BRACKET BASH
NO.1 KANSAS
Region: Southwest Second Round Opponent: Boston (Friday, March 18)
Coach Bill Self thought his team was a lock for a No.1 seed after defeating Oklahoma State on Thursday, and this was no surprise. Kansas will be traveling to Tulsa, Okla., before it potentially moves on to San Antonio, where it won the National Championship in 2008. Kansas will most likely get by Boston with ease, because a No.16 seed has never defeated a No.1 seed. The Jayhawks could see either No. 8 UNLV or No.9 Illinois. This is the third time in four years that UNLV is on the 8/9 line when Kansas is the No.1 seed. It will be a sentimental matchup if it is either team because former Jayhawk Quin trell Thomas is now a Running Rebel and sophomore guard Elijah Johnson was recruited by UNLV. If Kansas plays Illinois, then there's the history of Self's former team
NO. 5 KANSAS STATE
NO.4 TEXAS
Second Round Opponent: Oakland (Friday, March 18)
Region:West
A five seed might be a little generous. Kansas State did finish the season strong, but that might be looked at a little too much. This team faces a very senior-heavy Utah State squad, whose fans travel very well. If the Wildcats do advance out of the Second Round, it will most likely face Wisconsin, who defeated the No.1 overall seed Ohio State earlier in the season. Kansas State was lucky enough to make it in after its start in conference play, but its stay in the tournament might not be as long as it hoped.
It is shocking to see Texas as a four seed, especially in the West Region. A few weeks ago, before Texas lost three of its last five conference games, Texas was considered one of the best, if not the best, team in the nation. After Saturday's loss to Kansas, Texas looked like a two seed, but the NCAA Selection Committee didn't see it that way. Texas has proven itself and has what it takes to make it to the Final Four.
Region: Southeast Second Round Opponent: Utah State (Thursday, March 17)
NO.1 COLORADO
ATM NO. 7 TEXAS A&M
Region: Southwest Second Round Opponent: Florida State (Friday, March 18)
This seed is a little low. Texas A&M didn't play well down the stretch, but still won. It should really be the five seed and Kansas State should be the seven seed. Texas A&M will have a difficult
first game against Florida State, but if it does advance to the Third Round, it will play a Notre Dame team that is only 72 miles away from home. Texas
A&M will be able to slow down the tempo, which doesn't bode well for Notre Dame. Texas A&M played some great basketball against Missouri on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament and coach Mark Turgeon should be pleased heading into the NCAAs.
NO.11 MISSOURI
Region: West
Second Round Opponent: Cincinnati (Thursday, March 17)
Missouri was only 1-7 on the road in conference play and it will play a conference caliber team in Cincinnati. The Bearcats are a tough team to rebound against, but if the Tigers can control the tempo, they will have the upper hand. The 11 seed is a little under-seeded, just like the rest of the Big 12, except for Kansas, which was spot on, and Kansas State, which was over-seeded. If Missouri wins, it will most likely face Connecticut, which is coming off five wins in five days to capture the Big East Conference Championship. UConn likes to play an up-tempo game with Kemba Walker running the show. Missouri doesn't have anybody who will be able to guard him, making Missouri out in the Third Round at the latest.
Region: NIT
The Buffaloes got snubbed. Coach Tad Boyle said he was shocked his team didn't make it and that his players were devastated. He isn't concerned about Tad Boyle, Colorado Basketball or
COMMENTARY
What's to come in NCAA
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
Aone seed is just a title. Will Kansas fall early in the NCAA tournament, or go all the way? Here's a look at potential opponents on the road ahead.
(16) Boston University: I'm Beantown-bred, but I hold no qualms here. Jordan Juenemann has a better chance at a double-double than the Terriers' chances of beating the Jayhawks.
(9) Illinois: Bill Self could be taking on his former team in the second round. Luckily, Self's with us, so guys on par with Deron Williams and Dee Brown cannot be found. Point guard Demetri McCamey has premier talent, but lacks consistency.
Second Round
(8) UNLV. Long gone is the Tarkanian era, but the Runnin' Rebels should not be taken lightly. Their shaky offense is masked with pesky man-to-man defense that
(13) Morehead State: Let's get this out of the way: this school is a respected institution and not a region of pubescent dreams. I don't think the Eagles have enough scorers to get out of the first round, but their 416 field-goal defense could prove me wrong.
often installs full-court pressure. And we all know that Kansas is no lock to get past the second round.
Sweet Sixteen
(12) Richmond: The Spiders possess an NBA-bound duo with point guard Kevin Anderson and power forward Justin Harper. They didn't beat anyone scary this season, but they've got classic upset ingredients: steady zone defense and rain showers of threes.
(5) Vanderbilt: Every year, it seems the Commodores are positioned with a similar seed, and often fall to some hungry, smaller school. Siena in 2008. Murray State last year. I'm sensing a trend here.
(4) Louisville: Hidden beneath the goliaths of the Big East, the Cardinals can reach the Final Four almost every year. Guard Preston Knowles (no relation to Beyonce) leads a turnover-inducing, three-point firing squad that may pose Kansas with its biggest threat.
Elite Eight (This writer thinks Akron, St. Peter's, Southern California, Virginia
Commonwealth and Florida State won't be around.)
(7) Texas A&M: Those Aggies were awfully bothersome in an ugly 64-51 victory at Allen Fieldhouse on March 2. Their physical defense must be matched with offense that they usually struggle to find.
(3) Purdue: The Boilermakers again lost Robbie Hummel to a knee injury, but they've still got a dangerous senior duo with Big Ten Player of the Year Ja Juan Johnson and E'Etwain Moore. If the Jayhawks get this far, this is my bet for the match.
(6) Georgetown: The Hoyas are another Big East beast, but guard Chris Wright broke a bone in his non-shooting hand. Will they figure it out without Wright or drop in the early rounds?
(2) Notre Dame: With Ben Hansbrough (brother of NBA forward Tyler) at the helm, the Irish are optimistic, but recent history goes against them. They haven't won more than one tourney game since 2003.
Edited by Emily Soetaert
All Four/Championship Will it be Pittsburgh, Kansas State, Duke, Connecticut, Texas, Ohio State, Syracuse, North Carolina or someone else? Here's hoping we even care in April.
Final Four/Championship
COMMENTARY
Snubs deserve explanation
BY TIM DWYER
tdlwyer@kansan.com
Tad Boyle, Anthony Grant, Randy Bennett and Seth Greenberg won't receive apologies or explanations from the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
Maybe they should, though.
Those four — who coach Colorado, Alabama, Saint Mary's and Virginia Tech, respectively — were widely acknowledged as the biggest snubs in the NCAA Tournament, glossed over in favor of these last four teams: USC, Virginia Commonwealth, UAB and Clemson.
Greenberg canceled a press conference he had scheduled on Thursday night and Bennett told local media that he was having a hard time understanding how his team wasn't in the tournament field.
Kansas coach Bill Self had
plenty to say on behalf of Boyle and the Buffaloes.
"You beat K-State three times and Texas," Self said about the Buffalooes' performance this season. "To me those are two teams that have a chance to be Final Four-type teams, and I think that speaks for itself right there. Somebody's going to have a gripe every year, but I would say, from my standpoint, and I'm a little biased, I would say Colorado has a reason to gripe as much as anybody."
"I thought they deserved to be in," Kansas guard Tyrel Reed said. "They're a great team. They've got two elite scorers, and they were playing really well at the end."
Colorado's résumé is stronger than most, but it'll wind up on the outside looking in after a .500 season in the Big 12. The Buffaloes are one of only 12 teams in the country to have a winning record against teams in the top 25 of the RPI.
The Jayhawks had plenty of time to comment on the plight of some other schools - Self also said he thought Texas would be a two seed, when they wound up as a four - because they
"I like my team a lot," Self said, "but Ohio State deserved to be the number one overall seed. I think they've been the most consistent performing team. When we play really well, I think you can make a case for us, but we haven't been as consistent playing to that level as they have."
are camped comfortably atop the Southwest region as the No. 1 seed. Along with them, Ohio State, Pitt and Duke are the other one seeds, with the Buckeyes taking the top overall spot.
Throughout the selection show, the camera cut to live feeds of each team as it watched the announcement. Most teams, predictably, reacted with excitement bordering on jubilation. When the camera cut to Kansas, though, there was scattered applause, but the joy was muted.
"We're all excited," senior guard Brady Morningstar said. "We've just been through this process a lot of times. We knew we were going to be a one seed."
- Edited by Helen Mubarak