NCAA Basketball Tournament http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com NCAA Basketball Tournament http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Basketball Tournament http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Battle for March's Soulhttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/22/battle-for-marchs-soul/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/22/battle-for-marchs-soul/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/22/battle-for-marchs-soul/#commentsFiled under: ,

In her last twirl across the floor, Cinderella wears a Viking helmet.

And, judging by the massive mascot painted at the center of Cleveland State's home court, it's a piece of hatwear that would dwarf even Barry Bonds' sombrero.

Take that as a hint. There's nothing petite about this team.

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This isn't some waif thin, diamond-wearing, 3-point chucking lady with a hope that Prince Charming will come along to bail her out. This Cinderella is a snarling, dunking group of mid-major brawlers. It's Cinderella with a bad attitude and good right hook. It's Cleveland tough, ready to pick themselves up off the floor before their opponent realized they knocked 'em down.

With only a trio of teams left from non-BCS conferences and mid-majors in name only, Gonzaga and Memphis, this is what remains for the hopes of Cinderella.

And whether coach Gary Waters will admit it or not, Sunday's showdown with Arizona couldn't be more symbolic if the school opted to change their names to "Small School State" and "Power Conference U" at the last moment.

"I don't want to think about that right now," Waters said, after his team's 84-69 opening round victory over Wake Forest. "I want to savor this a little bit."

But when the two teams finally tip, they'll be doing so over a center court line that might as well be college basketball's red-state, blue-state line of demarcation. On one side sits Arizona, a perennial power making its 25th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament but which won just once in the last month entering the tournament. Backing the Wildcats, who upset another mid-major, fifth-seed Utah in the first round, is the contingent who believes the NCAA tournament is best served as a blend of power conferences with just a few mid-majors on the side as garnish, parsley to the meat and potatoes of BCS schools.

On the opposite side sits Cleveland State, now twice a Cinderella 23 years apart, pairing its memorable upset of Indiana in 1986 with an even more memorable drubbing of Wake Forest Friday night. The Vikings had to play their way into the field with a program-defining win over Butler in the Horizon League final, their first win over the Bulldogs in three tries this season. Backing the Vikes are all those who think March should be a buffet for the have-nots, a chance for the little to guy to go toe-to-toe with the power conferences and see just how good those BCS chins are when there's nothing around to protect them.

If you ask Cleveland State guard Norris Cole, he'll tell you he's firmly in the latter camp. That's likely because he knows his team throws punches as big as it dreams.

"We believed from the start of the game we could play with [Wake Forest]," he said, about the Vikings' matchup with the nation's former No. 1 team, a club with three likely first-round NBA draft picks on it.

Cole was oh-so-right in the opening round.

Watching the Vikings beat the Demon Deacons was like watching a mouse spook an elephant and then chase it off a cliff. Cleveland State jumped out to a 9-0 lead and, sometime between the time the two fighters were announced and they touched up gloves, the bout was already over.

"It took them a while to realize what was occurring out there, and then it became a ballgame," Waters said.

But it didn't. Wake never drew closer than six and any time the Deacons pushed, the Vikings dug their heels in even harder then dumped Wake on its butt. Again and again until the clock finally stopped what was long ago a technical knockout.

And with every blow-by drive, every twine-ripping 3-pointer and every stand-up-and-clap dunk, the Vikings scored one for the ever-dwindling population of little guys.

This year's tournament featured just four mid-major at large teams, a startlingly low number that usually ranges somewhere between seven and eight. The team many felt responsible for crushing Cinderella's slipper like a beer can was the Wildcats, a marginal power conference team, who entering the tournament had won just once since Valentine's Day.

But along the way the Wildcats beat four teams that would take a sixth seed or higher in the NCAA tournament.

"We deserve to be here, and the reason we deserve to be here is because we're here," interim Arizona coach Russ Pennell said. "The victories that we had this year were quality wins, and we weren't the only team in America that lost a few games down the stretch. ... Would we have been surprised if we had not been selected? No, that's a different question. But as far as us belonging here, we definitely belong here"

The 12th-seed Wildcats made their point on the basketball court and the brackets, jumping out to an early lead against fifth-seeded Utah and wrapping up with an 84-71 told-you-so victory over the Utes.

NCAA Tournament Action

    GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 21: Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Garrett Temple #14 of the Louisiana State University Tigers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 21, 2009 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Wayne Ellington;Garrett Temple

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    PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: A Washington Huskies cheerleader performs during a break in the action against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

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    KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Manny Harris #3 of the Michigan Wolverines jumps to the basket for a lay up against Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Manny Harris

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    KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Zack Novan #0 and Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for the loose ball with Blake Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Gibson;Zack Novak;Blake Griffin

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    KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Willie Warren #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes contact as he goes to the basket with Zack Gibson #32 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first hafl during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Willie Warren

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    KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #32 of the Oklahoma Sooners goes up for the short jump shot against DeShawn Sims #34 of the Michigan Wolverines in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Taylor Griffin;DeShawn Sims

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    PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: JaJuan Johnson #25 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a shot over Jon Brockman #40 of the Washington Huskies in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** JaJuan Johnson;Jon Brockman

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    KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Taylor Griffin #23 of the Oklahoma Sooners and Zack Novak #0 of the Michigan Wolverines vie for position to the loose ball in the first half during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Zack Novak;Taylor Griffin

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    KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 21: Head Coach Jeff Capel of the Michigan Wolverines yells from the sideline during their game against the Oklahoma Sooners in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center on March 21, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Capel

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    PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 21: Lewis Jackson #23 of the Purdue Boilermakers goes up for a layup as Quincy Pondexter #20 of the Washington Huskies looks on during the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Rose Garden on March 21, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lewis Jackson;Quincy Pondexter

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And now Arizona takes on a team their own size, at least if toughness were measured in inches. Like Arizona, they fought through adversity this season and were on the brink of missing the tournament altogether before a two-point Horizon League win over Butler.

But there the similarities end and the battle lines are drawn.

Yes, it may be a 12 vs. 13 matchup, but only one team could truly lift the underdog standard. Should Cleveland State lose, this will be one last waltz for Cinderella.

And, metaphorically at least, one lost grab for March's soul.

Battle for March's Soul originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>arizonaarizona wildcatscleveland stategary watersnorris coleruss pennellRay HollomanSun, 22 Mar 2009 10:00:00 EST Cinderella Dons a Viking Helmethttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/cleveland-state-wakes-up-cinderella/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/cleveland-state-wakes-up-cinderella/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/21/cleveland-state-wakes-up-cinderella/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Cleveland StateCleveland State did it again.

So too did Wake Forest.

Twenty-three years after Cleveland State shocked Indiana in the 1986 NCAA tournament, the 13th-seeded Vikings shock the No. 4 Demon Deacons 84-69 in a game that rarely seemed close.

For Wake Forest, which earned the nation's No. 1 ranking for just the second time in school history this year, it was painfully familiar of their first year with the No. 1 ranking. That, too, ended in a shocking loss on the first weekend.
The Vikings (26-10) were seeded 14th then; they're 13th in the Midwest region this year.

"We understand what the '86 team did was important for our school," said Norris Cole, who led Cleveland State with 22 points. "But now it's time for a new chapter."

On Sunday, the Vikings will play No. 12 Arizona (20-13), which beat Utah 84-71.

No. 4-seeded Wake Forest (24-7) lost in its first tournament game since 2005. The Demon Deacons won their first 16 games and were No. 1 for a week in January, but they lost their final two games of the season.

Sputtering offense again plagued the Demon Deacons, as it did when they were beaten by Maryland last week in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. They committed 18 turnovers to six by Cleveland State, which held Wake Forest well below its scoring average of 81 points per game.

Demon Deacons season scoring leader Jeff Teague was shut out for the first 13 minutes, totaled two points in the first half and finished with 10, half of his average. James Johnson's trio of 3-pointers kept Wake Forest in the game in the first half, and he finished with 22 points. Al-Farouq Aminu scored 17.

J'Nathan Bullock scored 21 points for Cleveland State, and Cedric Jackson had 19 points and eight assists. Jackson hobbled off the court in the final minute with cramps, but coach Gary Waters said he would be fine.

The upset was the latest sign of revival in the Vikings' program. They went 4-25 in 2003-04 and 10-21 only two years ago, when Waters was in his first season as coach.

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Against Wake Forest, Cleveland State had a size disadvantage but found ways to compensate. The section with fans from Ohio erupted in the second half when the 6-foot-3 Jackson dunked after catching an alley-oop inbounds pass from Cole.

By then, much of the arena was rooting on the underdogs.

"We believed from the start of the game that we could play with this team," Cole said.

A three-point play by the Demon Deacons' David Weaver made it 55-49 with 11 minutes left, but the they could get no closer. Cole sank a basket, then hit a breakaway layup following a turnover to put the Vikings up 66-51, and the margin climbed to 73-54 with 3 1/2 minutes left.

"We almost let them back in," Waters said. "I would have been pretty upset about that."

The Vikings went 12-for-15 from the free-throw line in the final five minutes.

Cleveland State started three seniors and Wake Forest none, and the Vikings looked like the more poised team early. They sank their first three shots - two 3-pointers by Jackson and one by Cole - for a 9-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons committed eight turnovers in the first 11 1/2 minutes.

"We had to hit them early in order to be in that game," Waters said. "We surprised them. It took them a while to realize what was occurring out there, and then it became a ballgame."

When the Vikings made five consecutive shots during an 11-2 run, they led 29-12. But they missed their final six shots of the first half, and a pair of 3-pointers by Johnson helped cut the margin to 39-30 at halftime.

Wake Forest freshman center Tony Woods made his first career start in place of Chas McFarland, who had started all but four games in the past two seasons. McFarland entered the game after less than five minutes, but by then the Demon Deacons trailed by 10.

The miracle Vikings of 1986 went on to the regional final before losing in the final seconds to Navy and David Robinson. They now face a rare second-round matchup of low seeds.

Since the NCAA tournament field was expanded to 16 seeds per region in 1985, there have been only seven matchups between teams seeded No. 12 and No. 13. It happened twice last year: Western Kentucky played San Diego and Villanova played Siena, both games taking place in Tampa.

This year's Vikings made the NCAA field only because they won the Horizon League tournament for the first time. It's their first postseason berth of any kind since playing in the NIT in 1988.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

10 Shining Moments, Day 2

    Jordan Hill swings from the rim as 12th-seed and arguably last-team-in Arizona knocks off fifth-seeded Utah. The Wildcats won 84-71.

    Marc Serota, Getty Images

    Cleveland State associate head coach Jayson Gee celebrates as the 13th-seed Vikings jump out to an early lead against four-seed Wake Forest. Cleveland State routed the Deacons 84-69.

    Lynne Sladky, AP

    Dayton fans don masks to support the Flyers during their opening-round win over West Virginia. Dayton defeated the Mountaineers 68-60.

    Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images

    Syracuse's Arinze Onuaku slams home two points in the Orange's easy opening-round win over Stephen F. Austin.

    Marc Serota, Getty Images

    Xavier's C.J. Anderson turns his shoe into a motivational billboard during the Musketeers' opening round win over 13th-seed Portland State. The fourth-seed Musketeers pulled away for a 77-59 victory.

    Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images

    Missouri guard J.T. Tiller leaps out of bounds chasing a loose ball during the Tigers' quick-work win over 14th-seeded Cornell.

    Paul Sakuma, AP

    Wisconsin players swarm Trevon Hughes after he nails a spinning bank shot to give the Badgers an overtime win over fifth-seeded Florida State.

    Jed Jacobsohn, Getty Images

    Temple fans hold a large cutout head of star Dionte Christmas during the Owls' opening-round loss to Arizona State.

    Marc Serota, Getty Images

    Siena's Alex Franklin, left, and Ryan Rossiter, right, go for a loose ball in front of Ohio State's B.J. Mullens. The Saints edged out the Buckeyes 74-72 in double overtime.

    Skip Peterson, AP

    With the game on the line, Byron Eaton drives against Tennessee for the deciding points. Eaton's short jumper and the following free throw were the final margin in the Cowboys' 77-75 win.

    Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Cinderella Dons a Viking Helmet originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireSat, 21 Mar 2009 00:07:00 EST LSU Scores Blow for Power Conferenceshttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/19/lsu-scores-blow-for-power-conferences/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/19/lsu-scores-blow-for-power-conferences/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/19/lsu-scores-blow-for-power-conferences/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A major topic of discussion this past week was how mistreated the mid-majors have been in recent years by the NCAA tournament selection committee. Butler is definitely one of the best teams in the nation not from the so-called BCS conferences. The Bulldogs were slotted against LSU, a team from the most maligned BCS conference, the SEC.

Not only did Butler lose to LSU in the first round of the tournament on Thursday, but they came out completely flat and seemed noticeably overmatched in the first five minutes. Sure, things settled down and Butler was in the game to the end, but this game did nothing but reinforce the supposed under-representation of the mid-majors when it comes to at-large berths.
No. 8 LSU 75, No. 9 Butler 71: AP Recap | Box Score | Bracket | Scores
Marcus Thornton was "the man" for the Tigers, as he scorched the nets for 27 points on 10-14 shooting. He also survived what had to have been a scary moment for Tigers fans mid-way through the second half, when he tweaked his ankle underneath the basket.

Matt Howard led Butler, despite fighting foul trouble throughout the game, with 22 points and nine rebounds.

Overall, the season will be considered a success for Butler. They weren't even predicted to be in the running for the Horizon League title from many outlets, and they dominated the conference in the regular season. There is still a solid foundation moving forward, and they'll have another shot at a big school next season in the tournament.

The main story emerging from the tournament's first real game, though, was the power conference taking down a mid-major in what should amount to an even matchup. Butler had a chance to start off the tourney with a mid-major statement. Instead, chalk one up for the allegedly biased committee.

LSU Scores Blow for Power Conferences originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>marcus thorntonMarcusThorntonmatt howardMattHowardMatt SnyderThu, 19 Mar 2009 14:47:00 EST Seed-By-Conference Analysis: Committee Loves the Big East and ACChttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/seed-by-conference-analysis-committee-loves-the-big-east-and-ac/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/seed-by-conference-analysis-committee-loves-the-big-east-and-ac/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/16/seed-by-conference-analysis-committee-loves-the-big-east-and-ac/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Among the big story lines from Sunday's filling out of the NCAA basketball tournament field, discussions of conferences who are "overrated" and "underrated" dominated the discussion. Specifically, fans of so-called mid-major teams cried foul, and the masses proclaimed the selection committee was biased in favor of the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences.

The biggest issue I have with this instant "analysis" is that it's not analysis at all. Saying the NCAA thought the Big Ten was on-level with the ACC and Big East simply because they were allotted the same number of teams is -- with apologies to Bob Knight -- just plain stupid.

You see, it's easy to just look at the number of bids and act like that's how the NCAA views individual conferences. It's simple, and people like simple. Thus, it's the approach simpletons take, because they aren't capable of more analytical thought. Dive deeper, though. Do you really think the committee thought the Big Ten was on-level with the Big East when the Big East got three number one seeds and the Big Ten only received one Sweet 16 seed? Does that really, honestly sound even to you?

So here we are, with your guide on judging how the selection committee seriously judged conference strength. I went through every game and just picked the favored seed to win. Meaning eight beats nine, but then loses to one. And so on. We'll call the figure the "expected record," and this will give us a gauge on how strong the selection committee truly felt a conference was.

Big East

Number of teams: 7
Seeds: 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 6, 6
Expected record: 20-6 (including three Final Four teams and one National Champion
Comments: See, this is far and away the strongest conference according to the committee. Look at those seeds. The seventh entrant from the league was awarded a six-seed. In fact, this has to be the best conference of all-time in terms of what they received from the committee -- as long as you don't get hung up on the number of bids. Their average seed is a three.

ACC

Number of teams: 7
Seeds: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 7, 10
Expected record: 13-7
Comments: Another conference that impressed the NCAA enough to get lots of favorable seeds. An interesting discrepancy -- which Seth Davis pointed out on the Selection Show -- is seeing Maryland receive a 10-seed while Wisconsin garnered a 12. How about Boston College landing a seven-seed despite an RPI of 60? These are just two illustrations of how highly the committee favored the ACC to other conferences (aside from the Big East, of course).

Big 12

Number of teams: 6
Seeds: 2, 3, 3, 7, 8, 9
Expected record: 9-6
Comments: They received less teams than the Big Ten and equal to the Pac-10, but got much better bang for their buck with three Sweet 16 seeds and an Elite Eight.

Big Ten

Number of teams: 7
Seeds: 2, 5, 5, 8, 10, 10, 12
Expected record: 6-7
Comments: Seriously? This is an overrated conference? They finished 2nd in conference RPI, and only got one Sweet 16 seed. Three of their seeds are of the one-and-done variety. Knowing this, can you seriously tell me the committee had bias toward the conference? The strength of the conference this year was the depth, but there was an admitted lack of elite teams. The seedings accurately reflected this. By the way -- Minnesota (42), Michigan (44), and Wisconsin (45) were all a bit better than Maryland (55) in the RPI. They were all seeded equal to or worse than the Terrapins. If Penn State made the tourney, the Big Ten haters would have a case. Instead, they don't.

Pac-10

Number of teams: 6
Seeds: 4, 6, 6, 7, 10, 12
Expected record: 5-6
Comments: Arizona (62 RPI) is the one team in the whole tourney that seems egregiously invited. Other than that, though, the conference didn't get a ton of credit. Only one Sweet 16 seed, and a four at that.

Mountain West

Number of teams: 2
Seeds: 5, 8
Expected record: 2-2
Comments: Well, they liked the teams they allowed in the tourney. Obviously, it's tough to imagine San Diego State sporting a 34 RPI in a "major" conference and not making the Dance. I'm actually very surprised they gave BYU an eight and then dropped everyone else off the board. It's not like BYU and Utah were playing at such a different level than New Mexico, SDSU, and UNLV.

Atlantic 10

Number of teams: 3
Seeds: 4, 11, 11
Expected record: 2-3
Comments: Again, a head-scratcher. Was Xavier really seven whole seeds better than Dayton?

SEC

Number of teams: 3
Seeds: 8, 9, 13
Expected record: 1-3
Comments: Simply put: The committee believes the SEC sucks this year. In fact, had Butler won the Horizon League tourney, it's conceivable to think they would have flipped seeds with LSU and the SEC would have come away with zero expected wins. If you want to proclaim power conference bias, you better look elsewhere.

Everyone Else

There are only six wins left from teams not in the above eight conferences. Memphis, as a two-seed, is expected to win three games before bowing out. Gonzaga, a four, is slated to take two. The lone remaining win? Well, someone has to win the play-in game. Every other team in the field, 21 of them from non-"power" conferences, has a worse seed than their first-round foe.

And yes, though I'm a Big Ten fan, it's really easy for me to admit St. Mary's got jobbed. We're talking about a 48 RPI from a team who was missing their best player for a decent chunk of the season. He's healthy enough to play now, so they should have included them in the field. This is the type of error (Mary's and/or SDSU vs. 'Zona and/or Maryland) that makes people believe the committee is biased.

Final Thought

This is how you should judge conference performance in the tournament. Don't be a simpleton. To illustrate the point, here's an example: If the Big East goes 14-7 and the Big Ten goes 10-7, I'm guessing there will be a bunch of people hanging their hats on the superior performance by the Big East. In actuality, as outlined above, the Big Ten would be exceeding expectations with a 10-7 record. Thus, they were underrated. The Big East would have fallen short of the lofty expectations, which means they were overrated.

We'll see how everything shakes out, but just remember -- it's not all about the number of teams per conference, and it's not necessarily about the won-loss record when judging if the committee was biased or "overrated" someone. It's much more complicated than that.

Seed-By-Conference Analysis: Committee Loves the Big East and ACC originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>blake griffinBlakeGriffinearl clarkEarlClarkkalin lucasKalinLucastyler hansbroughTylerHansbroughMatt SnyderMon, 16 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST Midwest Region Breakdown: Louisville's Fast-Paced Brackethttp://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/15/midwest-region-preview-louisvilles-fast-paced-bracket/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/15/midwest-region-preview-louisvilles-fast-paced-bracket/http://ncaatournament.fanhouse.com/2009/03/15/midwest-region-preview-louisvilles-fast-paced-bracket/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


The Louisville Cardinals weren't thought to be in line for a No. 1 seed a week ago, but the ball bounced their way -- so much so that they ended up as the top seed in the entire tournament. Their reward is what appears to be a relatively weak bracket. Michigan State is arguably the worst two-seed in the eyes of the public, for example. The bracket definitely has an up-tempo feel to it, so expect to see the points pile up, especially in the early rounds.
Print Bracket | Bracket Games | First-Round Pairings | Schedule

Storylines

Does Arizona Belong? The Wildcats were the one team in the Dance that truly raised eyebrows across the country; many thought they were behind three or four teams who were left in the dark. They certainly have enough talent to take down the fifth-seeded Utes, but which 'Zona team will show up?

Maligned "Power" Conference vs. Strong Mid-Major. Ohio State comes in relatively hot, though it did drop the conference championship to Purdue Sunday. They get to square off against a really strong small school in Siena.

Another Final Four? Rick Pitino has led three different schools to the Final Four, making five total trips. He's got a good shot at taking his second team to multiple Final Four berths this year as the No. 1-overall seed. He's also pursuing the first Louisville National Championship since Pervis Ellison wore the uniform.

Another Viking Upset? The Cleveland State Vikings last made the Big Dance in 1986. That year, they upset Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers -- who would win the entire thing the following season -- en route to an appearance in the Sweet 16. This year, they face another strong big conference team in Wake Forest. Could history repeat itself?

Home Sweet Indianapolis? Michigan State has won one national championship under Tom Izzo (2000). It happened in Indianapolis, the same city where this region's Sweet 16 and Elite 8 round games will be played. Can the Spartans recapture the magic in Indy?

The Play-In Game. This isn't the place for an extended rant, but both Morehead State and Alabama State won their conference tournaments. This is supposed to ensure them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Taking the name of the game literally, they still have to play their way into the tournament, even though they already did -- by virtue of clinching an "automatic" bid. This is a farce. If the committee is absolutely dead-set on having 65 teams instead of 64, they should have the last two at-large teams square off on Tuesday. Wouldn't Arizona vs. Wisconsin spark a lot more national interest anyway?

Other Region Breakdowns: East | West | South

Team That'll Break Your Bracket

Other than the 12-seed Arizona Wildcats, there don't appear to be many threats in the 11-16 seeds to take down a superior opponent, so we'll have to look past the first round. After that, my eyes wander to West Virginia. The Mountaineers have the horses to take down both Kansas and Michigan State in the bottom half of the bracket if they bring their A-game.

Then again, they could also lose to a sneaky Dayton team in the first round. Tread lightly.

Team That'll Break Your Heart

I'm sure most people want me to say Michigan State, since everyone thinks the Big Ten sucks. Instead I'm going with the team seeded higher than the Spartans. That's right, I'm calling Louisville to break your heart. It's not that the Cardinals aren't a good team. They are a great team. I get that. I'd also be a lot more impressed with their resume had they traveled to Pitt, UConn, or both. They even avoided both fellow No. 1 seeds in the Big East tournament. I understand that's not their fault, but they aren't as battle tested as they could be. Whether it's Wake Forest, Michigan State, Kansas, or West Virginia, someone is going to get them before the Final Four.

Predictions

Please note: These aren't FanHouse-wide, just my personal picks. You should certainly feel free to tell me how stupid I am in the comments. That will not, however, cause me to change my picks.

Round 1: Louisville over Morgan State/Alabama State winner; Ohio State over Siena; Arizona over Utah; Wake Forest over Cleveland State; West Virginia over Dayton; Kansas over North Dakota State; USC over Boston College; Michigan State over Robert Morris
Round 2: Louisville, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Michigan State
Sweet 16: Louisville, Michigan State
Elite 8: Michigan State takes down Louisville, and Tom Izzo heads to his fourth Final Four. Is that a homer pick, considering I cover the Big Ten? Maybe, maybe not. We'll know within the next few weeks if my head was in the right place.

Midwest Region Breakdown: Louisville's Fast-Paced Bracket originally appeared on NCAA Basketball Tournament on Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>region breakdownrick pitinoRickPitinotom izzoTomIzzoMatt SnyderSun, 15 Mar 2009 23:35:00 EST