the kind of depth and resilience that can come in handy in March.

Worst team: Boston College

After losing three of its top four scorers from last season, the Eagles were left with Tyrese Rice and not much else in terms of proven talent. The good news for BC coach Al Skinner is that his only seniors are Tyrelle Blair and John Oates, so his team will have a chance to improve as long as Rice sticks around for his senior year.

Most surprising team: Virginia Tech

The Hokies said goodbye to a trio of 1,000-point scorers in Jamon Gordon, Zabian Dowdell and Coleman Collins, and the team entered this season with no experience in the backcourt. Not exactly a recipe for success. But Virginia Tech got big seasons from upperclassmen A.D. Vassallo and Deron Washington, and its young players held up nicely during the grind of their first ACC season. So the Hokies, picked to finish 10th during the preseason, wound up in fourth place and earned a bye in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

Most surprising player: Greg Paulus, Duke

Paulus is on the short list of players whom opposing fans love to hate, but he earned some respect — if not cheers — around the ACC this season. Paulus, who struggled with an injured foot all of last season, showed just how good he can be when healthy. He made open shots on the perimeter, ran Duke’s offense the way Mike Krzyzewski wanted, improved his ball handling and wasn’t nearly as much of a liability on defense as he was a year ago.

Most disappointing team: N.C. State

It’s not often that a team picked to finish third in the conference ends up in last place, but that’s how it went for the Wolfpack (15-15, 4-12) this season. N.C. State suffered a huge setback when starting point guard Farnold Degand was lost for the season in December with a knee injury, and the team’s returning nucleus of Brandon Costner, Courtney Fells, Gavin Grant and Ben McCauley never appeared comfortable playing second fiddle to freshman star J.J. Hickson.

Most disappointing player: Brandon Costner, N.C. State

Costner was a preseason selection on the All-ACC first team, but he struggled much of the season as the Wolfpack featured Hickson down low. Costner’s production dropped from team-best averages of 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game last season to 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game this season. Even more disturbing, Costner came up with just seven steals in 731 total minutes this season. He shot just 36.6 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from 3-point range as a sophomore after shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent on 3-pointers in 2006-07.

All-ACC — First team

Tyler Hansbrough, Jr., North Carolina: He led the ACC in scoring (23.1 points per game), rebounding (10.5 per game) and double-doubles (16), carrying the Tar Heels during Ty Lawson’s absence.

Jack McClinton, Jr., Miami: He finished fifth in the conference in scoring (17.4 points per game) and led the league in free throw percentage (.900), 3-point accuracy (.442) and 3-pointers made (3.0 per game).

DeMarcus Nelson, Sr., Duke: He was Duke’s leader and most consistent player throughout the season, averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game while playing his typically tough defense.

Tyrese Rice, Jr., Boston College: He delivered the league’s top scoring performance this season, a 46-point barrage against North Carolina, and finished second in the league in scoring (21.3 points per game) and fourth in assists (5.1 per game).

Sean Singletary, Sr., Virginia: He didn’t have much help around him, but he still finished in the ACC’s top five in scoring (19.9 points per game), assists (5.9 per game) and free throw percentage (.856).

Second team

Wayne Ellington, So., North Carolina: The owner of the ACC’s smoothest shooting stroke became more of a threat off the dribble this season, averaging 16.4 points per game while making 40.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.

James Gist, Sr., Maryland: He faded down the stretch as the Terrapins lost four of their last five games, but he was ninth in the ACC in scoring (15.7 points per game) and among the league’s top five in rebounding (7.9), field-goal percentage (.494) and blocked shots (2.2).

Cliff Hammonds, Sr., Clemson: Hammonds is tough — he continues to play despite a broken right hand — and productive. He averaged 11.7 points per game while finishing second in the league in assist-turnover ratio (2.3-to-1) and third in steals (1.9 per game).

K.C. Rivers, Jr., Clemson: One of the ACC’s most versatile players, he ranked 12th in the league in scoring (14.5 points) and rebounding (6.5), finished eighth in steals (1.8), made 40.7 percent of his 3-point attempts and posted an assist-turnover ratio of 1.7-to-1.

Greivis Vasquez, So., Maryland: Vasquez’s turnover numbers (4.5 per game) are downright scary, but his all-around contributions (17.5 points, league-leading 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds per game) make him the Terrapins’ most valuable player.

Third team

Toney Douglas, Jr., Florida State: With injuries depleting his team’s frontcourt, Douglas delivered the most productive season of his career. He ranked eighth in the ACC in scoring (15.8 points per game), including 18.1 points per game in conference games, and led the league in steals (2.8 per game) by a large margin.

Danny Green, Jr., North Carolina: One of the most underrated players in the country, he averaged 12.0 points in just 22.5 minutes per game off the bench. At 6-6, Green was UNC’s No. 2 rebounder (5.4 per game) and shot blocker (1.3 per game) in addition to making 38.6 percent of his 3-pointers and 85.7 percent of his free throws.

Greg Paulus, Jr., Duke: Paulus might have been the ACC’s most improved player. He averaged 11.0 points per game, made 42.9 percent of his 3-point attempts and improved his assist-turnover ratio from 1.2-to-1 as a sophomore to 2.2-to-1.

Kyle Singler, Fr., Duke: His scoring (14.2 points per game) and rebounding (6.1 per game) fall short of the numbers posted by fellow freshmen J.J. Hickson and James Johnson, but Singler’s long-range shooting and playmaking ability were key factors in Duke’s resurgence this season.

A.D. Vassallo, Jr., Virginia Tech: He finished sixth in the league in scoring (16.6 points per game), improving his scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage during conference play.

Player of the year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

Freshman of the year: Kyle Singler, Duke

Sixth man of the year: Danny Green, North Carolina

Coach of the year: Frank Haith, Miami

All-defense

D’Andre Bell, Georgia Tech
Tyrelle Blair, Boston College
Toney Douglas, Florida State
Marcus Ginyard, North Carolina
DeMarcus Nelson, Duke

All-flop (falling down on offense or defense to draw foul calls)

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Greg Paulus, Duke
Jon Scheyer, Duke
Lance Thomas, Duke
Deron Washington, Virginia Tech

All-freshman

Jeff Allen, Virginia Tech
J.J. Hickson, N.C. State
James Johnson, Wake Forest
Kyle Singler, Duke
Jeff Teague, Wake Forest

All-underrated

Brian Asbury, Miami
Danny Green, North Carolina
Cliff Hammonds, Clemson
Jason Rich, Florida State
Rakim Sanders, Boston College

All-disappointments

Brandon Costner, N.C. State
Mamadi Diane, Virginia
Ben McCauley, N.C. State
John Oates, Boston College
Ryan Reid, Florida State

All-bench

Matt Causey, Georgia Tech
Danny Green, North Carolina
Terrence Oglesby, Clemson
Zack Peacock, Georgia Tech
Jon Scheyer, Duke

All-shooters

Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
Jack McClinton, Miami
Anthony Morrow, Georgia Tech
Terrence Oglesby, Clemson
Isaiah Swann, Florida State

All-Shaq (bad free throws)

Ryan Pettinella, Virginia: 24.0 percent
Ishmael Smith, Wake Forest: 30.2 percent
Alex Stepheson, North Carolina: 42.9 percent
Cliff Hammonds, Clemson: 43.6 percent
Rakim Sanders, Boston College: 45.9 percent

All-instigator

Chas McFarland, Wake Forest
Laurynas Mikalauskas, Virginia
Greg Paulus, Duke
Ryan Reid, Florida State
Deron Washington, Virginia Tech

ACC Tournament picks

The ACC regular season was full of surprises, so there’s no way of knowing what’s going to happen in the tournament. That said, here’s a guess at what might unfold this week at Charlotte Bobcats Arena:

Thursday’s first round
(8) Wake Forest over (9) Florida State, noon ET
(5) Miami over (12) N.C. State, 2:30 p.m. ET
(10) Virginia over (7) Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. ET
(6) Maryland over (11) Boston College, 9:30 p.m. ET

Friday’s quarterfinals
(1) North Carolina over (8) Wake Forest, noon ET
(5) Miami over (4) Virginia Tech, 2:30 p.m. ET
(2) Duke over (10) Virginia, 7 p.m. ET
(3) Clemson over (6) Maryland, 9:30 p.m. ET

Saturday’s semifinals
(1) North Carolina over (5) Miami, 1:30 p.m. ET
(3) Clemson over (2) Duke, 4 p.m. ET

Sunday’s final
(1) North Carolina over (3) Clemson, 1 p.m. ET