NO. 1 KENTUCKY VS. NO. 16 FLORIDA A&M OR LEHIGH: No No.1 seed ever has lost in the opening round, and the Wildcats do not figure to be the first to falter. The play-in winner will be one of the more overmatched squads in NCAA Tournament history. FAMU, which started 1-10, has a losing record. Both FAMU and Lehigh have strength of schedules among the worst in the country. Lehigh won two conference tournament games by two points. Kentucky appears to be on cruise control. Sunday's victory over Florida in the SEC final was the Wildcats' ninth straight win. Five Kentucky players average double figures in scoring, led by senior G Gerald Fitch. The Wildcats, as usual, are one of the country's better defensive squads.
NO. 8 WASHINGTON VS. NO. 9 UAB: The focus of many will be on Washington because the Huskies have won nine of 11 (including a win over then-No.1 Stanford), but UAB is more than capable of advancing. The Blazers not only have a better record than Washington but a better RPI and tougher strength of schedule. Washington lost to Conference USA squad Houston by 15 this season. UAB crushed the same team. Five Washington players average 10 or more points, and that balance has been key to the Huskies' surge.
FRIDAY, KANSAS CITY, MO.
NO. 4 KANSAS VS. NO. 13 ILLINOIS-CHICAGO: Kansas is as battle-tested as any team in the tournament after having played one of the country's tougher schedules, which included Stanford. But the Jayhawks, who played in last year's title game under then-coach Roy Williams, have been somewhat inconsistent. Illinois-Chicago, which has a 12-game winning streak, has a dynamic backcourt led by senior guard Cedrick Banks (18.5 points). Kansas, led by first-year coach Bill Self, tied for second in the Big 12. The Jayhawks have a strong inside-outside combo of 6-foot-9, 250-pound F Wayne Simien (17.8 points, 9.1 rebounds) and G Keith Langford (15.8 points), but their success will depend greatly on the play of point G Aaron Miles, the runaway conference leader in assists.
NO. 5 PROVIDENCE VS. NO. 12 PACIFIC: Providence quietly put together a solid season, earning wins over Connecticut and defending national champion Syracuse. But the Friars have dropped three in a row and should be pushed by a Pacific squad that owns a 15-game winning streak. The Tigers' schedule included non-conference games against top seeds Duke and Saint Joseph's. Providence tied for third in the Big East and went 3-2 against ranked teams. Almost all of the Friars' losses were against quality clubs. Four Providence players score in double figures, but junior big man Ryan Gomes is the go-to-guy. He averages 18.6 points and 9.3 rebounds. With a 6-foot-7, 245-pound frame, Gomes presents a challenge to any opponent. Pacific, a well-balanced squad, is led in scoring by senior G Miah Davis.
THURSDAY, SEATTLE
NO. 2 GONZAGA VS. NO. 15 VALPARAISO: Remember when Gonzaga was a sleeper? This season the Bulldogs spent several weeks in the top 10. Gonzaga has lost only to Saint Joseph's and Stanford. The rest of the schedule was pretty weak, though. The Bulldogs have won 20 in a row, but played no ranked teams during that stretch. Gonzaga has one of the nation's more balanced lineups, featuring star G Blake Stepp. Junior F Ronny Turiaf, a beast inside at 6-feet-10, 243 pounds, is another good one. Stepp and Turiaf are legitimate NBA prospects. Valpo was 4-9 after a midseason loss to Oral Roberts but rallied down the stretch. This, however, is not a great squad. The Crusaders lost to Duke 97-63 in February and were thumped by Cincinnati this season. Valpo does not shoot particularly well from the field or the line but usually holds its own on the boards.
NO. 7 MICHIGAN STATE VS. NO. 10 NEVADA: This could be a tough one for traditional-power Michigan State. Nevada has a win over Kansas and enters the tournament having won seven in a row. The Wolf Pack actually has a higher RPI than Michigan State. The Spartans played nine games against teams that were ranked at the time and lost all nine. But give Michigan State credit for rallying. At one point, the Spartans, who nearly reached the Final Four last season, were 8-8. C Paul Davis leads Michigan State in scoring (15.8). Nevada G Kirk Snyder will be a tough assignment. He averages 18.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. F Nick Fazekas, a 6-11 freshman, is another player to watch.
FRIDAY, MILWAUKEE
NO. 3 GEORGIA TECH VS. NO. 14 NORTHERN IOWA: Georgia Tech has enough talent to reach the Final Four. The Yellow Jackets have played 11 ranked teams, posting six wins. One victory came against then-No. 1 Connecticut back in November. Junior G B.J. Elder leads the Jackets in scoring (16.3 points). If Georgia Tech has a weakness, it's on the line, where it shoots 69 percent. Northern Iowa, which played a reasonably tough schedule, has four players who score in double figures. The star is sophomore G Ben Jacobson, who averages 14.1 points. Northern Iowa has a decent RPI but was not faced with the game-after-game challenges Georgia Teach saw.
NO. 6 BOSTON COLLEGE VS. NO. 11 UTAH: Boston College tied for fifth in the Big East and struggled to a 2-6 record against ranked teams. The Eagles, however, finished strong, winning eight of their final nine conference games. BC F Craig Smith is the main man, averaging 17.3 points and 8.4 rebounds. Freshman F Jared Dudley (12.2 points, 6.7 rebounds) is another good one. Utah is a tough squad to figure. In November, the Utes lost to Connecticut by 32 points. But later, they beat respectable Colorado by 20 in Boulder. Senior G Nick Jacobson (16.8 points), Utah's leading scorer, shoots 45 percent from 3-point range. Freshman C Andrew Bogut (9.9 rebounds) is the player to stop inside.
