Tampa subregional

Heeeerrrre come the Gators

UF heads to Tampa, which is ecstatic to be awarded two No. 2 seeds and some intriguing matchups in its subregion.

By BRIAN LANDMAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 17, 2003

Deuces will be wild at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Thanks to the quirkiness of the new pod system, a plan to keep the higher-seeded teams close to home in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, a pair of No. 2s -- Florida (South Region) and Wake Forest (East) -- will be in Tampa starting Friday.

Consider that Indianapolis' highest seeded teams are a No. 3 (Marquette) and a No. 4 (Illinois) and Spokane, Wash., received a pair of No. 4s (Dayton and Stanford).

Consider that only four No. 2s have lost in the opening round since the field expanded in 1985 and 15 No. 2s have advanced to the Final Four, with three winning the title (Louisville 1986, Duke 1991 and Kentucky 1998). So, fans here have a good shot to see a team that could be playing for awhile.

And that isn't the only interesting storyline:

No. 7 Michigan State is no stranger to Tampa Bay. The Spartans were a No. 7 when they came to St. Petersburg for the 1994 Southeast subregion. They beat No. 10 Seton Hall before losing to eventual NCAA runner-up Duke, a No. 2 seed. The Spartans returned to St. Petersburg for the 1999 Final Four.

No. 15 Sam Houston State, which opens against Florida, is making its first NCAA appearance. Is it Cinderella's Cinderella?

No. 15 East Tennessee State's starting lineup includes former Armwood High standout James Anthony. How's that for a homecoming?

No. 10 Auburn, thanks to a soft nonconference schedule, was the quintessential bubble team and seemingly headed to the NIT. But NCAA men's basketball committee chairman Jim Livengood said he and his 10-person group "spent an awful lot of time looking at Auburn" and pointed out the Tigers were 8-8 in the SEC and won 21 games. You think they might have something to prove?

Others weren't sure Florida, which lost its final three games, and Wake Forest, which won seven straight before losing to North Carolina State in the ACC tournament semifinals, could hold No. 2 seeds. You think they might want to prove they were worthy?

And then there's a titillating possible second-round matchup between the Gators and Spartans, who played for the 2000 national championship in Indianapolis. Michigan State won 89-76.

The Spartans' Tom Izzo, who leads active coaches with a .800 winning percentage in the tournament, said he is excited about opening against a Big 12 team, then likely playing an SEC school.

"That's what I want to do in my career. I want to play the best teams," he said. "We'll get a chance to hopefully do that in this tournament."

Florida coach Billy Donovan doesn't want to look past the opener, but ESPN analyst Dick Vitale likes the Gators' chances to advance.

"What helps Florida is the fact that they're a hungry team," he said. "Don't make too much of the three-game losing streak. One was on the road at the last second to Georgia. One was at the buzzer to Kentucky. Come on, now. The bottom line is they've had a great year and they're going to be a tough out, especially in Tampa."

Fan support could be a factor, especially for the Gators and Demon Deacons.

"From the travel standpoint, being two hours is a positive," UF coach Billy Donovan said. "It's also good to get a chance to play in your own state."

Last year, the Gators went to Chicago and lost to Creighton.

"I know when we played at noon, nobody was in there," Donovan said of the first-round upset. "So hopefully in Tampa, there will be a huge crowd."

Even more than the Gators, the Demon Deacons have racked up frequent-flier miles come tournament time. In their past four trips, they've trekked to Sacramento, Calif., in 2002; Kansas City, Mo., in 2001; Tucson, Ariz., in 1997; and Milwaukee in 1996.

"It's a lot better," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said. "The odds are a lot more Wake Forest fans can get to Tampa than could get to Sacramento last year."

And while he said it's unlikely his team will be able to take in a Devil Rays exhibition game (or any other baseball) and that with his red hair and fair complexion the beach is out, he is excited to go to warm weather.

"It's March, it's March Madness and spring. Let's have some sunshine. I'm all for that," he said.

"I'm excited. I'm fired up. We got some truly good teams," tournament manager Rob Higgins said. "I know in every region you have a melting pot of power conferences, but ours is special. We've got an SEC, an ACC, a Big 12, a Big Ten and an Atlantic 10. What more can we ask for? We're just excited with the hand we're dealt."

NOTE: There are still about 500 tickets left for games in the 21,817-seat facility, most of which came from an allotment CBS returned. The cost is $165 for the six games (three sessions) and can be purchased at the Times Forum Box Office, which opens at 9 a.m., or call (813) 301-6600 for more information. Some of the 82 suites at the Times Forum also are available for businesses to rent for that weekend. Call R.J. Martino, the director of suite sales and service, at (813) 301-6568.

-- Times staff writer Antonya English contributed to this report.

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