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.