South Regional
The top seed
Ohio State enters the tournament on a 17-game winning streak, with its last loss coming Jan. 9 at the Kohl Center. The Buckeyes (30-3) also own the best record in the nation, with their only three losses coming to Wisconsin, Florida and North Carolina.
Like many of the other top college teams this year, the Buckeyes are relatively young and inexperienced, and if they have a weakness in the tournament, that would be it. Despite their youth, however, the Buckeyes do have quality veteran leaders in senior forward Ivan Harris, senior guard Ron Lewis and junior guard Jamar Butler.
Freshmen center Greg Oden (15.5 points per game) gives the Buckeyes the inside presence that is so valuable in the postseason, but the Buckeyes have quality guards as well. Lewis (11.7 ppg), freshman Mike Conley Jr. (10.5 ppg) and freshman Daequan Cook (11.7 ppg) give the Buckeyes a balanced scoring attack, making them difficult to stop.
Teams to watch
It is tough to know what to expect from second-seeded Memphis, which finished 30-3 in a watered-down conference. The Tigers are athletic, but the teams they face in the tournament will be a lot more athletic than Conference USA foes like Southern Methodist, Eastern Carolina and Rice.
Louisville came on strong late in the season, picking up wins at Marquette and Pittsburgh, showing it won't be an easy out in the tournament. The Cardinals don't have the strongest post presence and at times rely heavily on outside scoring. Still, Edgar Sosa and Juan Palacios are quality guards, and freshman Jerry Smith was one of the best 3-point shooters in the Big East at 48.6 percent.
Despite a 28-4 record, Nevada landed just a seven seed. However, the Wolf Pack proved in recent years they can win in the NCAA Tournament, and as one of the most veteran teams in the field, their players have experience in the Big Dance. Senior forward Nick Fazekas (20.5 ppg, 11.2 rebounds per game) is one of the top players in the nation, and junior guards Ramon Sessions and Marcellus Kemp also provide experience in the Wolf Pack's backcourt.
Possible Cinderella?
Sure, Brigham Young is ranked No. 23 in the country and earned an eight-seed, but it is still easy to overlook the Mountain West Conference Champion. The Cougars are led by 6'6\ senior swingman Keena Young (16.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg), and senior point guard Austin Ainge dishes out more than four assists per game.
East Regional
The top seed
North Carolina struggled down the stretch, losing three of its final six games, but responded by winning the ACC Tournament in convincing fashion. By earning the top seed in the East, UNC won't have to leave the state for its first two games.
UNC is one of the most athletic teams in the nation, and its strong frontcourt duo of sophomore Tyler Hansbrough (18.8 ppg) and freshman Brandan Wright (14.9 ppg) is tough to stop. However, Hansbrough's productivity has declined noticeably since he broke his nose last week, so his performance will be crucial.
Senior forward Reyshawn Terry is a clutch performer, and he also will give the young Tarheels veteran leadership, something they definitely need. Three of the team's top four scorers are either freshmen or sophomores.
Teams to watch
Second-seeded Georgetown, one of the hottest teams in the country, could block UNC's path to the Final Four. After losing two straight games in early January, the Hoyas have won 15 of their last 16 games. The Hoyas are a force inside, where no team looks forward to tangling with 7'2' center Roy Hibbert (12.7 ppg) and forward Jeff Green (14.3 ppg).
Controlling tempo is often considered one of the keys to advancing in the tournament, and perhaps no team does that better than Washington State. The third-seeded Cougars' ball-control offense, stifling defense and low-scoring games could pose problems for a lot of teams.
The Big 12 has struggled in the tournament in recent years, so it will be interesting so see if Texas can put together a run this year. Freshman forward Kevin Durant (25 ppg) is the type of player who can carry the team himself, and given that four of the Longhorns' top five scorers are freshmen, he may have to do just that.
Possible Cinderella?
Oral Roberts proved it is capable of pulling off a big upset when it knocked off No. 3 Kansas earlier this season, but the Golden Eagles have also lost to teams like Akron, Oakland and Chattanooga. Senior forward Caleb Green (20 ppg) and senior guard Ken Tutt (16 ppg) give the Golden Eagles valuable experience, which they will likely need to pull off any more upsets.
West Regional
The top seed
After early season losses to Depaul and Oral Roberts, Kansas has been on a roll. The Jayhawks beat Florida once and Texas twice on the way to winning the Big 12 title.
Anchored by its guards, sophomores Brandon Rush (13.8 ppg) and Mario Chalmers (12.3 ppg), Kansas is a very explosive team that makes up for its lack of size with hustle, good shooting and stifling defense. Inexperience is still a problem with this young team, whose players have yet to win an NCAA Tournament game.
If the Jayhawks' transition game isn't giving them baskets, the offense may stall. The Jayhawks, who have four players averaging double-digit points, have the ability to make it to the Final Four, but with several bad losses, they also might be a perfect upset candidate.
Teams to watch
The fact that UCLA was given a second seed instead of a No. 1 could fuel the defending national runners-up through the tournament. Junior guard Aaron Afflalo (16.7 ppg) is the leader of this experienced team that must rebound after stumbling late in the season with loses at Washington and against California in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament.
Third-seeded Pittsburgh has struggled in the tournament in recent years and has been streaky all season long. The Panthers play great defense, but if their shooters go cold, senior center Aaron Gray (14.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg) can't carry the load by himself.
Fifth-seeded Virginia Tech is a team that struggled to find its identity this season, and it is a mystery which Hokie team will show up for the tournament. Is it the one that beat UNC twice, Duke, Maryland and Virginia during the regular season, or the one that lost to Western Michigan, Marshall and North Carolina State twice?
Possible Cinderella?
Holy Cross lacks size, but their two phenomenal guards, seniors Torey Thomas and Keith Simmons, could provide enough firepower to pull an upset or two. The 13th-seeded Crusaders have played in three of the last six NCAA Tournaments, giving major scares to Kentucky, Marquette, and even No. 1 Kansas as a 16th seed.
Midwest Regional
The top seed
After losing three out of four contests late in the year, No.1 seed Florida won its regular season finale and dismantled the competition in the conference tournament, winning by an average margin of 19.7 points on its way to a second-consecutive SEC Tournament title.
Junior power forward Al Horford and junior center Joakim Noah form a dynamic duo on the inside, averaging 13.2 and 12.1 ppg, respectively. Junior Taurean Green contributes 13.1 points per contest, while fellow guards Lee Humphrey and Walter Hodge provide additional sharp-shooting from the outside. Junior forward Corey Brewer is one of the nation's most versatile players and a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches.
Head coach Billy Donovan has led Florida to nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and the Gators look hungry to repeat as national champions.
Teams to watch
Although a streaky Arizona squad could pose a potentially tough second-round test for Florida, Oregon or Wisconsin has the best chance to dethrone the Gators.
Paced by a perfect 11-11, 32-point shooting performance by junior guard Bryce Taylor, the Ducks crushed USC 81-57 in the Pac-10 Tournament championship. Noah and Horford might present matchup problems for UO, but with Taylor, freshman guard Tajuan Porter and the Pac-10's leading scorer senior guard Aaron Brooks leading the Ducks' high-flying attack, Oregon can run and gun with any team in the country.
Wisconsin looked ugly in its 66-49 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament championship. Yet the Badgers have an experienced team built around tenacious half-court defense. Big Ten Player of the Year Alando Tucker will keep UW in every game, and if the Badger guards can hit their outside shots, Wisconsin will be a tough team to beat.
Possible Cinderella?
Winthrop crashed Tennessee's [Big Dance] Party in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament. Nevertheless, the Eagles fell just short of the upset, losing 63-61.
The Eagles four losses this season came against North Carolina, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Maryland, all top-25 teams. Winthrop has won 18 straight games and went 14-0 in Big South play. Seeing the Eagles in the Sweet 16 would not be a surprise.
