The East bracket did two things last week: provide the best upsets of March Madness 2003, and ruin most people's chances in the office pool. As unpredictable as the first two rounds of the east regional were, however, the four teams remaining promise to make an entertaining second half.
Few people predicted this Alabama team to go to the Sweet 16, but the Tigers are impressing fans and analysts alike in their first tournament appearance since 1999.
Senior forward Marquis Daniels is expanding his reputation as a legitimate threat and is aided in the paint by shot blocking specialist junior center Kyle Davis. The Tigers' corps of lackluster guards is what opponents will look to exploit.
In this way Auburn faces a matchup problem with Syracuse, its next opponent. The Orangemen have a supply of quality guards and a Player of the Year candidate that may prove too much for the Tigers to handle. Though upsets are not out of the question, Auburn is likely too athletically limited to advance to the Final Four.
Butler, after being snubbed by the selection committee in 2002, is this tournament's Cinderella, boasting impressive early round victories and an insatiable hunger for a Final Four trip.
Butler is dangerous from three-point range, with senior guards Darnell Archey and Brandon Miller roving the perimeter, though are susceptible to a team with size. The Bulldogs' biggest weakness is their inexperience with marquee competition and big games.
Though they have posted impressive wins to date, Butler will need to play mistake-free basketball to upset No. 1 seed Oklahoma. Should the Bulldogs make it to the East regional finals, however, they will have proven they can compete with anyone.
Going for a second straight Final Four appearance, the Sooners are no strangers to top competition and feature the same lineup that took them within one game of a national championship last year.
Senior guards Hollis Price and Quannas White form one of the most lethal backcourts in college basketball, while wing man senior Ebi Ere helps round out an Oklahoma team that shows no serious weaknesses.
The Sooners are renowned for their determined style of play and
ever-say-die"" attitude, a quality that will serve them well in the tournament stretch run. Oklahoma knows what it takes to win and has the players to do so, meaning anything less than a championship game appearance will be a disappointment.
Freshmen are all the rage in upstate New York this year. Rookie forward Carmelo Anthony, a possible lottery pick in this year's NBA draft, has dominated the competition as well as the highlight reels. Hardly a one man team, the Orangemen rely on scoring contributions from freshmen guards Gerry McNamara and Billy Edelin as well.
Though Syracuse has a good corps for the future, it may prove to be a weakness in the present, as few on this unit have any tournament experience.
Syracuse played a rigorous Big East schedule that challenged them much more than Auburn probably will. Advancing past the Tigers will not be a surprise, though making it to the Final Four will. A team like Oklahoma can match Syracuse's talent and dwarf it in terms of maturity. The Orangemen will definitely benefit from the fact that the games are being played in Albany, N.Y., though.
