Ncaa Tournament Guide/East

Sporting News, The, March 15, 1999

1     DUKE BLUE DEVILS                   Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
      There isn't a more                 (43-12 in NCAAs).
      talented team in the country.      Record: 32-1; 18-0 in
      F Elton Brand and G Trajan         ACC (1st).
      Langdon are                        Last NCAA: Lost in 1998
      player-of-the-year                 South Regional final
      candidates, but G                  to Kentucky.
      William Avery may have
      been Duke's MVP. He
      has improved that much.
      Forwards Shane Battier
      and Chris Carrawell are
      defensive specialists
      who can score in bunches,

2     MIAMI (FLA.) HURRICANES            Coach: Leonard
      This team has the                  Hamilton (0-1 in NCAAs).
      makings of an Elite Eight club.    Record: 22-6; 15-3 in
      The Hurricanes play                Big East (2nd).
      tough defense, have a star in      Last NCAA: Lost in 1998
      F Tim James and are                South Regional first
      playing with the confidence        round to UCLA.
      that comes from posting
      the school's first 20-win
      season in 34 years. But
      the lack of a great point
      guard will catch up with them.

3     CINCINNATI BEARCATS                Coach: Bob Huggins
      A big key will be avoiding         (13-7 in NCAAs).
      turnovers, as point guard          Record: 28-5; 12-4 in
      play has been spotty.              C-USA (1st, American).
      F Pete Mickeal and                 Last NCAA: Lost in 1998
      G Melvin Levett must               West Regional second
      score a lot. Few teams play        round to West Virginia.
      defense as well as
      the Bearcats.
      C Kenyon Martin,
      a shot blocker who must
      avoid fouls, leads the
      charge of a physical
      team that rebounds well.

4     TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS               Coach: Jerry Green
      The Vols have the talent           (0-2 in NCAAs).
      to make a long tourney             Record: 20-8; 12-4 in
      run--but a first-round             SEC (1 st, East).
      flameout is possible, too.         Last NCAA: Lost in 1998
      There are big bodies               West Regional first round
      and athleticism galore on this     to Illinois State.
      team, and it played its
      best this season down the
      stretch. If G Brandon
      Wharton is on, watch out. But
      if he isn't, well ... he'll
      keep on shooting,

5     WISCONSIN BADGERS                  Coach: Dick Bennett
      The Badgers have the               (1-4 in NCAAs).
      ingredients to succeed in          Record: 22-9; 9-7 in
      the NCAA                           Big Ten (3' 3rd).
      Tournament--rugged                 Last NCAA: Lost in 1997
      defense, fine                      East Regional
      guard play, good                   first round
      free-throw                         to Texas.
      shooting, a patient
      halfcourt offense.
      However, the Badgers can't win
      if G Sean Mason has
      a bad game. A late-season
      slump and iffy inside
      game also are concerns,

6     TEMPLE OWLS                        Coach: John Chaney
      While the matchup                  (16-14 in NCAAs).
      zone defense gives                 Record: 21-10;
      opponents fits, poor               13-3 in
      shooting gives the coaching        Atlantic 10
      staff fits. On most                (1st, East).
      nights, this team struggles to     Last NCAA: Lost
      score 85 points, and               in 1998
      leading scorer F Mark Karcher      West Regional
      averages about 13                  first round
      points per game. The Owls          to West Virginia.
      commit way too
      many turnovers,

7     TEXAS LONGHORNS                    Coach: Rick Barnes
      F Gabe Muoneke, F Kris             (2-6 in NCAAs).
      Clack and C Chris Mihm             Record: 19-12; 13-3 in
      give team best frontcourt          Big 12 (1st).
      this side of Duke. But             Last NCAA: Lost in the
      guard play is often the            1997 East Regional
      deciding factor in the NCAA        semifinal to
      Tournament, and the                Louisville.
      Longhorns come up short
      there. Lack of perimeter
      scoring and a virtually
      nonexistent bench
      will make for a short trip.

8     COL. OF CHARLESTON COUGARS         Coach: John Kresse
      This is a smallish,                (1-3 in NCAAs).
      veteran team that won't be         Record: 28-2; 16-0 in
      awed by the NCAAs. Led by          Southern (1st).
      F Sedric Webber, the               Last NCAA: Lost
      Cougars beat North                 in 1998
      Carolina and UMass and won         Midwest Regional
      25 straight games. But             first round
      they haven't played                to Stanford.
      a nonconference game in
      nearly three
      months, and the
      Southern wasn't
      very good this year.

9     TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANES            Coach: Bill Self
      Thanks to a                        (0-0 in NCAAs).
      vigorous inside game led by C      Record: 22-9; 9-5 in
      Brandon Kurtz and F                WAC (1st, Mountain).
      Michael Ruffin, most teams         Last NCAA: Lost in 1997
      don't score a lot of               Midwest Regional
      points down low off the Golden     second
      Hurricanes. As a team,             round to Clemson.
      Tulsa led the WAC in
      blocked shots. It also
      rebounds exceptionally well.
      But the backcourt,
      especially off-guard,
      is suspect.

10    PURDUE BOILERMAKERS                Coach: Gene Keady
      Purdue limped into                 (13-15 in NCAAs).
      the tourney with a 7-11 mark       Record: 19-12; 7-9 in
      in its last 18 games.              Big Ten (7th).
      The Boilermakers have no           Last NCAA: Lost
      chance of advancing unless         in 1998
      G Jaraan Cornell has a             Midwest Regional
      big game. This is an               semifinals to
      undersized team that               Stanford.
      struggles to score in a
      halfcourt offense because
      of poor point guard play.
      Passion also is lacking,

11    KENT GOLDEN FLASHES                Coach: Gary Waters
      John Whorton is the                (0-0 in NCAAs).
      go-to guy. He's remarkably         Record: 23-6; 13-5 in
      athletic for his size              MAC (2nd, East).
      (6-8, 250) and is a good           Last NCAA: First
      shooter. Gary Waters               appearance.
      likes to play man-to-man
      defense and shuffle
      his players in and out--he
      often goes 10 deep.
      They can beat Temple in the
      first round with
      their aggressive man defense.

12    SW MISSOURI STATE BEARS            Coach: Steve Alford
      Despite loads of talent,           (0-0 in NCAAs).
      some size and an RPI in            Record: 20-10; 11-7 in
      the mid-30s, the Bears             Missouri Valley (T 2nd).
      have underachieved. To             Last NCAA: Lost in 1992
      advance, 6-11 C                    Midwest Regional first
      Danny Moore needs to be a          round to Michigan State.
      presence on both ends
      of the floor, the deep bench
      will have to provide
      points and, most important,
      Kevin Ault needs
      to find his outside shot.

13    DELAWARE BLUE HENS                 Coach: Mike Brey
      The stars, F Mike Pegues           (0-1 in NCAAs).
      and G John Gordon, can             Record: 25-5; 15-3 in
      be counted on to produce           America East (1st).
      about 35 points between            Last NCAA: Lost in 1998
      them, but how well the             Midwest Regional first
      team finds other offensive         round to Purdue.
      options will determine
      its fate. The Blue Hens were
      embarrassed last
      year by Purdue; almost by
      default, they will
      do better vs. Tennessee.

14    GEORGE MASON PATRIOTS              Coach: Jim Larranaga
      Jason Miskiri is a                 (0-1 in the NCAAs).
      solid point guard                  Record: 19-10; 13-3 in
      and the team's                     Colonial (1st).
      second-leading                     Last NCAA' Lost in 1989
      scorer. Sophomore                  West Regional
      F George Evans                     first round
      (18.3 points and 8.5               to Indiana.
      rebounds per game)
      is a force down low;
      he uses his strength
      to get position. But
      the Patriots are
      not big, and an opponent with a
      bruising frontcourt
      presents a matchup nightmare.

15    LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS                 Coach: Fran O'Hanlon
      Likely no player in                (0-0 in NCAAs).
      the tournament                     Record: 22-7; 10-2 in
      is more vital to                   Patriot (1st).
      his team's success                 Last NCAA: Lost
      than G Brian Ehlers. He's a        in 1957
      clutch shooter, a                  East Regional
      tenacious rebounder and an         semifinals
      adroit passer, but                 to Syracuse.
      the rest of the
      team is vastly
      undersized. Lafayette
      has waited 42 years to make
      it back; its hard-earned
      joy will be short-lived.

16    FLORIDA A&M RATTLERS               Coach: Mickey Clayton
      The hopes of the                   (0-0 in NCAAs).
      Cinderella Rattlers,               Record: 12-18; 8-11 in
      the 15th team                      MEAC (9th).
      to make the field with             Last NCAA: First
      a losing record, rest with         appearance.
      G Monroe Pippins. He is
      a dynamic force on a team
      that loves to run
      and press.
      Unfortunately, Florida
      A&M shoots poorly, is
      undersized, lacks depth and
      can be banged around.