Stats, links and more: Your team-by-team NCAA Tournament guide
We’ve got all the information and advice you need when it comes to breaking down the NCAA Tournament.
From favorites like Kansas and Kentucky to the last teams selected like UTEP and Utah State, we’ve got statistics, analysis and links for every one of the 65 teams in this year’s Big Dance.
First up: Winthrop and Arkansas-Pine Bluff face each other in the play-in game Tuesday. The rest of the action gets under way Thursday, so you’ll have a few days to finish your homework.
Get started below:
Players to watch: Sherron Collins, 5-foot-11, Sr., G (); Xavier Henry, 6-foot-6, Fr., G (); Cole Aldrich, 6-foot-11, Jr., C ()
Head coach: Bill Self, seventh season
How they got there: Big 12 champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 82-65 vs. Kansas State; 80-68 at Texas; 84-52 at Temple
Bad losses: None
Other stuff: Kansas has been No. 1 for most of the season. Here's a diary Sherron Collins wrote in high school and you can follow him on Twitter. Check out Cole Aldrich make half court shots from earlier this year.
Players to watch: Evan Turner, 6-foot-7, Jr., G/F (19.9 ppg., 9.1 rpg., 5.9 apg.); David Lighty (12.5 ppg., 4.6 rpg.)
Head coach: Thad Matta, sixth season
How they got there: Big Ten champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 74-67 at Michigan State; 70-66 at Purdue; 77-64 vs. Florida State; 76-70 vs. CaliforniaÂ
Bad losses: 77-73 vs. North Carolina; 73-64 vs. Michigan
Other stuff: Ohio State, in many ways, is upset-proof. The Buckeyes defend well, are capable of going on a run at any time and have the best player in the country in Evan Turner. Turner has shown he can take over a game in the final moments. The Buckeyes have a 1.3 assist/turnover ratio, force 14.2 turnovers a game and shoot almost 50 percent from the field (49.4 percent). They'll be an extremely tough out the next three weeks.
Players to watch: Greivis Vasquez, 6-foot-6, Sr., G (19.5 ppg., 6.3 apg.); Landon Milbourne,6-foot-7, Sr., F (12.5 ppg., 4.9 rpg.)
Head coach: Gary Williams, 21st season.Â
How they got there: At-large.
Last appearance: 2009.
Key wins: 79-72 vs. Duke; 76-74 vs. Georgia Tech.Â
Bad losses: 69-57 vs. Cincinnati.
Other stuff: Maryland might be more underrated than people think. Every team they've lost to, save for Cincinnati, is either an NCAA tournament team or strong bubble team. The Terps take care of the ball, averaging 1.38 assists for every turnover. They shoot well, making 38.4 percent of their shots and are good at the line as a team (72.2 percent). Teams rebound with them fairly equally. How to beat the Terps: take Vasquez out of the game.
Players to watch: Kalin Lucas, 6-foot, Jr., G (14.9 ppg., 3.9 apg.); Raymar Morgan, 6-foot-8, Sr., F (11.5 ppg., 6.2 rpg.); Draymond Green, 6-foot-6, Soph., F (10.1 ppg., 7.9 rpg.)
Head coach: Tom Izzo, 15th year
How they got there: At large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 75-71 vs. Gonzaga; 53-44 at Purdue; 54-47 vs. Wisconsin
Bad losses: 89-82 at North Carolina
Other stuff: In three years, Kalin Lucas has become one of the best players in the Big Ten. The big concern about the Spartans: turnovers. They average 14 a game and many are careless.
Players to watch: Tre'Von Willis, 6-foot-4, Jr., G (17.3 ppg., 3.9 rpg.); Chace Stanback, 6-foot-8, Soph., G/F (10.7 ppg., 5.8 rpg.)
Head coach: Lon Kruger, sixth season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2008
Key wins: 76-71 vs. Louisville; 74-62 at New Mexico; 88-74 vs. BYU; 70-66 vs. BYU
Bad losses: 66-61 at Utah; 73-69 vs. Utah
Other stuff: The Rebels were out-rebounded by a half-rebound a game, but the two losses to Utah scream this is a team that can't deal with height. The Utes are among the tallest teams in the nation and use their height to make up for sub-par athleticism. UNLV takes care of the ball with a 1.4 assist/turnover ratio and have decent depth. UNLV isn't a good 3-point shooting team (33 percent) and are too reliant on Willis to score.
Players to watch: Jordan Eglseder, 7-foot, Sr., C (12.0 ppg.; 7.3 rpg.); Kwadzo Ahelegbe, 6-foot-2, Jr., G (10.7 ppg.; 2.7 apg.); Adam Koch, 6-foot-8, Sr., F (11.8 ppg., 4.9 rpg.)
Coach: Ben Jacobson, fourth year.
How they got there: Missouri Valley champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 71-62 vs. Old Dominion; 82-65 vs. Siena; 81-69 vs. Boston College
Bad losses: 60-52 vs. DePaul; 55-54 at Evansville
Other stuff: Adam Koch was the Missouri Valley's Player of the Year. His brother, Jake, is a freshman for the Panthers, making them the first brothers to play for UNI together since Gary and Duane Jensen in 1968-69. Eglseder is the first 7-foot player to sign with and play for UNI.Â
Players to watch: Kawhi Leonard, 6-foot-7, Fr., F (12.8 ppg., 9.9 rpg.); Malcolm Thomas, 6-foot-9, Jr., F (11.0 ppg., 7.8 rpg.)
Head coach: Steve Fisher, 11th season
How they got there: Mountain West champion
Last appearance: 2006
Key wins: 72-69 vs. New Mexico; 74-64 vs. New Mexico; 55-45 vs. UNLV (Mt. West title game)
Bad losses: 71-63 at Pacific; 85-83 at Wyoming
Other stuff: San Diego State is a team full of transfers - seven players either came from junior college or another school - and are led by a national championship-winning coach in Steve Fisher. They aren't great with the ball, averaging about as many assists (448) as turnovers (443). None of their numbers stand out but they are a fairly long team and have shown they can beat quality teams in their conference. The Pacific and Wyoming losses were early in the year.
Players to watch: Jahmar Young, 6-foot-5, Jr. G (20.5 ppg., 3.5 rpg.); Wendell McKines, 6-foot-6, Jr. F (10.8 ppg., 9.9 rpg.)
Head coach: Marvin Menzies, third season
How they got there: Western Athletic Conference champion
Last appearance: 2007
Key wins: 87-80 at. UTEP; 55-52 vs. Utah State; 69-63 vs. Utah State (WAC title game)
Bad losses: 84-73 at Cal State Fullerton; 100-68 at UCLA; 83-64 at Fresno State; 93-84 at San Jose State
Other stuff: The Aggies aren't a great rebounding team, being out-boarded by 2.1 rebounds a game but they score a lot, averaging 78.6 points a game. A lot of that is done by three-point shooting. New Mexico State's top four scorers are all shooting better than 37 percent - led by Jonathan Gibson at 40.5 percent. If he gets hot, that could make the Aggies a team to watch. Teams that play zone would be good matchups for the Aggies.
Players to watch: Aubrey Coleman, 6-foot-4, Sr., G (25.6 ppg., 7.4 rpg.); Kelvin Lewis, 6-foot-4, Sr., G (15.3 ppg., 4.0 rpg.)
Head coach: Tom Penders, sixth year
How they got there: Conference USA champ
Last appearance: 1992
Key wins: 100-93 vs. Oklahoma; 66-65 vs. Memphis (CUSA tourney); 81-73 vs. UTEP (CUSA title game)
Bad losses: 72-65 vs. San Diego; 83-82 at UTSA; 94-83 at SMU; 79-76 at Tulane
Other stuff: Houston, the former home of Phi Slamma Jamma, won the Conference USA tournament as the No. 7 seed. They are led by Coleman, who is best known for stepping on the face of Arizona's Chase Budinger a year ago. Meanwhile, Penders - who you can follow on Twitter - might have saved his job with Houston's crazy run.
Players to watch: Armon Bassett, 6-foot-2, Jr., G (16.9 ppg.; 3.2 rpg.); D.J. Cooper, 5-foot-11, Fr., G (13.1 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 5.9 apg.)
Head coach: John Groce, second season
How they got there: Mid-American champion
Last appearance: 2005
Key wins: 75-57 vs. Illinois State; 64-59 vs. Wright State; 81-75 vs. Akron (MAC title)
Bad losses: 70-61 at Eastern Michigan; 65-57 at Bowling Green; 68-66 at Austin Peay
Other stuff: CBS analyst Clark Kellogg's son, Alex, is redshirting with Ohio this year after transferring from Providence. Bassett transferred from Indiana after the Kelvin Sampson scandal. In Ohio, he found redemption. Cooper, meanwhile, was an underrated recruit from Chicago.
Players to watch: Orlando Johnson, 6-foot-5, Soph.,G (17.9 ppg., 5.4 rpg.); James Nunnally, 6-foot-5, Soph. F (15.0 ppg., 5.7 rpg.)
Head coach: Bob Williams, 12th season
How they got there: Big West champion
Last appearance: 2002
Key wins: 66-57 vs. Weber State; 69-64 vs. Long Beach State (Big West title game)
Bad losses: 79-68 vs. Santa Clara; 76-64 at Montana State; 57-55 at UC Irvine; 76-69 at Cal State Northridge
Other stuff: UCSB's best players are careless with the ball. Three starters - including Johnson and James Nunally - have more turnovers than assists. The Gauchos have talent - Johnson is a really good player who can shoot it - but they are young. Only one season gets major minutes, James Powell. As a team, UCSB goes by shooting. They are 37.9 percent from the three-point line. Big teams will give them problems. They have a negative-2.2 rebounding margin and turn the ball over a ton with a .9 assist/turnover ratio (403:451). Those numbers likely mean a first-round exit.
Players to watch: CJ McCollum, 6-foot-3, Fr., G (18.9 ppg., 4.9 rpg.); Marquis Hall, 6-foot, Sr., G (11.0 ppg., 5.7 apg.)
Head coach: Brett Reed, third season
How they got there: Patriot League champion
Last appearance: 2004
Key wins: 79-71 vs. Quinnipiac; 74-59 vs. Lafayette (Patriot title game)
Bad losses: 86-71 at Rider; 94-83 at Navy; 85-78 vs. Navy
Other stuff: Zahir Carrington is being compared to Superman and is in Kappa Alpha Psi. Follow Carrington on Twitter.
EAST
Players to watch: Da'Sean Butler, 6-foot-7, Sr., F (17.4 ppg., 6.3 rpg.); Devin Ebanks, 6-foot-9, Soph., F (11.8 ppg., 8.2 rpg.); Kevin Jones, 6-foot-8, Soph., F (13.5 ppg., 7.1 rpg.)
Head coach: Bob Huggins, third season
How they got there: Big East champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 71-65 vs. Ohio State; 81-68 vs. Georgetown; 60-58 vs. Georgetown (Big East title)
Bad losses: None
Other stuff: Want to understand West Virginia basketball this year? Read this column by ESPN's Dana O'Neil. Butler is the most clutch player in the NCAA this year - Sorry, Evan Turner - and here are 5 of his 7 game-winners this year. Huggins took over at his alma mater, West Virginia, after John Beilein left for Michigan. Butler was initially a Beilein recruit and played for him as a freshman. Under Huggins, WVU has become one of the best defensive teams in the nation.
Players to watch: Darington Hobson, 6-foot-7, Jr., G (16.2 ppg., 9.2 rpg., 4.6 apg.); Ramon Martinez, 6-foot-6, Sr., G (13.8 ppg., 6.0 rpg.)
Head coach: Steve Alford, third season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2005
Key wins: 86-78 vs. California; 90-75 vs. Texas Tech; 84-81 vs. Texas A&M; 76-72 vs. BYU; 83-81 at BYU
Bad losses: 75-66 at Oral Roberts
Other stuff: New Mexico is athletic and experienced. The Lobos are smart with the ball (1.3 assist/turnover ratio) and outrebound teams by 5.7 a game. They can score, too, averaging 76.6 points a game. The Lobos are balanced with four players averaging double figures in scoring and have an experienced point guard in Dairese Gary. Their biggest issue might be lack of experience in the NCAA tournament. Darington Hobson, now known only to hoopheads, could become a star by the end of this NCAAs.
Head coach: Bo Ryan, ninth season at Wisconsin
How they got there: At large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 73-69 vs. Duke; 78-69 vs. Maryland
Bad losses: 74-61 vs. Gonzaga; 88-84 at Green Bay
Other stuff: The Badgers are one of the hottest teams in the country, and Bo Ryan is difficult to scheme against in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin won't be run out of the gym because of the way it controls the pace. The Badgers are shooting better from the 3-point line this season than they have in years and have a game-changer in Trevon Hughes. They might not have Final Four talent, but until they run into a No. 1 or 2 seed should be able to beat any team. Teams that shoot well and have size will give them issues.
Head coach: Buzz Williams, second season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 62-59 vs. Georgetown; 80-76 vs. Villanova; 69-48 vs. Louisville
Bad losses: 77-73 vs. N.C. State; 51-50 at DePaul
Other stuff: Marquette might be the sleeper of the tournament. Despite losing its top three players from a year ago and using essentially six players, the Golden Eagles have learned to win close games. They beat Providence, Villanova, Seton Hall, St. John's, Connecticut and Georgetown by four points or less. They've also lost to DePaul, Syracuse, Florida State, West Virginia, Notre Dame and Villanova twice by a combined 15 points. Teams with depth and size will cause Marquette problems, much like Georgetown did in the Big East semifinals. The Golden Eagles like to reverse the ball to find low post touches for Hayward, the lone holdover from one of Marquette's winningest groups that graduated a year ago.
Players to watch: Trevor Booker, 6-foot-7, Sr., F (15.3 ppg., 8.3 rpg.); Demontez Stitt, 6-foot-2, Jr., G (11.1 ppg., 3.2 apg.)
Head coach: Oliver Purnell, seventh season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 62-53 vs. Maryland; 70-69 vs. Butler
Bad losses: 75-69 at Boston College; 59-57 vs. N.C. State
Other stuff: Trevor Booker might be one of the most underrated players in the country. Also, a Twitterer occasionally. Also follow Oliver Purnell on Twitter.
Players to watch: Damion James, 6-foot-7, Sr., F (18.0 ppg.; 10.4 rpg.); Avery Bradley, 6-foot-2, Fr., G (11.7 ppg., 2.1 apg.)
Head coach: Rick Barnes, 12th season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 79-68 vs. Michigan State; 72-67 vs. Texas A&M; 72-60 at Oklahoma State
Bad losses: 88-74 at Connecticut; 80-71 at Oklahoma; 74-58 at Texas A&M
Other stuff: At one point this season, Texas was the No. 1 team in the country. But the Longhorns have since fallen apart and haven't beaten a good team other than Oklahoma State since Feb. 1. The 'Horns youth is catching up with them; they finished the season 5-6. They could win a game and if they do might be a threat to a top seed in the second round, but they haven't shown anything in 2010 to think anything other than a first weekend exit.
Players to watch: Kim English, 6-foot-6, Soph., G (13.9 ppg., 3.4 rpg.); Marcus Denmon, 6-foot-3, Soph. G (10.8 ppg., 3.1 rpg.)
Head coach: Mike Anderson, fourth season
How they got there: At large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 66-61 vs. Old Dominion; 81-68 vs. Illinois; 74-68 vs. Kansas State; 95-80 vs. Oklahoma State
Bad losses: 60-59 at Oral Roberts; 66-61 at Oklahoma; 75-60 vs. Nebraska
Other stuff: Missouri's style is tough to adjust to on a short turnaround in a tournament setting, especially for the second day. But the main concern with the Tigers is a 6-8 record away from Columbia. Missouri likes to score (77.6 ppg.) and play good enough defense to frustrate opponents, forcing teams into 19.7 turnovers a game while averaging 10.9 steals. Big, long, athletic teams will frustrate Missouri, which is outrebounded by 2.6 a game. So, too, will teams that slow the pace of play.
Players to watch: Quincy Pondexter, 6-foot-6, Sr., F (19.8 ppg., 7.5 rpg.); Isaiah Thomas, 5-foot-8, Soph., G (17.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 2.9 apg)
Head coach: Lorenzo Romar, seventh season
How they got there: Pacific 10 champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 73-64 vs. Texas A&M; 84-69 vs. California; 79-75 vs. California (Pac 10 title)
Bad losses: 62-62 at UCLA; 90-79 vs. Oregon
Other stuff: Before picking up the NCAA berth, Washington was considered - along with Michigan - to be one of the bigger disappointments in college basketball this year. Follow Thomas on Twitter as he takes control of the Huskies' offense. Pondexter, meanwhile, learns from the mistakes of his father and tells ESPN.com's Diamond Leung about it.
Players to watch: Ryan Wittman, 6-foot-7, Sr., F (17.5 ppg., 4.0 rpg.); Jeff Foote, 7-foot-0, Sr., C (12.3 ppg., 8.2 rpg.)
Head coach: Steve Donahue, 10th season
How they got there: Ivy League champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 71-67 at Alabama; 79-70 at Harvard; 74-61 at UMass
Bad losses: 79-64 at Penn
Other stuff: Follow forward Jon Jaques on Twitter or read him in the New York Times. The Big Red are one of the more underrated teams in the bracket with one of the country's best shooters in Wittman, a legitimate big man in Foote and a lot of experience from last year and almost beating No. 1 overall seed Kansas. Don't be surprised if Cornell pulls a Princeton and advances in the NCAAs.
Players to watch: Noah Dahlman, 6-foot-6, Jr., F (16.8 ppg., 6.3 rpg.); Jamar Diggs, 6-foot-2, Jr., G (9.4 ppg., 2.9 rpg., 37.3 3-pt percentage)
Coach: Mike Young, 21st season
How they got there: Southern Conference champion
Last appearance: First
Key wins: 60-57 at Georgia; 68-61 vs. South Carolina; 56-51 vs. Appalachian State (SoCon title game)
Bad losses: 72-67 at Western Carolina
Other stuff: Dahlman is the younger brother of Michigan State forward Isaiah Dahlman. Wofford, located in South Carolina, has much of its talent from Minnesota. Dahlman, Diggs and Cameron Rundles are all from the state, explains Todd Shanesy of the Spartansburg Herald-Journal. This is Wofford's first-ever NCAA bid.
Players to watch: Anthony Johnson, 6-foot-3, Sr., G (19.6 ppg., 3.3 rpg.); Brian Qvale, 6-foot-11, Sr., C (9.7 ppg., 6.9 rpg.)
Head coach: Wayne Tinkle, third season
How they got there: Big Sky champion
Last appearance: 2006
Key wins: 68-55 at Oregon, 66-65 vs. Weber State (Big Sky championship)
Bad losses: 67-65 at Idaho State; 69-68 at Eastern Washington
Other stuff: Johnson had a school-record 42 points against Weber in the final to send Montana to the NCAA tournament. Want to get Wayne TInkle to call you? Here's how.
Players to watch: Reggie Holmes, 6-foot-4, Sr., G (21.8 ppg.; 4.3 rpg.); Kevin Thompson, 6-foot-9, Soph., F (12.8 ppg., 11.9 rpg.)
Head coach: Todd Bozeman, fourth season
How they got there: MEAC champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 97-94 at Arkansas; 69-65 at Albany
Bad losses: 76-62 at Eastern Kentucky; 78-66 at Loyola (Md.)
Other stuff: Bozeman is best known as the former Cal coach who had the NCAA put a show-cause ban on for eight seasons, as Eli Saslow detailed in a 2005 profile. Holmes, who said he doesn't drink in the Baltimore Sun, is still thinking about opening a liquor store because "everybody parties." Holmes is the leading scorer in Morgan State history.
Players to watch: Tommy Hubbard, 6-foot-4, Jr., G, (14.1 ppg., 8.3 rpg.); Justin Tubbs, 6-foot-3, Jr., G (12.0 ppg., 3.8 rpg.)
Head coach: Murry Bartow, 7th season
How they got there: Atlantic Sun champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 94-85 at Arkansas; 72-66 over Mercer in A-Sun title game
Bad losses: 79-57 at Campbell
Other stuff: FOX News thinks Hubbard might be the most improved player in the nation.
Players to watch: Wesley Johnson, 6-foot-7, Jr., F (15.7 ppg., 8.5 rpg.); Andy Rautins, 6-foot-4, Sr., G (11.6 ppg., 4.8 apg.); Arinze Onauku, 6-foot-9, Sr., F (10.7 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 67 percent field goals)
Head coach: Jim Boeheim, 34th season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 72-71 at West Virginia; 73-56 vs. Georgetown; 95-77 vs. Villanova
Bad losses: None
Other stuff: Syracuse has a bunch of Twittering players, including Wesley Johnson, Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine. Syracuse.com has done a semi-regular show with Scoop Jardine and Johnson, which can be found here. Much like his coach, Jim Boeheim, Johnson has "found paradise" in cold and snowy Syracuse according to the New York Times. Its 2-3 zone is the best in the country and whatever side Johnson is on almost means no points coming from that side. The big issue - whether or not center Arinze Onuaku is healthy by the second round.
Players to watch: Jacob Pullen, 6-foot, Jr., G (18.9 ppg., 3.5 apg.); Curtis Kelly, 6-foot-8, Jr., F (11.1 ppg., 6.3 rpg.)
Head coach: Frank Martin, third season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2008
Key wins: 71-56 vs. Xavier; 95-80 at UNLV; 76-74 at Baylor; 82-75 vs. Baylor; 83-64 vs. Oklahoma State
Bad losses: 86-74 vs. Mississippi; 85-82 vs. Iowa State
Other stuff: Kansas State might be the best "star-oriented" team in the country around Jacob Pullen. The Wildcats aren't great with the ball (488 assists, 478 turnovers) but like to run (79.6 ppg.) and rebound well (plus-5.1 margin). The Wildcats are also good pressuring the ball, forcing 16.9 turnovers a game. This team goes mostly based on what Pullen does.
Head coach: Jamie Dixon, seventh season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 82-72 at Syracuse, 98-95 vs. West Virginia
Bad losses: 74-66 vs. Georgetown; 74-64 vs. Indiana
Other stuff: Pittsburgh was one of the surprise teams after losing a lot from an Elite Eight squad last year. The Panthers are typical of a Jamie Dixon team, one that plays hard inside and has beaten three teams in the Top 5 this year. They guard well (31.3 percent from 3-point range). Pittsburgh doesn't force many turnovers, just 10.7 a game, but the Panthers also take care of the ball well, only committing 12.4. If teams can keep Ashton Gibbs from getting hot, though, the Panthers have a chance.
Players to watch: Jermaine Beal, 6-foot-3, Sr., G (14.7 ppg., 3.2 apg.); A.J. Ogilvy, 6-foot-11, Jr., C (13.4 ppg., 6.2 rpg.)
Head coach: Kevin Stallings, 11th season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2008
Key wins: 72-70 vs. St. Mary's; 88-83 vs. Missouri; 85-76 vs. Tennessee; 90-71 vs. Tennessee
Bad losses: 76-69 vs. Western Kentucky; 72-58 vs. Georgia
Other stuff: Vanderbilt has played in a lot of close games and has won the games it was supposed to. It probably means the Commodores will play to their seeding. They are close to 1;1 assist/turnover ratio, have a rebounding margin of 0.7 and are average from the 3-point line (36.9 percent). The 'Dores like to run and will probably struggle against slow-it-down teams.
Players to watch: Gordon Hayward, 6-foot-9, Soph., G/F (15.4 ppg., 8.5 rpg.); Matt Howard, 6-foot-8, Jr., F (12.3 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 50 percent FG percentage)
Head coach: Brad Stevens, third season
How they got there: Horizon champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 69-68 vs. Xavier; 74-66 vs. Ohio State; 70-53 vs. Siena
Bad losses: None
Other stuff: Butler has won 20 straight games and have become a mainstay in the NCAA tournament. This year, from a talent and advancement standpoint, might be the best team the Bulldogs have. They have depth and two stars in Howard and Hayward. They are a darkhorse Final Four contender. Follow Brad Stevens on Twitter.
Players to watch: Jordan Crawford, 6-foot-4, Soph., G (19.7 ppg., 4.8 rpg.); Jason Love, 6-foot-9, Sr., F/C (11.9 ppg., 8.6 rpg.)
Head coach: Chris Mack, first season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 86-74 vs. Charlotte; 76-64 vs. Florida; 78-76 vs. Richmond
Bad losses: 90-65 at Dayton
Other stuff: Xavier is deep, talented and experienced when it comes to playing in the NCAA tournament. They are one of the better-scoring teams in the tournament, averaging 80 points a game and rebound well led by Love, beating opponents by 5.4 boards a contest. They shoot well from the line and are battle-tested. The biggest concern would be assist-to-turnover ratio, where the Musketeers are only 1.1:1. They also haven't been great on neutral courts, going 2-3. Xavier also has good size, so teams won't overpower the Musketeers.
Players to watch: Matt Bouldin, 6-foot-5, Sr., G (15.8 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 4.1 apg.); Elias Harris, 6-foot-8, Fr., F (14.9 ppg., 7.2 rpg.)
Coach: Mark Few, 11th season
How they got there: At-large (lost in WCC final to St. Mary's)
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 61-59 vs. Cincinnati; 85-83 OT vs. Illinois in Chicago; 80-61 vs. St. Mary's; 66-58 at Memphis
Bad losses: 74-66 at Loyola Marymount; 81-77 OT at San Francisco
Other stuff: Follow Gonzaga star Matt Bouldin on Twitter @mattbouldin15 and his teammate Grant Gibbs @DoubleGfor3. John Stockton's son, David, is on the roster as a freshman but doesn't play. Spokane, where Gonzaga is located, is one of eight first-and-second round sites this year. If your team is there and you go, get there a day early. Not many cities do St. Patrick's Day like Spokane.
Players to watch: Chris Singleton, 6-foot-9, Soph., F (10.4 ppg., 7.2 rpg.); Solomon Alab, 7-foot-1, Soph., Ci (11.6 ppg., 6.1 rpg.)
Head coach: Leonard Hamilton, eighth season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 57-56 vs. Marquette 68-66 vs. Georgia Tech; 66-59 at Georgia Tech
Bad losses: 88-81 vs. N.C. State;
Other stuff: Florida State's height will cause problems for a lot of teams. They have a good slasher in Derwin Kitchen to complement the height of Alabi and Singleton. Their strength is rebounding, where they grab 5.2 rebounds more per game than their opponents. Beating Florida State is all about pressuring the ball. The Seminoles have a 0.8 assist/turnover ratio (423/500). Making Florida State run, as well, is a way to beat the 'Noles because of their height.
Head coach: Billy Donovan, 14th season at Florida
First-round game:
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2007
Key wins: 77-74 vs. Michigan State; 64-61 at Mississippi
Bad losses: 67-66 vs. South Alabama
Other stuff: The Gators return to the NCAAs for the first time since winning the national championship with Joakim Noah, Al Horford and friends in 2007. This team isn't as talented, as deep or as experienced as that group. Instead, it is merely a team that plays right around where it should for most of the year, which is on the bubble. Florida isn't particularly good at anything, but not terrible in any category, either. They are decidedly average.
Head coach: Tubby Smith, third season at Minnesota
First-round game:
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 82-73 vs. Butler, 69-42 vs. Purdue
Bad losses: 71-63 vs. Michigan; 81-78 at Indiana
Other stuff: Minnesota's season went south with Al Nolen's academic issues knocking him out for the season. But Devoe Joseph slowly fit into the point guard role and the Gophers made a run to the Big Ten tournament final. Minnesota likes to turn teams over and use its height to alter shots from teams that like to drive. Handle the ball well and have good shooters and the Gophers become an average team. Just ask Michigan, which swept Minnesota this season doing those two things. If a team likes to drive, though, it could struggle going against Ralph Sampson III and Damian Johnson.
Players to watch: B.J. Jenkins 6-foot, Jr., G (10.5 ppg.; 3.2 apg.); Tony Easley 6-foot-9, Sr., F (10.4 ppg., 5.8 rpg.)
Coach: Billy Kennedy, fourth season
How they got there: Ohio Valley champion
Last appearance: 2006
Key wins: 75-66 vs. Morgan State; 62-51 vs. Morehead State (OVC title game)
Bad losses: None
Other stuff: Follow Jenkins on Twitter, and here is a pretty nasty dunk from Easley.
Players to watch: Keith Benson, 6-foot-11, Jr., C (17.0 ppg., 10.5 rpg.); Johnathon Jones, 5-foot-11, Sr., G (12.4 ppg., 6.4 apg.)
Head coach: Greg Kampe, 26th season
How they got there: Summit League champion
Last appearance: 2005
Key wins: 76-64 vs. IUPUI (Summit title game)
Bad losses: 81-77 vs. Eastern Michigan; 78-54 at IUPUI; 72-60 at Oregon
Other stuff: Jones has started every game of his career. At one point, Greg Kampe was blogging online. He hasn't been to this site, though, since 2005 - back when Bruce Pearl was at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Oakland is one of those teams that could pull an upset because of an experienced point guard and a talented interior player in Keith Benson - the Summit League Player of the Year.
Players to watch: George Odufuwa, 6-foot-8, Jr., G (11.5 ppg., 10.7 rpg.); Josh White, 5-foot-10, Jr. G (14.9 ppg., 3.5 apg.)
Head coach: Johnny Jones, eighth season
How they got there: Sun Belt champion
Last appearance: 2007
Key wins: 68-58 vs. Jackson State; 66-63 vs. Troy (Sun Belt title game)
Bad losses: 79-73 at Boise State; 71-56 at Arkansas State; 74-72 at Louisiana; 83-70 vs. Arkansas State
Other stuff: What concerns me the most is White, who barely has above a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio at point guard (112:101). The Mean Green, though, are one of the hottest teams entering the tournament, winning 11 straight. But none of those games were against anyone of note.
Players to watch: Marqus Blakely, 6-foot-5, Sr., F (17.4 ppg., 9.4 rpg.); Evan Fjeld, 6-foot-8, Jr., F (10.6 ppg., 6.1 rpg.)
Head coach: Mike Lonergan, fifth season
How they got there: America East champion
Last appearance: 2005
Key wins: 77-71 at Rutgers; 83-70 vs. Boston (America East champion)
Bad losses: 75-56 at New Hampshire; 56-50 vs. Delaware
Other stuff: Follow Fjeld on Twitter, although he doesn't update much. Fjeld also had an emotional week leading up to the Catamounts' NCAA bid. His mother, Susan, died of cancer on Tuesday. Blakely is one of the most exciting dunkers in college basketball.
SOUTH
Head coach: Mike Krzyzewski, 30th season
How they got there: Atlantic Coast champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 60-47 at Clemson; 77-56 vs. Maryland
Bad losses: None
Other stuff: More than in past years, Duke can handle a bad night from one of its stars - Jon Scheyer and Kyle Singler - better than in previous years. Scheyer is one of the best players in the country and he's surrounded by size this year with Brian Zoubek and the Plumlee Bros. (Miles and Mason). They might be one of the most complete teams in the country.
Players to watch: Scottie Reynolds, 6-foot-2, Sr., G (18.5 ppg., 3.3 apg.; 1.6 spg.); Corey Fisher, 6-foot-1, Jr., G (13.7 ppg., 4.0 apg.)
Head coach: Jay Wright, ninth season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 95-86 vs. Maryland; 82-77 vs. Georgetown; 90-72 vs. Notre Dame; 82-75 vs. West Virginia
Bad losses: 84-75 vs. Connecticut
Other stuff: Villanova, much like it was a year ago, isn't the biggest team. But they have two extremely talented guards in Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher back from last year's Final Four team. What Villanova lacks in height, it makes up for in depth. Eleven players average more than 10 minutes a game and they have a good blend of experience and talented youth. The Wildcats will be a tough out in the NCAAs because they have been here before and have that experienced leader in Reynolds. If you're tall and physical, though, you've got a shot.
Players to watch: LaceDarius Dunn, 6-foot-4, Jr., G (19.4 ppg., 4.8 rpg.); Tweety Carter, 5-foot-11, Sr., G (15.7 ppg., 6.1 apg.); Ekpe Udoh, 6-foot-10, Jr., C (13.9 ppg., 9.8 rpg., 3.9 bpg.)
Head coach: Scott Drew, seventh season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2008
Key wins: 69-64 vs. Xavier; 92-77 vs. Texas; 64-62 vs. Missouri
Bad losses: 78-71 at Colorado; 79-76 vs. Alabama
Other stuff: The most recognizable face is Udoh, the Michigan transfer who emerged as a star at Baylor. He's been the big key and gives Baylor a much-needed interior presence and yet another Twitterer. Tweety Carter is a big part of the resurgence of Baylor basketball - and he was a darned good shooter in high school.
Head coach: Mike Turgeon, third season
How they got there: At large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 78-71 vs. Baylor; 74-58 vs. Texas
Bad losses: None
Other stuff: Texas A&M is a surprisingly solid squad. They force a decent amount of turnovers (14.1), outrebound its opponents and shoot 44.2 percent from the field. The biggest concern is three-point shooting and the Aggies' reliance on Donald Sloan.
Players to watch: Tory Jackson, 5-foot-11, Sr., G (9.8 ppg., 5.3 apg.); Luke Harangody, 6-foot-8, Sr., F (22.4 ppg., 9.2 rpg.); Tim Abromaitis, 6-foot-8, Jr., F (16.3 ppg., 44 percent 3-point shooting)
Head coach: Mike Brey, 10th season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2008
Key wins: 70-68 vs. West Virginia; 78-64 at Georgetown; 63-60 at Marquette
Bad losses: 87-85 vs. Loyola Marymount, 74-73 at Rutgers; 72-58 vs. Northwestern
Other stuff: Notre Dame, known as a run-and-gun team, changed its style with three weeks left in the season and now plays a slow-it-down patient offense predicated on limiting possessions. It has led to five wins in six games. Much of what the Irish have done is with Harangody coming off the bench following a knee injury. Irish coach Mike Brey hates rollercoasters.
Head coach: Chris Mooney, fifth season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2004
Key wins: 71-54 vs. Temple, 89-85 vs. Xavier
Bad losses: 71-59 vs. Charlotte
Other stuff: The Spiders struggle on the boards, getting outrebounded by an average of almost five a game. Good defensive teams have flustered Richmond this season, but the Spiders have balance with three players in double figures.
Head coach: Mike Montgomery, second year
How they got there: At large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 93-81 vs. Washington; 78-70 at Arizona State
Bad losses: 76-75 vs. UCLA; 95-73 vs. Syracuse
Other stuff: The Bears have one great player in Jerome Randle and a bunch of other parts. The class of the Pacific 10 conference, they weren't impressive in many non-conference games. The best thing Cal does is shoot the ball - 47.7 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from the three-point line. The Bears are also good with the ball with a 1.2 assist/turnover ratio.
Players to watch: Omar Samhan, 6-foot-11, Sr., C (21.3 ppg., 11.1 rpg.); Mickey McConnell, 6-foot, Jr., G (13.3 ppg., 5.3 apg.)
Coach: Randy Bennett, ninth season
How they got there: West Coast Conference champion
Last appearance: 2008
Key wins: 68-63 at Utah State; 81-76 at Oregon; 81-62 vs. Gonzaga (WCC title game)
Bad losses: 84-75 at Hawaii
Other stuff: Samhan is blogging on Wordpress, including a bunch of videos. A big part of Saint Mary's success is Bennett's ability to pick off players from Australia, including Patty Mills, who was drafted last year, and Indiana transfer Ben Allen.
Players to watch: Gerald Lee, 6-foot-10, Sr., F (14.8 ppg., 4.9 rpg.); Frank Hassell, 6-foot-8, Jr., F (8.9 ppg., 5.5 rpg.)
Coach: Blaine Taylor, ninth season
How they got there: Colonial Athletic Association champion
Last appearance: 2007
Key wins: 61-57 at Georgetown; 61-42 vs. William & Mary; 58-55 at William & Mary
Bad losses: 71-55 at George Mason
Other stuff: Lee was born in Finland, the son of Gerald Lee Sr., a former Finnish national team player and his story is well told by Ed Miller in the Virginian-Pilot. Head coach Blaine Taylor has a mustache - making him one of the most recognizable mustaches in sports. How much? A blogger on CBSSports.com actually concocted a fake interview with the Taylor 'stache.
Players to watch: Tai Wesley, 6-foot-7, Jr. F (13.6 ppg., 6.6 rpg.); Jared Quayle, 6-foot-1, Sr., G (12.5 ppg., 6.3 rpg.)
Head coach: Stew Morrill, 12th season
How they got there: At-large
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 85-55 vs. Louisiana Tech; 68-58 vs. Wichita State
Bad losses: 68-67 at Utah; 64-61 at Northeastern; 82-60 at Louisiana Tech
Other stuff: Utah State's schedule is pretty weak, but the Aggies have played extremely strong defense against whomever they played (59.6 ppg.). They are also an extremely good shooting team from outside, making 41.9 percent of their three-pointers and take good care of the ball with a 1.7 assist/turnover ratio. The biggest concern with Utah State is that the Aggies haven't beaten anybody and have lost to some mediocre teams.
Players to watch: Ryan Rossiter, 6-foot-9, Jr., F (13.9 ppg., 11.1 rpg.); Alex Franklin, 6-foot-5, Sr., F (16.3 ppg., 8.0 rpg.); Ronald Moore, 6-foot, Sr., G (6.8 ppg., 7.7 apg.)
Coach: Fran McCaffery, fifth season
How they got there: MAAC champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 59-53 vs. Northeastern; 72-65 OT vs. Fairfield (MAAC title game)
Bad losses: 87-74 at Niagara
Other stuff: Siena might have the best-named player in the country in little-used senior guard Just-in'love Smith. Smith is more than a name to root for. As Pete Iorizzo of the Albany Times-Union explains, Smith is a 26-year-old walk-on who served in Iraq. And McCaffery is just one half of a basketball marriage as told by Pete Thamel in the New York Times in 2008.
Players to watch: Ashton Mitchell, 5-foot-11, Sr., G (12.7 ppg., 5.1 apg.); Gilberto Clavell, 6-foot-6, Jr., F (16.9 ppg., 6.3 rpg.)
Head coach: Bob Marlin, 12th season
How they got there: Southland champion
Last appearance: 2003
Key wins: 107-89 at Auburn
Bad losses: 74-73 at Western Michigan; 91-90 at UTSA; 95-85 vs. La.-Lafayette
Other stuff: The Bearkats are making their second NCAA tournament appearance. The game that stands out the most is against Kentucky. While Sam Houston lost to the Wildcats, 102-92, they put up over 90 points. They scored over 100 points at Auburn. If the Bearkats get into an offensive game, they'll have a shot.
Players to watch: Karon Abraham, 5-foot-9, Fr. G (13.4 ppg., 2.4 rpg.); Rob Robinson, 6-foot-8, Sr., F (9.9 ppg., 5.5 rpg.)
Head coach: Mike Rice, third season
How they got there: Northeast champion
Last appearance: 2009
Key wins: 78-75 vs. Morgan State; 81-79 vs. Ohio; 52-50 at Quinnipiac (NEC title game)
Bad losses: 63-61 at Mount St. Mary's; 74-64 at Long Island
Other stuff: Being small in size, Abraham was doubted by many people but is making an impact early. Robert Morris coach Mike Rice has been around basketball his whole life. His dad, also named Mike, is a commentator for the Portland Trail Blazers who was once ejected from a NBA game.
Players to watch: Reggie Middleton, 6-foot-1, Soph., G (10.3 ppg., 2.9 apg.); Mantoris Robinson, 6-foot-5, Sr., F (8.2 ppg., 6.2 rpg.)
Coach: Randy Peele, 3rd season
How they got there: Big South champion
Last appearance: 2008
Key wins: 64-53 at Coastal Carolina (Big South title game)
Bad losses: 71-66 at High Point
Other stuff: When Winthrop played in Spokane in the 2007 NCAA tournament, two writers who covered the team drove from Rock Hill, S.C. to Spokane. They were rewarded for the long journey with an upset win over Notre Dame - the first win in NCAA history for the Eagles. Spokane is one of eight first-round sites this year. WInthrop has won nine Big South titles in the past 11 years.
Players to watch: Lebaron Weathers, 6-foot-8, F/C (10.1 ppg., 6.8 rpg.); Terrance Calvin, 6-foot-2, G (10.6 ppg., 5.2 rpg.)
Head coach: George Ivory, second season
How they got there: SWAC champion
Last appearance: First
Key wins: 46-44 vs. Alabama State (SWAC title game)
Bad losses: 75-73 at Alabama State; 88-72 at Colorado; 75-56 at Denver
Other stuff: No one can say Arkansas-Pine Bluff will be intimidated by its opponent. The Golden Lions lost their first 11 games - including at Michigan - almost every one to major conference or NCAA tournament teams and all of them on the road. Their M.O. against those teams was simple - hang around in the first half and then fall away in the second. The best teams they lost to were Oklahoma State and Kansas State - and were blown out in each.
Need a printable bracket? Print out a bracket here
Comments
aarox
Mon, Mar 15, 2010 : 11:15 p.m.
I'm with Theo. If we aren't in the tournament then it doesn't have any significance. How could any championship without TUM be important??
azwolverine
Mon, Mar 15, 2010 : 8:48 p.m.
Who cares about the basketball tourney...it's all about hockey!!! Go Blue!
NoBowl4Blue
Mon, Mar 15, 2010 : 3:16 p.m.
Hey Theo wasn't it 20 seconds? Go to youtube to verify. I can't believe 20 sec's cost the amazing basketball team a NC nor officials preventing the footballers a bowl game. It just sucks being a Michigan fan.
NoBowl4Blue
Mon, Mar 15, 2010 : 11:09 a.m.
Whoever comes out of the Midwest will win it all be it Kansas, OSU or Georgetown
trigg7
Mon, Mar 15, 2010 : 12:08 a.m.
When does West Arbor play?
agd
Sun, Mar 14, 2010 : 10:42 p.m.
I happen to be an NCAA Tournament guide. I resent you're sarcasm.
Macabre Sunset
Sun, Mar 14, 2010 : 10:32 p.m.
I am not a team-by-team NCAA Tournament guide. I resent the grammatical implications.