NCAA tournament preview

Sporting News, The, March 22, 2004

RANKING THE REGIONS

1 EAST RUTHERFORD

Three No. 1-caliber teams in Saint Joseph's, Oklahoma State and Pittsburgh, plus Wisconsin playing the first two rounds in Milwaukee. Another team to watch is high-scoring Wake Forest.

2 ATLANTA

Duke, Mississippi State and Texas are heavyweights. North Carolina, Cincinnati and Louisville are talented but inconsistent. Murray State and East Tennessee State provide upset possibilities.

3 ST. LOUIS

The key to this region will be whether Gonzaga can live up to its No. 2 seed. If so, a possible meeting between a blue blood (Kentucky, Kansas) and a new blood (Zags) is appealing.

4 PHOENIX

Stanford and Connecticut should face little resistance getting to the regional final; the Huskies' half is particularly weak. Maryland at No. 4 defies logic.

Tip sheet

What's to like--and what's not to like--about the favorites By Kyle Veltrop

ST. LOUIS

1. Kentucky

PLUS: Wildcats work for good shots--and make foes take bad ones. MINUS: Without depth, you need great players. UK's are only very good.

2. Gonzaga

PLUS: Big skilled bodies, inside and deadly shooters on the perimeter. MINUS: Bulldogs haven t faced a high-quality team since December.

3. Georgia Tech

PLUS: Catch them if you can. The Jackets' talented little guys can fly. MINUS: Inside, Luke Schenscher is improving, but he's no Bill Walton yet.

4. Kansas

PLUS: Appeared in last two Final Fours; Jayhawks know how to win. MINUS: Year 1 under Bill Self was up and down. Inconsistent effort level.

EAST RUTHERFORD

1. Saint Joseph's

PLUS: No one has better guards--and guards rule this time of year. MINUS: Pounded on the boards in the lone loss underscoring the team's lack of size.

2. Oklahoma State

PLUS: John Lucas' shooting and Tony Alien's versatility spark backcourt. MINUS, No go-to guy inside. Ivan McFarlin Is tough, but he's not polished.

3. Pittsburgh

PLUS: No one will outwork the tough, experienced, unselfish Panthers. MINUS: Had a 20- and a 17-point half down the stretch. Is there enough firepower?

4. Wake Forest

PLUS: Great shooters--and Wake got to the line more than any other ACC team.

MINUS: Rotation is loaded with kids. Are the Diaper Deacs ready?

Kentucky has plenty of good players, such as Cliff Hawkins, but the Cats are missing a star.

Atlanta

1. Duke

PLUS: A rotation loaded with six McDonald's All-Americans has little problem scoring. MINUS: Quick, slashing wings can get in the lane, causing the Devils' 'D' to crack.

2. Mississippi State

PLUS: Offense flourishes in transition or pounding it inside to Lawrence Roberts.

MINUS: Freshman Gary Ervin was only reserve getting key minutes down stretch.

3. Texas

PLUS: Horns have two things that almost every other team doesn't: depth and size.

MINUS: When it comes to playmaking, there's no T.J. Ford--or a poor man's T.J. Ford.

4. Cincinnati

PLUS: Two great shooters, two exceptional athletes make Bearcats a tough matchup.

MINUS: Teams that spread them out and fire from deep have caused them loads of problems.

PHOENIX

1. Stanford

PLUS: It has a star (Josh Childress) and balance (four double-figure scorers, plus one at 9.9 ppg).

MINUS: Cardinal struggles chasing little guards who can zip, zip, zip.

2. Connecticut

PLUS: Fast break can be stunning, and the guy at center is pretty good.

MINUS: Playmaking is bad, but Shaq-like free throw shooting is worse.

3. N.C. State

PLUS: The nation's best free throw shooters have edge in tight games.

MINUS: Wolfpack loves the 3--but hit 26.9 percent in regular-season losses.

4. Maryland PLUS: John Gilchrist is one of nation's hottest players, and the Terps are loose.

MINUS: The worst shooting team from the free throw line in the ACC. And in the bottom three from the 3-point line.

To see complete brackets of SPORTING NEWS and FOX Sports personalities, go to http://fantasygames.sportingenws.com/ hoops/college.

SWEET 16 PICKS

Final Four picks in red

 Mike DeCourcy      Kyle Veltrop      Tim Brando      Benson Taylor
 Senior writer    Associate editor     SNR host      Managing editor

EAST RUTHERFORD

 Saint Joseph's    Saint Joseph's      Charlotte     Saint Joseph's
  Wake Forest       Wake Forest      Wake Forest#      Wake Forest
   Pittsburgh       Pittsburgh#        Wisconsin       Pittsburgh
 Oklahoma St.#      Oklahoma St.     Oklahoma St.     Oklahoma St.#

    PHOENIX

   Stanford#          Stanford          Alabama         Stanford
    Syracuse          Syracuse         Maryland         Syracuse
Western Michigan     N.C. State       N.C. State       N.C. State
  Connecticut       Connecticut#     Connecticut#     Connecticut#

   ST. LOUIS

    Kentucky          Kentucky        Washington        Kentucky#
     Kansas            Kansas           Kansas           Kansas
  Georgia Tech      Georgia Tech     Georgia Tech#    Georgia Tech
    Gonzaga#          Gonzaga#          Gonzaga          Gonzaga

    ATLANTA

     Duke#             Duke#             Duke#            Duke#
    Illinois        Murray State       Illinois         Illinois
 North Carolina    North Carolina        Texas       North Carolina
Mississippi St.   Mississippi St.   Mississippi St.  Mississippi St.

    CHAMPION

      Duke            Gonzaga        Georgia Tech         Duke
      over              over             over             over
    Gonzaga         Connecticut       Connecticut     Oklahoma St.

Note: Final four indicated with #.