The lowdown on UNC, Georgetown, UNC and Vandy

In anticpipation of this Sweet 16 weekend's games, SIOC is checking in with students from all 16 schools to gage the reaction on campus.

NORTH CAROLINA

	Forget Roy Hibbert, Jeff Green and Jonathan Wallace. The real hero at Georgetown is coach John Thompson III. Al Tielemans/SI
	More Campus Reports East South Midwest West

Conference: ACC
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Enrollment: 27,500
Last time in Sweet 16: 2005 (won national title)

Big Man on Campus: After getting clobbered by Duke's Gerald Henderson in the final game of the regular season, Tyler Hansbrough's nose has been the talk of the town. Not to mention that he's a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award and is the team's leading scorer (18.6 ppg) and rebounder (7.9 pg).

This is the best thing to happen to my school since: We signed Butch Davis as the new football coach in November 2006 (for non-basketball news). Or since we won it all in basketball in 2005. Or it could be the women's soccer team's national title this year. Or when our baseball team made it to the World Series last year. Hard to choose.

Buzz on campus: People all over town are debating whether Hansbrough will don his hockey mask or decide to ditch it. However, as in his 33-point outing against Michigan State, it is likely that he'll risk baring his "ow-ee."

Place to be for the games: Carolina Brewery on Franklin Street. Award-winning beer and top-notch burgers with TV's at every angle -- what could be better?

What it means to school to be in Sweet 16: That the NBA's age limit has done wonders for us this year. Other than Hansbrough, the freshmen have been leading the way.
--Nicki Jhabvala

GEORGETOWN

Conference: Big East
Location: Washington, D.C.
Enrollment: 6,000
Last time in Sweet 16: 2006 (lost to Florida)

Big Man on Campus: Though Roy Hibbert wouldn't clear the roof of most parking garages and Jonathan Wallace reigns in the hearts of the ladies on campus, coach John Thompson III looms large in the collective Hoya consciousness as the man behind our basketball magic. JTIII and his steady coaching style conjure up memories of the 1980s hey-day of Hoya hoops, when another Thompson and a young man named Ewing put the school on the map.

This is the best thing to happen to my school since: They instituted chicken finger Thursdays in the dining hall and we beat No. 1 Duke last January.

Buzz on campus: Every bracket to be seen has that sweet center spot reserved for dear old Georgetown, and it's not just because we're full of it (I believe that would only apply to BC's Jared Dudley.) With the combined height and athleticism of big men Hibbert and Jeff Green and the sweet ball handling of Wallace and Jessie Sapp, a championship doesn't seem too farfetched. Plus, we have God on our side.

Place to be for the games: Preferably right on the sidelines, where you can smell the sweat from the mascot. But if you can't find a way to finagle a ticket, the best place to watch is Georgetown's own Cheers: the Tombs, where everybody knows your name and who you dated freshman year.

What it means to be in the Sweet 16: Being back as a real contender in March means a return to the championship history of the school. Georgetown has been waiting to return to its former days of competitiveness and now it seems our time has come. Like the shirts the students wear to games proclaim, "Respect is back, fear is next."
--Clare Malone

USC

Conference: Pac-10
Location: Los Angeles
Enrollment: 32,000
Last time in Sweet 16: 2001 (lost to Duke in regional final)

Big Man on Campus: Nick Young, who scored 22 points in the win over Texas and 20 against Arkansas.

This is the best thing to happen to my school since: USC won back-to-back national championships in football in 2003 and 2004.

Buzz on campus: Basketball players on campus are as popular and recognizable as football players right now -- a big feat considering that spring football started on March 20. New Jersey is back on everyone's mind. In the fall, it was rooting for Rutgers to beat Louisville and then lose the next week so USC could get back in the national title hunt for football. Now it's rooting for two more wins in the Meadowlands and a trip to the Final Four.

Place to be for the games: East Rutherford. USC doesn't have a fun sports bar near campus :(

What it means to school to be in Sweet 16: Everyone is still in a bit of disbelief. Most fans had their brackets busted by the upset win over Texas, but being just two wins away from the Final Four is more than a fair trade. Two years ago USC had 12 wins. Now it has a school-record 25 and counting. And maybe even most importantly USC still has a chance to finish better than UCLA.
--Kevin Merfeld

VANDERBILT

Conference: SEC
Location: Nashville
Enrollment: 11,500
Last time in Sweet 16: 2004 (lost to UConn)

Big Man on Campus: Derrick (Big Shot) Byars. Every guy wants to be him and every girl wants to date him.

This is the best thing to happen to my school since: Jay Cutler, silenced Rocky Top in 2005. Cutler's touchdown pass to Earl Bennett in the final minute not only snapped the Commodores' 22-game losing streak to Tennessee, but also kept the Vols out of a bowl game for the first time since 1988.

Buzz on campus: Students realize these opportunities don't come around Nashville too often, so they're enjoying every minute of it. Hundreds of inebriated fans even left their St. Patrick's Day parties for a while to greet the team as it returned home from Sacramento.

Place to be for the games: Sam's Place Sports Bar & Grill is the perfect spot to cheer on the Dores. Better get there early, though, or you won't find a table.

What it means to school to be in Sweet 16: When the Dores lost at home to Furman to drop to 1-3, even the NIT seemed far-fetched, which makes this tourney run even more amazing. A victory over the Hoyas would be icing on the cake. It also shows that Vandy can succeed without an athletic department, which was disbanded in 2003.
--Jarred Amato