2002 Tournament East
1. Maryland
Something strange happened to Maryland on their way to the ACC Championship Game. They lost. North Carolina State shocked the basketball world with their victory over Maryland in the conference semifinals. The loss ended a 13-game winning streak for the Terrapins, and was just their fourth defeat of the season. But in spit of that loss, Maryland is still one of the favorites to win the entire tournament. They have it all. Great guard play, numerous scoring options, good size as well as plenty of experience, with virtually the entire team back from last year’s Final Four run.
It all starts in the backcourt for the Terps, with spectacular shooting guard Juan Dixon and steady point Steve Blake. Dixon was the Terps’ leading scorer this season, averaging nearly 20 points per game, but he is also a very good defender and garnered almost three steals per game. Blake is as good a passer as there is in the country, and can also hit the three. Center Lonny Baxter is a mountain in the middle and averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Chris Wilcox is the only underclassman in the starting lineup and is a terrific finisher on the break or the offensive glass and senior swingman Byron Mouton is a slasher that does a bit of everything. Drew Nicholas is the first guard off the bench while Tahj Holden subs in for Baxter and Wilcox.
Few teams can match Maryland’s firepower. The Terps averaged 85 points per game this season and they can be a perfect offensive machine when things are going right. Look for Maryland to play with renewed focus after losing to NC State, and play well into March.
2. Connecticut
According to coach Jim Calhoun. "I can't vote for Caron (Big East rule)," Calhoun told the Hartford Courant. "It's hard to do everything, but it's really hard to have to score points on the line, make big shots in big games. I don't have a question. I think Caron has emerged in the last month down at crunch time, and proved that he is the best player." The Huskies (21-6, 13-3 Big East) are back and ready to return to the NCAA big dance in March.
Soph 6-7 forward Caron Butler matured in a hurry this year and led the Huskies in scoring (19.2 ppg.) and isn’t afraid to carry the scoring load. 6-1 point guard Taliek Brown (8 ppg, 5.2 APG) also finishing his second year, runs the offense for Jim Calhoun as the Huskies press and defend in a style that has produced 25+ win seasons for four of last five years. The two returning starters from last year got plenty of support from 6-7 Johnnie Selvie (11.6 ppg-5.5 rpg.) and freshman guard Ben Gordon (12.6 ppg) who has been an effective scoring addition and 6-8 returning forward Scott Hazelton, a medical red shirt last year. The center position is filled capably by freshman Emeka Okafor (8 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
Said Seton Hall coach Louis Orr, "(UConn) wears you down," Orr said. "You try to keep them out of transition, you try to rebound with them, but they wear you down. It's very tough to beat them at home." The Huskies are another strong Big East team that expects to be around for quite awhile in March and their defense and rebounding indicates they will be.
3. Georgia
Few teams began the season playing as well as Georgia. They got off to a very fast start this season, and were 11-2 heading into SEC play. The Bulldogs were solid throughout the conference schedule, finishing with a 10-6 record in the league, tied for first in the SEC East. But the Bulldogs stumbled a bit down the stretch, losing six of their last 11 games, including a loss to LSU accounting for their early exit in the SEC Tournament.
The Bulldogs are not quite as deep as some other SEC squads, but they have one of the most talented starting units in the league. Sophomore swingman Jarvis Hayes was the team’s leading scorer at about 18 points per game. Forward Chris Daniels was the team’s top rebounder at just 6’7”, and he is also a fine ballhandler. The backcourt is in good shape with junior shooting guard Ezra Williams and a solid point guard Rashad Wright. Georgia is a high-scoring team and they like to play at a fast pace, despite not being very deep.
A problem for the Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament might be the fact that they are so young. There is not one senior who plays a major role for this team, and Williams, a junior, is the only important upperclassmen at all. Usually that kind of youth can spell trouble for teams and lead to an early exit. But Georgia does have the athleticism to do some damage, if their youth doesn’t catch up to them.
4. Kentucky
It’s been a difficult season off the court for Kentucky, and that has translated into a poorer performance on the court than most expected. The Wildcats finished the regular season in a three-way tie with Florida and Georgia atop the SEC East, but then the Wildcats lost their first SEC Tournament game to South Carolina, as they once again played without their third leading scorer, Gerald Fitch, who has been in head coach Tubby Smith’s doghouse all season.
The Wildcats have relied heavily on Tayshaun Prince throughout the season. The senior forward put together another terrific season, leading the team with about 17 points and a bit more than six rebounds per game. Keith Bogans was expected to compliment Prince with his backcourt play, but the junior guard has not fulfilled expectations. He was the team’s second leading scorer on the season, but made just 38% of his field goal attempts, while averaging just about two assists per game. The Wildcats have plenty of talent, with 10 players who averaged at least 10 minutes per game, but they have yet to find the right combination to make them a real threat to win the National title. Kentucky is also a poor free throw shooting team, connecting on just 67% of their shots from the charity stripe this season, and that could come back to haunt them in the Tournament.
Even with the problems they’ve had this season, Kentucky has the talent and depth to beat any team in a one-game situation. After all, they’ve beaten Florida twice this season and won road games at Indiana and Notre Dame, while losing at Duke by a score of 95-92. This is a dangerous team, especially if Bogans can find his way out of his season-long shooting slump.
5. Marquette
Marquette enters the C-USA Tournament game with an overall record of 24-5 and finished the league portion of the schedule with a mark of 13-3, good for second place in the American Division. Soph guard 6-4 Dwayne Wade who averages 18.1 ppg; 6.8 rpg; 3.46 apg and has had 13 straight games of double-figure scoring is the next Steve Logan in C-USA plus he plays pretty good defense, you can ask Logan who was held to 16 points by Wade in their last game.
Marquette is a stellar defensive team and allows only 59 points per game on just 39 percent shooting, both marks second in the league to ... Cincinnati. The Golden Eagles outrebound their opponents by six, just behind Cincinnati, and pilfers the ball from opponents just under 10 times per game. Marquette is very advanced offensively, running a multitude of halfcourt sets that have multiple options, including ballscreens, pick and rolls, staggers and doubles.
Wade is the key, because he can break off on his own when things break down, and he is a versatile and productive young star. Wade is very good off the dribble, gets to the rim and can rise up and shoot over. Another reason Marquette has emerged as a top-10 team is the play of point guard Cordell Henry (14.5 ppg; 2.4 rpg; 3.13 apg). He is a primary handler that makes shots, and he has raised his level of toughness and leadership. Henry has scored double figures in 9 of his last 10, and was magnificent against Charlotte, scoring 22 points and shutting down Jobey Thomas in the second half.
Up front,6-7 soph Odartay Blankson, 6-10 soph Scott Merritt and 6-7 senior Olouma Nnamaka are tough, battle tested and play hard together. Early in the season, people talked about what this team could not do, and that Marquette was undersized and overmatched. But defensively there isn’t much they can’t do in 17 games of holding a foe to 60 or fewer points the Eagles were 16-1.Tom Crean is in his third season as the head coach of the Golden Eagles' program. This season, the program's 24 wins represent MU's first 20-win campaign since the 1997-98 and the season is far from over.
6. Texas Tech
Since his days at West Point, there has been some things that never changed about a Bobby Knight coached team. They know how to play defense, they play hard and they know how to win. When he coached at Army a typical score of a Knights’ coached team was 52-48. The Cadets always gave away height and never seemed to have a real star but the bruised opposition always knew they had been in a battle. Speaking recently about how to stop the Kansas Jayhawks, you could tell that Knight hadn’t changed much in 20+ years. "Kansas is a supurb offensive team and it's going to be difficult for anyone to slow them," Knight said. "(In the postseason), every aspect of defensive play is paramount when it's one game and out. Being difficult to score against is important. Games are going to be won because of defense."
Texas Tech 22-7 (10-6) has gotten better, actually much better during the course of the season. Knight has taken a young, but not untalented group, instilled pride and a nasty man to man defense with a motion offense and toughness to move the Raiders into prime time in a big hurry. Andre Emmett a 6-5 guard-swingman jumped up to average 19.4 ppg on a 54% field goal shooting percentage and center Andy Ellis has anchored an improving inside game by averaging 16.8 ppg and 7.1 rpg. Junior newcomer 6-7 Kasib Powell added some offense with 15 ppg plus almost 4 assists per game. Nine players average over 10 minutes per game so the Raiders are always ready to run. They averaged almost 81 ppg on 47% shooting from the field including 39% from downtown.
Remember that in the preseason Tech was rated ninth in the Big-12. It seems hard to believe that Knight didn’t win COY honors for the conference. However, Bobby won’t care, it will just be another motivating factor for him and the team. Texas Tech has come along way but don’t expect too much in this years tournament. A win, maybe two and then get ready for next year.
7. North Carolina State
North Carolina State head coach Herb Sendek came into this season on the hotseat. In his favie season in Raleigh he had never taken the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament and they went just 13-16 overall last season, his worst record at the school. But Sendek recruited one of the best freshmen classes in the country and got terrific efforts from his returning players and the Wolfpack are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991.
The freshman class of swingman Julius Hodge and forwards Josh Powell and Ilian Evtimov has played a huge role in State’s success this season. All three players averaged more than seven points per game, with Hodge ranking as the team’s second leading scorer with over 10 per game. The three, along with sophomore Marcus Melvin, who averaged 10 points and five rebounds, see most of the minutes in the frontcourt. The Wolfpack’s best player all season has been senior guard Anthony Grundy. Grundy led the team in scoring, rebounding, steals and assists this season. He is the young team’s emotional leader and should play a very big factor in the next few weeks. There are plenty of other options in the bckcourt with Grundy. Senior guard Archie Miller is a great three-point shooter and Scooter Sherrill and Clifford Crawford can come off the bench and provide big minutes when necessary.
The Wolfpack are not very big, but they have some good athletes and a capable, veteran lead guard in Grundy. They beat Maryland in the ACC Tournament, but were summarily dismissed by Duke in the Championship Game. That should not take away from the team’s success this season, especially if they go on the run that they are capable of in the Big Dance.
8. Wisconsin
Wisconsin was one of the truly surprising teams in the nation this season. The Badgers lost four starters from last year’s team, and even got a new head coach. But new head man Bo Ryan has gotten the most out of his charges, as they finished the season tied for the Big 10 regular season championship with an 11-5 mark in conference play and 18-12 overall.
The Badgers are still a fine defensive team, but they don’t play as slowly as they have over the last few seasons. Instead the Badgers take care of the ball and use their perimeter quickness to their advantage. Swingman Kirk Penney is the team’s best shooter, and was their leading scorer at 15 points per game. Devin Harris and Travon Davis are athletic in the backcourt together. Harris was the team’s second leading scorer, while Davis does a little bit of everything at the point. Up front, Charlie Wills and Mike Wilkinson are the best of the bunch. Wilkinson is a freshman and he led the Badgers in rebounding this season while throwing in about nine points per game.
Wisconsin played very well in Big 10 competition, and have the talent in the backcourt to win a few games. Unfortunately for the Badgers, they don’t have much size or depth up front, and that could be enough to send them to another early exit.
9. St John’s
You can call Mike Jarvis lucky, last year he lost point guard Erick Barkley early to the NBA, this year he lost point guard Omar Cook early to the NBA and lo and behold along comes JC transfer Marcus Hatten who just happens to play the point and who is probably the Big East MVP if not the Player of the Year. If you saw either of the Johnnies games against BC and Troy Bell, last years Big East co-player of the year, you’ll agree. The 6’2” Hatten plays great “D”, rebounds, led the league in steals and scored just under 20 ppg.
Unfortunately for the Red Storm no one else stepped up quite as strongly up front. Jarvis mixes and matches several big men including Anthony Glover 10.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, Eric King 7-7 ppg, Willie Shaw 7 ppg, Sharif Fordham and Donald Emanual, and at center, neither Mohammed Diakite 2.1 ppg nor Kyle Cuffe 5.5 ppg distinguished themselves. Freshman center Curtis Johnson, in his first action of the season two weeks ago stepped in and stuffed the Notre Dame inside game in clinching a probable NCAA bid. Andre Stanley 3.7 ppg claimed the off guard position in the last month but still needs to score more.
The Johnnies had their ups and downs this season with highlight wins against BC two times, Tennessee and Wake Forest but lost twice to Providence which could come back to haunt them. This was a greatly improved team over the 14-15 squad of a year ago and has great athleticism, but after Hatten not much scoring potential. They could surprise a couple of teams early in the tournament because of their defense but reaching the Sweet 16 is no guarantee.
10. Michigan State
Michigan State has been one of the real powers in college basketball over the last few season, but this season the Spartans took a bit of a step back, finishing the season with a 19-11 record, 10-6 in the Big 10. The Spartans are not as deep or talented as they’ve been in the past, but they are still a great rebounding team, and they are very tough. Michigan State doesn’t have very many scoring options, though, and they will only go as far as Marcus Taylor and Adam Ballinger can take them.
Taylor, a sophomore guard, is Michigan State’s best player. He was the team’s leading scorer with almost 17 points per game and also their best passer, dishing five assists per contest. Ballinger is the Spartans’ best interior player, but he also has the touch to step outside on occasion. Ballinger is joined up front by big man Al Anagonye, who can be a tenacious defender in the post. The Spartans also rely heavily on three freshman in the rotation, guard Chris Hill and swingmen Kelvin Torbert and Alan Anderson. Michigan State tends to play at a very deliberate pace, which makes every shot important. They were in the middle of the pack as far as scoring was concerned , despite being one of the best shooting teams in the Big 10 this season. The Spartans made 46% of their field goals and 39% of their three point attempts as a team this season.
The Spartans are not likely to make another Final Four run this season, but they are a very dangerous team. They play hard, led by head coach Tom Izzo, and they’ve navigated one of the tougher schedules in the country, including games against Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona and Stanford, in addition to the Big 10 slate. Depending on the matchups, the Spartans could be a bracket-buster.
11. Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois was one of the best teams in the Missouri Valley Conference and had a terrific season at 26-7 SU, 20-10 ATS. They were very consistent at home (13-0 SU, 7-4 ATS) and on the road (8-5 SU/7-5 ATS). They outscored teams by an 81-65 average at home and by a 72-71 count on the road.
The Salukis are led by 6’-2” junior Kent Williams (16 points per game), who is reliable from the free throw line and solid from three-point land (39%). Marcus Belcher has stepped forward running the break (3.3 assists per game) and two role players have been crashing the boards. 6’-8” junior Jermaine Dearman averages 11 points, 7.5 rebounds per game, while 6’-6” center Rolan Roberts chips in 13.8 points/7 rebounds per game after transferring from Virginia Tech. 6’-3” guard Darren Brooks is chipping in 10 points/4 rebounds per game, showing that these guys play a team game and have plenty of depth.
They also have played some tough teams this season. In a 72-60 win over Indiana, Williams had 22 points and Roberts had 12 points/11 rebounds. The defense held Indiana to 32% shooting and the Salukis hit 7-13 three pointers (53%). Southern Illinois lost 75-72 to Illinois as a +16 dog. Dearman had 18 points, 11 rebounds in a 66-57 win over Drake. They were the best defensive team in the Missouri Valley Conference allowing teams to shoot 40%, but enter the tourney on a bit of a downer. After rolling over Bradley and SW Missouri State in the Missouri Valley tournament, Southern Illinois lost 84-76 to Creighton as a one-point favorite in the championship game.
The regular season experience against major teams will be helpful, partly because this team is new to playing in March. Southern Illinois has averaged 16 wins per season from 1996-2001 and their only experience in the post-season has been in the MVC tournament (5 straight years) and one appearance in the NIT in 2000. Last year, Southern Illinois played only one game, losing 67-64 to Indiana State in the MVC tourney. Two years ago the Salukis went to the NIT and upset Colorado 94-92 as a +5 dog, but then were trounced by BYU 82-57 as a +4 dog. Not exactly a long list of strong post-season accomplishments and many consider this to be a down year for the Missouri Valley Conference, which may explain the Salukis rise. They lack height and may have trouble with taller, physical teams.
12. Tulsa
Last years’ NIT Champion is tough again. Tulsa (26-6 SU) has a group of guards who can flat score, led by 6’-2” senior Greg Harrington (13 ppg) and 5’-10” junior Dante Swanson (12 ppg, 4 rpg, 55% shooter). The frontcourt is also solid with 6’-7” junior forward Kevin Johnson (14.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and 6’-7” junior Charlie Davis (7 rebounds per game) and 6’-8” Marquis LeDoux.
The Golden Hurricane’s are well coached, run a disciplined offense, average 82 points per game and went on a 11-2 SU/8-3 ATS run to end the season. And it doesn’t matter where this team plays, either, to be successful: Tulsa went 11-4 SU, 9-2 ATS on the road, and 13-2 SU/8-4 ATS at home. They shoot .477% from the field, 40% from 3-point land and 75% from the free throw line! The only thorn in the side of Tulsa this season was Hawaii (0-3 SU/ATS). Tulsa had a tough loss at Hawaii, 86-85, in a battle for first-place in the WAC, lost at home to Hawaii as a 10-point favorite and just lost the WAC championship game to Hawaii, 73-59. The offense went flat in the title game, shooting 34% from the field and a poor 29% from long range.
Playing in March will not be a problem for these guys, and they may have a chip on their shoulder after losing to Hawaii last year in the WAC tournament, which forced them into the NIT. Once in the NIT, Tulsa went on a roll. They beat Irvine, then topped Minnesota 76-73 in OT as a +2 dog, beat Mississippi State 77-75 as a +4 dog, upset John Calipari’s Memphis club 72-64 as a +2 dog before smashing Alabama 79-60 in the NIT title game as a +2 dog! Teams that can run-and-gun and score a lot of points are never out of any game. Tulsa could give some teams fits, as they have in the past. In 1999, Tulsa played Duke in the tourney, losing 97-56 as a +23 point dog. A bad game, but valuable experience for those freshmen who are now seniors.
13. Valparaiso
Valparaiso is primed to pull of a few more upsets in the NCAA tourney, something they’ve done before. 25-7 Valparaiso won the Mid-Continent conference with a 12-2 mark and roared down the stretch, winning 14 of 15 games.
They are talented and, like some other small schools, played tough teams early in the season, which then makes the conference schedule more of a breeze. Valparaiso opened the season against Purdue, losing 73-69, and won 70-63 at NC Charlotte. The team then played back-to-back games at Arizona (losing 74-70 as a +12 dog) and at Kansas (losing 81-73), covering the spread against those national powers and nearly beating Arizona. Valparaiso went 4-1 ATS this season and 3-1 ATS as a dog.
The team is led by 6’-8” senior Lubos Barton (15 points, 6.7 rebounds per game) and 6’-11” junior Raitis Grafs (12 ppg, 6.7 rpg). 6’-5” junior Antonio Falu chips in 12.4 points and over 3 assists per game. All three are strong free throw shooters. Valparaiso was the second-best defensive team in the conference, allowing teams to shoot 41%. They average 78 points per game, and if they can give Arizona and Kansas a tough game on the road, they may pull off a few upsets this March.
14. Murray State
Murray State won the Ohio Valley conference as the #3 seed and surprised #1 seeded Tennessee Tech 70-69 in the championship game as a +3 dog. This team has good balance and went 19-12 SU, 12-12 ATS.
Murray State wins by crashing the boards. They had two of the top four rebounders in the Ohio Valley conference in 6’-6” junior James Singleton and 6’-5” sophomore Cuthbert Victor. Singleton led the conference with 10 rebounds per game, while Victor grabs 7.3 boards per game and 6’-5” junior Antoine Whelchel grabs just under 7 rebounds per game. They are relentless down low, but are not giants and will not dominate the glass in the March tourney as they did during the regular season. Singleton and Whelchel each chip in 12 points per game.
6’-1” senior Justin Burdine is a quality guard who led the OVC in scoring with over 20 points per game. Burdine is solid from 3-point land (37%) and the free throw line (73%). In fact, the whole team is solid from the charity stripe (.727%). It was Burdine who was the hero in the title game, hitting a pull-up jumper with 9.1 seconds left as Murray State edged Tennessee Tech 76-75 to win the OVC tournament. Burdine led the way with 24 points.
This team went 10-1 SU/6-2-1 ATS after February 2nd while winning the Ohio Valley Conference to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in the last 15 years. They won’t be around long, however, as they played two strong programs and got blasted each time by Western Kentucky (101-77) and Louisville (84-69). They were 0-2 ATS in those games and went 5-8 SU/2-8 ATS away from home for the season.
15. Hampton
26-6 Hampton did just about everything right this season, averaging 79.9 points per game, while shooting 48% from the field, 67% from the line and 35% from 3-point land. This team went 13-1 at home and a sizzling 13-4 on the road!
Hampton is led by a talented trio. 6’-5” junior Isaac Jefferson does the dirty work and averaged 9.2 rebounds per game and 6’-3” senior Tommy Adams led the team in scoring with 19.7 points per game, shooting 39% from long range and 77% from the line. 6’-6” freshman Devin Green was a key addition and Green chipped in 13 points, 4.6 rebounds per game. All three players are terrific from the free throw line and from downtown and note that Jefferson led the team in assists with 4.3 per game.
This team started the season 8-6 before clicking and they’ve gone 18-1 since. They had little trouble in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic conference, going 17-1 in the conference and won their three tourney games by an 85-68 average score. You may recall the season-opener for this team: Hampton traveled to North Carolina and beat the Tar Heels 77-69. They don’t have the depth to make a March run, but they will score a lot of points before going down to the bigger schools.
16. Alcorn State
20-9 Alcorn State had an unusual run to the March tourney. Alcorn opened the season with 7 straight road games and started 0-5. But they carved up the competition in the Southwestern Conference with a 17-2 mark and rolled to a 20-4 finish since that rough start.
Alcorn State is led by 6’-8” senior Marcus Fleming (15 points, 7.5 rebounds per game). Fleming teams with two other big men to provide a terrific frontcourt. 6’-7” Brian Jackson averaged 10.5 points per game, while 6’-8” senior Walter Harper pulled down 5.1 rebounds per game.
This team averaged almost 80 points per game and shot .377% from 3-point land. They shoot 64% from the line and the lack of a strong defense will hurt them in the tourney. Alcorn State allowed 77 points per game away from home and in one game they were smashed 102-61 by Alabama-Birmingham.
17. Siena
In a world of college basketball David and Goliaths, Siena is the ultimate David. Siena stumbled through the regular season with a 12-18 start and the sixth seed in the Metro Atlantic conference with a 9-9 record. All of a sudden, March 1st rolled around and Siena went crazy, going 4-0 SU/ATS to win the Metro Atlantic; all the big trees were falling and Siena was only an underdog once, beating Marist 82-76 as a +2 dog.
Siena is not a strong offensive team shooting only 41% as a team while averaging 69 points per game. What they do is play defense well, allowing 67 points per contest (4th best in the conference) and allow teams to shoot only 38% (#1 in the Metro Atlantic). They don’t beat themselves and are a strong from the free throw line (74%). They are led by a skinny 6’-6”, 190-lb senior in Dwayne Archbold, who led the conference in scoring (20.3 ppg) and pulled down 7.3 rebounds per game. He is terrific from 3-point land (39%) and reliable from the line (82%).
Two young roll players crash the boards in 6’-7” junior Prosper Karangwa (10.6 ppg) and 6’-8” sophomore Justin Miller (5.1 rpg). Everything broke right for this team. Siena knocked off #2 seeded Marist 82-76 the same night #1 seeded Rider lost to #8 seeded Canisius 85-84 in OT. Siena ended up beating #4 seeded Niagra (17-14) in the championship game 92-74.
Siena capped an improbable run through the tournament with a 92-77 win over Niagara on to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. "They know that we weren't a group of losers," first-year coach Rob Lanier said. "We just didn't do enough winning to have the kind of confidence it takes to be a great team, but we kept working hard. Siena became the first MAAC team to win the championship after participating in a play-in game as one of the league's bottom four seeds.
Siena's last NCAA appearance came in 1999, when it lost to Arkansas in the first round. Before that, Siena's last time in the tournament was 1989, when it defeated Stanford in the first round before losing to Minnesota. Archbold scored a tournament-record 111 points in four games, including 30 against Niagara. The Saints hit their free throws down the stretch and, as the buzzer sounded, the crowd stormed the court in celebration. Niagara's only bid to the NCAA tournament came in 1970, when guard Calvin Murphy was the Purple Eagles' star. "Everybody knew that if we didn't get it done, we were going home, and nobody wanted the season to end," Archbold said. "Everybody wanted to keep on playing and keep on being together." There magic-carpet ride has been memorable; Who cares if it doesn’t last through mid-March, it’s still a great story.
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2002 Tournament MidWest
1. Kansas
Pro basketball fans might notice a similarity between the Utah Jazz and Kansas Jayhawks. It starts with the resemblance of Kirk Hinrich to John Stockton and the power games of Karl Malone and Drew Gooden. Jazz fans might even see Hinrich as a possible look-a-like replacement for the ageless, retiring Stockton. Another similarity is that, neither team has grabbed the Golden Ring lately and while it seems unlikely that the Jazz will make a serious run this year, the Jayhawks are another story.
They may have a history of faltering in the NCAA tournament but right now they aren’t just playing the best basketball in the Big-12 Conference, they are also playing the best basketball in the country. The Jayhawks will have the target on their back and must get through a rugged couple of weeks. Going into tournament play they have won 14 straight since losing at UCLA. But this team isn't feeling the pressure of the win streak and it just needs to stay on the roll it’s already on. The Jayhawks are now 27-1 in their last 28 games, including 14 in a row. They lead the nation in scoring and field goal percentage. The 10 times KU has scored over 100 is a school record. Its shooting from the field and from downtown are its highest marks in 12 years. The train is on the track and what they don’t need is a train wreck.
The Jayhawks have more than Mr. Inside (Gooden) and Mr. Outside (Henrich). Their inside game is more than most teams can handle with Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox plus Gooden and Nick Collison. The Jayhawks usually go around seven deep and that group averages 89 ppg on 51% shooting from the field, as follows: Gooden (20.6 ppg), Nick Collison (15.9 ppg), Hinrich (15.7ppg), Jeff Boschee (13.9 ppg), Wayne Simien (8.8 ppg), Keith Langford (7.5 ppg) and Aaron Miles (6.6 ppg).
Forget the past, the Jayhawks are loaded and ready to do damage to anyone or anything that gets in the way. Coach Roy Williams just need to stoke the fire in this Big Train and keep them on the track.
2. Oregon
One of the biggest surprise teams of the year, the Oregon Ducks, were picked in the preseason as the eighth best team in the PAC-10. They have not only exceeded expectation but also shocked all the experts by finishing the season 22-7 with a 14-4 conference record. Questionable scoring abilities were erased when the balanced squad shot 49% from the field and averaged 86 points per game for the regular season.
The Ducks leading scorers are guard Fredrick Jones a 6-4 senior (18.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg) who carried the scoring load by himself a year ago; forward Luke Jackson a 6-7 soph (15.8 ppg) and Lute Ridnour a 6-2 soph (15.1 ppg, 4.9 apg). Robert Johnson a 6-8 transfer from Florida CC- Jacksonville leads the team in rebounding with 7.4 per game. Senior center Chris Christofferson has done yeoman work under the boards averaging 8.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg. The Ducks have averaged a very solid 77% as a team from the foul line and 42% from outside the arc. They secured a perfect -- 16-0 -- home record for the first time since 1937-38.
"I think we've already peaked in terms of understanding how hard you have to play and how committed you have to be to have success," coach Ernie Kent said. "I've never had a team so focused." The Ducks go eight deep into their lineup. The Ducks are now 5-1 against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, including No. 11 Arizona (Eugene), No. 15 Arizona (Tucson), No. 14 Stanford (Eugene), No. 13 UCLA (Eugene) and No. 23 USC (Eugene). It is the first time in school history that UO has beat five ranked opponents in one season. The lone loss came Feb. 7 at No. 20 Stanford.
Oregon is a fairly young team so; this year is a learning experience for them. Its almost guaranteed, that if they aren’t hit hard by the NBA they will be looking to repeat as the PAC-10 Champion next year. The fast paced offense can score with anyone and their accomplishments in the Pac-10 indicate that there aren’t too many teams they can’t keep up with, and then some.
3. Mississippi State
There aren’t many teams playing as well as Mississippi State right now. The Rebels enter the NCAA Tournament with a 26-7 record after beating Alabama, 61-58, in the SEC Championship Game. It was the Bulldogs’ eighth win in a row and ninth in their last 10 contests. The Bulldogs played a relatively easy non-conference schedule and weren’t really tested until they got into SEC play. Right now they look like a battle-tested team and they could be very hard to beat in the upcoming games.
The Bulldogs were one of the better shooting teams in the SEC, leading the league by making 49% of their field goal attempts and averaging over 75 points per game. While their top scorer, Mario Austin, is a big man, most of the Bulldogs’ success can be directly attributed to their guard play. Point guard Derrick Zimmerman has had an outstanding season, dishing six assists a game to go with nine points, four rebounds and two steals per game. Swingman Marckell Patterson and sophomore guard Timmy Bowersalso give head coach Rick Stansbury plenty of options on the perimeter. Austin is clearly the team’s top interior player and in the paint he’s joined by undersized Michael Gholar and JuCo transfer Michael Ignerski.
Mississippi State won the SEC Championship, so they certainly have enough talent to win a few games in this tournament. They are playing terrific basketball right now, and have the guards to beat just about anybody. The one problem facing the Bulldogs is their lack of size and depth in the paint. Austin is a great player, but if he should go down, they’ll need to find another big man to step up.
4. Illinois
It’s been an up and down season for Illinois but luckily for the Illini most of those ups have recently. Illinois was the hottest team in the Big 10 before losing to Ohio State in the conference tournament semifinals. The Illini had won nine straight before the loss and despite losing that game, they seem primed for a nice NCAA Tournament run.
Illinois is a veteran unit led by a starting lineup that features three seniors and two juniors. Lead guard Frank Williams is the team’s most dynamic player. He has the ability to score near the basket or from the perimeter and is the team’s emotional leader. When he’s playing well, Illinois is virtually unstoppable. He’s joined in the backcourt by Cory Bradford, the most prolific three-point shooter in the school’s history. Up front, Brian Cook is Illinois’ top scoring option. He is one of the best free throw shooters in the nation and has shown an ability to hit consistently from the outside this season and he is also the Illini’s best rebounder and shot-b*er. Robert Archibald is a solid scorer around the basket from the center position and small forward Lucas Johnson is the consummate hard-worker. The bench features three-point specialist Sean Harrington and freshman guard Luther Head, as well as Nick Smith, a lanky seven-footer with a ton of potential. Senior forward Damir Krupalija should also see action during the tournament. He was injured for most of the season, but can be very useful, especially as a long-distance shooter. Illinois is a very good team and, on paper, they have few weaknesses. After a season full of injuries, they are finally healthy, and they could be a very tough team to beat over the next few weeks. 5. Florida The Gators’ strength is up front, where Udonis Haslem and Matt Bonner reside. Each of them averaged 15.8 points per game this season, tying for the team lead. Haslem is a space-eater in the paint, while Bonner has great perimeter touch, along with the size to score down low. When things are going well for the Gators, their strength inside helps them from three-point range, where Brett Nelson, along with Bonner, is the team’s best option. Florida’s major weakness this season has been at the point guard position, where Justin Hamilton and Orien Greene have been average at best this season. The Gators have solid depth coming off the bench, including a couple of very talented freshmen in David Lee and James White. In terms of pure talent, few teams can match up with Florida. But the Gators have been very inconsistent this season. They have the scoring options to beat anybody, but their uneven play at the point means they could fall to a comparably athletic team. Look for the Gators to win a game or two, but a Final Four berth will be out of reach unless they take better care of the ball. 6. Texas James Thomas a 6-8 soph has stepped up since the loss of Owens and has led the team in scoring seven times and with his solid rebounding (8.9 rpg) will keep the candle lit in the future as well. Sophs 6-5 Brandon Mouton (14.6 ppg) and 6-4 Royal Ivey (11.6 ppg) are the leading scorers and freshman 5-11 point T.J. Ford (10.5 ppg) has kept the offense flowing with 8.9 assists per game. The Longhorns try to run whenever possible to cover for weak perimeter shooting and average almost 80 ppg on 45% shooting from the field including 37% from outside the line. Barnes desire for toughness and good defense often leads to “ugly stick” ball”. Ford is as explosive with the ball as you will find and he has become the conference assist leader overnight. He has led the team in scoring in a couple of games over the past month as he has becomes more comfortable with the college game. Fred Williams adds some backcourt experience for the Longhorns. Texas is a young team and, without Owens, exceeded expectations for the year already. The tournament experience will be invaluable and even though they won’t be around long this year, next year is another story. 7. Wake Forest Wake is a team that likes to play at a fast pace, and can score points in bunches. They averaged 82 points per game, behind just Duke and Maryland in the ACC, and they allowed their opponents to score about 76 points per contest, second worst in the league to North Carolina. The Deacons have been led by their outstanding forwards all season. Darius Songalia with almost 18 points and eight rebounds per game while small forward Josh Howard matched Songalia’s rebound total and contributed about 15 points per game. The only other player on the roster who averaged double figures in points was guard Craig Dawson, an outstanding three-point shooter. The Deacons’ starting five is rounded out by a couple of veterans, Antwan Scott and Broderick Hicks. Wake Forest has played a tough schedule and they have a veteran team, but they aren’t a very good defensive unit and haven’t competed well against elite teams all season. Wake could be dangerous, but it’s more likely that they’ll be ousted from the Tournament relatively quickly. The Cardinal secured the number five seed in the PAC-10 Conference Championship Series after wins at Arizona and Arizona State during the last regular season weekend. The three headed backcourt the Cardinal features with Jacobsen, 6-1 junior Julius Barnes (11.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and 6-2 senior point Tony Giovacchini (3.8 ppg) feature speed and defense. Tevo Johnson Johnson, the 2001 Pac-10 Co-Freshman of the Year in , (5.8 ppg, 4 rpg) is a 6-7 soph who plays one forward spot, and Justin Davis (4.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg) who is shooting .605 eases the rebounding pressure on center Curtis Borchardt who leads the Pac-10 in rebounding at 11.3 rpg and scores 17 ppg. What the Cardinal has lost of late is confidence. It showed against both the Trojans and Bruins two weeks ago, an uncertainty when and if to shoot. It also doesn't help that sophomore forward Justin Davis (bruised ribs) was out for a couple of games, not allowing for a complete rotation up front and more rest for junior center Curtis Borchardt. HC Mike Montgomery is struggling with the option right now of going big and being exposed by quicker players who can step away from the basket. It's one of many questions Stanford must answer during the next few weeks. However they have had most of the answers during the season and they will be tough in the NCAA’s. 9. Western Kentucky Now he’s back and has played well down the stretch. Marcus averages 16.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3 b
The Florida Gators made an early exit from the SEC Tournament, losing in the second round to Mississippi State. It was just another disappointment in a season full of them for the underachieving Gators. Florida came into the season thought of as one of the nation’s elite teams, but the Gators never really seemed to hit their stride during the regular season, despite finishing tied with Georgia and Kentucky atop the SEC’s Eastern Division with a 10-6 record. Entering the NCAA Tournament, they have lost three of their last five, but they still have plenty of hope because they still have plenty of talent.
Even with senior Chris Owens being out for the season with a knee injury, Texas has been playing surprisingly well. Owens who was lost after eleven games has been missed for his rebounding ability and strength inside. Coach Rick Barnes has done a fantastic job holding the Longhorns together.
In general terms, it’s been a solid season for Wake Forest. They won 20 games, finished above .500 in the ACC and won another NCAA Tournament bid. But under the surface this season has been something of a disappointment for the Demon Deacons. Wake has had trouble with good teams all season. They went winless against teams in the Top 10 this season, going 0-8 in those circumstances after losing to Duke for the third time this season in the ACC semifinal, leaving little room to hope for a long tournament run.
8. Stanford
Stanford (19-8, 12-6 PAC-10) has chalked up its ninth straight winning season, and (probably) its eighth straight 20-win campaign. The Cardinal has finished no worse than second in the last five years. This will be the first Pac-10 Tournament since the 1989-90 season. With second team All-America 6-6 junior Casey Jacobsen (22.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) leading the scoring efforts the Cardinal have weathered an up (mostly) and down season.
Looking for a sleeper team to win the whole thing? Look no further than Western Kentucky (28-3), the Sun Belt conference champions. They were 24-7 last year (17-9 ATS) and lost to Florida in the NCAA tournament, 69-56. They came back this year and faced adversity, with 7’-1”, 285-lb center Chris Marcus leaving for two months with a foot injury, but the team went 14-2 without him.
But they are more than Marcus. 6’-8” junior David Boyden averaged 11 points, 6 rebounds per game and the backcourt is strong with 6’-1” Derek Robinson (10 points, 4 assists, 5 rebounds per game), 6’-4” junior swingman Filip Videnov, and 6’-1” freshman Patrick Sparks (9 points, 3 assists per game). The Hilltoppers beat New Mexico 83-67 where Videnov led the team with 19 points, outshooting them 53-43%.
Western Kentucky is strong fundamentally shooting 70% from the free throw line, 47% from the field and even 38% from long range. They have depth and can beat you with size or finesse. Western Kentucky outscored teams by a 78-64 average this season. The Hilltoppers were 14-0 SU/5-6 ATS at home, and an impressive 10-3 SU/6-7 ATS on the road. They can play ‘D’, beating Arkansas State 45-42, and they can run, whipping North Texas 100-76. Western has won 19 straight games and is 24-1 since December 1st, most of those games without Marcus.
They were huge favorites in the Sun Belt tourney which is why they were 0-2-1 ATS. But they won all three games including a thrilling 76-70 comeback win over Lafayette to win the title. Marcus was a defensive force in the game (6 b*s) and led the comeback with 24 points, 11 rebounds. Derek Robinson had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the big game, while Filip Videnov scored 12, and Patrick Sparks and Todor Pandov each added 10. Having a talented all-around team with a dominant big man in the middle (a rare commodity) makes them a team to watch in March. 10. Pepperdine 6’-5” freshman Terrance Johnson is averaging 14 points, 4 rebounds per game and junior college transfer 6’-6” Jimmy Miggins has been a great addition (15 ppg, 7.7 rpg). 6’-3” senior Craig Lewis averages 10 points per game and is solid from long range and 6’-0” junior Devin Montgomery leads in assists (3.5 apg) (next year: 6-3 soph Micah McKinney). They are a strong offensive team at 71% from the line, 36% from long range while averaging 81 points per game. Pepperdine went on a 17-1 SU/12-6 ATS run to end the season, so they come in playing better than at the beginning of the season. They are 11-1 SU/4-6 ATS at home, and 8-6 SU/7-7 ATS on the road. They had an 88-79 upset of Gonzaga, scored 109 points in a rout of Portland and Montgomery had 26 points in a 96-58 rout of Santa Clara. They rolled through the West Coast Conference tournament before losing to Gonzaga 96-90 in the title game. Pepperdine got some big-game baptism a year ago, getting to the NIT tourney. They beat Wyoming 72-69 as a +5 dog, before falling to New Mexico. Two years ago, Pepperdine lost to Gonzaga in the WCC title game (69-65 in OT), but they didn’t get down and the next game upset Indiana 77-57 as a +5 dog before falling to a strong Oklahoma State team, 75-67. They are well coached and have plenty of big-game experience, but just like two years ago, will have trouble with large, rebounding teams. 11. Boston College As 6’-1” junior guard Troy Bell goes, so goes the fortunes of the Eagles. Bell can do it all, averaging 21.4 points per game, while shooting 88% from the line and dishing out 3.8 assists per contest. 6’-2” sophomore Ryan Sidney is a nice compliment to Bell and chips in 14 points, 4.2 assist and 7.8 rebounds per game. 6’-8” junior Uka Agbai grabs 8 boards per game. Since January 12th, BC is 7-9 SU and 7-7 ATS. BC is 6-4 SU/7-3 ATS on the road where they outscore teams by a 76-72 average. Note that the Eagles were 6-9 ATS as a favorite this season, but a strong 6-3 ATS as a dog. On January 24th, BC was a +13 dog to Duke and lost 88-78. They are a young team and will struggle against physical, rebounding teams, but when Bell and Sidney are hot, guard-oriented teams have been known to pull some March upsets. 12. Creighton Creighton went 12-3 SU/3-8 ATS at home and 7-5 SU, 5-6 ATS on the road. 6’-7” junior Kyle Korver is a terrific all-around player and is averaging 15 points, 3.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. 6’3” junior Terrell Taylor chips in 11.9 points per game and loves to shot from long range (38% 3-point shooter). 6’-8” forward Brody Deren has been the biggest surprise and is averaging 10 points/5 rebounds per game while 6’-10” sophomore Joe Dabbert is a good role player and is averaging 5 boards per contest. Fundamentally this team is very sound, as they shoot close to 47% from the field (#1 win the MVC), 72% from the free throw line and 36% from 3-point land. This nets them 75 points per game, while the defense gives up 68 per game. Defensively, Creighton allows teams to shoot 43%, which is fourth-best in the underrated Missouri Valley Conference. Korver had 27 points, 5 assists in a 76-63 over Bradley and they are one of the few teams in the country to have beaten Sun Belt champion Western Kentucky, a 94-91 Creighton win in OT back on November 27. But in the rematch, WK rolled over Creighton 95-61. Creighton also lost to BYU (61-52) and they beat Nebraska of the Big 12 76-70 at home, but failed to cover as a 10-point favorite. They also lost to a good Xavier squad 72-65. Creighton is no stranger to the NCAA tourney, either. This will be their fourth straight trip to the Big Dance, though they are 1-3 SU/2-2 ATS since 1999. A year ago, they lost 69-56 to Iowa as a 2-point favorite, and two years ago lost to Auburn 72-69 as a +2 dog, each game in the first round. A lack of height will keep them from going a long way but they are well-balanced, fundamentally sound, and won’t beat themselves. 13. San Diego State 6’-9” Mike Mackell is a good role player and chips in 4.3 boards per game. 6’-8” freshman Trumaine David combines with Mackell and Holcomb to form a solid threesome in the low post. 6’-4” Tommy Johnson give the club plenty of height and depth, and the only weakness on offense is free throw shooting (65% as a team). SDSU was 12-3 SU at home (8-4 ATS) and solid on the road at 6-8 SU/7-5 ATS. Sand Diego State gave Duke a tough time before losing 92-79 (and covering), with Holcomb grabbing 15 rebounds against the defending champs. They had a 78-66 win over Houston behind Bland’s 33 points and a 78-65 upset at New Mexico where Bland had 25 points, and Bland had 19 points/8 boards in a big 68-64 upset win at Wyoming. SDSU carries and impressive 8-1 SU/ATS run into March. In fact, in the Mountain West tourney they were underdogs to BYU, Wyoming and UNLV and won all three games. 14. McNeese State McNeese State is not a great offensive team, shooting 44% from the field, 65% from the line while averaging 70 points per game. They have three frontcourt talents who are good under the glass, especially on defense. 6’-7” senior Fred Gentry averaged 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, 6’-6” junior Damon Williams chipped in 11 points per game, while 7’-1 JC transfer Raynell Brewer pulled down 6.5 boards per game. Brewer is a skinny seven-footer and averaged 9.5 points per game. McNeese State was the second-best 3-point shooting team in the Southland (38%) and allowed 66 points per game (3rd best defensively). 6’-4” junior Jason Coleman led the team in scoring (14.8 ppg) while shooting 36% from long range, but a poor 39% overall from the field. 6’-1” senior Chauncey Bryant dished out an impressive 5.1 assists per game. That early season non-conference schedule included a 78-74 loss at Auburn, a 90-61 loss at Alabama, an 80-57 loss at LSU and an 80-67 loss at Texas. So, they have played some top-notch competition, but were 0-4 and beaten rather soundly in most of those games. They also went 8-8 away from home. 15. Montana Montana is 12-11 ATS. 6’-6” Dan Trammell crashes the boards and averages 10 points, 7 rebounds per game, while 6’-1” junior David Bell leads the team with 14 points per game. 6-7” junior Brent Cummings chips in 10 ppg. Montana was a poor 3-9 SU/3-7 ATS on the road this season, so they are even more of a longshot to win some games now. They were the second-best defensive team in the Big Sky, allowing 43% shooting. Earlier in the season Montana lost to Colorado 84-71 and lost at Gonzaga by 20 points. 16. Holy Cross Holy Cross is not a strong offensive team, averaging 63 points per game while shooting 40% from the field. A terrific 69% free throw shooting percentage helps them survive in close games. An advantage that the Crusaders have is size. Two big men crash the boards and helped Holy Cross lead the Patriot League in rebounds (33 per game) in 6’-8” junior Tim Szatko (13.7 ppg, 6.7 rbg) and 6’-11” freshman Nate Lufkin (5.7 rebounds per game). They were responsible for Holy Cross having the best defense in the league allowing 60 points per game, while holding teams to 42% shooting (#1 in the Patriot League). They also were the second-best 3-point shooting team (35%), led by 6’-2” junior Brian Wilson (9.7 ppg, 46% from long range) and 6’-0” senior Ryan Serravalle (12.3 ppg). In addition, 6’-1” sophomore Jave Meade led the Patriot league in assists with 4.9 per game. Holy Cross played two games with Boston College this season, getting smacked 75-51 on the road and losing 67-57 at home as a +10 dog. Naturally, they won the Patriot League tourney with defense, holding Navy, Bucknell and American to 41, 57 and 54 points each game. They survived by beating American 58-54 in the title game despite American shooting 51% for the game and nailing 7-16 3-pointers. Holy Cross plays a slow, half-court pace to take advantage of their two big men. Don’t look for a lot of points when they play and don’t look for them to get very far in the tournament. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2002 Tournament South Duke is not a very deep team and they don’t have much to work with in the paint, aside from senior center Carlos Boozer. What the Blue Devils do possess is the best group of perimeter players in the contry, led by the Player of the Year, guard Jason Williams. Williams has been a point guard throughout his career at Duke, but this season he has shifted to the shooting guard spot, while Chris Duhon has played the point. The move has worked out very well for the Blue Devils. Williams averaged almost 22 points per game and still contributed almost five assists per, while Duhon led the team with over six assists per night. Boozer made 66% of his field goal attempts this season and averaged 18 points while leading the Blue Devils with nine rebounds per contest. Forward Mike Dunleavy contributed 17 points and seven rebounds a game and is tall enough to cause serious problems for opponents, while Dahntay Jones is one of the most impressive athletes in the country. Daniel Ewing is the most talented player off the bench, although two big men, Matt Christensen and Nick Horvath also see some time. Duke can be unstoppable on offense. They averaged about 90 points per game and made 49% of their field goal attempts. They are immensely talented, but they have shown a propensity for shooting the outside shot this season, and if they aren’t falling, things can go wrong in a hurry for the Blue Devils. This team should have little trouble advancing deep into the tournament, but they’ll need to show some patience on offense, and stay out of foul trouble, if they are to win another National Title. 2. Alabama It starts up front for Alabama, where forwards Erwin Dudley and Rod Grizzard reside. Dudley was the team’s best player this season, leading them in scoring and he was also the SEC’s leading rebounder and fourth best shooter from the field. Grizzard was second on the team in both categories and also ranked second on the team in assists. But Dudley and Grizzard aren’t the only talented players on the roster. Eight players saw at least 14 minutes of action per game and seven players averaged at least six and a half points per game on the season. Big man Kenny Walker is another strong rebounder and the team’s best shot-b
Pepperdine has had a strong season at 22-8 SU, but they haven’t been strong to wager on at 13-15 ATS. A key point about Pepperdine which may hurt them in the tournament is that they rolled over teams at home, outscoring foes by an 86-71 average, yet away from home Pepperdine was outscored by a 79-77 average. They can run-and-gun with anyone, yet are not a physical team.
Boston College barely cracked the 20-win mark (20-11 SU, 12-12 ATS) and had an 8-8 Big East conference mark. They were sitting on the bubble and it seems an impressive run in the Big East tournament may have been the final push for this team. BC upset Syracuse 69-65 as a +6 dog, beat Rutgers 60-55 as a +5 dog, before falling to Pitt 76-62 as a +4 dog.
The 22-8 Creighton Blue Jays got hot at the right time – late in the season. Creighton was not a great team to bet on this year (11-14 ATS), but note that they went 4-0 ATS down the stretch and have gone 15-3 SU since early January. They went 3-0 SU/ATS through the Missouri Valley Conference tourney, with blowout wins Northern Iowa and Illinois State before slaying #1 seeded Southern Illinois in the title game, winning 84-76 as an underdog.
21-11 San Diego State won the Mountain West conference and had a terrific 18-9 ATS record. SDSU is very strong offensively, averaging 74.7 points per game and led by 3 of the top 5 scorers in the Mountain West. 6’-4” senior guard Tony Bland is averaging 15.7 points and 3.4 assists per game, 6’-2” senior guard Al Faux is averaging 16.7 points per game (shooting 46% from the field and 39% from long range) while 6’-9” senior Randy Holcomb leads the team with 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. This team shoots 48% from the field, tops in the MWC.
21-8 McNeese State parlayed a strong home-court edge (13-0 SU) with a tough early-season non-conference schedule into a 14-game winning streak down the stretch. This resulted in an impressive three-game sweep and the Southland Conference championship. In the Southland tourney, McNeese State was terrific defensively, holding SF Austin to 37 points, Lamar to 57 points and La-Monroe to 43 in a 65-43 win in the title game.
16-14 Montana was a long shot entering the Big Sky tournament as the #5 seed with a 7-7 conference mark. But they got hot at the right time and pulled off three straight tourney upsets as a +3, +8 and +2 dog to win the Big Sky tourney.
The 18-11 Holy Cross Crusaders didn’t have a particularly strong season, but they got hot at the right time: down the stretch. Holy Cross went 10-2 the last 12 games to win the Patriot League championship.
1. Duke
For most of the season Duke was the number one team in the nation and looked like prohibitive favorites on their way to a second straight title. Then the Blue Devils lost to Maryland, and then again, to Virginia, and there seemed to be some chinks in the armor. But Duke won the ACC Tournament, beating North Carolina State easily in the Championship Game, and they could be primed for another championship run.
Last season Alabama was on the outside looking in, as they were left out of the NCAA Tournament, despite winning 20 games during the regular season. The Tide responded from the disappointment in a big way, advancing all the way to last year’s NIT Championship Game, and that attitude has carried over into this season. The Tide won the SEC regular season crown and got to the SEC Championship Game before falling to a hot Mississippi State team. Alabama is one of the deepest and most athletic teams in the country. They can play effectively at a slow pace or at a fast one and could find themselves in Atlanta in the first week of April.
Alabama was the only team in the SEC to finish among the Top 5 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. They have size, depth, athleticism and have played with a sense of purpose all season. They will be very hard to beat and could be a dark-horse candidate to win the entire tournament.
3. Pittsburgh
The only thing glitzy about the Pittsburgh (23-4) Panthers as they head to the “Big Dance” is their record. Pittsburgh relies on solid, old-fashioned fundamentals, the kind that impress coaches more than those who choose television highlights. "Defense and rebounding," coach Ben Howland said. "The two staples we depend on." He could have mentioned balance, too. Howland rotates his big men, Torree Morris and Ontario Lett, keeping them both effective. The Panthers also got some key contributions from reserve players.
The Panthers are led by junior guard Brandin Knight (who sprained his knee in the Big East Final, but is expected to play) who has averaged 15.6 ppg, 5 rpg, 6.8 apg (2nd in the Big East); 42.7 percent overall; 38.3 percent on 3s and is a solid All-America candidate. Knight's defense has been sensational and although he's a poor free-throw shooter (45.5 percent), he still makes plays. The importance of his leadership is hard to diminish when considering where Pittsburgh was last season. His running mate soph Julius Page averages 11.2 ppg with 2.4 assists. Up front 6-8 junior Donatas Zavackas puts up another 11.6 ppg and 5.4 rpg. 6-4 Jaron Brown has chipped in with an aggressive 9.9 ppg & 6.1 rpg while soph center Toree Morris 4.7 ppg splits time with Ontario Lett 8.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg. Howard has increased the productivity all around his roaster this season.
The Panthers were only 7-9 in the conference last year but still managed to get to the NIT. Panthers reached the Big East title game last year as 5th seed. They enter MSG this season as West's top seed. Pre-season polls were not particularly kind either as one publication picked them 6th in the Big East West. To the delight of Pitt fans, Ben Howland plans to be at Pitt for a while. The Panthers have made a lot of noise quietly this year and are one of the class teams of the east and they will stand up early in the tournament but they won’t stand up very well against the Cincinnati’s of the world later on.
4. USC
The Trojans (20-8 overall, 12-6 in the Pac-10, in a four-way tie for second place) came into the season looking to grab their first Pac-10 title since 1985 and they were in the hunt into the last weekend of the season. Coach Henry Bibby admits if the Trojans had a leader on the court, they could have been celebrating the Pac-10 regular-season title. "We haven't had that killer instinct to put (teams) away and, again, it comes back to leadership," Bibby said. "Who's the leader on this team to take things on their shoulders and say, 'I'm not going to let this happen again?' We don't have anyone to do that, and that's been an Achilles' heel for us."
Scoring certainly hasn’t been a talent problem for the ex-Bruin great. The starting five, senior forwards Sam Clancy, 6-7, 240, (21.1 scoring average in Pac-10 games is USC's best since Harold Miner averaged 26.9 in 1992) and David Bluthenthal, 6-7, 220, (11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg); 6-2 freshman guard Errick Craven (12.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Brandon Granville, 5-9, (12.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg) have supplied plenty of firepower and Clancy is a second team All-America. USC junior center Kostas Charissis out three to four weeks with a fracture in his left ankle (originally suffered at Arizona) as of Feb. 19. is not expected to return for postseason play. Bibby would like to see more effort and production from his bench.
Bibby kicked reserves Jerry Dupree and Gennaro Busterna out of a team film session on Feb. 25 because of what he perceived as a lack of effort from the two, a problem that adds concern as the team entered post season play. The Bruins certainly have one of the best one-two scoring punches in the country with Clancy and Bluthenthal but a lack of a team leader could be a serious problem if the seniors don’t step up, It probably won’t be a problem in the first couple of rounds of the NCAA’s but in the later rounds it will matter.
Remember, that if you deleted one minute from the Trojans schedule this year - maybe even 45 seconds - a combine five plays that changed four wins to four losses and one more from overtime to a loss would have improved their record from 20-8 to 25-3. The Trojans were not a blessed team this year and maybe, just maybe,