First Round, Game by Game
East | South | Midwest | West
|
| Matchup | Key players | Outlook | Pedigree |
(5) Iowa (18-9)
vs.
(12) UAB (20-11)Thursday
at Denver 3:05 p.m. ET
|
Iowa: G Dean Oliver (11.9 ppg, 4.6 apg, 4.0 rpg)
UAB: F Fred Williams (15.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
|
Watch the Hawkeyes, playing for more than pride or glory: Coach Tom Davis is being dumped by the athletic department after this season, so look for the team to try to send him out on a high note.
|
Iowa: At-large invite
UAB: At-large invite
|
(7) Minnesota (17-10)
vs.
(10) Gonzaga (25-6)Thursday
at Seattle 2:40 p.m. ET
|
Minn: G Quincy Lewis (23.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 41.7% 3-pt)
Gonzaga: G Matt Santangelo (12.7 ppg, 5.2 apg); F Casey Calvary (9.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
|
Push-it-up Gonzaga could be catching the Gophers in the midst of an identity crisis -- Big Ten contender or tournament pretender? If the Bulldogs stop Lewis, they stop Minnesota.
|
Minn: At-large invite
Gonzaga: Won West Coast tournament
|
(4) Arkansas (22-10)
vs.
(13) Siena (25-5)Thursday
at Denver 3:10 p.m. ET
|
Ark: G Pat Bradley (14.1 ppg, 38.7% 3-pt); F Derek Hood (12.4 ppg, 10.0 rpg)
Siena: F Marcus Faison (14.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg); G Scott Knapp (11.2 ppg, 4.1 apg)
|
After an overachieving SEC tournament run, the Razorbacks run into the Saints, who love to shoot from long distance and are a current Cinderella fave.
|
Ark: At-large invite
Siena: Won Metro Atlantic tournament
|
(2) Stanford (25-6)
vs.
(15) Alcorn St. (23-6)Thursday
at Seattle 5:10 p.m. ET
|
Stanford: G Arthur Lee (12.8 ppg, 4.6 apg); F Mark Madsen (12.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg)
ASU: G Reuben Stiff (12.3 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.5 rpg)
|
For Stanford to return to the Final Four, Lee must have another stellar tournament run, the big men inside (led by Madsen) must dominate the paint -- and the Cardinal can't look past the Braves.
|
Stanford: Won Pac-10 (no tournament)
ASU: Won SWAC tournament
|
(8) Missouri (20-8)
vs.
(9) New Mexico (24-8)Thursday
at Denver 7:30 p.m. ET
|
Mizzou: F Albert White (16.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.0 apg)
UNM: G Lamont Long (16.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
|
So much for New Mexico's pitiful RPI rating. Now the Lobos can be exposed as unworthy -- on national TV.
|
Mizzou: At-large invite
UNM: At-large invite
|
(6) Florida (20-8)
vs.
(11) Penn (21-5)Thursday
at Seattle 7:55 p.m. ET
|
UF: F Mike Miller (12.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg); G Ted Dupay (10.9 ppg, 3.0 apg, 38.7% 3-pt)
Penn: G Michael Jordan (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg)
|
Gators coach Billy Donovan would like this team to play like his Providence '87 Cinderella squad -- lots of threes and pressure defense. Worn-out wordplay warning: The Quakers have Michael Jordan. Not that MJ...ha ha...(ugh).
|
UF: At-large invite
Penn: Won Ivy League (no tournament)
|
(1) Connecticut (28-2)
vs.
(16) Texas-San Antonio (18-10)Thursday
at Denver 10:20 p.m. ET
|
UConn: G Richard Hamilton (21.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg); G Khalid El-Amin (13.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
UTSA: F Devin Brown (16.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
|
Huskies can't be happy about being graded as the second-best team in the country and still shipped out West. Call it "the ship end of the stick." They will punish the Denver sub-regional, starting with the Roadrunners, who will end up Roadkill.
|
UConn: Won Big East tournament
UTSA: Won Southland tournament
|
(3) North Carolina (24-9)
vs.
(14) Weber St. (24-7)Thursday
at Seattle 10:25 p.m. ET
|
UNC: F Ademola Okulaja (13.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg); G Ed Cota (10.4 ppg, 7.2 apg)
WSU: F Harold Arceneaux (21.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
|
A low-pressure situation for Carolina, for the first time in years not a favorite to win the region. The Heels can't look past the Wildcats, but have the talent advantage to dispatch them quickly.
|
UNC: At-large invite
WSU: Won Big Sky tournament
|
