Thursday,
March 20, 2008
By
Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
MIDWEST
REGION
Player
to Watch:
Michael Beasley, Kansas State
There
area ton of players who I could have chosen from this region,
but it’s tough to go against a true freshman that is third
in the nation in scoring (26.5 ppg) and first in rebounding (12.4
per game). He has taken the country by storm, just as Kevin Durant
did a year earlier at Texas before bolting to the NBA, with his
inside-outside game. There is virtually nothing he can’t
do on the basketball court. The question is, can he do it at the
highest level of college basketball in the most pressure-packed
situation? That is what makes him one to watch. A poor performance
will be a chink in the armor. A good performance and he will be
the first overall selection at this summer’s NBA draft.
Biggest
First-Round Upset:
No. 10 Davidson over No. 7 Gonzaga
The
Wildcats hold the longest current winning streak in Division 1
basketball at 22 wins in a row. They have a very short bench and
generally only or play six or seven players during a ballgame.
But their starting five is as good as any in the country. They
have three senior starters (Jason Richards, Boris Meno, and Thomas
Sander) who have all started or seen significant minutes since
they were freshman.
They
also have Stephen Curry, son of former NBA player Dell Curry,
who can light it up from anywhere on the court. He has more shooting
range than anyone in college basketball and also has the quickest
release of anyone in the land. Richards, who leads the nation
in assists, knows how to find open teammates, especially Curry.
They will outlast Gonzaga, which has done well in the NCAA tournament
over the years, with Curry and Richards leading the way.
Sleeper
Pick:
Davidson
Is it noticeable that
I’m jumping on the Davidson bandwagon? Something tells me
I’m the only person on the Davidson bandwagon at the moment,
but I have a feeling a few more people will be jumping on board
after this weekend. Just remember, this is a team that had second-half
leads on UNC, Duke, and UCLA before losing close games to all
three earlier this season.
First-Round
Winners:
Kansas, Kent State, Clemson, Vanderbilt, USC, Wisconsin, Davidson,
Georgetown
Second-Round
Winners:
Kansas, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, Davidson
Region
Finalists:
Kansas, Wisconsin
Region
Champion:
Kansas
Kansas has one of the
easiest roads to the regional final as any team in the entire
tournament. Kansas has had a slew of successful seasons throughout
the past decade, but also a handful of upset losses in the tournament.
Many people feel this team is headed on the same path. Richie
Ballgame disagrees due to the balance on both ends of the floor.
Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers lead them offensively on the perimeter.
Their toughness on the defensive end comes from Darrell Arthur,
Darnell Jackson, and Sasha Kaun. This team is deep, they are physical
and the Jayhawk fans will be shouting ‘Rock Chalk Jayhawk’
all the way to the Final Four in San Antonio.
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