2008 NCAA March Madness viewers guide

A preview of the drive to San Antonio

Ajitpaul Mangat, Staff

East region

The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will need to overcome the toughest region of this year’s tournament if they hope to punch a ticket to the final four in San Antonio. However, the Tar Heels will be playing close to home — Raleigh, and then Charlotte — an advantage that cannot be underestimated. Leading the Tar Heels will be the widely regarded most valuable player of this year’s season, forward Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough is a force on both ends of the court and has added a lethal turnaround jump shot to his already impressive low-post game.

If North Carolina has a trouble spot it is point guard Ty Lawson’s ankle, which was sprained in February and has limited Lawson’s ability to drive to the basket.

The No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers are arguably the strongest second-ranked team in the country, and the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals could easily make the same argument at the third seed. What the Volunteers lack in individual star talent they make up for in fundamentals and teamwork, which have been instilled by the region’s best coach, Bruce Pearl. Louisville will rise or fall on the shoulders of their impressive “big man,” David Padgett, who is extremely difficult to defend at 6-11, 250 pounds. To make matters worse for defenders, Padgett is one of the most efficient players in the country scoring 1.74 points per shot.

Those looking for a Cinderella best look elsewhere, as this region will undoubtedly be an epic contest between these three powerhouses.

Best backcourt player: Lawson (North Carolina), when healthy. Otherwise it is Eric Gordon (No. 8 Indiana).
Best frontcourt player: Hansbrough (North Carolina).
Best first-round game: No. 7 Butler versus No. 10 South Alabama.
Most likely first-round upset: No. 11 Saint Joseph’s over No. 6 Oklahoma.
Dark-horse team: Indiana.
Who will win: North Carolina over Louisville.

Midwest region

This region is the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks’ to lose.

The team’s strength lies in their balance. They have four scorers in double digits who are within 1.2 ppg of each other: forward Darrell Arthur (13.0 ppg), guard Brandon Rush (12.7 ppg), Darnell Jackson (11.9 ppg), and Mario Chalmers (11.8 ppg). But you can’t forget about their deep bench, which includes Sherron Collins and his 9.5 ppg. Also, troubling for other teams is the Jayhawks’ ability to hit the three, which they displayed in the Big-12 championship win, hitting a record 15 three-pointers from behind the arc.

The rest of the bracket is a hodgepodge of good teams with individually great players. The best of the bunch is No. 11 Kansas State freshman guard Michael Beasley, who tore up the Big 12, with little to no help, putting up simply gaudy statistics: 26.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 1.3 spg and 25 double-doubles.

He will go toe-to-toe with another exciting freshman, O.J. Mayo, the leader of the No. 6 USC Trojans. Mayo is a natural scorer who can drive and score from the line or hit from behind the arc, but he will need to lessen his turnovers (3.6 tpg) if he is to lead his team to San Antonio.

Also, worth keeping an eye on are a pair of teams with sharp shooters: the No. 10 Davidson Wildcats and guard Stephen Curry, who is the best shooter in the tournament, and the No. 4 Vanderbilt Commodores and their swingman, Shan Foster.

Best backcourt player: Beasley (Kansas State), my pick for player of the year.
Best frontcourt player: Roy Hibbert (No. 2 Georgetown).
Best first-round game: It’s the best firt-round game of the tournament too. USC versus Kansas State. Mayo versus Beasley. Enough said.
Most likely first-round upset: No. 13 Siena over No. 4 Vanderbilt.
Dark-horse team: No. 12 Villanova.
Who will win: Kansas over USC.

South region

Look for the No. 1 Memphis Tigers to be the only No. 1 seed in the tournament to fail to make the Elite Eight, yet alone the final four. The widely regarded best point guard in the country, Memphis’ Derrick Rose, could prove me wrong, but the premier talent in this region appears to reside with the Big 12 runner-ups, No. 2 Texas Longhorns, the Pac-10 runner-ups, No. 3 Stanford Cardinals, and the Big East champions, the No. 4 Pittsburgh Panthers.

The Longhorns, like the North Carolina Tar Heels, will have a geographically advantageous road to the championship game, as they would travel within state to Houston and then San Antonio. Texas has certainly proven themselves this season, as they have reached this point by going 11-2 against teams with RPIs in the top-50, which is something all of the past nine champions have accomplished. Leading the Longhorns will be sophomore extraordinaire D.J. Augustine.

But if Texas is to make it to the Elite Eight, they will likely have to defeat the Stanford Cardinals and Pittsburgh Panthers. The Cardinals pose troubles for oppositions because of their tower in the middle of the court: Brook Lopez, a prospect that has NBA scouts impressed because of his combination of size (7-0, 260 pounds) and soft touch (19.2 ppg).

The Panthers, meanwhile, are riding the immeasurable high of defeating the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big East championship game.

Best backcourt player: Tough call between Rose (Memphis) and Augustin (Texas), but I prefer Augustin’s offensive production.
Best frontcourt players: Twin Lopez brothers Brook and Robin (Stanford) combined for 29.2 ppg and 14.1 rpg this season.
Best possible second-round game: No. 5 Michigan State versus Pittsburgh. The first-round has little in terms of great match-ups.
Most likely first-round upset: No. 11 Kentucky over No. 6 Marquette.
Dark-horse team: No. 9 Oregon.
Who will win: Texas over Pittsburgh.

West region

The No. 1 UCLA Bruins must be feeling good about their chances after seeing how the West region shaped up. The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils are a shell of their former selves, as evidenced by their semifinal loss to the unimposing Clemson Tigers in the ACC tournament.

The Blue Devils certainly have talent, led by guard DeMarcus Nelson, and squad depth, evidenced by their five players in double figures in terms of scoring for the season. However, the team lacks a strong bench and has the demons of the past ten seasons to overcome. In fact, the last time Duke defeated a team that was seeded higher than them in was in 1994.

The No. 3 Xavier Musketeers’ high-tempo offence is a joy to watch, but the team lacks the experience needed to make it to San Antonio. To make matters worse the engine that drives their offence, guard Drew Lavender, is nursing a sore ankle.

UCLA’s toughest opposition will likely be the No. 4 UConn Huskies. Led by guard A.J. Price, forward Stanley Robinson and centre Hasheem Thabeet, the Huskies have the outside and inside games, when they are firing on all cylinders, to hang with the Bruins.

However, the Bruins are ultimately stronger in every facet of the game. From their star duo — guard Darren Collison and forward Kevin Love — to their experienced coach — Ben Howland — to their history of success — 11 national titles — The Bruins should breeze through this region.

Best backcourt player: Collison (UCLA).
Best frontcourt player: Love (UCLA) is the complete package from his precise passing out of the post to his consistency, scoring in double figures every game this season.
Best first-round game: No. 5 Drake versus No. 12 Western Kentucky.
Most likely first-round upset: No. 10 Arizona over No. 7 West Virginia.
Dark-horse team: Arizona, and even they are a stretch in a region with too much top-level talent for the underdogs to overcome.
Who will win: UCLA over Xavier.

Final four: Kansas over North Carolina and UCLA over Texas.

Championship game

Kansas over UCLA, 68-61, as the Jayhawks earn a big measure of revenge from last season’s Elite Eight defeat.

Player of the Game: Kansas guard Brandon Rush.

Enter the Manitoban’s March Madness pool, by completing our bracket, which can be found online or at the Manitoban office [105 University Centre], or completing your own bracket, and dropping it off at the Manitoban office before Thursday, March 20 at 11 a.m. for a chance to win great prizes!

Then check the Manitoban newspaper and website for weekly updates.





Volume 95 Issue 24	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	March 19, 2008

Home About Us Advertising Rates Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Volunteer Online Classifieds St. Vincent's Academy Diaries	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly 2008 NCAA March Madness viewers guide A preview of the drive to San Antonio Ajitpaul Mangat, Staff East region The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels will need to overcome the toughest region of this year’s tournament if they hope to punch a ticket to the final four in San Antonio. However, the Tar Heels will be playing close to home — Raleigh, and then Charlotte — an advantage that cannot be underestimated. Leading the Tar Heels will be the widely regarded most valuable player of this year’s season, forward Tyler Hansbrough. Hansbrough is a force on both ends of the court and has added a lethal turnaround jump shot to his already impressive low-post game. If North Carolina has a trouble spot it is point guard Ty Lawson’s ankle, which was sprained in February and has limited Lawson’s ability to drive to the basket. The No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers are arguably the strongest second-ranked team in the country, and the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals could easily make the same argument at the third seed. What the Volunteers lack in individual star talent they make up for in fundamentals and teamwork, which have been instilled by the region’s best coach, Bruce Pearl. Louisville will rise or fall on the shoulders of their impressive “big man,” David Padgett, who is extremely difficult to defend at 6-11, 250 pounds. To make matters worse for defenders, Padgett is one of the most efficient players in the country scoring 1.74 points per shot. Those looking for a Cinderella best look elsewhere, as this region will undoubtedly be an epic contest between these three powerhouses. Best backcourt player: Lawson (North Carolina), when healthy. Otherwise it is Eric Gordon (No. 8 Indiana). Best frontcourt player: Hansbrough (North Carolina). Best first-round game: No. 7 Butler versus No. 10 South Alabama. Most likely first-round upset: No. 11 Saint Joseph’s over No. 6 Oklahoma. Dark-horse team: Indiana. Who will win: North Carolina over Louisville. Midwest region This region is the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks’ to lose. The team’s strength lies in their balance. They have four scorers in double digits who are within 1.2 ppg of each other: forward Darrell Arthur (13.0 ppg), guard Brandon Rush (12.7 ppg), Darnell Jackson (11.9 ppg), and Mario Chalmers (11.8 ppg). But you can’t forget about their deep bench, which includes Sherron Collins and his 9.5 ppg. Also, troubling for other teams is the Jayhawks’ ability to hit the three, which they displayed in the Big-12 championship win, hitting a record 15 three-pointers from behind the arc. The rest of the bracket is a hodgepodge of good teams with individually great players. The best of the bunch is No. 11 Kansas State freshman guard Michael Beasley, who tore up the Big 12, with little to no help, putting up simply gaudy statistics: 26.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 1.3 spg and 25 double-doubles. He will go toe-to-toe with another exciting freshman, O.J. Mayo, the leader of the No. 6 USC Trojans. Mayo is a natural scorer who can drive and score from the line or hit from behind the arc, but he will need to lessen his turnovers (3.6 tpg) if he is to lead his team to San Antonio. Also, worth keeping an eye on are a pair of teams with sharp shooters: the No. 10 Davidson Wildcats and guard Stephen Curry, who is the best shooter in the tournament, and the No. 4 Vanderbilt Commodores and their swingman, Shan Foster. Best backcourt player: Beasley (Kansas State), my pick for player of the year. Best frontcourt player: Roy Hibbert (No. 2 Georgetown). Best first-round game: It’s the best firt-round game of the tournament too. USC versus Kansas State. Mayo versus Beasley. Enough said. Most likely first-round upset: No. 13 Siena over No. 4 Vanderbilt. Dark-horse team: No. 12 Villanova. Who will win: Kansas over USC. South region Look for the No. 1 Memphis Tigers to be the only No. 1 seed in the tournament to fail to make the Elite Eight, yet alone the final four. The widely regarded best point guard in the country, Memphis’ Derrick Rose, could prove me wrong, but the premier talent in this region appears to reside with the Big 12 runner-ups, No. 2 Texas Longhorns, the Pac-10 runner-ups, No. 3 Stanford Cardinals, and the Big East champions, the No. 4 Pittsburgh Panthers. The Longhorns, like the North Carolina Tar Heels, will have a geographically advantageous road to the championship game, as they would travel within state to Houston and then San Antonio. Texas has certainly proven themselves this season, as they have reached this point by going 11-2 against teams with RPIs in the top-50, which is something all of the past nine champions have accomplished. Leading the Longhorns will be sophomore extraordinaire D.J. Augustine. But if Texas is to make it to the Elite Eight, they will likely have to defeat the Stanford Cardinals and Pittsburgh Panthers. The Cardinals pose troubles for oppositions because of their tower in the middle of the court: Brook Lopez, a prospect that has NBA scouts impressed because of his combination of size (7-0, 260 pounds) and soft touch (19.2 ppg). The Panthers, meanwhile, are riding the immeasurable high of defeating the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big East championship game. Best backcourt player: Tough call between Rose (Memphis) and Augustin (Texas), but I prefer Augustin’s offensive production. Best frontcourt players: Twin Lopez brothers Brook and Robin (Stanford) combined for 29.2 ppg and 14.1 rpg this season. Best possible second-round game: No. 5 Michigan State versus Pittsburgh. The first-round has little in terms of great match-ups. Most likely first-round upset: No. 11 Kentucky over No. 6 Marquette. Dark-horse team: No. 9 Oregon. Who will win: Texas over Pittsburgh. West region The No. 1 UCLA Bruins must be feeling good about their chances after seeing how the West region shaped up. The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils are a shell of their former selves, as evidenced by their semifinal loss to the unimposing Clemson Tigers in the ACC tournament. The Blue Devils certainly have talent, led by guard DeMarcus Nelson, and squad depth, evidenced by their five players in double figures in terms of scoring for the season. However, the team lacks a strong bench and has the demons of the past ten seasons to overcome. In fact, the last time Duke defeated a team that was seeded higher than them in was in 1994. The No. 3 Xavier Musketeers’ high-tempo offence is a joy to watch, but the team lacks the experience needed to make it to San Antonio. To make matters worse the engine that drives their offence, guard Drew Lavender, is nursing a sore ankle. UCLA’s toughest opposition will likely be the No. 4 UConn Huskies. Led by guard A.J. Price, forward Stanley Robinson and centre Hasheem Thabeet, the Huskies have the outside and inside games, when they are firing on all cylinders, to hang with the Bruins. However, the Bruins are ultimately stronger in every facet of the game. From their star duo — guard Darren Collison and forward Kevin Love — to their experienced coach — Ben Howland — to their history of success — 11 national titles — The Bruins should breeze through this region. Best backcourt player: Collison (UCLA). Best frontcourt player: Love (UCLA) is the complete package from his precise passing out of the post to his consistency, scoring in double figures every game this season. Best first-round game: No. 5 Drake versus No. 12 Western Kentucky. Most likely first-round upset: No. 10 Arizona over No. 7 West Virginia. Dark-horse team: Arizona, and even they are a stretch in a region with too much top-level talent for the underdogs to overcome. Who will win: UCLA over Xavier. Final four: Kansas over North Carolina and UCLA over Texas. Championship game Kansas over UCLA, 68-61, as the Jayhawks earn a big measure of revenge from last season’s Elite Eight defeat. Player of the Game: Kansas guard Brandon Rush. Enter the Manitoban’s March Madness pool, by completing our bracket, which can be found online or at the Manitoban office [105 University Centre], or completing your own bracket, and dropping it off at the Manitoban office before Thursday, March 20 at 11 a.m. for a chance to win great prizes! Then check the Manitoban newspaper and website for weekly updates.


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