Campus Confidential

By Adam Abramson

I've decided to make this the top post so I don't confuse anyone. To see the Midwest and West, scroll down or click the links in the light blue bar on the right...

After realizing how ridiculously tough this bracket it, I noticed Arkansas in that controversial 12 seed.

Are the Razorbacks the last team in? Did they snub Syracuse? Well, I'm going to go out on a short leash and say no and no.

I woke up Monday morning and talked to coach Rob about the Orange, and he just made me feel more comfortable about not caring that the 'Cuse were left out. I feel the biggest injustice was ESPN putting Jim Boeheim on the phone while the NCAA Selection Chair was trying to explain the Committee's logic. Gotta give someone some kind of warning for that.

Of Syracuse's 10 Big East wins in the regular season, seven came against non-tournament teams. Of their non-conference wins, two came against Tournament teams: Penn and Holy Cross. Watch out. Their out of conference losses came against teams not dancing.

Actually, the Beoheim thing was the second biggest injustice. The first is Arkansas being in the Dance. I should care that they beat Vanderbilt and two non-Tournament teams in the SEC Tourney? I don't care. Not when you're 0-4 against SEC teams playing in the NCAA Tournament not named Vanderbilt (Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky). Like Syracuse, Arkansas has two OOC wins against Tournament teams: Southern Illinois and Oral Roberts. A little more impressive than the Orange, but nothing I'm going to tell my mom about.

The true snubbed are Florida State and Drexel.

I'm moving on.

For this region, we'll go with the Fat Joe "make it rain" baller, although said players won't necessarily be deadly from 3.

EAST

The conference's best player: Kevin Durant, Texas
The conference's best team: A wash: Georgetown and UNC
The conference's sleeper(s): Oral Roberts (maybe)

No. 1 North Carolina 28-6

This team is great, but can you imagine if everyone stays? Brandan Wright will probably add 10-15 pounds, Wayne Ellington will only become more deadly from the perimeter, Long Island product Danny Green has the chance to emerge as a serious combo guard, etc. I think this is the most exciting team to watch, but the youth worries me. Ty Lawson is probably one of maybe five guys I'd pay to see play.

Strength: Speed and athleticism. Ty Lawson can play at the pace of Allen Iverson and he has a host of teammates that can keep up with him, each bringing their specialty to the table.
Weakness: Youth. Reyshawn Terry is the sage that all of the young guys will look to, but he's only on the floor about 20 minutes a game. (However, did you see those shots he hit late in the ACC Championship game? Clutch.) Also, Bobby Frasor playing 11 minutes a game is just too much.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:So. F Tyler Hansbrough (18 ppg, 8 rpg, 1 apg 1 broken nose)

No. 2 Georgetown 26-6

Do they get bonus points for having Patrick Ewing's son and Doc Rivers' son? What if you're John Thompson III and after a loss the phone rings and it's Doc Rivers: "Umm, did you not see the mismatch my son was drawing?" Actually, he'd probably just say "You're coaching the Celtics" and hang up. I actually think Georgetown is the toughest No. 2 in the field.

Strength: Half-court offense. They have so many options, both inside and out, that it's tough for most teams to defend. Also, they're No. 5 in the country in scoring defense.
Weakness: Turnovers. If they have to break a press, they'll make bad decisions.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Jr. F Jeff Green (14 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg).

No. 3 Washington State 25-7

Nobody gave Washington State a chance this year. Actually, most picked them to finish last in the Pac 10, BEHIND Arizona State. Assuming they get by Oral Roberts, which won't be easy, they can give North Carolina fits by slowing the game down with a fantastic pair of guards.

Strength: The Cougars aren't going to score a ton of points on you, but they're going to do everything they can from keeping the opponent from lighting up the scoreboard - and they're good at it: Third in the country in turnovers, 4.5 blocks a game, 6.8 steals per game and they allow just 58.8 points per game.
Weakness: Rebounding. The Cougars actually get beat on the glass with a -2.6 margin. Nobody on the team averages six rips a game.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Jr. G Kyle Weaver (11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.5 apg)…and Derrick Low has a great tattoo on his leg (right one, I think).

No. 4 Texas 24-9

Ever wonder what it would be like if Kevin Garnett played in college? Well, you only have a few more chances. Kevin Durant is the Big Ticket in waiting. He's about two inches shorter than KG, but he can do everything. Need him to post up? Sure. How about a three-pointer? Try 42%. His 25 and 11 are insane. If you haven't seen him yet, watch, because he won't be around next year - I feel comfortable saying that. To think he seriously considered UNC…could you imagine?

Strength: Kevin Durant.
Weakness: Youth. Durant is a freshman, but plays like a senior. If he's not on the floor, they're looking at another freshman or sophomore for leadership (The top 8 scorers are Fr/So).
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller: Fr. F Kevin Durant (25.6 ppg, 11 rpg, 2 bpg)

No. 5 Southern California 23-11

Much like Virginia Tech, also a No. 5 over in the West. The Trojans can make serious waves, but also face the strong possibility they don't make the Sweet 16. Wait until you see how much this team's dynamic changes when O.J. Mayo arrives on campus. Also, I was just on ESPN.com, is USC really a private school?

Strength: The Trojan guards play great defense and force a lot of bad shots. They have to protect the glass and kill any second chance points.
Weakness: Size. USC has tall guards, but inside, not so much. Freshman Taj Gibson at 6'9" is the team's best shot in the frontcourt.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Jr. G/F Nick Young (17.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.4 apg).

No. 6 Vanderbilt 20-11

It looked rough early on for the Commodores: losses against Georgetown, Wake Forest and Furman, but a strong showing in the SEC really boosted their confidence (wins over Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, at LSU-when LSU was good). They really can't fall into a lull or they will be bounced by a tough George Washington team.

Strength: Distribution. Any one of five or six guys can bring the ball up the floor. Many times it ends up in the hands of Byars, but it's not always getting there the same way.
Weakness: Frontcourt. They don't block shots, they don't force bad shots, and they get out rebounded.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Sr. G/FG Derrick Byars (17 ppg, 5 rpg, 3.4 apg). Started his career at Virginia. Wonder if the Cavs miss him?

No. 7 Boston College 20-11

It seemed all but over for the Eagles when starting center Sean Williams was booted off the team, but Al Skinner's guys have become pretty resilient. Jared Dudley was named the ACC POY and Tyrese Rice became dangerous in the last 10 games, averaging 19 points, 4 boards and 4 assists a game. It won't be easy with Williams gone, but they're .500 without him.

Strength: Variety. Because Dudley is good from everywhere on the floor, Skinner's offense has many different looks.
Weakness: John Oates. I hate to call the kid out, but he's 20-68 from three. Dude, you're 6'10, stay in the rectangle…
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Sr. F Jared Dudley (19 ppg, 8 rpg, 3 apg)

No. 8 Marquette 24-9

I look at a team like Marquette as a No. 8 and look at a team like Maryland at No. 4 and I don't see much difference. The Golden Eagles have one bad loss and a handful of good wins this year. They're an excellent team deserving of a five or six.

Strength: Garbage points. Their offense isn't going to go through their front court, but if these guys can grab offensive rebounds and get to the line, it'll help a lot.
Weakness: Accuracy from the perimeter. It wouldn't concern me that much, but they have the tendency to rely on the three ball and they only hit a third of their attempts.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:So. G Dominic James (15 ppg, 3 rpg, 5 apg)

No. 9 Michigan State 22-11

It's the same story ever year for the Spartans. The good news for Michigan State is that it's not a bad story: extremely athletic and extremely tough on the defensive end. They force tough shots and take smart ones. They won't light you up, but they'll pick you apart. That's what you get when you face Tom Izzo.

Strength: Rebounding. Again, a staple of a Tom Izzo team. The Spartans' +7.8 rebounding margin is fifth in the land.
Weakness: Michigan State forces bad shots, but they don't force a ton of turnovers via steals. They're among the worst in Division I in that category. They also need to take care of the ball in the Tourney.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Jr. G Drew Neitzel (18 ppg, 3 rpg, 4 apg)

No. 10 Texas Tech 21-12

I picked Martin Zeno as the "Make it Rain" baller, but Jarrius Jackson is the guy TTU will look to in the Dance. Jackson eclipsed the 25-point mark 10 times this year, he's extremely explosive and is good from three-point land 43.5% of the time. He averages 38 MINUTES A GAME.

Strength: The backcourt. It's long been known that strong guards are more important than strong forwards. Texas Tech's trio stack up with most.
Weakness: Rebounding. Texas Tech has lost a few games this year because they don't crash the glass well. The -4.5 margin is ugly: Where are forwards Jon Plefka and Darryl Dora?
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Jr. G Martin Zeno (16.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg)

No. 11 George Washington 23-8

I've only seen GW play once this year and they're very tough inside. Carl Elliot gives them good inside-outside balance. I'm not giving away many picks on here, but I like the Colonels over the Commodores.

Strength: Disruption. The Colonels are in the top 10% of teams in the country in both steals and blocks. They're pesky!
Weakness: GW actually ranks well in most categories. They don't hit many shots beyond the arc and they foul a lot. Are those weaknesses?
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Sr. G Carl Elliott (13 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 apg)

No. 12 Arkansas 21-13

I've said enough about this team in the intro. They received much more love than I thought they would. I don't see this team making a run.

Strength: Distribution. Stan Heath may be on the hot seat, but his boys can pass the ball and find the open guy.
Weakness: Turnovers. USC will likely get at least 15 free possessions.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Fr. G Patrick Beverley (13.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 apg)

No. 13 New Mexico State 25-8

The Aggies can score a TON of points and they shoot pretty well from outside, but they really don't a Kevin Durant-type player in the WAC. Justin Hawkins can play some ball, but Texas is used to facing an Aggie guard named Acie Law…the Texas A&M Aggie.

Strength: Rebounding. Expect a lot of quick shots and guys to be in place to get quick boards.
Weakness: Discipline. The Aggies will run a lot, but this translates into about 17 turnovers a game. That's just too many.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Jr. F Justin Hawkins (15.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2 apg)

No. 14 Oral Roberts 23-9

A lot of people love Oral Roberts to win in the first round. I did also. I mean, they beat Kansas on the road and played Georgetown and Arkansas tough on the road. However, if they don't stop turning the ball over, they won't beat anyone.

Strength: Balance. The Golden Eagles have a very efficient offense and Shawn King is a very formidable force on the inside on the defensive end-opponents have a tough time finding good shots.
Weakness: Again, it's turnovers. 14/15 is the benchmark of too much. They sit at 15+.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Sr. F Caleb Green (20.8 ppg, 9 rpg, 2.5 apg)

No. 15 Belmont 23-9

Quick: Where is Belmont?

Answer: Nashville.

Boomer Herndon will face Roy Hibbert. The problem is that Herndon plays maybe 16-17 minutes a game while his adversary is out there for about 27. If I'm coach Rick Byrd (who's bio says he's one of the most respected coaches in the country), I go inside to Herndon on the first 10 possessions and see if you can get 2 fouls on either Hibbert or Jeff Green. What do you have to lose? The problem is that Herndon will be so gassed he'll go pass out in the locker room until the second half.

Strength: I'm not quite sure. I know guard Andy Wicke can light it up from 3-point land.
Weakness: I'll go to turnovers. That's all I can pull from a stat sheet on the team. 16 a game is bad. I'm not trying to act like I know a lot about Belmont.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:Sr. C Boomer Herndon (10.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg)…great name for a big man.

No. 16 Eastern Kentucky 21-11

Again, another team I don't know much about. But I've heard their coach Jeff Neubauer interviewed a few times and he seems like a great guy. From the basketball logic I have, I expect EKU to chuck up a lot of 3s, creating long rebounds, allowing UNC to run all over them. I'll be tuning in to see Ty Lawson.

Strength: They don't foul. 13.6 a game! Some teams average that in a half!
Weakness: Opponents shoot 45% on them. I'm predicting the Heels to make 65% of their shots. Yikes.
The Fat Joe "Make it Rain" baller:So. G Mike Rose (15 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.8 apg)

Be back on Wednesday with the South. Expect some Greg Oden gushing. Thanks for the comments so far. Keep them coming. Suggest a relevant hip hop song for the final region.