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A LOOK AT THE 2008 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Boise,
Gonzaga and West Virginia among the Surprises
March 20, 2008
EAST REGION
 Is
it totally off the wall to pick Boise State to make
the Sweet 16? Maybe, but Boise State played New Mexico
State three times this season. They should not be as
shell-shocked by Louisville’s press as Stanford was
last year. If Butler-Tennessee happens, it could be a
classic. If Butler wins it, who is left to challenge
North Carolina in the region? Notre Dame might if Luke
Harangody can keep from foul trouble. The most
important player in the region is a Tyler – Vols
forward Tyler Smith. With the exception of the
Arkansas SEC tournament game, the common thread to
Tennessee losses is games where Tyler Smith has
struggled. If he plays well, Tennessee will be a
mildly surprising Final Four entry.
First Round Winners: UNC, Arkansas, Notre Dame,
Washington State, St. Joe’s, Boise State, Butler,
Tennessee
Second Round Winners: UNC, Notre Dame, Boise
State, Tennessee
Sweet 16 Winners: UNC, Tennessee
Final 4 Team: Tennessee
MIDWEST REGION
Did Davidson only lose to UNC, Duke, and UCLA? No,
the Wildcats also lost to Charlotte, Western Michigan,
and NC State. Love the Wildcats, but Gonzaga has the
far more talented team. This may be a road game for
the Zags, but after winning at St Joe’s and UConn,
they shouldn’t sweat it. Gonzaga is the most talented
Mid Major this season, so I expect the longest NCAA
tournament run. If Wisconsin has the same start as it
did last season in the first round, CS-Fullerton will
be much tougher to come back on. Everyone seems to be
down on Vandy but while the Commodores play many close
games, they generally win most of them. A Kansas-Kent
second round game could be closer than expected.
First Round Winners: Kansas, Kent, Villanova,
Vanderbilt, Southern Cal, Wisconsin, Gonzaga,
Georgetown
Second Round Winners: Kansas, Vanderbilt,
Southern Cal, Gonzaga
Sweet 16 Winners: Kansas, Gonzaga
Final 4 Team: Kansas
SOUTH REGION
Aside from the geographical reasoning, does
anybody have an actual basketball motive for picking
Texas over Memphis? I get that Texas would be playing
close to home – but the more important factor should
be talent, and Memphis appears to have more of it. I
tried coming up with a scenario where Miami (Fl) beats
Saint Mary’s, and I just can’t find one. If the Gaels
lose, that would be the upset. If Kentucky beats
Marquette, it is quite possible the Wildcats beat
Stanford too. If Temple and Pitt both win, Denver
would host an interesting PA showdown of contrasting
styles. Saint Mary’s and Texas played earlier this
season at Austin, and the Gaels played well for a half
before succumbing to bad shot selection. If a rematch
materializes, it is not a “gimme” for the Horns.
First Round Winners: Memphis, Oregon, Michigan
State, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Stanford, Saint Mary’s,
Texas
Second Round Winners: Memphis, Michigan State,
Marquette, Texas
Sweet 16 Winners: Memphis, Texas
Final 4 Team: Memphis
WEST REGION
I am making an assumption: making the Final Four three
consecutive seasons is really hard, great program or
otherwise. With that in mind, I believe UCLA will
encounter stiffer opposition this year then last year,
and will not make it out of the region. If that
happens, this becomes the most wide open region in
years – Duke, UConn, Drake, West Virginia, even
Arizona and Baylor could make a run. I am going with
Xavier based on the Musketeers mix of experience,
depth, coaching, and talent. Josh Duncan is the
college version of Rasheed Wallace. When he is on his
game, Xavier is as good as anyone in the field.
First Round Winners: UConn, BYU, Drake, UConn,
Baylor, Xavier, West Virginia, Duke
Second Round Winners: UCLA, UConn, Xavier, West
Virginia
Sweet 16 Winners: UConn, Xavier
Final 4 Team: Xavier
WELCOME TO SAN ANTONIO
National Semi-Finals: Memphis over Xavier,
Tennessee over Kansas
National Champion: Tennessee
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Ehud Knoll is a sfaff writer for collegeinsider.com.
EMAIL EHUD
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