Picking through the Sweet 16

MADISON, Wis. -- So I come home to Seattle for a couple days and they fire Bob Bender at U-Dub. The Huskies are a sleeping giant in the Pac-10, which is why they should hurry up and go after Gonzaga's Mark Few . I'd also be interested if I were Quin Snyder , a Seattle native who doesn't deserve the grief he's gotten at Missouri from the media, loser Internet jockeys and, uh, former MU coaches. ... My favorite find of the tournament: Wyoming coach Steve McClain , who not only looks like Steve Buscemi but has lived the life of a Steve Buscemi character. As an assistant at Independence (Kan.) CC in the late '80s, McClain told me, he once drove 19 hours to Sparta, Ga., put Harvey Grant on a plane to Kansas, and drove 19 hours back to meet him. He got his man, of course. There's a great independent movie to be done on juco coaches, starring (who else?) Steve Buscemi. Guess I'll have to start writing the script in the offseason.

'Bagmen of the Year: Kansas' Drew Gooden and Nick Collison , for spending an hour on the KU bus with me at 2 a.m. one night in January compiling a list of all-alumni teams, post-1985. Still trying to decide if Drew deserves a punch in the arm for calling out the looks of my wife upon seeing my laptop background screen. ... CD of the Week: The Very Best of the Gipsy Kings (Disc 1). ... When Judgment Day comes, I'll know my unholy fate is sealed when they put me on a Southwest Airlines flight (motto: Southwest, for all your one-way flights to hell).

Sweet 16

WEST

UCLA vs. Missouri: Should be a fun matchup between two of the most underachieving regular-season teams in recent college hoops memory. Rickey Paulding is looking like a candidate for breakout star of the tournament, and the Tigers haven't even been challenged yet in their two "upsets" of Miami and Ohio State. Two important things to remember, though: 1) UCLA has had the experience of a close game in this tournament, and this should be another one; and 2) when the Bruins are at their best, they're slightly better than MU (see: UCLA's win over Kansas in January). Random fact: In his bedroom in Columbia, Kareem (Frankenstein) Rush has pictures of himself hanging out with Jason Kapono .
The Pick: UCLA.

Oklahoma vs. Arizona: Blame the committee for giving us these two teams in the semifinal. (Duh.) As much as I love my pals from Tucson, the Sooners are nasty-nasty-nasty and ready to take the next step. Kelvin Sampson makes the final case for why he should be the next coach at Arizona when Lute Olson retires.
The Pick: Oklahoma.

SOUTH

Duke vs. Indiana: This one could get ugly. The Hoosiers don't match up well with Duke at all, and I get the sense Jason Williams is ready for one of his monster games. Just wondering: How does Dane Fife get all these defensive awards when I always see him getting lit up?
The Pick: Duke.

Kent State vs. Pittsburgh: How great would it be if Kent won this game? I just have the same eerie feeling I did before the Flashes got blown out in the second round last year against Cincinnati. Call it a hunch, but it's about time Kent's shooters had an off night. Great tourney run, though.
The Pick: Pittsburgh.

MIDWEST

Kansas vs. Illinois: This one is all about player development. The Jayhawks have improved across the board since losing to the Illini last year. Can we say that about anyone on Illinois' team? Didn't think so.
The Pick: Kansas.

Oregon vs. Texas: Gotta say I'm surprised the Ducks have stuck around, but they've been solid with Freddie Jones and Frodo and Bilbo Baggins ( Lukes Jackson and Ridnour ). It's just not quite as cool because the Ducks' Ashley Judd equivalent is ... Phil Knight .
The Pick: Oregon.

EAST

Maryland vs. Kentucky: Out of the three favorites (Duke, Kansas, Maryland), the Terps have the hardest Sweet 16 game. Juan Dixon and Steve Blake are too smart to let it come apart here, though. This one could go OT.
The Pick: Maryland.

UConn vs. Southern Illinois: God, how did UConn get this good? A lot of smoke and mirrors, if you ask me. In a crowning blow for the bleak Big East, the Salukis punk the Huskies out of the tournament.
The Pick: Southern Illinois.

Regional finals

WEST

UCLA vs. Oklahoma: Weird thread this week: Almost all of the prospective regional final games aren't as close, on paper, as those in the regional semis. Does this have anything to do with lame seeding? Anyway, the Sooners are playing as well as anyone in the country, and nothing they do this weekend is going to change my mind about that. Plus, Aaron McGhee actually is scoring these days.
The Pick: Oklahoma.

SOUTH

Duke vs. Pittsburgh: Same blowout team, same blowout channel. Why does Duke always seem to get the sacrificial lambs in its regionals?
The Pick: Duke.

MIDWEST

Kansas vs. Oregon: Should be the most enjoyable regional final, with a score resembling, say, 128-112. Phil Knight will become smitten with Drew Gooden and make a mental note to dress him in the Swoosh for the rest of his life.
The Pick: Kansas.

EAST

Maryland vs. Southern Illinois: Guh. Another blowout. Save your energy for what will be an amazing Final Four.
The Pick: Maryland.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl covers college basketball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.

 

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