2B
NCAA Predictions
Thursday March 12,1998
Jayhawk success in NCAA tourney is good prediction
Put that pen down! The tournament doesn't start for a few more hours, which means there is still time to change those tournament picks.
plaus.
So pay attention because the following either will be helpful or will expose me as a fraud.
Prediction: Roy Williams will cry at some point during the tournament.
Sleeper: No. 7 Temple, West.
John Chaney has his team playing this crazy matchup defense that will surprise teams.
Most likely first-round upset Look for No. 13 seed Eastern Michigan to upset No. 4 seed Michigan State in the East. Then watch No. 13 seed Utah State shock No. 4 seed Maryland in the West. The Terrapins may have defeated some good teams this season, but they lost to some bad ones.
■ Prediction: C.B. McGrath will hit a three-pointer against Prairie View A&M. The basket will be a big one, giving Kansas a 39-point victory and smashing the 36-point spread.
Spencer "Zuko" Duncan
- The 30 point spread
- Most fun to watch: No. 5
Princeton, East. Any team that consistently runs a backdoor—and gets away with it—gets my vote.
BACKUOR - and goes on.
Overrated team: No. 2 Cincinnati, West. It didn't deserve a No. 2 seed, and it will show when it gets thumped in the first or second round.
Underrated team: No. 12 Iona, South. The Gaels have an up-and-coming coach in Tim Welsh, are 27-5 overall, had 15 consecutive victories this year, went 12-3 on the road and have been the MAAC regular season champion three years in a row.
- Searest mascot: San Francisco Dons. Let them win or else wake up with a horse head in your bed.
**Prediction:** Jerod Haase will travel with Kansas, offering to sign his book at every stop.
Most overrated coach: Bob Huggins, Cincinnati. He plays light schedules, and he has yet to win a big game. And he's mean.
Most exciting player: Paul Pierce, Kansas. The All-American can hit a shot from anywhere on the court.
Best frontcourt: Kansas. Pierce and Raef LaFrentz, two first team All-Americans. "Nuff said."
two first team All-Star players
Best backcourt: Eastern Michigan guards Earl Boykins and Derrick Dial average a combined 47 points and nine assist per game.
- Interesting fact: Ryan Robertson's brother, Troy, is playing in the tournament. He is a guard for No. 10 seed St. Louis, which opens against No. 7 seed Massachusetts.
- Likely to choke: Princeton. The team played in the Ivy League, for goodness sake. I have a recreational team that could have finished second in that conference.
- Worst mascot: The Fightin' Blue Hens of Delaware. Sounds about as tough as well, a lawy, a Jayhawk.
South about as Baltimore. Prediction: Billy Thomas won't fumble a wide-open pass under the basket that could decide the game, as he did against Syracuse two years ago.
Schools you don't want to see win: Arizona, Syracuse and Virginia. The teams that have bounced Kansas the past three seasons.
How many Big 12 teams will lose in the opening round: One. Nebraska will fall to Arkansas.
My friend's incorrect prediction: Duke will win it all, defeating Kansas in the Final Four and beating UNC for the title.
Final Four: Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Arizona.
Arizona.
National Champion: Kansas defeats North Carolina, and Roy Williams breaks down into tears.
Four No.1 seeds should advance to San Antonio
■ Best first-round game; No. 10 seed Oklahoma vs. No. 7 seed Indiana, East.
Big 12 vs. Big 10. Kelvin vs. Bobbv. Good vs. Evil.
Between the completely out-of-control Knight and the Sooners' physical play, count on a tight game and more than one technical foul.
Overrated team: No.3 seed South Carolina, East.
Gamecock guards B.J McKie and Melvin Watson form a dynamite backcourt. But don't be surprised if South Carolina gets knocked off by No. 6 seed Xavier in the second round.
■ Underrated team: No.
7 seed Massachusetts,
South.
Harley "Anthony Lazarro, Jr." Ratliff
Kansas knows about the Minutemen. No team came as close this season as UMASS to spoiling the Jayhawks' winning streak at Allen Field House. Big men Lari Ketner and Tyrone Weeks ar
- Best player name: Evan "Hootie" Wiley, Oklahoma.
Hmi: Bingo, Madonna. Princess, Hootie.
Bougain and Tyrone Weeks are bruisers, and guard Charlton Clarkes can get hot.
Jim. Ringo. Madonna. Price.
Best frontcourt: No. I seed North Carolina, East.
Best frontcourt: No.1 Seed North Carolina, East The Tarheels take it by just a notch over the Jayhawks. But with probable player-of-the year Antawn Jamison, the electrifying play of Vince Carter, the versatility of Ademola Okulaja and reserves Brendan Haywood and Makhtar Ndiaye, the Tarheels have the most athletic frontcourt in the nation.
most athletic front coach in the nation
Best backcourt: No.1 seed Arizona, West
It is hard to argue against All-Americans Miles Simon and Mike Bibby and the best six man in the game, Jason Terry. There isn't a quicker backcourt in the land.
Toughest region: South.
Top-seeded Duke is awesome, and No. 2 seed Kentucky is playing its best basketball of the season. Throw in UCLA, UMass, New Mexico, Syracuse and Oklahoma State, and you have the region that you're glad your team isn't in.
Team you don't want to see win it all: No. 1 Duke, South...
Really, who does?
Really, who does:
Best player you've never heard of: C.J. Black, No. 8
seed Tennessee, West.
The former Kansas recruit quietly has spent the last two seasons putting up high-quality numbers. The 6-foot-8 Black is averaging nearly 15 points and seven rebounds and is one of the main reasons that the Volunteers are back in the Big Dance for the first time since 1989.
Best host city: Oklahoma City
Hey, it is like Wichita — just without the stench
of a uniform. Kentucky
For years, the Wildcats have sported some of the world's worst uniforms. Remember the denim? This year's squad, however, bucks the trend with classy all-white and all-blue uniforms. Maybe more teams will catch on.
Best-looking uniforms: Kentucky.
**Bold prediction:** Three of the four No. 3 seeds will be gone by the second round.
It is a weak year for No. 3 teams and a strong year for No. 6 teams. Of Utah, Michigan, Stanford and South Carolina, only one will make it to the Sweet 16.
Final Four: North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Arizona. For basketball fans, this would be a dream come true. The big dogs clearly are better than the rest of the pack. On any given night, one of these teams could beat the other.
Most likely to choke: No comment
Hoop dreams and things predicted in tourney column
Best frontcourt: No.1 Kansas, Midwest
that was a tough one. It was between Valparaiso, Iona and Kansas. Hmm, a real thinker; I guess Kansas edged out the others because of the depth that Raef, Paul, T.J., Cheno and Lester give to
Best Backcourt: No.1 Arizona, West
The Wildcats' backcourt has more quick than Nestlé. Simon says Mike Bibby, Michael Dickerson, Jason Terry and Miles Simon are the best guard tandem in the country by far.
Best tournament analyst: Bill Raftery's insights into the game and creativity with catch phrases such as "with the kiss off the glass" take him to the top of his profession.
processes
**Bold prediction:** CBS' audience will skyrocket for three weeks during the tourney, then fall when people realize that the best show on the network is "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Adam "Orange Julius"
Herschman
Easiest region: The Midthe alley top manager Best-dressed coach: Rick Majerus from Utah because he often wears a team sweater and not an Armani suit. You got to love it when a guy dresses for comfort first. I think coaches should wear the team uniform like the managers do in baseball
Easiest region: The Midwest is the weakest of the four regions, having the least amount, five, of top 25 teams in the USA Today/ESPN poll.
Today's BP nov. 14
Toughest region: The south seems to be the toughest region. UCLA, Kentucky, Michigan and UMASS all are vying for one of the region's two Elite Eight spots.
■ Best dunker: Kansas' Kenny Gregory and Carolina's Vince Carter could be featured in a Pointer Sisters or Van Halen video for the song Jump because of their ups. But I have to go with Maceo Baston from Michigan because he's eligible for a membership to the Frequent Dunker's Club.
Frequent Dinner @ 9:30
Best Fundamentals: No.5 Princeton, East
Best Fundamentals: No. 5 Princeton, East The Tigers stress team basketball to the highest level. I can't emphasize enough how important fundamentals such as the bounce pass, the chest pass and the alley-oop thunder dunk are in college hoops.
- Most likely first-round upset: No. 13 Butler vs. No. 4 New Mexico, South
The Lobos are inconsistent, and that's why Butler has a decent chance to pull the upset.
■ Best player you might not have heard of: Juan "Pepe" Sanchez from Temple does a nice job of running the Owl's halfcourt offense. He's a 6-foot-4 point guard with a strong perimeter game. Besides Sanchez, there are many other solid, lesser-known players that I'm just going to list: Larry Hughes, St. Louis; Rashed Brokenborough, Temple; Lari Ketner, UMASS; Tyson Wheeler, Rhode Island; Lee Nailon, TCU; Michael Dolece, Utah; James Posey, Xavier; Tyrone Nesby, UNLV; Steve Goodrich, Princeton; Tariq Kirksay, Iona; and Rico Hill, Illinois State.
Best first-round game: No. 9 Illinois State vs. No. 8 Tennessee, West
This one may go down to the wire.
This one may go down to the Sleepers (teams with a ninth seed or lower): West:
No. 9 Illinois State; East: No. 12 UNLV; Midwest: No. 12 Florida State; South: No. 13 Butler.
Florida State, South. North 10 to Bayton
*best mascot: Orange you glad I didn't say banana?*
The Syracuse Orangeman is the best mascot because it's big and orange. You got to give it props for being featured in an ESPN commercial (This is the first props I've ever given a mascot).
propriet Vendor given name
Final Four: North Carolina, Arizona, Stanford and
Kansas
National Champion: North Carolina
Lloyd Bridges inspires NCAA tournament picks
Disclaimer: These picks are inspired by a late-night visit from the ghost of Lloyd Bridges.
- Best first-round game: Kansas vs. Prairie View. Forget double-overtime duels and last-second shots. I'm going to sit back tomorrow night and watch a good, old-fashioned but kicking.
■ Best first-round individual matchup: In the East, No. 13 Eastern Michigan's Earl Boykins vs. No. 4 Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves. Even their names are exciting.
Most likely first-round upset: In the East, No. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Indiana. This isn't even an upset. Count on Hootie Wiley and company to put the hurt on the Hoosiers, giving them yet another early exit from the tournament.
Eric
"Huggy Bear"
westerland
- Best player you've never heard of: Bryce Drew, Valparaiso. This former Mr. Basketball in Indiana could have gone to a high-profile school, but he wanted to play for his dad, Homer. The result: four conference championships—regular season and tournament—in four seasons.
Underrated team: No. 12 Florida State, Midwest. The Seminoles beat Connecticut and Arizona before entering a late-season slump. If they regain their form, they will be Kansas' opponent in the Elite Eight.
Overrated team: No. 5 Princeton, East. Enough already about the backdoor cut. Who have they beaten this year? North Carolina State, Texas and Wake Forest. Big-name schools, mediocre teams.
My high school mascot was a Highlander. Four words: Barquines, kill, funny hat.
worst. Bagpies, knit.
■ Best player name: Marvin Gay, Murray State.
He's missing an "e" on the end of his name, but this guy still knows "What's goin' on."
Best host city: *me gusta* San Antonio, Margaritas, good food and live maracchi music. Plus the Alamo, a highly underderrated tourist attraction. If you go, check out the basement.
No. 15 seed most likely to win in the first round: Delaware, Midwest. The Fightin' Blue Hens are well-balanced and will prolong Purdue's tournament woes.
Best statistic: Prairie View A&M's odds of winning the tournament, according to expert Danny Sheridan: five gazillion to one. I didn't even think that was a real number.
■ Random prediction from the South: No. 10 St.
Louis will beat No. 7 Massachusetts by double digits.
Random prediction from the West (otherwise known as the easiest bracket in the history of the modern NCAA tournament): A TV announcer will get Arizona forwards Bennett Davison and A.J. Bramlett confused. No one will notice accept Arizona fans.
Quick mascot facts: Teams with a member of the cat family for a mascot: nine. Teams with a member of the dog family for a mascot: six. Bird mascots: seven.
■ Final Four picks: Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona.
I know, I know. It never happens. But I just don't see these teams losing, unless it's to each other
■ Champion: Kansas. Billy Thomas is the key. If he gets well and gets hot, no team in the country can stop the Jayhawks.
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