Let's see what ya got, Zags.
A season-long love affair with a pre-pubescent mustache and its owner is about to be tested. No. 3 seed Gonzaga is riding the nation's longest winning streak (18) and seemingly has a favorable road to the Sweet 16.
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| 'Mr. 'Stache' Adam Morrison needs his teammates to give him a lift. (AP) |
But what else does it have? We'll see. The pressure now is to get to the Final Four, not just win a couple of games. The polls, seed and experts say Gonzaga is a big-time program.
There are skeptics beginning with yours truly. The Zags seem to be wearing down at the end, or at least they were looking ahead. They struggled to win their three West Coast Conference games by a total of eight points. Their best victory was way back on Nov. 22 against Michigan State in Hawaii. That is their one and only against a team in the field.
Morrison can light it up at any time, but you worry if he is off. Forward J.P. Batista is working on five consecutive double-doubles and has 15 on the season.
At some point the guards -- Derek Raivio and Pierre Altidor-Cespedes -- are going to have to step up. Raivio was 5-of-24 combined against Memphis and UConn. Altidor-Cespedes isn't a scoring threat.
Positives? Looks like a Sweet 16 at least. First-round opponent Xavier is in after playing the A-10 Tournament at home in Cincinnati. As a No. 14, no one takes the Muskies seriously this year.
Win that one and Gonzaga will get the Indiana-San Diego State winner. Scared yet?
Three storylines
1. Hottest team in region (maybe the bracket) is Kansas: The Jayhawks have won 15 of 16 since starting 10-6. Big 12 Coach of the Year Bill Self has Big 12 Freshman of the Year Brandon Rush and two other freshmen who start. This team is coming together at the right time.
2. Pittsburgh is undervalued as a No. 5 seed: Carl Krauser brings the Bronx attitude with him. Krauser might have the single biggest effect on the tournament. It was his inadvertent eye poke that knocked 'Nova's Allan Ray out of the Big East Tournament (and later 'Nova itself). Ray looks like he'll be ready, but you never know. You had better believe the Panthers will be hacked after losing to Syracuse.
3. Mike Davis' long goodbye? Indiana started 10-2 but went 8-9 after that. A one-point loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament ended a five-game winning streak that got the Hoosiers in. Davis, who resigned in February, is 6-3 in the NCAA Tournament, 21-13 in March. While IU administrators are assembling a short list, the Hoosiers just might make a run. It hurts that sophomore D.J. White is out (knee), but big man Marco Killingsworth is on fire with three consecutive double-doubles.
Oakland picks
Who will win: Pittsburgh.Dark horse pick: UCLA. Yeah, I know the Bruins are a two seed but there are too many good teams in this region to consider them a favorite. Kansas is on a roll. Pittsburgh is street tough. Gonzaga has won 18 in a row. See how many of your friends have the Bruins in the Final Four in the office pool.
Most likely upset: Bucknell over Arkansas. Even though it's an 8-9 game (Bucknell is the No. 9 seed), does anyone expect the Bison to win? Well, me. Bucknell has beaten Syracuse and lost only to Villanova, Santa Clara, Northern Iowa (in OT) and Duke. 6-11 post Chris McNaughton is an NBA prospect who shoots 57 percent. Bucknell winning will be viewed as an upset because Arkansas has the brand name and former president rooting for it.
Best mascot: Watch the bitter Bruin vs. Bruin first-round feud when UCLA meets Belmont. A test of seamstresses.
Best guard combo: UCLA's Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo. They combine for 30.2 points and 7.3 assists per game.
Best coach: John Calipari, Memphis. Make fun of his $20,000 sharkskin allowance or imported Italian loafers, but The Slickster can coach. He's got a lot invested in this team and has the Tigers riding high with a No. 1 seed.
Best chance to make history: Oral Roberts. Never has a No. 16 beaten a No. 1, so if Memphis falls, expect to see 800-pound chimps jumping out of the upper deck singing Yankee Doodle backwards.
This is ORU's first berth since 1984. It is really just happy to be here.
Five stars
Adam Morrison, F, 6-8, Jr, Gonzaga: Take a good look, because "The 'Stache" is gone to the NBA after March Madness.
Ronnie Brewer, G, 6-7, Jr, Arkansas: Hometown Hog is Arkansas' leading scorer and hardest-working player.
Rodney Carney, F, 6-7, Sr, Memphis: Only Tiger with significant NCAA Tournament experience. Conference USA Player of the Year.
Julian Wright, F, 6-8, Fr, Kansas: A freak with Hakim Warrick-like wingspan.
Steve Novak, C, 6-10, Sr, Marquette: At least 18 points in his last nine games.
Notes
- Possibility for great second-round games. Memphis-Arkansas in Dallas, Pittsburgh-Kansas in Auburn Hills, Marquette-UCLA in San Diego.
- Maybe it's just me, but why is Alabama in this bracket? It lost its best player Chuck Davis to knee surgery in January, is only 6-6 against teams in the field and won only three of its last seven.
- Only five of the nation's top 25 scorers are in the tournament. Two of them are in the Oakland Region -- Morrison and Oral Roberts' Caleb Green.
- Arkansas, 22-9, could have been a lot better or a lot worse. It was 6-6 in games decided by four points or less.
- This is 15th-seed Belmont's first dance. The Nashville school is noted for its music department and has a big booster in country star Vince Gill.
- Best name in this region: Belmont's Boomer Herndon. The 6-11, 250-pounder shoots 60 percent.
- You can count the number of contributing 7-footers nationwide on one hand. Bradley has one of them in Patrick O'Bryant, who averages 13.2 points and eight assists.
- The last time Kent State was in the dance (2002), San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates was in the lineup.
- Whatever happened to -- Steve Fisher. Yep, he's still at San Diego State, where the Aztecs backed up a regular-season Mountain West title with the conference tournament title.
- This region contains 20 national championships split between UCLA (11), Indiana (five), Kansas (two), Arkansas and Marquette (one each).
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