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Sporting News, The, March 19, 2001

A flash from Philly's past

With or without Carlos Boozer, Duke is the most overwhelming team in this tournament. The Blue Devils already have shown they can handle high-level competition without their starting center. The key to Duke's winning its third national title in the past 11 years is the nature of its shots. The players can toss up 3s till the cows come home as long as they're judicious with the shots they take--making sure they're open, their feet are set and teammates are in position to rebound. Don't be surprised to see a rematch of that Kentucky-Duke East Regional final that took place in Philadelphia in 1992, when Christian Laetnner hit the shot that paved the way for Duke to repeat as national champs. This Kentucky team started slow, but after Gerald Fitch entered the lineup, Tayshaun Prince developed from a bad small forward to a great power forward who is an impossible matchup for defenses. After the Fitch move, Keith Bogans also stepped up his offense, and the Wildcats responded with the SEC's regular-season and tournament titles.

Saturday

1 DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Duke has thrived shooting the long ball for years now, but one off-night could kill its season, especially while C Carlos Boozer is on the sideline. Expect the Blue Devils play superb basketball early in the tournament because of the pressure has been lifted. Shane Battier, TSN's national player of the year, is as capable as anyone of leading his team to a title, and he is surrounded by a supporting cast that makes that extremely possible. Duke will be able to run and shoot its way past bigger teams but could struggle against squads with a similar style. The team's lack of depth and its reliance on perimeter shooting will make it tougher for the Blue Devils to get Coach K his third title.

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (50-14 in NCAAs).

Record: 29-4; 13-3 in Atlantic Coast (T 1st).

Last NCAA: Lost to Florida in 2000 East Regional semifinals.

16 MONMOUTH HAWKS

Rahsaan Johnson is one of the best guards in the country--or at least one of the most exciting. The Northeast Conference Player of the Year, he leads the Hawks in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Johnson isn't a great shooter, but he is super quick and can create his own shot, drive to the basket or find open teammates. SG Cameron Milton, meanwhile, is a reluctant shooter but a good defender. The Hawks don't get a lot of offensive production in the paint, but SF Gerry Crosby is solid from outside and medium range. The Hawks are in the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in school history, but they're little more than first-round fodder for Duke.

Coach: Dave Calloway (0-0 in NCAAs).

Record: 21-9; 15-5 in Northeast (2nd).

Last NCAA: Lost to Marquette in 1996 East Regional first round.

Saturday

* Thursday, March 15 -- Greensboro, N.C.

8 GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Don't let the record fool you--this is a dangerous team. Georgia has enough experience and strong guard play to get a first-round victory. Freshman Rashad Wright has stabilized the point position, and his ability to run the team has given D.A. Layne more freedom at shooting guard. Georgia is physical and plays aggressive defense, and coach Jim Harrick knows how to win at tournament time. C Anthony Evans and F Short Coleman will pose problems for teams, especially Missouri in the first round. Both are big, bulky players, but they have quick feet. The Bulldogs play and win ugly, and sometimes that's the best formula in the tournament.

Coach: Jim Harrick (17-13 in NCAAs).

Record: 16-14; 9-7 in SEC (3rd in East Division).

Last NCAA: Lost to Chattanooga in 1997 Southeast Regional first round.

9 MISSOURI TIGERS

They shoot a lot of 3s, and if Clarence Gilbert, Brian Grawer or Kareem Rush gets hot, the Tigers can beat Georgia. If Rush can get comfortable again after his thumb injury and if coach Quin Snyder can blend him seamlessly back into the rotation, this will be a team to fear. But that seems to be a long shot. There's too much inexperience--four of the top seven players are freshmen, and Rush is a sophomore--for Missouri to sustain much of anything for 40 minutes. The interior play is too spotty, the foul trouble too frequent and the extended scoring droughts too prevalent. The Tigers were one of the last teams to make it in and probably will be among the first to exit.

Coach: Quin Snyder (0-1 in NCAAs).

Record: 19-12; 9-7 in Big 12 (6th).

Last NCAA: Lost to North Carolina in 2000 South Regional first round.

Saturday

5 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

One of the most surprising teams in the nation, the Buckeyes were tabbed for ninth place in the Big Ten and ranked 82nd in the land by TSN before the season. They truly started believing they could trash those forecasts after a January win at home over Michigan State. Coach Jim O'Brien has done a fine job molding the squad and getting players to adhere to roles. Several players are capable of big games, including two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year C Ken Johnson, a 6-11 senior who averages over four blocks, and G Brian Brown, a 6-3 junior who leads the team in scoring and assists. This makes the Buckeyes hard to defend. It also makes them unpredictable.