No. 1 Ohio
State Buckeyes – Big Ten (30-3) Basically: Not since the days of the Fab Five in Ann Arbor have freshmen
meant so much to the success of a major
title-contending team. The Buckeyes
have exceeded lofty expectations this
year, in large part to outstanding
rookies Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and
Daequan Cook, who comprise three of the
team’s top four scorers. It’s been a
year of milestones for a team that’s
improved week after week as the season
has gone on, and as Oden has gotten more
comfortable, showcasing the tools to
build a bridge to the 1960s, when the
program was winning championships with
players like Jerry Lucas and John
Havlicek. Strengths: Team defense. The
Buckeyes have the athletic guards to
trap in the backcourt and contest every
shot to go along with the inside
presence to prevent easy baskets and
deter penetration. When holding
opponents to under 70 points, OSU has
yet to lose. Despite defending so well
with its aggressive style, only three
players have fouled out. Weaknesses: Free throw shooting.
Everyone knows the importance of making
your free throws in March, but the
Buckeyes are below 70% from the line and
have been awful at times. If it’s not
Jamar Butler or Ron Lewis getting
hacked, they could allow teams to foul
their way back into games. Defensively,
when Oden isn’t on the floor, the
Buckeyes will usually give away size and
their rebounding advantage. Players You Should Care About:
Oden is a traditional center who’s
capable of taking over games on either
end of the court. He’s persevered
through an injured right wrist and
nearly unattainable expectations to live
up to the kind of hype usually reserved
for Jim Tressel’s players. Conley is a
next-level playmaker who can create his
own shot, yet is even more dangerous
setting up teammates. Cook provides the
spark off the bench getting most of his
11 points a game from downtown. Best Wins: Wisconsin (Big Ten
Championship) 66-49 & 49-48, Tennessee
68-66
Worst Loss:
at Florida 86-60
Tournament Prediction:
National title game before losing to
either Florida or UCLA. Oden will
dominate the region, but it'll be Conley
and the backcourt that makes the run
look easy.
No. 16
Central Connecticut State Blue Devils
– Northeast (22-11) Basically: The class of the Northeast Conference all season long,
Central Connecticut State cranked
through its tournament finishing with a
74-70 win over Sacred Heart to get into
the dance for the third time in seven
years and for the first time since 2002.
While the Blue Devils come in hot
winning 17 of their last 18, this is as
deep a sleeper as it gets. Strengths: Outside shooting.
While undermanned, the Blue Devils are
good at bombing away with plenty of good
three point shooters led by their main
man, Tristan Blackman. If the threes
start falling, there’s a chance to keep
the game close early on. This is a
smart, tough, hard-nosed team that’s the
epitome of scrappy. It plays aggressive
defense without sending teams to the
free throw line too often, and it does
what it can to get on the boards. Weaknesses: Size. The one big
man, Ingo Beaudet, doesn’t see much of
the floor. This is a thin team with only
nine available players and no size
whatsoever with six players in the
rotation at 6-4 or under, and 6-7 Jemino
Sobers the one player who can guard the
bigger men. Despite the emphasis on
quickness, the defense doesn’t come up
with many steals and it doesn’t move the
ball around as well as it should. Players You Should Care About:
The Blue Devils have three double-digit
scorers, but as Blackwood goes, so go
the chances to make the first round
interesting. He’s barely 6-0, but he’s
good at getting the occasional rebound
along with being the team’s top assist
man and automatic three-point gunner.
Obie Nwadike is the annoying undersized
banger who’s great at getting under a
team’s skin by always getting the big
rebound and always finding his way to
the glass.
Best Wins:
Sacred Hart (Northeast Championship)
74-70, Robert Morris 88-86 Worst Losses: LaSalle 86-73,
Farleigh Dickenson 66-60
Tournament Prediction:
No size up front vs. Greg Oden means a
quick trip back to Connecticut.
No. 8 BYU
Cougars – Mountain West
(25-8) Basically: The Cougars enter the tournament hot and confident after
winning their first outright regular season title in close to two
decades. In his second season in Provo, everything has lined up for
head coach Dave Rose and BYU to have a breakthrough year with a nice
combination of seniors and youth combined with the ability to score from
long range or in the paint. With a full head of steam heading into the
tourney, this is a team positioned to make a serious run at the Sweet
16. Strengths: Three-point shooting. Other programs may hit more
threes, but you can bet they’re also hoisting up more attempts. The
Cougars are connecting on 41% from beyond the arc and just under 50%
from the field. They’re also enjoying a substantial rebounding edge, a
testament to its inside-outside capability. Weaknesses: Free throw shooting. Long a strength of the program,
BYU has struggled at the line hitting just 67% of its shots. Defensive
inconsistency is also an issue allowing too many easy buckets while
committing almost 20 fouls a game. Players You Should Care About: At 6-6, Keena Young is a slasher
who can torch the opponents by driving to the hole or with pull-up
jumpers. He’s tough on the glass and the type of player that can
completely take over a game when he’s hot. At 6-11, Trent Plaisted is
unexpectedly athletic and capable of making baskets in transition or
draining mid-range jumpers. The much-maligned Austin Ainge, Danny’s
boy, has picked up the slack from the suspension of point guard Rashaun
Broadus and done a nice of running the offense. Best Wins: at Air Force 62-58 & 61-52, UNLV 90-63 Worst Losses:
at Lamar
86-77, at Colorado State 90-78
Tournament Prediction: The Cougars will outgun
Xavier in the first round before getting run out of the gym by Ohio
State in the second.
No.
9 Xavier Musketeers – Atlantic 10 (24-8) Basically: For the second straight year, the Musketeers used February
as their own personal launching pad to the tournament, getting hot at a
most opportune time. They’re a fundamentally-sound, veteran team that’s
been here before, making them very dangerous in March. Xavier has had a
couple of brutal losses this year to Cincinnati and Duquesne, but has
offset those head-scratchers with impressive early season wins over
Illinois and Villanova. Strengths: Offensive balance. With four players scoring in
double digits, it’s impossible for opposing teams to shut down one
Musketeer, thinking it’ll disrupt their offensive flow. If someone is
cold one night, there are two or three other viable options to pick up
the scoring slack. Weaknesses: Defensive toughness. Xavier stepped up its intensity
late in the season, but too often lacks a consistent physical presence
and can be out muscled on the offensive glass. The Musketeers average a
paltry five steals a game, which limits fast break points and places
them tenth in the Atlantic 10.
Players You Should Care About: Senior Justin Doellman is Xavier’s
most versatile and valuable player, leading the team in scoring,
rebounding and blocked shots, while finishing second in steals. He’s a
rangy 6-9 forward, who can pick up points in the paint or step outside
and nail a three. At 5-7, Drew Lavender is the smallest Musketeer, but
he’s the biggest reason why Xavier finished so strong, breaking down
defenses and catching fire lately from outside the arc. Since the end
of January when his minutes increased, Brandon Cole has played the best
ball of his life, providing a reliable short range option on offense and
some much-needed girth near the basket.
Best Wins: Massachusetts 83-77, Illinois 65-59 Worst Losses:
Duquesne
93-91, Rhode Island, 79-71 Tournament Prediction:
The lack of defense will prove costly in a first round loss to BYU.
No.
5 Tennessee
Volunteers
- SEC (22-10)
Basically:
After a mid-season hiccup, the
Volunteers gathered themselves and made
a strong run to the tournament that
included a big win over Florida and
seven triumphs in their last eight
regular-season games. The Vols did it
with a tremendous backcourt and just
enough help up front to keep things
balanced. Tennessee will run and try to
get the tempo up and uses a deep roster
to wear opponents down.
Strengths:
College basketball, especially around
tournament time, is so much about the
guards, and the Vols have four good ones
beginning with junior scorer Chris
Lofton. They have a bunch of perimeter
options, but also have players who can
take rivals off the dribble. Tennessee
forces a good number of turnovers and is
a pretty good passing team.
Weaknesses:
Because the team is small, it gets
killed on the boards with a minus-4.8
SEC rebounding margin. UT isn’t a
particularly good defensive team,
particularly on the interior, and it
commits too many turnovers. Also, at
64.9% the Vols were one of the weaker
SEC free throw shooting clubs.
Players You Should Care About:
Lofton is deadly off the dribble, can
hit just enough three-pointers to make
defenders come up on him and has a
pretty solid mid-range game. JaJuan
Smith is a good three-point shooter and
solid rebounder who can also score close
to the basket. Frosh guard Ramar Smith
does a little bit of everything, and
senior point Dane Bradshaw is one of the
nation’s top unsung heroes. Freshmen
Duke Crews and Wayne Chism hold down the
interior fairly well but don’t have a
lot of help.
Best Wins:
Florida 86-76, Memphis 76-58
Worst Losses:
at South Carolina 81-64, at Mississippi
83-69
Tournament Prediction: The backcourt
will be better than the Long Beach
backcourt, but not Virginia's.
No. 12
Long Beach State 49ers – Big West (24-7) Basically: The 49ers won both the regular season and conference titles
for their first trip to the tournament
since 1995. Easily the class of the Big
West all season long, this is a fun,
exciting, high-scoring, senior-dominated
team that’ll be more than just a speed
bump in the first round. They’ve won 11
of their last 12 games and 22 of their
last 25 thanks to consistent scoring and
just enough of a defense to get by. Strengths: Scoring, and lots of
it. LBSU averages 80 points per game
shooting threes, threes and more threes.
Four players average in double figures
with all four able to carry the attack
when needed. This is a good passing team
that moves the ball around extremely
well to find the open man. While the
defense gives up points almost as fast
as the offense is able to score them,
it’s good at forcing turnovers and great
at coming up with steals. Weaknesses: Rebounding. There’s
almost always enough offense to make up
for the defensive shortcomings, but the
real problem is on the inside when the
shots aren’t falling. There aren’t any
space-eaters to hit the boards, so there
aren’t many second-chance points and too
many given up on the defensive end.
There’s little to no depth to rely on. Players You Should Care About:
Dominque Ricks and Mark Dawson are the
only inside threats, but they’re job is
to mainly provide defensive help. It’s
up to Aaron Nixon, Kejuan Johnson,
Sterling Byrd and Kelvin Houston to
provide the scoring. All four average in
double figured and all four get their
share of rebounds. Byrd is the best
board man in the quartet, while Houston
is the main assist man.
Best Wins:
Utah State (WAC Championship) 72-70,
Nevada 80 73 Worst Losses: Loyola Marymount
71-69, at Louisiana Tech 73-71
Tournament Prediction:
The Niners have the potential to beat
Tennessee, but won't do it.
No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers
– ACC (20-10) Basically: If you want to talk
about the biggest surprises in the country, it’s Virginia, which was
picked as a second-division ACC club at the beginning of the season and
entered March with a shot at winning the whole thing. The Cavs are a
backcourt-centric team that scores points in bunches and did a great job
of winning the games it was supposed to. Strengths: Guards J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary form a
dynamic duo that makes the up-tempo Cavalier attack percolate. Coach
Dave Leitao is a Jim Calhoun disciple, so he wants to press and go and
keep the pace moving; the guards let him do that. This isn’t just a fun
‘n’ gun, fast break team. It’s solid on the boards, shoots the three
well and is extremely successful at the foul line. Weaknesses:
Virginia
likes to play an up-tempo style, but it doesn’t force the turnovers that
a team with that identity usually will. The defense has trouble
defending the perimeter, as evidenced by opponents’ 34% success rate
from behind the arc, and though Singletary and Reynolds are solid
distributors, each turns it over too much. Players You Should Care About: Reynolds is an all-ACC force who
scores inside and out, rebounds well for his size (6-2) and can pass it
some. Singletary is a little more prolific from long range and has a few
more assists, but he isn’t as good an overall shooter as his backcourt
mate. Mamadi Diane and Adrian Joseph are versatile wings, while Jason
Cain does a good job inside rebounding and defending. Best Wins:
Duke 68-66,
at Maryland 69-65 Worst Losses:
at Miami
68-60, Appalachian State, 80-69
Tournament Prediction:
The guards will get the Cavaliers into the Sweet
16, and then Mr. Oden and Ohio State will provide a painful end to the
run.
No. 13 Albany
Great Danes – America East (23-9) Basically: After losing twice to Vermont in the regular season Albany
beat the Catamounts in a 60-50 nail-biter to win the America East title
and get the league’s automatic invite for the second straight season. It
took a total team effort to outrebound the nation’s leading rebounding
team, and it’ll take a similar performance from all five players at all
times to have a shot of getting out of the first round. If nothing else,
Jamar Wilson, the America East Player of the Year, has the potential to
take over a game on his own and keep the Great Danes alive. Strengths: Wilson. The senior guard led the league in scoring and
was the team’s top rebounder and assist man. He’s a wily veteran who
isn’t afraid to take the key shots down the stretch, and is the type of
go-to guy who won’t wilt under the tournament pressure. The team doesn’t
do any one thing particularly well, but there aren’t any glaring
weaknesses, either. Weaknesses: This is a good defensive team, but not an elite one.
Considering the team’s overall size, there should be more blocked shots
and more of an inside presence. Considering the talent at guard, there
should be more steals. Fouls are a problem, especially for the front
line. Players You Should Care About: Wilson is the one to watch out for
on offense, while Brian Lillis is the defensive star to keep an eye on.
At 6-5 and 220 pounds, he’s a matchup nightmare for most shooting
guards, while he has the quickness to be a glove on most forwards. He’s
also one of the team’s best rebounders. Jason Siggers is a nice
complement to Wilson as a nice number two scoring option. Best Wins:
Vermont
(America East Championship) 60-59, Bucknell 55-49 Worst Losses: at Utah Valley State 73-66, Binghamton 83-72 Tournament Prediction:
The Great Danes will keep it close for a half against Virginia before
crashing late.
No. 6 Louisville
Cardinals
– Big East (23-9) Basically: Rick Pitino has done one of his best coaching jobs in years
taking a collection of young talent and molding it into a dangerous club
heading into tournament time. The Cardinals are deep and athletic
relying on a different hero each night while getting a big boost from
the recent development of their freshmen. Once a weakness, it’s the
play of those rookies that has Louisville buzzing again, even if it’s a
year away from being a true contender for the Final Four. Strengths: Team speed and athleticism. More than just a player or two,
the Cards boast a deep stable of young legs that can get up and down the
court in a hurry and pressure opponents into turnovers. They’re holding
teams to only 62 points a game and 40% shooting from the field and have
been especially tough on the road; they won’t have a problem with the
neutral-site tournament games. Weaknesses: Shooting. With youth comes many things, including
erratic behavior with the ball. Louisville is prone to chucking
ill-advised threes and is hitting just 43% from the field and 67% from
the line, which could be the downfall in close games. Its leading
rebounder is only 6-6, so the front line tends to get bullied in the
paint by more physical teams.
Players You Should Care About: All roads travel through Terrence
Williams, who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. On
this team the sophomore is practically a veteran, provided he’s playing
under control. David Padgett has a solid short-range game, and at 6-11,
gives Louisville a shot-blocking presence that otherwise doesn’t exist.
One wild card to watch is freshman Derrick Caracter, a 6-8, 265-pound
problem-child with limitless upside, who seems to have gotten his act
together lately on and off the court. Best Wins: Pitt 66-53, at Marquette 61-59 Worst Losses:
at Dayton,
68-64, UMass 72-68
Tournament Prediction:
One of the South's most interesting teams,
Louisville will blow by Stanford before losing to Texas A&M in a classic
shootout.
No. 11 Stanford
Cardinal – Pac 10 (18-12) Basically: The Cardinal was
expected to be improved this season, thanks in large part to a heralded
(and tall) recruiting class, but much of the success has come due to the
improvements made by a couple of sophomore holdovers, Lawrence Hill and
Anthony Goods. Stanford did what it was supposed to do by playing well
at home and defeating the lesser teams on the slate while pulling off
the occasional upset (Virginia, UCLA). Stanford remains a year or so
away from making real noise, but it’s definitely on the rise. Strengths:
When you
have a pair of seven-footers in the rotation, one would imagine you’ll
rebound well and block a bunch of shots. Stanford does. The Cardinal is
also able to score well inside the paint. Hill and Goods are strong
three-point shooters, and the team has several players who can set up
their teammates. Weaknesses:
Stanford may
have plenty of good passers, but it turns the ball over a bit too often.
Only an average defensive team, it allows opponents too much room on the
perimeter by leaving three-point shooters alone and not creating enough
turnovers. This isn’t a great free-throw shooting team, either, and it
struggles at times with foul trouble. Players You
Should Care About: Hill scores well all
over the court, is the team’s leading rebounder, and can pass. Goods can
score, too, but he isn’t as accurate as his teammate and doesn’t do as
many other things. The Lopez brothers, Brook and Robin, have extremely
similar profiles, right down to their 24.6-minute playing averages.
Robin is a better shot-blocker, though, while Brook is more productive
offensively. Fred Washington is 6-5 but leads the team in assists, in
addition to scoring well close to the hoop, while Mitch Johnson is more
of a classic distributor. Best Wins:
at Virginia
76-75, UCLA 75-68. Worst Losses:
Air Force
79-45, Santa Clara 62-46. Tournament Prediction:
Louisville will run past the Cardinal.
No. 3 Texas A&M
Aggies – Big 12 (25-6)
Basically: The Aggies were thought
to be a player before the season began, but few considered them top-10
caliber. That’s what this outfit became as the year moved on and has the
look of a team capable of a deep run. Thanks in large part to the
tremendous talent and leadership of senior Acie Law, IV, and the strong
direction of coach Billy Gillespie, the Aggies have grown into a force,
due to good defense and balanced scoring. Two losses to Texas Tech
aside, A&M has thrived due to toughness, not to mention Gillespie, one
of the nation’s rising coaches. Strengths: The Aggies have a balanced offensive attack with the
ability to score inside and out. They don’t turn the ball over much and
boast five shooters who make at least 35% of their three-pointers.
They’re also strong at the defensive end keeping rivals below 40% from
the field and at 30% behind the arc. They rebound the ball well and
convert a high percentage of their free throws. To put it simply,
they’re good enough to outgun most teams. Weaknesses:
Because of
the Aggies’ physical style, they don’t always get too much slack from
the referees with way too many disqualifications. In an NCAA tourney
setting, it might be hard to play the type of game A&M prefers if games
are called tight. Players You
Should Care About: With his experience and
confidence, Law isn’t just the team’s top scorer, he’s the team’s
personality and could emerge as one of the tourney’s stars. Muscle man
James Jones is tough to stop inside or on the boards and plays strong
defense. Don’t let Josh Carter get too comfortable behind the arc or
he’ll bomb away. Forward Antanas Kavaliauskas is one of the team’s best
all-around players, while Domonique Kirk to make good decisions with the
ball. Best Wins:
at Kansas
69-66, Texas 100-82. Worst Losses:
at LSU
64-52, Texas Tech 77-75.
Tournament Prediction:
After blowing past Penn, the Aggies will win two
classics in a row over Louisville and Memphis before falling in an
all-timer of a regional final against Ohio State.
No. 14 Penn Quakers – Ivy League (22-8) Basically: The hierarchy in the Ivy League hasn’t changed since the
season began in November. The Quakers were the favorites then, and they
finished as the champion, as expected. Now, they’ll try to prove that
they’re more than just the big fish in a very shallow pond. This is a
veteran team that shoots well, creates turnovers, and has a star at
point guard, a combination that should add up to a nuisance in the first
few round. However, there wasn’t enough of a splash in the
non-conference schedule to call Penn a dangerous Cinderella. Strengths: Experience. Penn is a senior-led bunch that’s been
here before and won’t get all goofy about playing in the postseason.
They shoot the ball well from the field and feature a suffocating
man-to-man defense that created more steals than any other Ivy League
team. Weaknesses: Depth and size. Penn is strong with its first few
players, but if Glen Miller has to venture too far down his bench, the
team is in trouble. Against one of the weakest schedules of any
tournament team, the Quakers were still out rebounded, a very troubling
sign against any team that can throw out a few big bodies.
Players You Should Care About: All year long, it’s been the
inside-outside combination of Mark Zoller and Ibrahim Jaaber that have
fueled the Quakers. Jaaber, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year,
averages 16 points a game and leads the team in assists and steals,
despite making the switch to point guard before the start of the
season. At 6-7, Zoller is the closest thing to a low-post presence,
picking up 18 points and seven boards a game. Best Wins: Drexel, 68-49, Yale 86-58 Worst Losses:
Fordham
77-60, at UTEP 69-66
Tournament Prediction:
Penn will battle Texas A&M before getting outmanned
on the inside.
No. 7 Nevada
Wolf Pack
– WAC (28-4) Basically: Just because the name on the jersey doesn’t say “Duke” or
“Florida” doesn’t mean Nevada is a sleeper or an aspiring Cinderella.
This is a very, very strong team with the depth, veteran leadership and
star big man to go a long way. The Pack is led by 6-11 All-American
Nick Fazekas, one of the best to ever play in the WAC, but his
supporting cast is good enough to pick up the slack if needed. The
offense possesses a solid inside-outside game and no glaring weaknesses
that can be targeted. Strengths: Balance. The Wolf Pack can get it done in the paint
or from the perimeter providing matchup nightmares. Among the nation’s
leaders in field goal and free throw percentage, the Pack also enjoys a
substantial advantage on the boards. When Fazekas gets the ball in the
low post, he’s tough to contain, but he’s just as lethal when kicks it
out to a wide-open teammate. Weaknesses: Strength of schedule. The WAC isn’t exactly the
best conference to prepare a team for March, and the out of conference
slate was a who’s who of punching bags. Nevada has yet to play a ranked
team this year, leaving plenty of doubt of how it’ll respond once the
competition stiffens following the opener. Players You Should Care About: Fazekas averages a double-double
and has tremendous range and agility for a 6-11 center. He’s still not
that well known outside the region, but that’ll change in a week or
two. When the star gets too much attention, Marcelus Kemp is a 6-5
swingman who can bury teams with his jumper or dribble-drive
penetration. Point guard Ramon Sessions is the quarterback of the
offense, yet isn’t shy about pulling up and burying a jump shot. Best Wins: California 77-71, at Gonzaga 82-74 Worst Losses:
at Utah State 79-77, UNLV 58-49
Tournament Prediction:
Fazekas will carry the Pack past Creighton, but his
30+ points against Memphis won't be enough to get into the Sweet 16.
No. 10 Creighton Bluejays – Missouri Valley (22-10) Basically: Creighton showed almost
nothing to suggest it could go on a run and do anything in the MVC
Tournament after struggling through February, and then it rolled its way
through to win the title finishing with a stunning 67-61 win over
Southern Illinois. This is a veteran, senior-dominated team that’s used
to pressure situations and big games. Red-hot at the right time, helped
by a tremendous defense, this could be a deep sleeper to win a few
games. Strengths: Keeping scores low. By design, the Bluejays like to
slow things to a crawl with stifling defense that allows 60 points a
game and is tremendous at hitting the boards and not allowing second
shots. While the offense doesn’t score in bunches, it’s good from the
outside, and most important for a tournament team, timely. Few teams are
better on the free-throw line averaging 76%. Weaknesses:
If the
Bluejays get into any sort of a shootout, forget about it. This isn’t a
high-octane offense by any stretch, and while the defense is good at
applying pressure and keeping games tight, it’s not going to force many
mistakes. It’s a good passing team, but not a great one. There’s also a
concern that the late-season run was a fluke after struggling so much
late in the regular season. Players You
Should Care About: While this is a deep
team with a good bench, CU’s engine is run by seniors Nate Funk, Anthony
Tolliver and Nick Porter. Tolliver is the inside presence and the
space-eater on the glass, Funk is the best scorer, and Porter does a
little of everything well. All three parts have to be working for the
offense to keep up the pace with anyone who can score. Best Wins:
Southern
Illinois (MVC Championship) 67-61, Missouri State 75-58 Worst Losses:
at Illinois
State 65-55, at Indiana State 71-55 Tournament Prediction: Just getting in the tournament will be its
own reward. The Bluejays won't be able to keep up with Nevada.
No. 2 Memphis
Tigers
– Conference USA (30-3) Basically: Even after losing a pair of first rounders to the NBA,
Memphis is back among the nation’s elite again with a loaded young team.
Head coach John Calipari has plugged in a few thoroughbreds and ran
circles around the rest of a lousy Conference USA. However, beating up
on a weak league has left the Tigers with a growing number of doubters
that believe they’ve fattened up on the competition and are ripe for the
picking. The last time Memphis faced a ranked team was Dec. 20 in a
loss to Arizona. In other words, it’s not exactly a tested team. Strengths: Athleticism. The Tigers have exceptional depth
crammed with young legs that can get up and down the court well enough
to simply outrun most teams. The offense averages more than 80 points a
game while the defense holds teams to less than 40% from the field.
They’re fantastic at turning a plethora of steals and blocks into easy
buckets in transition. Weaknesses: Free throws. The Tigers shoot just 61% from the
line, which didn’t catch up with them during the regular season. That
could quickly change as the level of competition improves. They start
three sophomores, but having a freshman point guard, Willie Kemp, is an
even bigger concern against the veteran backcourts. Players You Should Care About: Memphis needed scorers to emerge
this winter, and Chris Douglas-Roberts filled the opening averaging a
team-best 15 points a game. Long and lean, he’s a very tough match up
for any defender. Joey Dorsey offers little to the offense, but at 6-9
and 260 pounds, pulls down almost ten boards a game and is among the
nation’s leaders in blocked shots. Jeremy Hunt sat out last year for
disciplinary reasons and comes off the bench, yet pumps in 14 points a
game as the team’s best three-point shooter. Best Wins: Houston (C-USA Championship) 71-59, Kentucky 80-63 Worst Loss:
at Tennessee
76-58
Tournament Prediction: A deep sleeper if
all the parts click. Texas A&M will beat up the Tigers in the Sweet 16,
but the Nevada win in the second round will be one to watch.
N
o. 15 North Texas Mean Green – Sun Belt (23-10) Basically: The Sun Belt hasn’t done much in tournament play, and North
Texas has done even less with the last, and only, appearance in 1988. A
win over Arkansas State in the conference championship punched the
ticket with Calvin Watson hitting six three pointers. This is a balanced
team that gets regular points from five different players, and if
there’s any hope of making any noise, everyone will have to be on. Strengths: Rebounding. 6-8 Quincy Williams and 6-9, 245-pound
Keith Wooden are top inside presences who hit the glass hard, but the
entire team is good at scrapping for the ball. The team’s last five
losses dating back to mid-January, mixed in with 12 wins, were by a
total of 11 points. Weaknesses: Turnovers. The offense can get a bit too careless
with the ball finishing last in the Sun Belt with 15.9 turnovers per
game. Outside of Watson’s performance in the title game, this isn’t a
great three point shooting team and will have to get a bit lucky to bomb
away in the first round. Forget about free throw shooting; the Mean
Green averages just 66% on the line. Players You Should Care About: Watson provides matchup problems
against most guards. More of a forward at 6-5 and a strong 215 pounds,
he can score inside and out and is good at hitting the boards. While
Williams is the team’s main inside presence, he gets help from Wooden as
well as Harold Stewart off the bench. Best Wins:
Arkansas State
(Sun Belt Championship) 83-75, UL Monroe 77-71 Worst Losses: Texas-Arlington 83-81, Arkansas-Little Rock 86-75 Tournament Prediction:
The Mean Green doesn't have the talent to keep it close against Memphis.
