This region (like all of the others actually) has some very interesting teams, and is very difficult to predict. duke is the number one seed in this region, while texas claims the number 2, iowa the three, lsu claims number 4, and syracuse number 5 to round out the elite seeds. this was probably my favorite region to pay atention too cause my iowa hawkeyes were in it, but as i would soon learn my joy at seeing iowa win the big ten title and get a number 3 seed would quickly evaporate. well the 1st matchup of this region is the 1 seed vs the 16, duke vs southern university. southern won their conference championship to get the tourney bid and duke was the number 1 overall seed and acc champ, but these games are no brainers seeing as a 16 has never beaten a one, so the much more talented duke got my pick. all i know about southern is that avery johnson played there, and they could have used him on this day. duke got off to a slow start and southern hung with them until the 2nd half, even getting within four points, but j.j. started raining in shots and shelden dominated the inside and duke took over this game easily. so the stars on the team took over the game for duke and they ended up blowin out southern. the other guys for duke did not have great games though.

the 8 and 9 matchup was george washington and unc-wilmington, a tough game to predict. george washington had an amazing season, amassing the best record in college and going undefeated in the regular season conference schedule. some people thought they were overrated, others thought they had too good of a record to have garnered an 8 seed and such a tough opponent. GW is known for their depth (5 or 6 guys averaging in double figures in scoring), athleticism, and constant defensive and offensive pressure, a really fast, relentless, up and down team that likes to push the tempo. wilmington was known for their very tough defense, and good shooting. i picked GW for this game because they were too athletic and too talented, even though the slowed down, tough defense of unc-wilmington didnt match up well for GW. well unc-wil. looked like they were dominating this team, even holding an 18 point lead once. they were draining three pointers and playing great d, but GW kept playing the way they play, at such a relentless pace, up and down the floor, bringing in new guys who were scoring just as well as they guys they came in for. george wash. ended up tying the game with some clutch free throws , and sent the game to overtime. at the end GW just had more juice in their tank and outplayed unc-wilmington on both ends, winning the game in a legendary comeback. i think they would have won easier if they super athletic and fan favorie pops mensah-bonsu was 100 percent healthy, as this was his 1st game back after having knee surgery.

next was big east tournament champ syracuse, the big surprise team that was on the bubble for the ncaas before making that classic run through the big east tourney to take the trophy riding the shoulders of their clutch star guard, gerry mcnamara, who was playing like a man possesed after all the talk of him beign overrated. they were the 5 seed, and they took on the 12, texas a&m, a generally young team with low expectations who surprised everyone by having a great season (even with a pretty weak schedule, a good coaching move to build his teams confidence by billy gillispie) and getting a big win over rival texas, which probably got them into the tourney. i really believe that the coaching for a&m was the big reason that they were so good. standout players are acie law, a talented and experienced scorer and leader whos clutch three beat texas in the regular season, and joseph jones, a beast in the post, one of the stronger forwards in the league and an important force in the post for a&m, ca get in foul trouble and isnt a very good shooter though. syracuse of course has gerry mcnamara, who probably is overrated but is an amazing clutch player and three point shooter, where he goes the team goes, great leader. his fellow guard, devendorf, is also a good three shooter and scorer. the big men are also important for this team, an inconsistent group but also talented, when they give 'cuse an inside presence the orange can hang with anyone. well i picked 'cuse cause i thought they would be riding the momentum from their big east championship and on the play of gmac into the tourney, i thoguht theyd play with emotion, possesed like they did to beat all those good big east teams. i also assumed a&m would just be happy to be here. i was wrong. the aggies came to play right out the gate, taking a lead and never letting up. the big story of this game was gmac not getting a field goal and only getting two poins off of free throws. he was probably the reason the orange would lose, as the big men stepped up but they got nothing out of gerry or the other guards. acie law had a nice game, as did the entire aggie team to beat an uninspired looking syracuse pretty easily.

lsu played iona in the 4 vs 11 matchup. lsu's problem is they cant shoot the ball well at all, especially the three, but they have some great athletes, one of the best inside presences in the nation, and they play suffocating pressure defense. standout players are glen "big baby" davis, a huge 310 pound forward/center whos strong and can push his way around to score and grab rebounds with his nba-size body but has amazing footwork, quickness, and athleticism for a guy his size, he is just kind of outta shape. tyrus thomas is a ferocious forward, an amazing shot blocker, athlete, and finisher, great all around game and still learning to control his game, hes only a freshmen. daryll mitchell is their motor, their high energy playmaking point guard. tasmin mitchell is also a valuable athleteic guard and defender. iona isnt even close to having an inside presence to battle with lsu, but they have some amazing scoring guards, one of them is third in the nation in scoring. they would have to take over the game and put up near-perfect games if they were to beat lsu. i picked lsu easy just cause iona doesnt have anyone to combat tyrus and big baby inside. well the tigers started slow, shot poorly, and struggled to get the ball to big baby in the 1st half while iona's guards kept them in the game, but glen davis took over the game in the 2nd half and lsu played much better all around, eventually blowing out iona.

next up is west virginia vs southern illinois, the 6 and 11 seeds. west virginia is a very dangerous team, they shoot a ton of threes and rely on them to win their games, they can dominate games when their threes are falling. they are not very athletic and dont have a big inside presence, but all their players play hard and hustle non-stop and can shoot lights out when they are on. southern illinois (missouri valley conference tourney champs) is known for their tough defense, one of the stingiest in the nation, but they have a slow, grind it out offense that isnt very good when they fall behind and need to launch a comeback. west virginias key player are kevin pittsnogle, a 6 foot 11 three point assasin who has one of the quickest releases in the nation and has unlimited range. hes so dangerous and hard to stop because he almost always plays on the pereimter, and you cant get in his face cause he launches it from anywhere so qucikly. he became a houehold name for his three point heroics in the tourney last year, and has improved his post moves a little this year, thats not his specialty though. mike gansey is probably the team's best player, the definition of a basketball player, has great all around skills, three point shooting, constant hustle, effort, and energy, great defense, all this makes up for his lack of athletic ability. beilen (the coaches son) can also shoot lights out. i picked west virginia cause theyve been here before, they can shoot well and build a big lead, and have senior leadership. they got off to a big lead in the 1st half and never let up, SIU's offense could not launch a comback and west virginia shot well, kevin had a great game for the mountaineers as they blew out the salukis.

iowa played northwestern state in the 3 and 11 matchup, and this was probably the biggest cinderella of this years tourney. i already profiled iowa in another blog, they are known for having one of the nation's top defenses and great senior leadership, making up for lack of great athletes or a great offense, even though guard jeff horner is a fantastic three point shooter with unlimited range. northwestern state was being heralded as a possible upset casue they matched up favorably with the hawkeyes, great athletes, lots of depth, full court pressure, and a three point heavy offense. i picked iowa cause i thought they had enough experience and defensive ability to control this game from the start, just run their offense, build a lead, and control the rest of the game for the less talented northwestern state team. well iowa held a comfortable lead for most of the game and even looked like they would blow out NWST for a while, brunner was very solid and haluska was draining in every shot he took. well iowa started playing not to lose instead of playin to win and northwestern started busting threes non-stop to come back in the game, behind by two points with only seconds remaining. brunner missed a free throw that would have at least forced overtime, and northwestern launched a miracle last second three pointer, fading away with a hand in his face, to beat iowa and create the biggest upset of the tourney, a major bracket buster and blow to steve alfords senior lead team and to his resume, not a good one in the ncaas.

california met n.c. state in the 7-10 game next. cali's success hinges on leon powe, their star forward, one of the strongest players in the ncaa, great rebounder, and physical scorer who knows how to use his body. he gives cal an inside presence that is not rivaled by many, other than not i havent seen too many pac-10 games down in texas so i dont know too much about cal's other players. i knew n.c. state really depended on their three point shooting, and if they werent falling than the team doesnt play well, which is their biggest weakness. they have a pretty tough offense filled with plenty of cuts to the basket and a tough defense as well. i picked cal because nc state doesnt have an inside threat to rival powe, and the wolfpack had lost 4 straight acc games and didnt have much momentum going into this game. nc state ended up winning, they shot the ball well, and just played a good overall game, plus powe didnt have a great game and he was the key to cal winning.

texas and penn round out the 1st round matchups in the atlanta region, the 2 and 15. texas had a huge talent advantage over penn, i expected them to pull away against the ivy league champ early. to me it was like nba vs college is this matchup, i mean texas just has the total package with their talent. they dont have a true point guard but their offense is still one of the best. kenton paulino runs the point but hes more a pure shooter, a deadly three point shoting threat who is scary when he gets hot. daniel gibson spent some time at the point early in the year but switched to his natural 2 guard after a while, were he had much more success. he loves t ojack up threes, he can make them though and he knows how to score, if he wants to play at the next level he needs to learn how to run the point though. pj tucker is a valuable player, an undersized power forward who is very strong and athletic, strong enough to score in the post and grab boards, he was big 12 player of the year, just needs to keep his head on his shoulders cause hes not the smartest player. lamarcus aldrige is a future nba lottery pick, whenever he chooses to leave. hes got the total package, length, strength, athleticism, soft touch and a good midrange shot plus hes got his fundamentals down, can really grab boards and block shots, hes just inconsistent. brad buckman is their very valuable forward, doesnt put up big stats but hes a big body in the post who can rebound, and can shoot the open set shot from anywhere, important role and dirty work player. so obviously i picked texas. well that pick wasnt lookin so hot when penn had a great 1st half, they were executing when they got opportunities, makin shots, and texas didnt play that great on offense. penn gave texas all they had the whole game but texas's talent advantage and just plain advantage in all categories was too much for the quakers at the end, the longhorns pulled out this much tougher game than expected by eight.

in the 2nd round we start with duke and GW. i picked duke. for duke to win jj had to shoot well and get out of his slump, cause shelden should dismantle the inside in this game and an inside-out threat like jj and shelden is unbeatable. other players needed to step up as well, if not in this game than for making a deep run in the tourney later. gw would have to control the pace, really push the tempo and put pressure defense on the blue devils from start to finish to have a chance, just keep sendin guys at 'em relentlessly. well gw's fastbreaking ways and athleticism kept them in the game early but duke's talent advantage soon became evident and they controlled the rest of the game. shelden dominated the post and scored almost whenever they got him the ball, jj made some clutch bombs and shoot well when they needed him too, and all the freshmen stepped up and had big games. mcroberts showed his talent, he really played well down the stretch this year, and greg paulus was a near flawless playmaker here too, gettin the ball to his mates and makin shots when called upon. duke won pretty easily.

texas a&m played lsu next. i picked lsu to advance past 'cuse in this round. the aggies hung in the whole time, almost won too. lsu shot horribly but big baby and tyrus dominated the inside, joseph jones got in foul trouble and became a no-factor. acie law and other aggies all played great, they had trouble getting their offense rolling too against the tigers defense but they played defense and scored when they needed to, playin a complete game. it all came down to daryll mitchell bustin a clutch three to propel lsu past the tough aggies and end a&m's dream run.

west virginia played northwestern state next. the mountaineers shot really well again, pittsnogle was draining in threes and everyone else stepped up when they had too. WV slowed things down and their defense contained the fast paced NWST, their offense and shooting abilities exposed northwestern's weaknesses too. northwestern ended up nearly launchin another legendary comeback, makin all their threes and gettin what looked like a blowout to a close game, but west virginias lead was too much to overcome and cinderella was finished. i picked iowa to advance past west virginia in this game.

nc state played texas next. i didnt get to watch this game, but texas dominated the whole time, three point shooting was a problem for the wolfpack and texas had a big talent advantage, plus their defense was stingy and they ended up blowing out nc state, even though they tried to set a comeback by making a few threes. i picked texas over cal in this game.

next game to start the sweet 16 is duke vs lsu. like ive said, lsu has great athleticism and post players, while duke has plenty of fans on their side with their exciting style of play and shooting star redick, plus an inside-outside threat pretty much unrivaled in the nation. i picked duke to advance, but i dont think they have the total package when it comes to defense and consistency to win the whole thing, redick has been in a slump, u never know what ya gonna get from the talented frosh either. well anyway i picked duke cause i thought shelden williams was good enough to take down big baby and j.j. would light 'em up from outside when williams drew pressure inside, allowin other guys to step up as well. well lsu came to play, the story of the night was the tigers defense, their pressure totally rattled redick, he only got 11 points on 3 for 18 shooting. this really shows that if ur allowed to push redick around and be physical with him than u can basically nullify his shooting ability. shelden had a monster game, played his ass off on both ends, but not enough other guys stepped up, duke had trouble scoring, and lsu showed their tough defense and the way they put pressure on you. big baby still had a good game, tyrus thomas has played like a beast in the postseason though and taken the spotlight with his shot blocking and high leaping. lsu won this one actually pretty easily.

next sweet 16 matchup in the bracket is texas and west virginia, i picked texas and this would end up becoming one of the best, and just most exciting games of the tourney. these teams had come down to the wire in the season but texas pulled off the win. on paper texas looks like they should blow the mountaineers out, they have a dominating inside presence, and a lot more natural talent and athleticism. but west virginia is always on fire from three point range when they play texas and this game was no different. everyone was hitting the trey for WV and pittsnogle ended up having one of his best games, just launching them less than seconds after getting the pass and they would just swish through the net every time. lamarcus aldrigde dominated the paint, his scoring and rebounding could not be stopped. pj got plenty of points inside as well, while buckman had a typical game and the guards, except for the clutch play of kenton paulino, didnt have a great game. texas looked like they would pull away at times but WV's shooting kept the game close, until pittsnogle tied it up with a big three with 5 seconds left on the clock. daniel gibson took the ball down court and quickly dished it to paulino, who launched up a desperation, off balance three that went right through the net and gave texas the win, sending them to the elite eight.

so the regional final in the atlanta region was texas and lsu, both very similar teams with lots of talent and athleticism and big time inside threats, very feared on both sides of the ball, texas might have had the slight edge in the shooting department while lsu probably has the more dominating big men. i picked duke over texas in this matchup. well this game was a showcase for either defense or bad shooting, whatever u wanna call it. texas had serious trouble scoring and connecting on their shots in the 2nd half, but lsu cant shoot for crap either so both teams evened it out and made this a good but sloppy game. lamarcus aldridge had maybe his worse game ever, only 4 points on like 2 for 16 shooting, he just could not make anything. buckman had a solid 1st half, shot well from deep, but couldnt make anything in the 2nd. d-gib made some big threes to keep texas close and send the game to overtime, pj struggled as well though. big baby and tyrus thomas dominated the game and single handedly led lsu. tyrus was droppin alley oops like crazy, blockin shots too while big baby showed his versatility and nice shooting touch. in the end lsu's defense and (in this game at least) dominance in the paint gave them the win, and they would move on to rep the atlanta region in the final four.

Even though the Hawks have improved this year and amassed even more talent, i still pity them cause they just cant win or compete consistently, plus their team just doesnt jell well enough (too many forwards). they won an overtime thriller over the magic on sunday march 19 and beat the pistons earlier in the year, but they cant compete consistently and thats what you need to do in the NBA cause its such a long season. i dont know what their record is right now but its near the bottom of the league, i do know they are above the embarassing knicks (they beat the pistons the other day too!), the hobbled and undermanned 2nd year bobcats, and i think the raptors, even though toronto is playin better with chris bosh and mike james. atlantas big free agent acqusition over the summer(they finally got a good big time free agent) was joe johnson, who became a well known offensive star(not a superstar) in the phoenix shooting circus last year. he was a valuable three point shooter and consistent leader and contributor for the team on offense and was thought to be makin a horrible decision to sign with the lowly hawks just for more money because he couldnt be a part of a playoff team and he wouldnt fit in with the rest of the roster. well the suns are playin just as well if not better than last year and steve nash is showin that he is the reason that the suns have any success, while joe johnson has been a great leader and is having a career year but for a crappy team. well ive already covered that he is an excellent three point shooter and a great scorer who knows how to put points on the board for his team, but he has also proved to be a leader to the young hawks team(hes young too though) and is stepping up big when the hawks need him in the clutch. he isnt a big playmaker or assist man for his mates and he plays out of position at point guard but he is imporving in these categories for the sake of the team and is probably the only reason the hawks have won as many games (i think 20) as they have. another problem with the hawks is inexperince, youth, and too many mistakes and turnovers, though they will only improve in this area with time. another young hawks player is esteban batista, a big young rookie post player from uruguay with some major development to undergo. josh childress is a 2nd year player out of stanford. had a good rookie season where he showed a lot of potential to be good if he improved in certain areas but i dont know how well he is doin this season. he is athletic and has a fearsome drive to the basket, he hits the glass hard too and can score with his aggresiveness. he has an unusual shooting stroke and isnt a very good shooter and still commits the errors you would expect from a young player. john edwards is a skinny and developing seven footer in his second year out of kent state. al harrington is one of the most valuable and overlooked players on this roster, probably underrated because of the team he plays for. he has improved a lot since winning the sixth man award with the pacers. he is athletic and has developed a great post game, great post scorer with plenty of moves, knows how to get to the basket and get points and atlanta can run their half-court sets through him. pretty good rebounder but a lackluster defender who can play undisciplined and be foul prone. royal ivey is a back-up point guard who went to texas, young guy with good skills and athletic ability but not talented enough in one area and doesnt have enough of a shot to be a major player. james lang is a big rookie center out of high school. tyronn lue is a great traditional point guard and he plays a lot at this position so joe can play his natural two guard, but he has struggled with injuries and he would start no doubt if he had more of an offensive game. he is a great passer, playmaker and a lockdown defender but he is not a very good shooter or scorer. zaza pachulia is their somewhat undersized center, good talent but inconsistent and softer than youd want your starting center to be. long arms and a good rebounder who has a pretty soft touch around the basket. not a long term option at the 5 by any means. donta smith is another young guard/forward who doesnt play much, only a 2nd year player but has talent, just doesnt stand out on this roster. josh smith is their highflying and exciting second year player out of high school. he has long arms, is a freak athlete and one of the best leapers in the league, as he won the Slam Dunk Contest last year. highlight dunker and a great shot blocker but hasnt elevated his all around game to his potential yet, work ethic isnt always there but has shown flahses of his talent this year. salim stoudemire is their short rookie point guard out of arizona, a big time college shooter with range and nothing has changed there since coming into the NBA. is too short and gives no effort on defense but he is instant offense and his sweet stroke and auto-fire shooting will keep him in the league for years. marvin williams is the most intriguing player on this roster, probably has the most talent but never even started in college at UNC and was the number 2 pick. he has freakish ability and skills, great athlete and very strong, but has not fufilled his potential and cant create his own shot yet. has shown flashes of his potential greatness this year now that he is off the bench and getting an oppotunity, but he is still so young and needs to develop more. hes a major reason the hawks are playing better now and thats a scary thought considering how young he still is.

This years tournament is one of the most wide open and difficult to predict in years (probably because of all the dangerous mid-majors and all the talented young teams with no experience) but i will try to make the predictions to get the cash in my pool. well the number one seeds are Duke(number 1 overall), uconn, villanova, and the memphis tigers. duke is a very talented team, but many people had questions about some of their younger guys and role players stepping up if j.j.'s shot wasnt falling and if they could succeed if their stars (redick and shelden williams) werent playin well. defense was also a question. the ACC champ's roster includes j.j. redick, one of the best shooters in the history of college basketball and all time three point shooting and scoring leader in the conference. hes a pure shooter with unlimited range, great coming off screens, has improved his scoring as well and he is a great leader, plays with a lot of emotion. he suffered through a bit of a shooting slump to end the season and that kinda hurt the team but he stayed played very well. if you are physical wih him you can shut him down, not the toughest or biggest guy. shelden williams is the other senior star, a big bull of a post player, strong and also very athletic for someone his size, knows how to be physical and use his body to score in the post. good shot blocker and defender but can be foul prone. josh mcroberts is their freshmen sensation at center, a high school star with plenty to learn, but a very talented guy that just needs to play more consistently. athletic, can score, not very big or particularly strong, kinda flashy, gives great effort and hustles all the time, had great end to the season down the stretch. sean dockery is their lockdown defender at the wing, great leadership and energy, made some big shots this year and deadly from three point range. greg paulus is their freshman point guard, still needs to develop, but amazing talent and brains for a young guy. oommits too many turnovers, always a wild-card with the ball, never know if hes gonna make a big play or turn the ball over. still a great passer and pretty good scorer and shooter, they needed him to be a playmaker this year and overall he delievered, brought some of the best effort on this team. demarcus nelson is another wing who is there for defense and contributing with the little things, but can hit the three and is an underrated offensive player. stepped it up when redick was in a shooting slump. lee melchionni is also a good player and contributor, can hit the open three and make plays when they need him to. duke is much hated on by anyone who doesnt go there cause of their winning ways and arrogant stars, plus their obnoxious fans dont help, but i enjoy watching them play even though im not a big fan and coach k is an excellent coach. dukes three loses this year came from the dangerous, slow paced play of an athletic georgetown team, florida state, and a tough loss to young but immensly talented north carolina at home on senior night for redick and williams.

uconn was my team to win it all (beating duke in the final) because they just have the most talent and depth of anyone in the tournament, but there is something wrong because they have yet to play up to their potential this year and have not played great down the stretch. i dont know if theres a chemistry problem or if all of there depth and substitutions ruin the flow of the game, but they should be dominating teams that are fighting with them or beating them. uconn has so many good players, most of them could be all-americas or fill out the all big east team, like point guard marcus williams, who sat out the 1st half of the season for selling stolen laptops but has been the most important player for this team entering the postseason and their most consistent and biggest contributor. hes a major playmaker averaging eight assists per game, and has stepped up in the clutch with big plays and flawless free throw shooting, steps up to lead his team in all areas when they arent playing well. rudy gay is the most hyped guy on the roster and the most talented, but has yet to play up to his potential and his will and effort have been questioned. he is no doubt gonna be a high draft pick but he did not have the outstanding season expected of him this year. freakishly athletic and got the total package skills wise, great on offense and a flashy scorer, isnt a great ball handler though. josh boone is their beast in the post, kind of the poor man's emeka okafor for the team. great on defense, boards, and on the dirty work and in drawing fouls but hes one of the worst free throw shooters the game of basketball has ever seen and his offensive game didnt leap to the heights some expected of him this year to became a star player on the team like emeka was. hilton armstrong is one of colleges best shot blockers, averages a little over 3 a game, him and boone make it so uconn's opponents have to shoot a lot from the perimeter cause it is nearly impossible to score inside on them. he is a main reason why uconn has one of the most feared and difficult to score on defenses in the nation. hilton is also a strong finisher in the post, just a plain beast. they have some great wings that could be stars in other places, rashad anderson is one of the best clutch shooters in uconn history and a sniper from three point range, while denham brown is also a three point ace and a great defender. other players step off the bench whenever needed, so u know this is a deep team.

memphis is the most athletic team in the nation, so much talent and leaping ability but so little tourney experience (only one senior). they also played in conference usa, much weaker than the big east and the acc. they played a grueling non-conference schedule though and their speed, depth, and three point shooting combined with their explosive athletes could have them primed for a deep tourney run, teams with young guys are just hard to predict. rodney carney is the definition of an athlete, one of the nations best players as well who elevated other parts of his game besides the dunking and 45-inch vertical leaping high jinks, like his deadly three point shooting and pressure defense, as the tigers run a full court press the entire game, subing in new guys with their incredible depth all game long. darius washington is most well know for his heatbreaking failure to sink at least two of his three free throws in the conf. usa tounrey final last year that would have sent his team to the ncaas, but has proved to be one of this teams best players. hes a super quick playmaking force, can shoot the three pointer, athletic, explosive, and high energy on offensive side make up for small stature. shawne williams( i believe is his name) is a monster force in the paint for memphis, great rebounder, physical, and athletic finisher around the basket, but cant shoot free throws to save his life, maybe worse than boone. theres a lot of other great players on this deep team that can contribute big on any given day.

villanova is an incredibly talented team, an intriguing one to pick because of their four-guard offense. every one of their super talented guards could be a big east player of the year candidate and each one can score at will with the ball in his hands and can play lockdown defense with their athleticism. randy foye is their best guard, a great scorer whos quick and athletic, knows how to take the ball to the basket. great defender and when his three pointers are falling he is unstoppable. allen ray is an extremly good player and probably the 2nd best guard. hes the best shooter out of the guards an a great defender as well. kyle lowry is their scappiest and maybe most valuable guy(especially in the tourney), plays hard and all over the court, gives major hustle and effort, good scorer who does the little things to fire up the team. mike nardi is the final guard, a three point ace, when he lights it up villanova is unstoppable. also a good defender and often handles the point duties. it will be interesting to see how the four guard thing does in the tourney, as the mismatches they created in the regular season and the explosive play of the guards on offense made them deadly in the regualar season but could face problems in the tourney. now for the breakdowns of the match-ups, who i picked and what really happened.