Leaders
(1 & 2 Seeds)
The
following teams are who I think should be
first and second seed teams. I think I make
a pretty good case, what do you think?
Illinois:
Can't argue with the Illini getting the
top seed in the land. Illinois only has
3 guys being considered for player of the
year, an undefeated regular season thus
far, the number one candidate for Coach
of the year, and confidence that puts points
up on the board all by itself. Until Illinois
does something wrong, don't ignore the fact
that they are awesome. They have three guys
who can kill you all over the court, and
those three guys compliment each other perfectly.
It's pretty amazing, really.
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North
Carolina: North Carolina scared me with
their two-point defeat of Maryland last
week, but maybe that'll wake the Heels up
again. There are no better starting 5 in
the land. McCants has been ill of late,
and if that problem lasts into the tournament,
the Heels could struggle. Luckily when one
of their starting 5 guys sits, they have
Marvin Williams (guaranteed top 3 pick whenever
he leaves school) starting in that player's
stead. I assume McCants will be fine, and
the Tar Heels will be at the top of their
game against Duke, in the ACC Tourney, and
most importantly in the Big Dance. North
Carolina is good.
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Wake
Forest: Wake beat the Tar Heels in their
only meeting this year, but I still see
them a step, be it a lightening quick step,
behind their in-conference rival. Wake has
lost four games, one was at Duke, another
was at Illinois, and one was a 1 point thriller
at Georgia Tech. Did I say 4 games? Oh yeah,
that's right, they lost to ACC bottom dweller
Florida State as well. Everyone deserves
one game, ask NC (Santa Clara???). Wake
has a solid schedule to go with solid wins.
The ACC is tough and they plowed through
it relatively unscathed. Wins against Duke,
Carolina, and Arizona help their cause.
Many people are claiming the Demon Deacons
need a good showing in the ACC Tourney to
get a 1 seed, but I think all they need
is a regular season finale win against NC
State.
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Washington:
Taking care of Arizona last week might take
UW to the next level. A number two seed
isn't too much to ask for. If the Huskies
make it through most of the PAC 10 Tourney,
even if they don't win it, a number 2 seems
likely. This Husky team is one of the most
exciting clubs in College Hoops. Nate Robinson
is awesome, Mighty Mouse's true successor.
Both Robinson and teammate Will Conroy average
over 5 assists per game. The team has really
grown since they made themselves noticed
in the Big Dance last year. Their confidence
pushing down the coast can be felt all over
the PAC 10. UW has out of conference wins
against Utah, Oklahoma, and Alabama. The
Huskies are solid.
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Kansas:
A while back I said Kansas had a fluke loss
against the Red Raiders. I won't take that
back. Kansas as a #1 seed? Could still happen.
With 3 straight losses the Jayhawks took
a stroll back down the hill, but can still
manage a top spot with a respectable end
to the season. Simien has been great, but
Langford and company needs to step up to
get the Hawks the seed they strive for.
A number one or two is still in the cards
for the Hawks. With the 3 game losing streak
in the back of their minds, could the Jayhawks
end their season early? It all depends how
far back they put it.
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Kentucky:
The Wildcats really surprised me by taking
it to a really talented Alabama team. That
doesn't make them a favorite in my mind,
but it does get them a top 2 seed. The Wildcats
could still tumble early in the Dance. Though
they've found a way to win all but three
games, they've made too many no brainers
close. I'm never sure if this is a good
thing or a bad thing. It's good to win close
games, but close games against week conference
foes? Kentucky has gotten the job done during
the regular season; their 1 or 2 seed will
show that. The NCAA Tournament might show
a different Wildcat team.
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Boston
College: BC got kicked around by Pitt
in a recent loss at home. Boston College
will still get a 2 seed in the Tourney.
If they can sneak by UConn and Syracuse
in the Big East a number one seed might
fall into their lap. BC has played good
ball all year, and a late whoopin' by Pitt
shouldn't ruin their run. The Eagles still
bring one of the best teams in the land
when they play. They are number one in a
league that could easily have five teams
with 20 wins. BC will play good ball in
the Tournament.
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Connecticut:
Connecticut might be one of the hottest
teams coming in to March. The Huskies haven't
lost since North Carolina, and have won
8 of there last 9. No pushovers either.
In their last 9 games, they have beaten
Notre Dame, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Georgetown,
and Villanova. Not bad. The Huskies have
had the talent all year. They started real
slow, but recently discovered they are as
good as everyone imagined. This is a scary
3 seed now, and with a big conference tourney
performance, and a big win against Syracuse
on the 5th, the Huskies will move up. One
thing I don't like about their squad is
a disturbing number; not one guy averages
more than 2 assists per game. Weird!
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