Sixty-four games in 21 days to go from 65 teams to one. How the brackets break down for the NCAA tournament:
CHICAGO REGIONAL
Illinois was rewarded like no other No. 1 seed with short bus rides to Indianapolis and Chicago - setting up one more to St. Louis for the Final Four.
The Illini show up with the gaudiest record and one nagging question: Is the frontcourt good enough for a championship run? Forward James Augustine was the MVP of the Big Ten tournament, but the Illini still rely on the three-guard rotation of Deron Williams (12.2 points per game), Luther Head (15.8) and Dee Brown (13.4).
Oklahoma State, with four senior starters back from last year's Final Four team, has played a more uptempo style since 6-foot-3 freshman JamesOn Curry was inserted into the starting lineup alongside playmaker John Lucas III. The trademark defense is still there, too, as opponents shot just 34.6 percent.
Arizona has been its best when Salim Stoudamire gets going from 3-point range, where he hit 53 percent (107-for-204) during the regular season.
Boston College was undefeated after 20 games but finished 4-4 to lose its chance at a No. 1 seeding. The Eagles need Craig Smith and Jared Dudley to return to all-Big East form.
First-round winners: Illinois, Texas, Alabama, Boston College, LSU, Arizona, Southern Illinois, Oklahoma State.
Second-round upset: LSU's only loss in its last eight games was in overtime to Kentucky, and Brandon Bass and the Tigers keep the late-season success going with a win over Arizona.
Third round: Illinois wins a shootout with Alabama. Oklahoma State slows down LSU.
Regional champ: The matchup of the Illinois guards with Curry and Lucas will draw the headlines, but the key is the Illini frontcourt handling Joey Graham.
ALBUQUERQUE REGIONAL
Washington was the surprise of the No. 1 seeds but the Huskies had enough to earn it following a win over Arizona in the Pac-10 tournament championship game.
The Huskies have proven they are capable of the type of run necessary against NCAA-caliber opponents, having beaten Utah, Oklahoma and Alabama on consecutive days to win the Great Alaska Shootout. Nate Robinson, the 5-9 guard, leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points and in spectacular dunks. Tre Simmons lives up to his first name with 72 3-pointers.
Wake Forest lost its No. 1 seed with a quarterfinal loss in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, a game the Demon Deacons played without preseason national player of the year Chris Paul, who was suspended for throwing a punch. One of three teams to be ranked No. 1 this season, Wake Forest has to tighten its defense after allowing 73.4 points per game.
Gonzaga had some impressive wins early - Washington, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State - and plenty late. The Bulldogs are on a 12-game winning streak, riding the duo of 6-8 sophomore Adam Morrison (18.5) and 6-10 senior Ronny Turiaf (14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds).
Louisville, winner of nine straight, was the one team with a legitimate complaint about its seeding as the double champion of Conference USA finished fourth in the final poll. The Cardinals get little help from the bench and rely on forward Francisco Garcia and guard Taquan Dean.
First-round winners: Washington, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Wake Forest.
Second-round upset: Pittsburgh doesn't do anything great except play a very physical style. The Panthers outrebound their opponents 38-29 and senior forward Chevon Troutman (15.1 points, 8.0 rebounds) is one of the most underrated players in the country.
Third round: Louisville and its nearly 10 3-pointers per game beat Pittsburgh. Gonzaga, with Morrison approaching rock star status, beats Wake Forest in a high-scoring shootout.
Regional champion: The shot clock operator can take the night off as Gonzaga shakes the mid-major label with an up-and-down win over Louisville.
SYRACUSE REGIONAL
North Carolina may never have reached No. 1 this season, but many considered the Tar Heels the best team in the country. One of the deepest teams in the field, the Tar Heels have five players averaging between 16.5 and 11.2 points per game.
Center Sean May averages a double-double with 16.5 points and 10.7 rebounds, and point guard Raymond Felton is averaging 6.9 assists. Rashad McCants (15.8) provides the outside threat after missing four games with an intestinal problem. The loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC semifinals ended an eight-game winning streak that included wins over Connecticut and Duke.
Connecticut entered the Big East tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country, but the Huskies looked their worst in a win over Georgetown and a loss to Syracuse in the semifinals. Marcus Williams is among the nation's leaders at 8.0 assists per game, and the frontline of Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva and Rudy Gay may be the most talented in the country.
Kansas, the preseason No. 1, comes in having lost five of eight games. Wayne Simien (20.2 points, 11.1 rebounds) is one of the best players in the country - the best, according to some. The Jayhawks' biggest concerns are the sprained ankle Keith Langford (14.7) suffered in the regular-season finale and their 69 percent free throw shooting.
Florida has won seven straight games, the last four over ranked or NCAA teams: two over Kentucky within eight days, one over Alabama and the other over Mississippi State. The offense comes from Anthony Roberson (18.2), Matt Walsh (14.5) and David Lee (13.4).
First-round winners: North Carolina, Iowa State, New Mexico, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina State, Connecticut.
Second-round upset: A 12th-seeded team has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for four straight years and New Mexico makes it five. The Lobos are a much better team since the return of forward Danny Granger (19.0 points, 8.8 rebounds) from injury. Just ask Utah, which lost to them twice in the last two weeks.
Third round: North Carolina ends New Mexico's run and Connecticut beats Kansas, sparing Carolina coach Roy Williams a matchup against the team he took to three Final Fours before leaving for Chapel Hill two years ago.
Regional champ: Connecticut avenges a 77-70 loss to North Carolina last month and earns a trip to St. Louis to defend its national championship.
AUSTIN REGIONAL
If only starters played in the NCAA tournament, Duke would be a big favorite, but the Blue Devils have been playing with a short rotation.
Three players - J.J. Redick (22.8), Shelden Williams (15.6) and Daniel Ewing (15.1) - have logged over 1,000 minutes. The Blue Devils won the ACC tournament for the sixth time in seven years and hope to get injured guard Sean Dockery back to add depth.
Redick is one of the best shooters in the country from the free throw line (93.5 percent) and beyond the 3-point line (41.7 percent). His shooting opens the inside for Williams, a 58.9 shooter from the field.
Kentucky won the SEC regular season title and reached the tournament title game with defense, allowing opponents 61.9 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting. But the Wildcats are suspect inside. They have struggled on the boards all season and were outrebounded 48-31 in their SEC championship game loss to Florida.
Their perimeter game is streaky at best. They shot only 45.9 percent for the season, including a dismal 2 of 19 beyond the 3-point line against Florida, and they hit only 66.4 percent of their free throws.
Oklahoma has a balanced attack with seven players averaging between 14.5 and 7.2 points. The Sooners' rebounding depends on Taj Gray (7.8) and Kevin Bookout (6.6).
Syracuse won the Big East tournament for the first time since 1992, and it was because of Hakim Warrick (21.4 points, 8.5 rebounds), one of the best dunkers in the game, and the Orange's 2-3 zone defense that forces teams into uncomfortable shots.
First-round winners: Duke, Mississippi State, Michigan State, Syracuse, Utah, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kentucky.
Second-round upset: Utah's 7-foot Andrew Bogut (20.7 points, 12.3 rebounds) has become a national figure with his inside-outside game - it's inside where he causes problems for Oklahoma.
Third round: Syracuse's zone stops everybody on Duke except Redick, and the Orange prevail by causing foul problems for the Blue Devils. Kentucky comes up with the defensive effort to handle Bogut in a low-scoring win.
Regional champ: Syracuse's zone really gives Kentucky's shooters a headache and the Orange get back to the Final Four after winning it all in 2003.
FINAL FOUR
Connecticut and Syracuse make it seven straight years that one conference has had two teams in the national semifinals.
Since they're on the same side of the bracket, only Connecticut moves on, beating the Orange for the third time in four meetings as the frontline comes out a lot tougher than it did in the Big East tournament.
Gonzaga's Turiaf and Morrison are able to score on Illinois, and the Bulldogs prevail in a high-scoring game.
The championship game will be bicoastal battle between a team from a conference used to having only one team in the tournament against one from a league usually a lock for six bids.
Score one for the little guys.
Gonzaga finds a way and keeps Connecticut from becoming the first repeat champion since Duke in 1992.
Illinois was rewarded like no other No. 1 seed with short bus rides to Indianapolis and Chicago - setting up one more to St. Louis for the Final Four.
The Illini show up with the gaudiest record and one nagging question: Is the frontcourt good enough for a championship run? Forward James Augustine was the MVP of the Big Ten tournament, but the Illini still rely on the three-guard rotation of Deron Williams (12.2 points per game), Luther Head (15.8) and Dee Brown (13.4).
Oklahoma State, with four senior starters back from last year's Final Four team, has played a more uptempo style since 6-foot-3 freshman JamesOn Curry was inserted into the starting lineup alongside playmaker John Lucas III. The trademark defense is still there, too, as opponents shot just 34.6 percent.
Arizona has been its best when Salim Stoudamire gets going from 3-point range, where he hit 53 percent (107-for-204) during the regular season.
Boston College was undefeated after 20 games but finished 4-4 to lose its chance at a No. 1 seeding. The Eagles need Craig Smith and Jared Dudley to return to all-Big East form.
First-round winners: Illinois, Texas, Alabama, Boston College, LSU, Arizona, Southern Illinois, Oklahoma State.
Second-round upset: LSU's only loss in its last eight games was in overtime to Kentucky, and Brandon Bass and the Tigers keep the late-season success going with a win over Arizona.
Third round: Illinois wins a shootout with Alabama. Oklahoma State slows down LSU.
Regional champ: The matchup of the Illinois guards with Curry and Lucas will draw the headlines, but the key is the Illini frontcourt handling Joey Graham.
ALBUQUERQUE REGIONAL
Washington was the surprise of the No. 1 seeds but the Huskies had enough to earn it following a win over Arizona in the Pac-10 tournament championship game.
The Huskies have proven they are capable of the type of run necessary against NCAA-caliber opponents, having beaten Utah, Oklahoma and Alabama on consecutive days to win the Great Alaska Shootout. Nate Robinson, the 5-9 guard, leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points and in spectacular dunks. Tre Simmons lives up to his first name with 72 3-pointers.
Wake Forest lost its No. 1 seed with a quarterfinal loss in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, a game the Demon Deacons played without preseason national player of the year Chris Paul, who was suspended for throwing a punch. One of three teams to be ranked No. 1 this season, Wake Forest has to tighten its defense after allowing 73.4 points per game.
Gonzaga had some impressive wins early - Washington, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State - and plenty late. The Bulldogs are on a 12-game winning streak, riding the duo of 6-8 sophomore Adam Morrison (18.5) and 6-10 senior Ronny Turiaf (14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds).
Louisville, winner of nine straight, was the one team with a legitimate complaint about its seeding as the double champion of Conference USA finished fourth in the final poll. The Cardinals get little help from the bench and rely on forward Francisco Garcia and guard Taquan Dean.
First-round winners: Washington, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Texas Tech, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Wake Forest.
Second-round upset: Pittsburgh doesn't do anything great except play a very physical style. The Panthers outrebound their opponents 38-29 and senior forward Chevon Troutman (15.1 points, 8.0 rebounds) is one of the most underrated players in the country.
Third round: Louisville and its nearly 10 3-pointers per game beat Pittsburgh. Gonzaga, with Morrison approaching rock star status, beats Wake Forest in a high-scoring shootout.
Regional champion: The shot clock operator can take the night off as Gonzaga shakes the mid-major label with an up-and-down win over Louisville.
SYRACUSE REGIONAL
North Carolina may never have reached No. 1 this season, but many considered the Tar Heels the best team in the country. One of the deepest teams in the field, the Tar Heels have five players averaging between 16.5 and 11.2 points per game.
Center Sean May averages a double-double with 16.5 points and 10.7 rebounds, and point guard Raymond Felton is averaging 6.9 assists. Rashad McCants (15.8) provides the outside threat after missing four games with an intestinal problem. The loss to Georgia Tech in the ACC semifinals ended an eight-game winning streak that included wins over Connecticut and Duke.
Connecticut entered the Big East tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country, but the Huskies looked their worst in a win over Georgetown and a loss to Syracuse in the semifinals. Marcus Williams is among the nation's leaders at 8.0 assists per game, and the frontline of Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva and Rudy Gay may be the most talented in the country.
Kansas, the preseason No. 1, comes in having lost five of eight games. Wayne Simien (20.2 points, 11.1 rebounds) is one of the best players in the country - the best, according to some. The Jayhawks' biggest concerns are the sprained ankle Keith Langford (14.7) suffered in the regular-season finale and their 69 percent free throw shooting.
Florida has won seven straight games, the last four over ranked or NCAA teams: two over Kentucky within eight days, one over Alabama and the other over Mississippi State. The offense comes from Anthony Roberson (18.2), Matt Walsh (14.5) and David Lee (13.4).
First-round winners: North Carolina, Iowa State, New Mexico, Florida, Wisconsin, Kansas, North Carolina State, Connecticut.
Second-round upset: A 12th-seeded team has advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for four straight years and New Mexico makes it five. The Lobos are a much better team since the return of forward Danny Granger (19.0 points, 8.8 rebounds) from injury. Just ask Utah, which lost to them twice in the last two weeks.
Third round: North Carolina ends New Mexico's run and Connecticut beats Kansas, sparing Carolina coach Roy Williams a matchup against the team he took to three Final Fours before leaving for Chapel Hill two years ago.
Regional champ: Connecticut avenges a 77-70 loss to North Carolina last month and earns a trip to St. Louis to defend its national championship.
AUSTIN REGIONAL
If only starters played in the NCAA tournament, Duke would be a big favorite, but the Blue Devils have been playing with a short rotation.
Three players - J.J. Redick (22.8), Shelden Williams (15.6) and Daniel Ewing (15.1) - have logged over 1,000 minutes. The Blue Devils won the ACC tournament for the sixth time in seven years and hope to get injured guard Sean Dockery back to add depth.
Redick is one of the best shooters in the country from the free throw line (93.5 percent) and beyond the 3-point line (41.7 percent). His shooting opens the inside for Williams, a 58.9 shooter from the field.
Kentucky won the SEC regular season title and reached the tournament title game with defense, allowing opponents 61.9 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting. But the Wildcats are suspect inside. They have struggled on the boards all season and were outrebounded 48-31 in their SEC championship game loss to Florida.
Their perimeter game is streaky at best. They shot only 45.9 percent for the season, including a dismal 2 of 19 beyond the 3-point line against Florida, and they hit only 66.4 percent of their free throws.
Oklahoma has a balanced attack with seven players averaging between 14.5 and 7.2 points. The Sooners' rebounding depends on Taj Gray (7.8) and Kevin Bookout (6.6).
Syracuse won the Big East tournament for the first time since 1992, and it was because of Hakim Warrick (21.4 points, 8.5 rebounds), one of the best dunkers in the game, and the Orange's 2-3 zone defense that forces teams into uncomfortable shots.
First-round winners: Duke, Mississippi State, Michigan State, Syracuse, Utah, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kentucky.
Second-round upset: Utah's 7-foot Andrew Bogut (20.7 points, 12.3 rebounds) has become a national figure with his inside-outside game - it's inside where he causes problems for Oklahoma.
Third round: Syracuse's zone stops everybody on Duke except Redick, and the Orange prevail by causing foul problems for the Blue Devils. Kentucky comes up with the defensive effort to handle Bogut in a low-scoring win.
Regional champ: Syracuse's zone really gives Kentucky's shooters a headache and the Orange get back to the Final Four after winning it all in 2003.
FINAL FOUR
Connecticut and Syracuse make it seven straight years that one conference has had two teams in the national semifinals.
Since they're on the same side of the bracket, only Connecticut moves on, beating the Orange for the third time in four meetings as the frontline comes out a lot tougher than it did in the Big East tournament.
Gonzaga's Turiaf and Morrison are able to score on Illinois, and the Bulldogs prevail in a high-scoring game.
The championship game will be bicoastal battle between a team from a conference used to having only one team in the tournament against one from a league usually a lock for six bids.
Score one for the little guys.
Gonzaga finds a way and keeps Connecticut from becoming the first repeat champion since Duke in 1992.
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