It has been a ride into March. So far, there's no doubt that the Duke Blue Devils are the top-ranked team in the country. You just have to look at that lineup and stare with awe. Chris Carrawell, William Avery, Shane Battier; and we're not even talking Trajan Langdon and Elton Brand, who most consider to be Duke's best players. They also have a bench to die for. With Nate James, Chris Burgess, and Corey Maggette, this is a team which will beat up on you early and wear you out. And that's what they have done to Maryland, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Michigan State. The ACC appears to be all Duke, with even strong teams in Maryland and North Carolina routed by this upstart Blue Devil team. Duke plays an all-around game which is so difficult to handle. Against North Carolina on Saturday, the rivals North Carolina were looking for the huge upset at home. The game was close in the second half until Trajan Langdon, who had been quiet all night, hit a turnaround jumper, then spiked the Tar Heels' hearts with a huge three. The main story was the rebounding edge, as the Blue Devils dominated the boards against a great rebounding team. In the end, it was another celebration in Durham, as Duke won on their rival's home court for the first time since '91. So far, the only team which has been able to beat the Blue Devils was the Cincinnati Bearcats, who led by the heroics of Kenyon Martin, Pete Mickeal, and Melvin Levett, inched past the Blue Devils, much to the dismay of adoring Trajan Langdon fans in Alaska.
The Cincinnati Bearcats have been off to a stellar year. Winning 20 games in record-setting pace was one of the signs of a special season. Then it all seemed to come apart. Despite a few losses, Cincy has been dominant, and in the season finale, crushed Memphis, whom did not nearly live up to high expectations this season. Unfortunately, losing in the Conference USA tournament hurt the Bearcats, and they are only the third seed in the West Region of the NCAA tournament. Expect them, however, to be dangerous with their multiple weapons. You can expect that Martin, Levett, and the sensational JC transfer Mickeal will make a splash in the Road to the Final Four.
When the Connecticut Huskies lost to the Miami Hurricanes, both the Auburn Tigers and the Michigan State Spartans moved up to push the stunned Huskies down. Unfortunately for Chris Porter and the surprising Tigers, Alabama turned out to be a hostile place for this Auburn team, as it fell to No. 4, while Michigan State climbed to No. 2 and UConn inched its way towards the top at No. 3 with an impressive win over Big East rival Syracuse, clinching the conference title.
