03-14-2005, 12:35 PM
Quote:Chicago
Favorite: No. 1 seed Illinois: -- No surprise here, the Illini have been the best and most consistent team in the country all season. The Illini are an athletic team, with great guards and great quickness, but in the Big Ten Tournament championship game Sunday against Wisconsin, they proved they can win a half-court, physical game as well. Of the No. 1 seeds, the Illini seem to be the safest pick to advance to the Final Four.
Next in line: No. 3 seed Arizona -- Though not as strong as some recent Arizona teams, the Wildcats are tough as nails and talented enough to play with anyone. Consider also Oklahoma State, an experienced team which showed its moxie by winning the tough Big 12 tournament championship.
Sleeper: No. 5 seed Alabama -- The Crimson Tide tied for first place in the SEC West and played fairly consistently throughout the season. The Tide have a go-to player in Kennedy Winston and are capable of winning games in a variety of ways. They didn't really have a bad loss this season, which means they come to play every night.
Top first-round game: No. 4 seed Boston College vs. No. 13 seed Penn -- The Eagles are probably not as good as their record and their deliberate style will allow Penn to hang around much longer than it should.
Upset special: No. 11 seed UAB over No. 6 seed LSU -- Put your seat belts on for this one as UAB is exactly the kind of low seed a high-seeded team wants to avoid at all costs. The Blazers are loaded with athletes and start pressing when they get off the bus and don't stop until they hit the showers.
Noteworthy: Illinois has the most NCAA tournament wins -- 32 -- of any school without a national championship. ... Former Penn Hills standout Akida McLain is a reserve for Boston College. ... UAB is coached by Mike Anderson, who was an assistant under Nolan Richardson at both Arkansas and Tulsa. ... Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton has 35 NCAA tournament wins, which ties him with North Carolina's Roy Williams with the most for any coach without a title.
<a href='http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05073/471304.stm' target='_blank'>Pittsburgh Post - Gazette</a>
