College Basketball Reference

By Adam Kiefaber

With the NBA Draft Lottery about a week away, I feel that it is appropriate to take a quick look at the top 14 prospects.

You have to consider that there are only 60 total draft picks in the June 26 NBA Draft and a total of 91 players that have filed as early entry candidates for the draft. If you sprinkle in the graduated seniors, you have to figure many of those underclassman that filed for early entry will return to their schools.

The full list of 2008 NBA Draft’s early entires is full of names that you wouldn’t think are ready for the NBA. Thus there are many early entry NBA Draft prospects that have not hired an agent, which means that they could decide to back out, but have to that by June 16.

One underclassman that is ready for the NBA Draft is Memphis freshman point guard Derrick Rose (above). In addition to Rose, there are numerous other freshmen that are ranked in the top 14. Luckily due to NBA’s new draft rule that forces high school seniors to be one year removed before entering the draft, a college basketball site like CBR can discuss the draft.

Here is a look at my current top 14.

1. Derrick Rose - Memphis (6-foot-3 205 lbs.)
This 19-year-old prospect played only one season, but became a starter on a Memphis team that didn’t have any room for a new one. Last season, Rose averaged 14.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Almost every scout expects Rose to be the great young point guard and be mentioned in the same breath as Chris Paul and Deron Williams. No one is disagreeing that Rose would be an NBA All-Star, he does need to limit his turnovers, which sometimes hurt the Tigers early last season.
2. Michael Beasley - Kansas St. (6-foot-10 235 lbs.)
Similar to last year’s NBA Draft, there will be two freshmen at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots that people will argue about who should be the first pick chosen. Both Beasley and Rose will provide an immediate impact to any NBA team, however I expect that Beasley will be able to contribute at higher level right away. Overall, Rose could be the better prospect to build around, but I see Beasley being able to score around 20 points and pull down about 10 rebounds in his rookie season. Last year, Beasley, who turned 19 years old in January, averaged 26.2 points (third in the nation) and led the nation with 12.4 rebounds. The thing that excites me the most about Beasley is his range, last year he shot 37.9 percent from beyond the three-point line.
3. Jerryd Bayless - Arizona (6-foot-3 199 lbs.)
If the team that ends up in this slot needs a point guard, they would be foolish not to draft Bayless. Like Rose, he needs to cut down on his turnovers, but he has to do that since he is only 19 years old. Not only a great scorer (19.7 ppg), Bayless is also a great passer dishing out four assists per game. Reminds many of Gilbert Arenas and former Zona guard Mike Bibby in that he can score and play the point.
4. Brook Lopez - Stanford (7-foot-0 260 lbs.)
Many draft self-called experts consider Lopez to be the safer pick at No. 3, but his potential of being a superstar. My question is, if you are picking at No. 3, wouldn’t be trying to get a superstar and not a safe pick? However, it is a tricky question because most team’s would take a solid 7-footer to contribute 15 ppg and 10 rpg, in my mind that is a superstar when consider the lack of talent at the position. I don’t think teams need to worry about Lopez, he was a solid player (19.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg) in a tough conference and also played his best under pressure.
5. Kevin Love - UCLA (6-foot-10 271 lbs.)
Don’t laugh, if you paying attention to mock draft boards already than you already know that no one has Love rated this well. Personally, I don’t understand why. Love can score inside and outside, even though it aggravates many college basketball fans to hear this, but he is really a terrific passer. Early indications have Love being selected around the middle of the first round, I think his stock should inch into the top ten by draft night, if it doesn’t one team is going to get a steal and a potential All-Star power forward.
6. O.J. Mayo - USC (6-foot-5 200 lbs.)
Almost every draft follower will agree when someone says that Mayo will be a better pro than collegiate ball player. That is probably because of his turnover problems trying to lead a USC team, while in the NBA he will be given the opportunity to play the shooting guard the entire game. Personally, I would like to see Mayo challenge himself and become a No. 1, but that is really up to the team that drafts him. Last year, Mayo averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds. The team that selects Mayo will be get a solid scoring option.
7. Anthony Randolph - LSU (6-foot-11 220 lbs.)
I can envision Randolph’s stock going up and down. Because of LSU’s poor season, many fans don’t know much about the prospect, but he is an athletic power forward that score and rebound. He is one of those prospects that NBA scouts love, but GMs might be afraid to gamble on and would rather have a name that the fan base can get excited about. Randolph averaged 15.6 points and 8.5 rebounds last year.

The bottom seven:

8.) D.J. Augustin - Texas (6-foot-0 180 lbs.)
Augustin might slip in this draft because he is not as athletic as the other freshman, but he might the most NBA-ready point guard in the draft, however he might have to be a backup in his first year. Last year, he averaged 19.2 ppg and 5.8 apg.
9.) DeAndre Jordan - Texas A&M (7-foot-0 255 lbs.)
Hasn’t hired an agent yet, but scouts love his size and athleticism. Last year, he averaged only 7.9 points and 6 rebounds a game.
10.) Russell Westbrook - UCLA (6-foot-3 189 lbs.)
Most projections have Westbrook rated better than his teammate (Love). He definitely earned some more fans this year, as he received more playing time. Last year, he averaged 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and shot 46.5 percent from the floor.
11.) Eric Gordon - Indiana (6-foot-4 215 lbs.)
Like Mayo, people expect Gordon to be a better NBA player rather than the player he was in college. His turnover/bad decisions gave IU fans fits last year, but the kid could score and averaged 20.9 points a game.
12.) Danilo Gallinari - Italy (6-foot-9 220 lbs.)
Gallinari seems to be the top athlete from Europe. Stock could rise as the draft approaches. Supposedly has a great jumper.
13.) Darrell Arthur - Kansas (6-foot-9 230 lbs.)
Arthur could be the most athletic forward in this class. Is only 6-9 and is skinny, but has extremely long arms and plays taller. Last year, he averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds a game.
14.) didn’t want to pick so I’ll leave it open for debate:
JaVale McGee (Nevada), Chase Budinger (Arizona), Nicolas Batum (France), Joe Alexander (WVU), Robin Lopez (Stanford), Donte Greene (Syracuse), Kosta Koufos (Ohio State), Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis), Brandon Rush (Kansas), Mario Chalmers (Kansas), Wayne Ellington (UNC) or Roy Hibbert (GTOWN)

That 14 spot is hard to pick, there should be some steals in the middle of the first round depending who stays in school and who stays in the draft pool

By Adam Kiefaber

While most of the sports world is concerned with the NFL Draft, which begins April 26, there hasn’t been much talk about the NBA Draft, which has an April 27 deadline for college basketball underclassmen to declare themselves eligible.

Due to the new rule (in second year) that forces players to be one year removed from high school before being eligible for the draft, many of the early entries are college freshmen.

Let’s take a look at the top early entries:

Arizona Guard Jerryd Bayless 6-3, 190 - The surprising thing is that the Wildcats won’t miss a beat after losing one of the best guards in the country as they replace Bayless with the top incoming freshman (at guard) in Brandon Jennings. Bayless should be a Top 10 pick.

Kansas State Forward Michael Beasley 6-9, 230 - Recently announced that he was going pro and admitted that it was a tough decision. Kind of surprising for a guy that averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds a game. Beasley is extremely talented and can hit three-point shots. He will be a Top 5 pick.

Indiana Guard Eric Gordon 6-4, 215 - It is surprising that some IU fans are happy that Gordon will be gone this season after averaging 20.9 points per game last season. Gordon definitely made a lot of freshman mistakes last year and personally I believe his game is more suited for the NBA level. He should picked somewhere in the Top 15.

Stanford Center Brook and Robin Lopez 7-0, 260 - NBA teams need seven footers, so Brook Lopez should be a Top 5 pick. However, Robin could have benefitted by playing without his brother. What a terrible offseason so far for Stanford, the team has lost two big men and its coach, Trent Johnson, who took the job at LSU.

UCLA Center Kevin Love 6-9, 260 - Love doesn’t have the size to be a center in the NBA, but he will make a great power forward. Love averaged 17.5 points and 10.6 rebounds a game last season and should be a Top 10 pick.

USC Guard O.J. Mayo 6-4, 195 - Similar to Gordon in regards to his game being more suited for the NBA. I’m not sure he really helped USC that much and sometimes lost games on his own by committing too many turnovers. He averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists last year and will be a Top 10 pick.

Memphis Guard Derrick Rose 6-3, 190 - This talented freshman is probably going to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Other early entries that should be chosen in the middle of the first round
Brandon Rush (Kansas), Earl Clark (Louisville), Donte Greene (Syracuse), Chris Douglas-Roberts (Memphis), Anthony Randolph (LSU)

Players that should go later in first round
Keith Brumbaugh (Community College), Derrick Caracter (Louisville), JaVale Greene (Nevade)

Players that are testing the waters
Lester Hudson (UT-Martin), J.J. Hickson (N.C. State), Russell Westbrook (UCLA), Joe Alexander (WVU), Ryan Anderson (CAL), Darrell Arthur (Kansas), Chase Budinger (Arizona), Richard Hendrix (Alabama), Shawn James (Duquesne), DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M), Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga), Trent Plaisted (BYU), John Riek (Sudan), Marreese Speights (Florida), Robert Vaden (UAB), Lorrenzo Wade (S.D. State), Bill Walker (Kansas State), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (UCLA).

For a complete list go to CBSsportsline.com

I am one the biggest fans of the end of the NCAA Tournament.

As soon as the tournament starts I want to watch the “One Shining Moment” video, which airs after the NCAA Championship.

Well, after the game was over, I turned off the T.V.

I was tired.

I had to work in the morning.

Oh well, thank goodness for YouTube and CBR.

Below are the game highlights of the Kansas/Memphis championship game.

HIGHLIGHTS OF KANSAS’ CLOSE WIN OVER DAVIDSON

The best game from last weekend had to be Kansas’ 59-57 win over Davidson.

Memphis handled Texas 85-67, UCLA schooled Xavier 76-57 and Louisville played strong against North Carolina, but lost 73-83.

This weekend I like UCLA over Memphis and Kansas over North Carolina.

I think both games could go either way and each should be worth your time.

In other news, Tom Crean was named new head coach of Indiana (video below).

Highlights of Memphis win over Michigan St. in the Sweet 16

Highlights of Texas win over Stanford in the Sweet 16

The rest of the Sweet 16 was decided on Friday night when No. 10 Davidson beat No. 3 Wisconsin 73-56 and No. 1 Kansas beat No. 12 Villanova 72-57.

The complete Elite Eight schedule is set.

On Saturday, No. 3 Xavier will play No. 1 UCLA at 6:40 p.m. and No. 3 Louisville will face No. 1 North Carolina at 9:05 p.m.

On Sunday, No. 2 Texas will play No. 1 Memphis at 2:20 p.m. and No. 10 Davidson will face No. 1 Kansas at 5:05 p.m.

For live scoring please visit CBSsportsline.com.

Quick picks:

Like I said before -

UCLA over Xavier
- and -
Louisville over North Carolina

On Sunday I like -

Memphis over Texas
- and -
Kansas over Davidson

Xavier beats WVU in OT

The rest of the schedule is set. Friday’s Sweet 16 games include No. 10 Davidson vs. No. 3 Wisconsin (7:10 p.m.), No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 2 Texas (7:27 p.m.), No. 12 Villanova vs. No. 1 Kansas (9:40 p.m.) and No. 5 Michigan St. vs. No. 1 Memphis (9:57 p.m.).

I like Davidson to beat Wisconsin, Stanford to edge out Texas, Kansas over Nova and Memphis to beat Michigan St.

The Davidson/Wisconsin game should be close, but boring.

The Stanford/Texas game will be the game of the night, it should be an exciting to watch and could go either way.

Kansas shouldn’t have a problem with Nova. I had the Wildcats getting to the Sweet 16, which is one of the few things that I had right, but they just don’t match up well against KU.

Everyone is getting on Memphis about its free-throw shooting. It isn’t good and it will cost the team, but not now. Michigan St. doesn’t impress me and I’m actually surprised that it is even in the Sweet 16. I expect Memphis to win by 10 points.

Saturday’s Elite Eight schedule is also set. No. 3 Louisville will play No. 1 North Carolina (6:40 p.m.) and No. 3 Xavier will play No. 1 UCLA (9:05 p.m.).

Previously, I thought that Washington St. might upset UNC, but the Cougars failed to play well, which has been common problem for them this season. I’m still not a believer in UNC, I know that everyone thinks that they are going to win the whole thing, I’m still predicting the Tar Heels to lose, which they will on Saturday against Louisville.

Xavier just got by a scrappy West Virginia team on Thursday. If WVU forward Joe Alexander hit that foul shot with 14.2 seconds left, maybe XU would be back in Cincinnati by now. While UCLA hasn’t looked strong in wins over Texas A&M and Western Kentucky, I still don’t think XU has enough talent to beat UCLA.

By Adam Kiefaber

Highlights of WVU’s upset over Duke

No. 3 Xavier over No. 7 West Virginia (7:10 p.m.)
Honestly, I didn’t think either of these teams would be here. Both teams are similar in that they both feature a spread-out scoring attack. WVU forward Joe Alexander leads the Mountaineers with 16.8 points a game. Three other Mountaineers average over 10 points a game. XU forward Josh Duncan leads the Musketeers in scoring despite coming off the bench. While Duncan is technically the team’s sixth man, he still plays as much as a starter would, he averages 22 minutes a game. Five other Musketeers average over 10 points a game, so XU’s attack is more spread out. This game is toss up. I didn’t have either team here, but West Virginia is more of the surprise especially when I consider that I had XU losing to Georgia in the opening round. XU came back to win that game and should continue to roll into the Elite 8.
No. 4 Washington St. over No. 1 North Carolina (7:27 p.m.)
No one has the guts to pick this upset, but I actually think it will happen. UNC is favored to win by 8.5-points, but no team is playing as well as the Cougars are right now. In the first round, WSU defeated Winthrop 71-40. In the second round, WSU pounded Notre Dame 61-41. That’s two wins by a combined 51 points. UNC has been playing great in the tournament as well. The Tar Heels beat Mt. St. Mary’s 113-74 and Arkansas 108-77 (combined 70 points). However, the competition wasn’t nearly as good. UNC junior Tyler Hansbrough is the best overall college basketball player in the country and is going to have a good game. On the other side, WSU has the one of the best backcourts in college basketball, which is led by Derrick Low (14.1 ppg) and Kyle Weaver (12.1 ppg). In order to get the upset, WSU needs to limit the other Tar Heels (i.e. Wayne Ellington and Danny Green) to low-scoring efforts.
No. 1 UCLA over No. 12 Western Kentucky (9:40 p.m.)
Everyone this side of California or people that have UCLA winning it all in their brackets will be rooting for the Hilltoppers. WKU had the most memorable play in the NCAA Tournament with the game-winning shot against Drake (highlight below in another post). WKU guards Courtney Lee (20.4 ppg) and Tyrone Brazelton (24 ppg and five apg in tournament) could cause problems for UCLA. While the Bruins had trouble with Texas A&M in a sloppy game, they shouldn’t have any trouble with WKU. On paper, this UCLA team is unbelievable. The team has five potential star NBA players in Kevin Love (17.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg), Darren Collison (15.2 ppg), Josh Shipp (13.0 ppg), Russell Westbrook (12.6 ppg, 4.3 apg) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (8.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg). It actually reminds me of when George Mason upset the University of Connecticut in a Elite Eight game in 2006. UCONN like UCLA was loaded and GMU like WKU was the surprise team in the tournament. I’ll be pulling for WKU, but this one should be over by halftime.
No. 3 Louisville over No. 2 Tennessee (9:57 p.m.)
This should be a great game, everyone predicted this No. 3/No. 2 game. However, who did you have winning this game when you filled out your bracket? Despite their poor showing in the SEC Tournament, I had the Volunteers winning this game, but at the same time I had UNC beating WSU (in my bracket). I’m changing my mind after watching Louisville beat up Oklahoma by a score of 78-48. The Cardinals are peaking at the right time. Tennessee, on the other hand, barely got by No. 7 Butler on Easter Sunday. Granted Butler had to be the strongest No. 7 seed in recent memory, UT is still not playing at the same level they were when they defeated Memphis on February 23rd. Since then they have lost two games (Vandy and Arkansas) and squeaked out wins against Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina and Butler. To make matters worse, UT guard Chris Lofton isn’t completely healthy. I like UL in a close hard fought game.

More from that WVU game - watch Cam Thoroughman bulldoze Gerald Henderson

The Sweet Sixteen is set.

Here are the highlights from the top three games on Saturday and Sunday.

No. 1 Tennessee defeats No. 7 Butler in OT

No. 3 Stanford escapes No. 6 Marquette in OT

No. 10 Davidson upsets No. 2 Georgetown

I will breakdown the Sweet 16 games later this week

By Adam Kiefaber

WKU’s Ty Rogers hits a 3-pointer at end of the first OT to knock off No. 5 seeded Drake in the most memorable moment of the NCAA Tournament

If you went with CBR’s picks for the first two days of the NCAA Tournament - I’m sorry - You can’t be winning your office pool.

However, you still might be in it and as a fan you couldn’t ask for a more entertaining first couple of days of the NCAA Tournament.

Hopefully everyone was able find a way to skip work to see the finish of the Western Kentucky/Drake game (video above), if not I’m sure the highlights will run from now to the end of time.

Fortunately it is the weekend now and most people are able to watch from their own house instead from their office computers, which brings me to one of the more interesting facts about the NCAA Tournament - it amounts to $1.7 billion in lost productivity for American business.

Hopefully you saw this - San Diego sophomore De’Jon Jackson hits game winner to knock out a talented UCONN team

Let discuss the schedule for Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 2 Duke over No. 7 West Virginia (2:10 p.m.)
The Blue Devils barely escaped No. 15 seed Belmont on Saturday, while West Virginia was impressive in its win over No. 10 seed Arizona. Belmont shared the basketball and had many open three-point opportunities, which is scary because WVU was on fire hitting 11 of 19 (58 percent) of its three-point attempts against Arizona. The knock on Duke all season was that they couldn’t match up with a team that featured a solid big man, but that could change when Duke faces a team full of shooters this Saturday. The game should be close, but I’m taking Duke because I have them advancing in my personal bracket.
No. 11 Kansas St. over No. 3 Wisconsin (4:20 p.m.)
Again I won’t lie, I have Kansas St. winning this game in my personal bracket. Wisconsin’s stingy defense could give freshman Michael Beasley fits. When Beasley struggles, this team struggles because he won’t stop shooting. Against USC, Bill Walker (22 points, five rebounds), Jacob Pullen (11 points) and Ron Anderson (10 points, eight rebounds) provided Beasley with some solid support. I can see KSU having a bad game considering the hype surrounding its first-round game, they might be satisfied getting that win. However, I have to pick against the Big Ten every time.
No. 6 Purdue over No. 3 Xavier (4:40 p.m.)
Did I just say that I have to pick against the Big Ten every time? Well, I know this doesn’t make sense, but I have to go with Purdue on this one. Xavier has the experience, but isn’t playing well. On the other hand, Purdue doesn’t have the experience, but looked impressive in its 90-79 win over a hungry Baylor team. The Boilermakers played Baylor’s uptempo game and outscored their hungry opponent 46-27 in the first half. Previously, I picked the more experienced Baylor team to beat Purdue and I had Georgia upsetting Xavier, so my bracket isn’t influencing my pick here. I’m picking Purdue, but this game should go either way and could end on a memorable last shot.
No. 4 Washington St. over No. 5 Notre Dame (6:40 p.m.)
Like the first two games on Saturday, I have to pick the team that I have moving on in my bracket. However, I must add that is was one of the few games that I had a hard time picking when I initially filled out my bracket. ESPN’s Digger Phelps told everyone to watch out for an upset when WSU played Winthrop in the first round and the Cougars responded by winning 71-40. Notre Dame also looked impressive in its 68-50 win over George Mason. Notre Dame sophomore Luke Harangody (20.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg) was impressive as always, scoring 18 points and pulling down 14 rebounds in the win. This game is a toss up, both teams are playing great right now, the outcome should be interesting.
No. 3 Stanford over No. 6 Marquette (6:45 p.m.)
In my personal bracket, I have Stanford advancing to the Final Four, so I obviously have to go with them to beat Marquette on Saturday. The Golden Eagles can’t like this matchup, Stanford has two 7-footers (twins) in the middle and most Marquette fans worry about their team’s chances when it is paired up against a towering big. On the other hand, Stanford might have trouble matching up with Marquette’s athletic trio of guards in Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. Personally, I think Stanford will win and I need them to win for my bracket, but the fan in me wants to see Marquette pull off the upset.
No. 1 Kansas over No. 8 UNLV (6:50 p.m.)
Recently, Kansas has a history of being knocked out early in the NCAA Tournament. In 2005 and 2006, the Jayhawks were knocked out in the first round. This year they cruised to a 85-61 win over Portland St. and looked poised to make the Final Four. UNLV made the Sweet 16 last year and lost most of its roster, but it continued to play well in the tournament by beating up Kent St. by a score of 71-58. The Rebels outscored Kent St. 31-10 in the first half. Kansas just has so much talent that it is impossible to pick against them here. I also have them winning the whole thing in my personal bracket, so I have go with them.
No. 4 Pittsburgh over No. 5 Michigan St. (9:10 p.m.)
Again, I have to pick against the Big Ten. Pittsburgh is fresh off a Big East Tournament championship and an 82-63 beatdown of Oral Roberts. I think the Panthers should cruise to a win against Michigan St. However, I expected MSU to lose its first-round game to Temple and they looked impressive in a 72-61 win. The Spartans have the talent to win here, but Pittsburgh seems to be the better team.
No. 1 UCLA over No. 9 Texas A&M (9:15 p.m.)
I look at my bracket and I see Kansas vs. UCLA in the championship, so I have to pick the Bruins to beat Texas A&M in the late game on Saturday. UCLA’s 70-29 win over Mississippi Valley St. was impressive, while the Aggies held off BYU 67-62. Texas A&M has the talent to make this game close, but UCLA should run away with this one.

I will try to preview Sunday’s games, but I might not have time - Here is Sunday’s schedule of the NCAA Tournament.

By Adam Kiefaber

If you look under this post you can find my Thursday picks.

Below are my Friday selections. Here is a link for Friday’s NCAA Tournament schedule

No. 2 Tennessee over No. 15 American (12:15 p.m.)
Tennessee hasn’t looked like itself lately, but it won’t have any trouble against American.
No. 7 Gonzaga over No. 10 Davidson (12:25 p.m.)
This game is a toss up. The majority seems to be leaning towards Davidson. The Wildcats are riding a 22-game win streak and feature one of the nation’s best payers in Stephen Curry, who is averaging 25.1 points per game. Gonzaga has roster full of talent and has eight players that average over six points a game. Point guard Jeremy Pargo is hard to stop off the dribble and freshman Austin Daye continues to improve. Daye is a great free-throw shooter and is 6-foot-10, but needs to add some muscle before he reaches his potential. I have to take the more proven team, which is Gonzaga.
No. 10 Saint Mary’s over No. 7 Miami (12:30 p.m.)
Any one of these teams can win this game. The Gaels have the best freshman that you have never heard of in Patty Mills. Mills is an extremely quick guard from Australia that averages 14.5 points a game. Five other players on St. Mary’s average over seven points a game. Miami unexpectedly had a great season. Overall the Hurricanes only won half of their conference games this season and they ran up their record with an easy nonconference schedule. Guard Jack McClinton (17.0 ppg) will have to catch fire to win this game.
No. 12 Western Kentucky over No. 5 Drake (12:30 p.m.)
This is becoming a popular pick. WKU doesn’t have a great win in its nonconference schedule, but the Hilltoppers played Gonzaga (71-74) and Tennessee (82-88) tough. I really like WKU’s backcourt, which is led by senior Courtney Lee (20.4 ppg). Lee is great at creating his own shots and has NBA talent. It is kind of scary picking against Drake because this could be a team that causes some trouble in the West region. This could be the most entertaining game of the day and could go down to the last shot. Drake guard Josh Young is a star.
No. 7 Butler over No. 10 South Alabama (2:45 p.m.)
The game is in Birmingham and that would give South Alabama an advantage. However, Butler has to be the best (AP No. 11) No. 7 seed of all time. Guards Mike Green and A.J. Graves are superstars. Forwards Matt Howard (inside) and Pete Campbell (3-point specialist) make this team very dangerous. I wouldn’t count out a possible upset by South Alabama, but I can see Butler being able to surprise Tennessee in the second round. South Alabama is led by senior Demetric Bennett, who averages 20.1 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. Cincinnati transfer Domonic Tilford (12.7 ppg) and Richmond transfer Daon Merritt (11.5 ppg) give the Cougars a great backcourt as well.
No. 2 Georgetown over No. 15 UMBC (2:55 p.m.)
Five different players average over nine points a game for the Hoyas, including 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert (13.6 ppg). Guards Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp make up a smart backcourt that were key to GTOWN’s Final Four run last year. UMBC is led by Ray Barbosa (16.9 ppg) and the Retrievers have a good team on paper. Darryl Proctor (15.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg), Brian Hodges (14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Cavell Johnson (13.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) are all great players in the America East conference, but GTOWN is the best team in the Big East Conference and I have them getting to the Elite Eight.
No. 2 Texas over No. 15 Austin Peay (3:00 p.m.)
The Longhorns have a great backcourt and have the talent to make a run deep in this tournament. Point guard D.J. Augustin (19.8 ppg, 5.7 apg) could be the best at his position in the entire country. Shooting guard A.J. Abrams (16.1) is dangerous from behind the 3-point line. Austin Peay won’t be a pushover, five different players average over 10 points a game for the Governors. However, nonconference losses to Vanderbilt (67-81), Valparaiso (47-61), Evansville (62-72) and Akron (55-64) have me thinking this game won’t be close.
No. 4 Connecticut over No. 13 San Diego (3:00 p.m.)
Personally, I think that UCONN has a great chance to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. However, this game scares me because I’m afraid that it will be a bracketbuster. San Diego is a team that caught fire and unexpectedly won its conference without that many people noticing. San Diego was a good team all year, but wasn’t expected to knock off St. Mary’s and Gonzaga en route to a WCC Tournament championship. All that being said, I have to pick UCONN because I have liked them all season. I had ranked in my first CBR poll and honestly I was surprised that this team didn’t breakout last year. The Huskies feature seven solid scoring threats and have five that average over 10 points a game. I filled out two brackets, one of them I have UCONN going to the Final Four.
No. 1 North Carolina over No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s (7:10 p.m.)
UNC should cruise to a win in this game. The Tar Heels feature one of best players in the country in junior Tyler Hansbrough (23.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg). Guard Wayne Ellington (16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) can be streaky, but has a pretty jump shot. Sophomore point guard Ty Lawson (12.4 ppg, 5.3 apg) is key to UNC’s run, he isn’t as quick as he was last year. UNC junior Danny Green (11.6 ppg) is one of the most improved players in the ACC. Mt. St. Mary’s won the play-in game against Coppin St., but shouldn’t stand a chance in this game. UNC is an obvious national championship contender.
No. 11 Saint Joseph’s over No. 6 Oklahoma (7:10 p.m.)
This pick scares me a little because I can kind of see Oklahoma being able to upset Louisville in the second round, but I can’t see St. Joe’s doing the same. However, I like St. Joe’s to upset the Sooners. The Hawks feature five scorers that average over 9.7 points per game, including senior Pat Calathes (17.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.7 apg). Oklahoma has a great defense that could give St. Joe’s and possibly Louisville fits. Overall this team is not that talented, but they can beat you up inside. Personally, I think St. Joe’s has more talent.
No. 4 Vanderbilt over No. 13 Siena (7:20 p.m.)
Vandy had a great season, but I was a little surprised to see the Commodores get a No. 4 seed after losing three of their last five games. Shan Foster (20.5 ppg) is a great player and freshman center A.J. Ogilvy (17.0 ppg) has been a surprise. If Ogilvy stays out of foul trouble, Vandy could be a tough out. The Saints have three great scorers Edwin Ubiles (17.3 ppg), Kenny Hasbrouck (15.6 ppg) and Alex Franklin (15.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg). Siena was in a underrated conference that ended in a heated race for the title. I can feel an upset brewing, but I just don’t want to pick it.
No. 9 Oregon over No. 8 Mississippi St. (7:25 p.m.)
Toss up. Oregon was an underachiever in a tough conference and Miss. St. was an overachiever in a weaker conference. The Ducks have a solid spread out scoring attack. On paper, you would think a team with Malik Hairston (16.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Maarty Leunen (15.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg), Tajuan Porter (13.8 ppg) and Bryce Taylor (13.0 ppg) would have a better record than 18-13. Mississippi St. features four players as well that average over 10 points per game. Jamont Gordon (17.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 apg) and Charles Rhodes (16.9, 7.7 rpg) are the stars of this team. MSU also features Ben Hansbrough (10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.6 apg), who is UNC Tyler Hansbrough’s younger brother.
No. 8 Indiana over No. 9 Arkansas (9:30 p.m.)
IU is just so talented, but are going through so much. The safer pick here is probably Arkansas, but I’m picking Indiana just based on the talent advantage. The reason not to pick IU is because it has lost its last two games to Penn St. and Minnesota. The reason to pick the Hoosiers is the duo of D.J. White (17.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg) and Eric Gordon (21.3 ppg). The selection committee probably shouldn’t have dropped IU to an No. 8 seed - the team won 25 games and was 14-4 in the Big Ten. In comparison Michigan St. won 25 games and was 12-6 in the Big Ten and received a No. 5 seed. The Hogs are dangerous as well, before losing to Georgia in the SEC Tournament championship, they had back-to-back wins over Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
No. 3 Louisville over No. 14 Boise St. (9:30 p.m.)
The Cardinals shouldn’t have any trouble with Boise St. Louisville plays great defense and has eight different players that can take over a game. Louisville has the talent and the coaching to make a deep run in this tournament. Boise St. has some good scorers, but they aren’t strong enough to score a lot of points against Louisville. I like the Cardinals by a lot in this one.
No. 1 Memphis over No. 16 UT-Arlington (9:40 p.m.)
The Mavericks had a losing record in the Southland Conference. They don’t stand a chance against the Tigers.
No. 12 Villanova over No. 5 Clemson (9:40 p.m.)
I thought that Nova would be a lot better than they turned out to be this season. Point guard Scottie Reynolds (15.6 ppg) is a star. Clemson head coach Oliver Purnell is 0-3 in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are playing really well right now. I think Nova has had the tougher schedule than Clemson. Clemson seems to be everyone’s sleeper, but I can’t pick a team that struggles at the free-throw line.

I will continue to breakdown each game of the NCAA Tournament, but for now here is a link for a viewable bracket from CBSsportsline.com. For the printable version click here.