Monday, March 9, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 13
10 tournament teams to watch as the field goes from 64 to one
By Randy Withers Special to the Kansan
The Kansan's Randy Witers gives his top 10 picks to make some noise in this year's NCAA men's tournament:
1. Duke Blue Devils
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Coach: Mike Krzyezski
Record: 39-3 overall, 15-1 lift
Record: 29-3 overall, 15-1 in the ACC (finished first)
RPI Rating: No.3
could be the best team in America heading into the tournament.
Winning its conference games by an average margin of 25.4 points. Duke looks like it
The boys from Tobacco Road have put together a superb season despite going without freshman standout Elton Brand, a 6-foot-8, 270-pound monster in the post who broke his foot early in the season.
In Brand's absence, Krzyzewski has looked to fifth-year senior Roshown McLeod, who has stepped on the starting line to average a team-high 17.4 points in conference games.
With Brand returning to the Lineup for their last few games, Duke will be back to full strength just in time for the tournament.
2. Arizona Wildcats
RPI Rating: No.2
2. Arizona Wildcats
Conference: Pacific-10
Head Coach: Lute Olson
Record: 27-4 overall, 16-1 in the PAC-10 (finished first)
RPG Rank: No. 9
But the 'Cats look to be strong once, and they have been there before.
Of all the probable top seeds in the field, Arizona looks like the best candidate to crash and burn and make an early exit. we hope
Shooting guard Miles Simon and point guard Mike Bibby are two of the best players in America. Simon is a sniper, and Bibby, a lightning-quick sophomore, is already considered the best NBA prospect in the PAC-10.
A. J. Bramlett did an excellent job cleaning up in the paint during last year's tourney run, and he looks to do it again this year. Bramlett and his mates Michael Dickerson and Bennett Davison are one of the top-five frontcourt groups in the country.
RPI Rating: No.4
3. Kansas Jayhawks
Conference: Big 12
Head Coach: Roy Williams
Record: 34-3 overall, 15-1 in the
Big 12 (finished first)
BP Rating: No 4
Everyone in Lawrence knows that the boys, Big 12 Player of the Year Raef Frentz and First Team All-
Big 12 frontcourt partner Paul Pierce, are ready. The problem is, the rest of the 64-team field knows it, too.
This means shooting guard Billy Thomas will have to continue his strong play and recover from his thigh bruise. If the 'Hawks can't open it up from behind the arc ... well, let's not even think about that.
4. North Carolina Tar Heels Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference
Head Coach: Bill Guthridge
ACC (finished second)
second)
RPI Rating: No.1
Carolina is entering the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 37 years without coaching icon and former Jayhawk Dean Smith.
Enter Bill Guthridge, an assistant under Smith for 30 of those 37 years, and drastic change does not appear to be a hallmark of the new era of Tar Heel basketball.
The program that produced the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan, has developed yet another freak of nature. Junior power forward Antawn Jamison could join Jordan as the only Tar Heel to ever win the James Naismith Award.
Joining Jamison for the best aerial act in the nation are senior shooting guard Shammond Williams, a killer from behind the arc, and sophomore point guard Ed Cota, last year's ACC rookie of the year.
Add star forward Vince Carter to the fray, and you get the second-most talented team in the country, behind conference rival Duke.
Commentary
5. Utah Utes
Head Coach:
Rick Majerus
Conference:
Western Athletic
Record:
25-3
overall, 12-2 in
the WAC Mountain Division (finished first)
BMI Rating No. 89
RPI Rating: No.28
Don't look for the same type of tournament run from the Utes that last year's team put together.
Gone is three-time WAC Player of the Year Keith Van Horn, whose unbelievable, last-second heroics on back-to-back nights took Utah to the Sweet 16.
6. Connecticut
6. Connecticut
Huskies
Head Coach:
Jim Calhoun
Conference: Big East
Record: 29-4
overall, 15-3 in
the Big Eight 6
UConn is led by swingman Richard Hamilton, a 6-foot-11 sophomore and a legitimate scorer who knows how to get it done in the crunch.
Division (finished first)
RPI Rating: No.5
Coach Jim Calhoun, the Big East coach of the year, took a major gamble by throwing freshman point guard Khalid El-Amin into the fight as a starter, but it has paid off. El-Amin is the conference rookie of the year and has this team looking tough.
7. Kentucky Wildcats
Head Coach:
Tubby Smith
Conference:
Southeast
Record:
29-4
overall, 14-2 in
the SEC Eastern
Conference (finished first)
RPI Rating: No.6
Coach Tubby Smith's Wildcats are an interesting squad. They have a center, Nazr Mohammad, who is first in the conference in field-goal percentage. But he isn't utilized enough to rank among the top 20 scorers in the SEC.
The Wildcats led their conference in shooting, making 47.6 percent of their shots. Kentucky had the top-ranked defense in shooting percentage against, allowing only 39 percent as a team.
Kentucky clinched its 39th SEC title while compiling a 17-1 record on the road.
8. Princeton Tigers
Head Coach: Bill Carmody
Conference: Ivy League
Record: 26-1, 14-0 in the Ivy
League (finished first)
BRI Rating: No. 23
Princeton returned four starters from last year's undefeated Ivy League championship team, and that is a major reason for the team's success.
Coach Bill Carmody has put together back-to-back seasons with undefeated records in the Ivy League and NCAA Tournament berths in just two years of coaching. He has assembled a good team with an excellent mix of players.
The Tigers have two good guards in point guard Mitch Henderson and shooting guard Brian Earl.
RPI Rating: No. 33
9. Purdue Boilermakers
Record: 26-7 overall, 11-4 in决赛
Triple (finished third)
RPI (finished No. 8)
Head Coach:
Gene Keady
Conference: Big Ten
Senior center Brad Miller has become the center of everything for the Boilermakers.
After leading the way against Michigan State earlier in the season with 30 points and 12 boards, the 6-foot-11 post player is the decided leader of this team.
10. Mississippi Rebels
Head Coach: Rob Evans
Conference: Southeast
Record: 22-6, 12-4 in the SEC
Western Division (finished first)
RPI Rating: No. 17
Ansu Sesay has scored more than 19 points per game this year, has shown great touch from the perimeter and can score inside. The 6-foot-9 senior forward is the best player in the SEC and is a sure bet as a first-round pick in the NBA draft.
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