Multiple Teams In The Final Four ... Yet Again?

The 1975 tournament was the first that allowed multiple teams from one conference to qualify for the event.  The very next season, Indiana and Michigan met for the championship ... obviously both were from the Big Ten.

In the 41 tournaments since the tournament expanded like this, there have been multiple teams from one conference in the Final Four 24 times.  Amazing that much more than half of the tournaments have had this occur.  Only three times have both those teams gone on to play for the National Championship.

This season, the ACC sees North Carolina and Syracuse in the Final Four and, since they face off on Saturday, one will play for the title Monday night.  The ACC last sent multiple teams to the Final Four in 2004, 2001, 1991, 1990 and 1981 ... and two years ended with an ACC team winning the title.

Also interesting is the fact that of the 23 previous times a conference sent multiple teams to the Final Four, only 10 times ... less than half ... did that conference end up winning the title.  In 2013, Louisville won the title while fellow Big East member Syracuse also made the Final Four.  Both of those schools are now in the ACC.

That is the lone time in the last eight Final Fours where two teams from the same conference made it there that one of those teams won the title.  Pretty amazing.  

In 1985, three of the Final Four were made up of teams from the Big East.  With realignment, the 1976 Final Four will be made up of teams from the same conference as Rutgers will join the Big Ten next season.  The 2005 Final Four was made up of two Big Ten teams as well as North Carolina and Louisville.  Louisville joined the ACC in 2014. 

The same could be said for 2002 (Maryland joins Indiana in the Big Ten), 1998 (Utah is now in the Pac-12 with Stanford), 1983 (Louisville joins NC State in the ACC), 1982 (Louisville, again, with UNC), 1978 (Kentucky and Arkansas are now in the SEC together; Duke and Notre Dame are in the ACC together), 1975 (Louisville and Syracuse in the ACC), 1951 (Kansas State and Oklahoma State are in the Big 12), 1948 (Kansas State and Baylor in the Big 12), 1947 (Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12), 1943 (Georgetown and DePaul in the Big East) and 1942 (Stanford and Colorado in the Pac-12).

In 1972, North Carolina, Florida State and Louisville are now all in the ACC. 

Below are the 22 instances of multiple teams from one conference in a Final Four.  Teams in bold were champions that season.

2016:  ACC (North Carolina, Syracuse)
2015:  Big Ten (Michigan State, Wisconsin)
2014:  SEC (Florida, Kentucky)
2013:  Big East (Louisville, Syracuse)
2009:  Big East (UConn, Villanova)
2005:  Big Ten (Illinois, Michigan State)
2004:  ACC (Georgia Tech, Duke)
2003:  Big 12 (Kansas, Texas)
2002:  Big 12 (Kansas, Oklahoma)
2001:  ACC (Duke, Maryland)
2000:  Big Ten (Michigan State, Wisconsin)
1999:  Big Ten (Michigan State, Ohio State)
1996:  SEC (Kentucky, Mississippi State)
1994:  SEC (Arkansas, Florida)
1992:  Big Ten (Michigan, Indiana)
1991:  ACC (Duke, North Carolina)
1990:  ACC (Duke, Georgia Tech)
1989:  Big Ten (Michigan, Illinois)
1988:  Big 8 (Kansas, Oklahoma)
1987:  Big East (Syracuse, Providence)
1985:  Big East (Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's)
1981:  ACC (North Carolina, Virginia)
1980:  Big Ten (Purdue, Iowa)
1976:  Big Ten (Indiana, Michigan)

Same with the realignment issue above, the 2009, 2001 and 1987 Final Fours will now be seen as schools from different conferences.

What The Tar Heels Could Look Like In 2016-2017

Will Isaiah Hicks become the star of the 2016-17 Tar Heels?

The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball season will end this weekend.  Either it will end with the Heels' celebrating their 6th NCAA Tournament championship or it will end with a heartbreaking loss at the Final Four.

Either way, we are going to sneak a peak at what next season's team could look like.  They won't be a preseason No. 1 team since seniors Brice Johnson, Marcus Paige and Joel James will graduate (Johnson and Paige will both have their jerseys hung in the rafters), but they won't be as decimated as people thought as they did the season after their titles in 2005 and 2009.

What will be back?  What will the roster look like?

POINT GUARD:  JOEL BERRY (Jr)

Backups: Nate Britt (Sr), Seventh Woods (Fr.), Stilman White (Sr).

Berry has come into his own this season.  He has taken over the offense and become a huge part of the Heels' success.  He has that Ty Lawson quality of driving to the rim and getting baskets.  He also has a pretty good, if not inconsistent, perimeter shot.   Britt is back for his senior season and will be what he has been his entire UNC career -- a capable backup who usually makes good decisions and has a game or two where his offense comes up big.  Woods is a combo guard that is some sort of athlete.  He could struggle is freshman season all while showing some glimpses of what Tar Heel fans will love down the road.  White is more of a garbage time guard.

SHOOTING GUARD:  THEO PINSON (Jr)

Backups: Brandon Robinson (Fr), Woods, Kenny Williams (So), Shea Rush (So)

Pinson was the starter at this spot at the beginning of the year when Paige was out with a hand injury.  He's a very good defender, hustles and is quick to the basket.  His shooting isn't there yet, but he has a ton of confidence.  With a variety of other players' roles likely to expand next year, Pinson may not be asked to score as much. Robinson is a smooth shooting freshman who should get minutes depending on how quickly his shot translates to college.  Williams is known as a great shooter, but made just one three-point shot in his freshman season at Carolina.  Woods should see time here as well.  He is a combo guard and Roy Williams has shown he is willing to play two small guards in the backcourt.

UConn Isn't Ruining Women's Basketball ... But I'm Not Watching It

There has been much made about Dan Shaughnessy's tweet about UConn's dominance ruining women's college basketball.  People all over the sports world are chiming in.  Most agree that it isn't the case.  UConn isn't killing the game.  Everyone else needs to step it up.

That's my view as well.  It isn't the Huskies fault that they are so good and no one else can touch them.  Are they supposed to lay down so everyone else feels good?  Isn't that the exact wrong approach?

To me, this is about two things overlapping: Dominant teams and women's basketball.

The effect of a dominant team is always debated in sports.  In some aspects, it is good.  A hated team usually gets the blood boiling and people love to see that team get smacked down.  Whether it is the Yankees when they dominated at the turn of the century or the Cowboys in the mid-1990s or the Lakers or Duke or Alabama or LeBron or ... whomever.  Even short term "great" teams get hated in the moment.  Our yearning to hate is just as big as the want of your team to do well.  Take the upcoming Final Four.  People are choosing to root against teams more than wanting to see someone win it.

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Elite Eight

Buddy Hield has carried Oklahoma back to the Final Four

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room.

GAME OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Kansas. Whenever the top overall seed goes down, it's a big deal.  This was a real good one.  The Wildcats looked like they were looking good early, then the Jayhawks predictably took the game over.  But Nova took it right back.  Their defense and timely shooting got them back into the Final Four.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Syracuse vs Virginia. Again ... how was Syracuse even in this tournament?  Doesn't matter since here they are -- one of the Final Four.  Virginia was cruising along when the Orange decided to press and trap their way back into the game.  Just a shocking turn of events.  Now Syracuse is the first No. 10 seed to make it to the Final Four.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC was guaranteed two teams in the Final Four and one of them a spot in the National Championship game before the Elite 8.  They will be joined by a Big East and a Big 12 squad ... so all three leagues should be proud.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: ACC. Well, two of them lost too.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Oklahoma vs Oregon. While three of the No. 1 seeds lost in this round, Kansas and Virginia at least were in the game.  Oregon was blown out by Buddy Hield and the Sooners.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: North Carolina. No team has imposed their will on opponents this tournament more than the Tar Heels.  Either they hit all their perimeter shots or they will just rebound them and stick them right back in.  Give up a 12-0 run and the lead?  Just go on a 12-0 run of your own immediately afterwards.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Rocked Chalk. When the Elite 8 started, we had all four No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds alive.  Three of the top seeds fell and we have a No. 10 seed nestled in there.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*North Carolina opens up the Final Four as heavy favorites.  They are a 4-5 shot to win the National Championship. 

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Sweet 16, Day 2

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Notre Dame vs Wisconsin. Hey, today we at least have a game to pick from (heck, we have two).  This was a back and forth game that the Badgers seemingly had the game late.  However, two great steals by Demetrius Jackson swung the game to the Irish.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Syracuse vs Gonzaga. Even though the Orange were the better seed, the Zags were the favored team.  Syracuse, despite many people thinking they shouldn't even be in this tournament, is now in the Elite 8.  Wow.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC won all four games on Friday.  All.  Four.  That means, on the right side of the bracket, you will see two games featuring two ACC teams playing against each other.  So the ACC is guaranteed two teams in the Final Four and one of them a spot in the National Championship game.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Big Ten. Indiana and Wisconsin were eliminated today which ends the Big Ten's time in this dance.  Three Big Ten schools lost in the Sweet 16.  

DUD OF THE DAY: North Carolina vs Indiana. The much hyped matchup in the Sweet 16 was never in doubt.  The Tar Heels jumped all over the Hoosiers early and kept a safe distance all game long.  UNC even hung 101 on Indiana.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: North Carolina. The Heels shot the ball insanely well, which really isn't fair.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: The ACC. Not to beat a dead horse, but it is quite remarkable that one league literally owns one half of the bracket in the Elite 8 .

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The ACC has 4 teams left.  Everyone else?  Big 12 (2), Big East (1), Pac-12 (1). 

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Sweet 16, Day 1

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Kansas vs Maryland. Well, this one was close at the half.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Miami. There were no upsets today.  Not even close.  But it is a suprise that Miami got handled like this.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big 12. Kansas and Oklahoma each advanced to the Elite 8.  One more win and we would get Round 3 of an epic Jayhawks-Sooners series.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: ACC. The ACC has been rolling in this tournament.  Not anymore.  Miami and Duke were soundly beaten giving the conference a rare egg during the tournament.  Four more members play tomorrow.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Miami. This had the feel as the best game of the day and it didn't happen.  Nova jumped all over the Hurricanes and didn't let up.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Villanova. The Wildcats made this a laugher with their outstanding shooting  Villanova looks like a legit title contender.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Blowout. Every game was won by at least 14 points and most weren't even competitive in the second half.  Funny in a season label as "parity" that we will see the No. 1 vs No. 2 seeds face off on Saturday.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The ACC has 4 teams left.  Everyone else?  Big 12 (3), Big Ten (2), Big East (1), Pac-12 (1), WCC (1). 

*Mike Krzyzewski is in the wrong for scolding an Oregon player for showboating.  This is the head coach for Duke talking.  The coach who is so apologetic for Grayson Allen's trippings and the Cameron Crazies annoying behavior.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Second Round, Day 2

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Texas A&M vs Northern Iowa. With about 40 seconds left in this game, this certainly didn't look like a candidate for Game Of They Day.  Yet, it is.  How did Northern Iowa lose this?  How do you lose a 12 point lead with 40 seconds left to play?  I have never seen this kind of meltdown in my life.  It was amazing.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Wisconsin vs Xavier. This was the lone true upset.  Xavier was the only lower seed to lose today, which is odd since these were the guys who had that wild Friday.  Wisconsin's three pointer at the buzzer to win was rather shocking since many had Xavier as a sleeper title team.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC is now 12-1 in the NCAA Tournament and have locked in a record six of the Sweet 16.  Oddly, there is an outside chance that all six could make the Elite 8.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Atlantic 10. The A-10 is no more.  Both VCU and St. Joseph's put up valiant efforts against Oklahoma and Oregon, respectively, but they fell late.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Iowa. The hard thing about this is that it was the lone game on when it tipped off around noon.  Iowa, who was ranked No. 3 in the nation a little over a month ago, never was in this one and the Hawkeyes were soundly spanked.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Villanova. This is a school that has underperformed in the tournament of late, so the way the Wildcats just dismantled Iowa early and made this game a laugher.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: A bit of chalk. Again, only one upset today.  All No. 1 seeds have survived to the Sweet 16.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The ACC has 6 teams left.  Everyone else?  Big 12 (3), Big Ten (3), Big East (1), SEC (1), Pac-12 (1), WCC (1). 

*So Indiana plays North Carolina on Friday.  At 10:00pm.  In Philadelphia.  Ridiculous.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Second Round, Day 1

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Indiana vs Kentucky. Two schools who have a fierce rivalry that don't play during the regular season anymore.  Kentucky threw some good punches, but Indiana had a steadier array of jabs.  It was a great atmosphere where both fanbases were loud, both teams battled and stars shined.  However, Kentucky just didn't have enough horses to stem the Hoosier tide and stopped the Wildcats typical magical tournament stay.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Gonzaga vs Utah. It isn't a surprise that Gonzaga beat Utah, but how badly they beat them.  The Bulldogs had a 30 point lead at one point and the Utes just looked horrible.  With the Zags on to play the winner of Syracuse-Middle Tennessee, they have a legit shot at a Elite Eight appearance.  And this is their down year?

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC is now 10-1 in the NCAA Tournament and on Saturday locked in four spots in the Sweet 16.  Yeah, 4 of the 8 spots in the Sweet 16 are already occupied by ACC.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Big East. Let me pause from dumping on the Pac-12 some more (you too, Utah?), and say the Big East had a bad day.  Both Butler and Providence ended their tournament runs as they ran into No. 1 seeds.  Nothing to be ashamed of, but still a tough one.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Iowa State vs Arkansas-Little Rock. The Cinderella run of Little Rock is over.  And we didn't hear much about it.  The Cyclones jumped on the Trojans and didn't let up.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Gonzaga. The Zags defense was outstanding in this one as they shut down Utah.  Again, it wasn't so much the upset of Utah but how badly they beat them.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: A bit of order. Per usual, order was restored.  Of the eight games today, only two were won by the lower seed ... and one was No. 5 Indiana ousting No. 4 Kentucky which isn't a big upset.  All three No. 1 seeds advanced.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*Virginia is having its road to the Final Four just beautifully paved.  No. 2 seed Michigan State went down on Friday, No. 3 Utah was spanked on Saturday.  The Cavaliers play No. 4 Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and then either a No. 10, 11 or 15 seed in the Elite Eight. 

*That Des Moines pod was pretty remarkable today.  You had Kentucky (8 titles), Indiana (5), UConn (4) and Kansas (3).

*Man Doug Gottlieb has a weaselly voice.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - First Round, Day 2

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Northern Iowa vs Texas. The night session had a few great games.  The St. Joe's-Cincinnati and Notre Dame-Michigan games were awesome.  But the Panthers and Longhorns had a back and forth affair that had a big shot by Texas to tie the game ... but a half-court buzzer beater to win it.  In my life ... and I am nearly 41 years old ... I don't remember a half court shot to win a game during the NCAA tournament.  Stunning.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Middle Tennessee vs Michigan State. Despite being a No. 2 seed, Michigan State was most likely the 2nd or 3rd favorite to win this tournament.  They were experienced, they had a POY candidate, they have Tom Izzo and his historically great tournament resume.  But they just didn't do what they needed to today and became just the 8th No. 2 seed to lose to a 15-seed in tournament history.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big East. A day after Seton Hall was upset, the Big East had a pretty good day.  Villanova and Xavier flexed their muscle and put away their opponents.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Pac 12. Another tough day for the Pac-12.  California and Oregon State both lost as the better seeds.  They weren't alone, though.  The Big 12 had the same thing happen (West Virginia, Texas).  

DUD OF THE DAY: Texas A&M vs Green Bay. People were giving Green Bay some run as a team that could be a possible Cinderella.  Well, they really didn't come close to that against an Aggies team that seems dialed in.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Oregon. The Pac-12 may be crumbling in the Dance, but Oregon, ya know that weakest No. 1 seed, pounded Holy Cross to easily advance.  In a day filled with upsets and close calls, the Ducks swam right by.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Upsets. Yesterday I said that it wasn't shocking to see the 7 "upsets".  Well, today was a bit more shocking.  Michigan State losing in the first round?  What?  I mean, seriously?  Then West Virginia ... another team I thought would go far ... gets taken out by Stephen F Austin.  Hawaii wins their first ever NCAA Tournament game by beating a Cal team that has NBA players on it?  Then Syracuse, who many thought shouldn't make the tournament, goes out and pounds Dayton.  What a couple of days!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*THANK YOU NCAA for changing up the floors.  I have complained for years that these blue and black plain floors were horrible on television and it was so difficult to tell where you were watching a game.  I love the floor plans and the colors and the city name prominently displayed.  My only gripe now is that I wish the color scheme matched the arena, city or host team.  Take Raleigh, for example.  The floor colors are purple, dark blue and light blue.  If you live in Raleigh, those are the worst colors imaginable.  Purple represents rival East Carolina, dark blue reps Duke and light blue ... well that's the hated Tar Heels.  Have it red for them.  Maybe Des Moines could have had a gold color for host Iowa State and even the nearby Hawkeyes.  Providence could have used the black and Denver could have the light blue. 

*The ACC is 6-1 right now, with only Pitt losing (and that was a close one to Wisconsin).  UNC, Duke, Miami and Virginia play again tomorrow and all should be favored.

*Man Doug Gottlieb has a weaselly voice.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - First Round, Day 1

Was it really an upset when Yale beat Baylor?

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Providence vs USC. There were so many candidates, but I'm going here because the entire game was compelling.  It was close throughout and the ending was a bit shocking.  The Friars looked cooked, but USC just couldn't make free throws and made other questionable decisions.  Providence took full advantage and won on a layup after a missed defensive assignment by the Trojans.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Arkansas-Little Rock vs Purdue. This was up there for game of the day, but the "game" of it really happened with about five minutes left.  UALR went on a huge run to send the game into overtime, including the shot of the day to tie it.  Josh Hagins' 31 electric points will be remembered for years.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC went 4-0 today, with North Carolina, Virginia, Miami and Duke all winning.  That isn't to say that there wasn't some drama in those games, but the ACC is moving on.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Pac 12. The Pac-12 went 1-3 on the day with only Utah advancing.  Arizona were busy being blown out by Wichita State while USC was coughing up a win to Providence.  Colorado lost to UConn, meaning there were three seed upsets suffered by the Pac-12.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Kentucky vs Stony Brook. It happens, but with the mid-majors putting up fights everywhere else you'd think Stony Brook would at least stay in the game by halftime.  They didn't.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Kansas. The top overall seed did what it was supposed to do and flushed away Austin Peay.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Really, this is what we thought. There were 7 seed upsets today ... but were there any real shockers?  I mean, this is what we kinda thought was going to happen.  All over the place, Yale, Arkansas-Little Rock and Wichita State were looked at as good bets for "upsets".  Gonzaga was also looked at as a good team to win their game.  Plus three of the upsets were 9-seeds over 8-seeds.  All the big dogs we've been advancing with ease on our brackets won.  So was this all that big a shock?

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*THANK YOU NCAA for changing up the floors.  I have complained for years that these blue and black plain floors were horrible on television and it was so difficult to tell where you were watching a game.  I love the floor plans and the colors and the city name prominently displayed.  My only gripe now is that I wish the color scheme matched the arena, city or host team.  Take Raleigh, for example.  The floor colors are purple, dark blue and light blue.  If you live in Raleigh, those are the worst colors imaginable.  Purple represents rival East Carolina, dark blue reps Duke and light blue ... well that's the hated Tar Heels.  Have it red for them.  Maybe Des Moines could have had a gold color for host Iowa State and even the nearby Hawkeyes.  Providence could have used the black and Denver could have the light blue. 

*I am really convinced that the play-in games give teams a bit of advantage.  They are tournament warm, so to speak.  Today, Wichita State looked dominant at times against Arizona while Florida Gulf Coast caught a sleepy North Carolina squad in the first half of their game.  It will be interesting to see how Holy Cross and Michigan come out on Friday.

*On my Bubble Watch, I was really skeptical of the Pac-12.  They did a great job fluffing up their RPI so they looked good to the committee.  It worked.  But you got to play the games.  USC looked like they were trying to lose at the end of their game with Providence.  Arizona didn't even look like they came to play against Wichita State.  UConn really took it to Colorado in the 2nd half of their win over the Buffs.  Now, everyone's quick conclusion is that Oregon is a really week No. 1 seed and that isn't true.  However, they better understand how.

*I really hate that the Ivy League is starting a 4-team conference tournament.  I mean, whatever, but I think the reason the Ivy has done so well in the NCAA Tournament is that it does send its best team to the dance every year.  Imagine this tournament if UAB, Valparaiso, Monmouth, Akron, San Diego State and St. Mary's also got to join the party?

Sportz Assassin's Midwest Region Preview

Chicago's "Bean"

TEAM TO BEAT: Virginia. The Cavaliers are the only No. 1 seed to not win either a regular season or conference tournament title (they finished 2nd to North Carolina in both instances).  But the Cavs have one of the most efficient offenses in the country to go along with that stout Pack Line defense.  Malcolm Brogdon has had one of the best seasons in the nation and is so tough to guard.  With limited amount of time to prepare, teams will have a tough time against the Cavs. 

TEAM THAT WILL WIN THE REGION: Michigan State. Sparty won the Big Ten tournament title and has possible POY candidate Denzel Valentine.  Michigan State is notoriously known as a tough tournament squad and Tom Izzo one of the best tournament coaches.  This is a great shooting team that passes well and plays tough.

TEAM TO WATCH FOR (LESS THAN A NO. 3 SEED): Purdue. The Boilermakers are tough, physical and big.  They are also not scared of a team like Virginia or Michigan State.  

YOUR CINDERELLA: Gonzaga. The irony is that the Zags may be more dangerous when no one expects anything from them.  Mark Few still is a pretty darn good coach and Kyle Wiltjer is still a pretty darn good player.  The Bulldogs have less room for error than usual, but they can pull off a few upsets and get to the Sweet 16.  

WORST SEEDING ERROR: Syracuse. I am not sure they should even be in the tournament, but here they are.  The fact that they are a No. 10 seed is stunning.  How are they not in a First Four game?  The Orange have lost 5 of 6 with a shaky resume yet somehow made it in.    

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Michigan State. Well, there are some interesting home deals.  Virginia in Raleigh and Utah in Denver.  But when this thing gets to Chicago, that's where Michigan State, Purdue and Iowa State will shine.  Still, I think the mix of St. Louis and Chicago is the best here.

MUST WATCH GAME: Seton Hall vs Gonzaga. Gonzaga is my Cinderella, but Seton Hall is also a team who could make an unlikely run in this region.  They are a really, really, really good team who can do some damage.  There are next level players in this one and Gonzaga could have a better fan advantage in Denver.

MUST WATCH (POTENTIAL) SECOND ROUND GAME: Iowa State vs Purdue. Purdue's big front line against Georges Niang.

Sportz Assassin's South Region Preview

Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, KY

TEAM TO BEAT: Kansas. The Jayhawks have been among the top of the rankings all year long.  They have everything you want in a champion.  Experience, athleticism, frontcourt, backcourt.  They aren't an NBA-talent heavy team, but they play so well together.  A team will have to beat them to advance; Kansas won't beat themselves. 

TEAM THAT WILL WIN THE REGION: Kansas. There are some good teams in the South, but none of them are Kansas.  Well, except for, ya now, Kansas.

TEAM TO WATCH FOR (LESS THAN A NO. 3 SEED): Maryland. Talent wise, this may be the best team in the region.  Diamond Stone can be a beast.  Melo Trimble can take over games.  Guys like Rasheed Sulaimon and Robert Carter can wreck havoc.  The Terps can be all or nothing in this tournament.  

YOUR CINDERELLA: Temple. This bracket has a few nominees, but the Owls are my pick.  Temple won the AAC regular season title (even over heavy favorite SMU).  They won key conference games (sweeping Cincinnati and UConn during the season) and have played North Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin and Butler. They get Iowa first who have lost 5 of 6 and are struggling mightily.  If the Owls can win that, they could get Villanova in a huge Philly matchup.   

WORST SEEDING ERROR: Hawai'i. Hawai'i comes in as a 13th seed, yet are 27-5 with two of those losses to Oklahoma (by just 3) and Texas Tech.    

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Kansas. Really, no one has a great homecourt advantage here.  Villanova and Temple play up the road in Brooklyn, but then would travel to Louisville.  So KU's trek to Des Moines and Louisville makes them the home favorites.

MUST WATCH GAME: Colorado vs UConn. Does anyone want to miss a UConn game right now?  The Huskies are a firecracker.  But Colorado is that fundamentally sound team that won't make the kind of mistakes that UConn feeds off of.

MUST WATCH (POTENTIAL) SECOND ROUND GAME: California vs Maryland. The Miami-Arizona game would be nice too, but Cal-Maryland may have more NBA talent on the floor at once in the entire region.  Heck, maybe the nation.  .