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The Dance at a Glance:
Regional finals, day one

At the Water Cooler What happened Saturday Props to Gonzaga : UConn took away the jump shot and the Bulldogs still hung tough. We believe ... Ohio State's Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd form the best backcourt in the tournament. Scarier still, they both could return next year ... 20/20 hindsight: Ohio State had great matchups against St. John's -- the backcourt edge went to the Buckeyes and the two undersized frontcourts made for a push, essentially an edge to OSU ... How many people still want to ride the Gonzaga bandwagon? ... Was the Red Storm looking past Ohio State? ... That thud you heard was UConn's albatross dropping from neck to floor ... If St. John's SF Ron Artest thinks he's ready for the NBA, he'll have a lot of time to ponder that decision -- on the pine ... We obviously would never begrudge UConn its jubilation over finally making the Final Four, but we hope they won't be satisfied with it. Duke won't be ... Name to know Temple SF Mark Karcher , a sharpshooting swingman who had 21 pts in the regional semifinals against Purdue and must explode for at least that many against Duke for the Owls to have a chance at an upset. Blue Devils defensive specialist Chris Carrawell will be checking him. Top storyline Final Four fever The Final Four locks in its last two teams Sunday. If Duke wins the East...if?; if Temple wins, it's the upset of the year. In the Midwest, Kentucky goes for four Final Fours in four years; if Michigan State wins, better learn "The Flintstones" theme. Random speculation St. John's' Erick Barkley will spend at least some point of his college career rated as the top point guard in the country. Tourney trend Nickname madness "Scoonie." We love it. Parents, to ensure athletic success for your child in later years, give him a media-friendly nickname now. And call us "Glancey." In case you missed it... Regional semifinals, day two Regional semifinals, day one Second round, day two Second round, day one First round, day two First round, day one Selection Sunday Charting the Tournament, Game by Game Elite Eight Sweet 16 Second Round: S | W | E | MW First Round: S | W | E | MW The Bandwagon Jim Calhoun Final-ly Four Scoonie Game to match great nickname Spokane 15 minutes over Ron Artest Not ready for NBA Erick Barkley Watch him next year Mike Jarvis And this was Year One? Ohio State Who needs a frontcourt? Gonzaga Does close count? UConn Keep eyes on prize

By Dan Shanoff, CNN/SI

ALL-WEST REGION:
Harold Arceneaux , F, Weber State
Khalid El-Amin , G, UConn
Richie Frahm , F, Gonzaga
Quentin Hall , G, Gonzaga
Richard Hamilton , F, UConn

Most outstanding player: Richard Hamilton
When UConn needed big baskets, pick-me-up perimeter defense or someone to lead when El-Amin was saddled with foul trouble and a faulty shooting radar, Rip was there to ensure his outstanding UConn career would include a trip to the Final Four.

ALL-SOUTH REGION:
Ron Artest , F, St. John's
Erick Barkley , G, St. John's
Terence Morris , F, Maryland
Scoonie Penn , G, Ohio State
Michael Redd , G, Ohio State

Most outstanding player: Scoonie Penn
No player has been more valuable to his team's success during the tournament -- and during the season -- than Penn, whose line in the regional final says it all: 38 minutes, 22 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals. His clutch scoring, floor leadership and defense are reasons 1, 1a and 1b why Ohio State is on its way to St. Petersburg.

One more day, two final answers

What can you expect from Sunday's regional finals?

In the East, Duke -- the tourney's juggernaut -- takes on upstart Temple in a rematch of the 1988 East Regional final, right down to the location, East Rutherford, N.J. (Where have you gone, Mark Macon?) Even with its match-up zone defense clicking, the Owls will have a hard time stopping Duke's waves and waves of talent. That said, Temple can keep it interesting if the Owls maintain their unusually hot shooting pace.

In the Midwest, would anyone really be surprised if Kentucky "upset" the region's top seed, Michigan State? The defending champ's focus, confidence and unruffled play during the tournament has been one of the month's most interesting developments. The Wildcats can run, rebound and defend right with the Spartans. Kentucky had shooting woes earlier in the season, but several key 'Cats have found their strokes. On the other hand, Michigan State keeps winning despite its shooting. MSU's star guard will either be Mateen "Clutch" or Mateen "Clang." Which one will show up?

As far as predictions for which teams will advance to the Final Four, we're going to really enjoy seeing Duke -- the champion wannabes -- take on their nemesis Kentucky -- the champs until someone beats 'em.

Sunday's Regional Finals at a Glance Marquee Matchup: Duke SG Trajan Langdon and PG William Avery versus Temple's zone. "Beating the match-up isn't just about making jump shots. It's about finding the seams, penetrating and knocking down those tricky medium-rangers that seem to be going the way of the dinosaurs. Langdon and Avery are great three-point shooters but they need to do more than just hoist 'em up from out deep." -- Seth Davis, Sports Illustrated Under the Glare: Michigan State PG Mateen Cleaves If Cleaves is truly an All-American, he will appropriately lift his play to fit the importance of the game. There's no more room for his all-too-common inconsistent shooting days. For Michigan State to dethrone the champs, Cleaves' stat line must read at least 20 points and 10 assists. Watching Sunday's Games Region Matchup Site East (1) Duke vs. (6) Temple East Rutherford, N.J., 2:40 p.m. ET Subplot: Duke's first three games were relative cakewalks. To get to the Final Four, the Blue Devils will have to solve Temple's matchup zone and hot tournament shooting. Midwest (1) Michigan St. vs. (3) Kentucky St. Louis, 5 p.m. ET Subplot: Playing as if on a mission, the defending champs are one win from a fourth straight Final Four. The Spartans are quick and hit the boards hard, but lack consistent outside shooting. The Glance picks Sunday's regional finals Day Matchup 1 Matchup 2 Sunday Duke (1) d. Temple (6) Kentucky (3) d. Michigan St. (1) Predictions from Saturday's regional finals: 1-1 (Missed: St. John's) Overall prediction total: 38-20

 

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