Followers
(3 & 4 Seeds)
The
following teams are who I think should be
third and forth seed teams. I think I make
a pretty good case, what do you think?
Villanova:
The Wildcats of Villanova have lost 6 games
this year. Besides Temple, each foe is formidable.
Not many would fret about losses at Notre
Dame, at Boston College, at Connecticut,
against Syracuse, and a tough Georgetown
team. Considering 4 of those losses were
by a combined 14 points, 'Nova looks pretty
tough. Led by Allen Ray and Curtis Sumpter
(17 and 16 ppg respectively), they've won
their last 6, including bouts against Pitt,
BC, and Georgetown. The Wildcats are not
to be ignored, and are actually better than
most think. Nova could sneak out a pretty
high seed with a good Big East Tourney showing.
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Syracuse:
Getting swept by the Pitt Panthers hasn't
done wonders for the 'Cuse. Their ranking
is the lowest it's been in quite some time,
and they have a tough match up with the
rising boys of UConn this Saturday. On the
other hand there isn't a disappointing loss
on their record. Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh
twice, UConn, and Boston College. They've
won at 'Nova and Notre Dame, more than many
teams can attest. They are 4-4 in their
last 8 games, which is a seed killer at
the end of the season. A big win against
UConn would look really good, but even without
that, there is no reason the Orangemen shouldn't
be a top 4 seed. Warrick and McNamera give
Jim Boheim a chance to get back to the Final
Four.
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Arizona:
The Wildcats shouldn't be looked down upon
after a loss to the Huskies in Washington.
The Huskies won't lose a regular season
home game this year. That's guaranteed after
last Saturday. Arizona still looks pretty
solid as a number 3 seed, though they might
slide to a 4. They've lost to some second
tear teams; Virginia, Stanford, and Washington
State. Besides beating the Huskies in Arizona,
they haven't beaten anyone special. That's
what makes me worry about the Wildcats.
They've got loads of talent and a coach
who just wins. Their second biggest win
is against Utah. The Selection committee
has to notice that.
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Oklahoma:
Oklahoma is a pretty good ball club. They've
beaten UConn, Texas (when they were good),
Oklahoma State, and Kansas. They are also
22-6. They've played a tough schedule. Oklahoma
doesn't get enough credit, which could make
them a tough 5 seed to play in the second
game. They might get up in the 3 seed range
if they can make big things happen in their
conference tourney. They've won their last
5, and Kevin Bookout and Taj Gray have been
putting in work on the glass. The Sooners
can be real tough, making them a possible
contender in late March.
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Oklahoma
State: Kansas ended their 3 game winning
streak against OK State. That's not much
to be ashamed of. The Loss to Nebraska 5
days before that is. Nebraska is feisty,
but a team at the level of Oklahoma State
can't let teams like Nebraska play with
them. That game might have moved the Cowboys
out of the top two. These kids know how
to win ball games, though. The Tourney is
kind to winners. John Lucas and Joey Graham
have been as good as advertised. Winning
the Big 12 Tourney and getting back into
top seed position isn't out of the question.
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Gonzaga:
The Zags could very well be in the list
above, except it's not right to get their
hopes up. They won't get a 2 seed. They
just don't get any love from the selection
committee. They never have and never will.
Adam Morrison is incredible, and I wouldn't
be surprised to see big things from him
during the Dance. He's a scorer and a flat
out good player. Gonzaga has 2 seed game
with a 4 seed schedule, and the latter is
going to have the final say. Ronny Turiaf
will set out to prove to the world how good
he can be. If he does that, he'll still
be playing hoops with his teammates in late
March.
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