MIDWEST: Michigan State, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Miami (Ohio)
SOUTH: Auburn, Ohio State, St John's, Maryland
WEST: Connecticut, Iowa, Florida, Gonzaga
So far, it's been battle, as we have seen many upsets, especially in the West Region. First it was Ed Cota's North Carolina, falling to unheralded Weber State. Then it was Arthur Lee and Stanford, getting stunned by Gonzaga. It appears to be easy for Connecticut, but they'll have to watch out against Iowa, which has an incentive, since their coach Tom Davis will not be back at the end of the season. Gonzaga and Florida will be a good matchup, with two underdogs battling it out in Phoenix.
In the East, Duke rolled right over Tulsa on their road to the Final Four. March Mayhem continued as Southwest Missouri State surprisingly dominated Tennessee. Then it was #6 Temple with a convincing victory over 3rd seeded Cincinatti. Finally, #10 Purdue knocked off the 2nd seed Miami Hurricanes, and its a shame that Tim James couldn't continue his monstrous season.
In the Midwest, Jason Terry and Arizona were shocked by Eduardo Najera and the #13 Oklahoma Sooners. Then Oklahoma went out and beat #5 UNC Charlotte. Wally Sczerbiak of Miami of Ohio made his run for National Player of the Year with 43 point performance in a one-point win over Washington. Then Rick Majerus's Utah squad couldn't handle the Redhawk blitz, as Andre Miller could not lead his team to the Final Four. In a great game, Ryan Robertson's 31 points could not hold off Kentucky, as the Wildcats won in overtime, despite a great game by the young Kansas Jayhawks, who played their best March game in awhile.
In the South, UCLA and Louisville were upset, but the top four seeds are in the Sweet 16, leaving no chance for a Cinderella in Knoxville. The big matchup will be between the 2nd and 3rd seeds, Maryland and St. Johns. Both teams like to run and play a fast tempo game, but it appears as if the Terps are a stronger and bigger team, so Steve Francis and Maryland should be able to contain Ron Artest and the St. Johns Red Storm.
It's impossible to predicts who will be in the Final Four. This year has seen its share of upsets, with teams like Oklahoma, Miami of Ohio, and Southwest Missouri State making some noise in the tournament. Will Wally stun even more teams? Can Jim Calhoun and top-seeded Connecticut get past the upsets and get to their first Final Four ever? Will Duke be the huge powerhouse like everybody expects? Only time will tell.
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