Kansas or Duke to the Final Four?

Photo credits to New York Post

Some have said that the Midwest Regional is one of the toughest brackets in the tournament. Traditional names like Kansas and Duke, along with Michigan State, Syracuse and Auburn were among the names in the Midwest regional.

Duke upended a scrappy eleven seeded Syracuse 69-65, while Kansas found a way to win against Clemson 80-76, after the Tigers stormed back, cutting into a 20-point deficit.

Only two could compete for a berth in the Final Four, and a variation of great Elite Eight games could have come from this bracket, but Coach K vs Bill Self was among the most glamorous and most realistic.

March Madness: Must Watch First Round Games

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Finally, the Selection Committee has spoken, the bracket has been announced and the tournament everybody has been waiting for is right around the corner.

March Madness has many drooling like a kid in the candy store. You have Ohio State, Duke, Pitt, Kansas and many other talented programs after the National Championship.

Following the biggest Sunday in College Basketball many are talking about the talented programs that weren't fortunate enough to make the NCAA tournament.

Also, how balanced the NCAA brackets are this time around.

There are many first round matchup that aren't easy cakewalks. The 16-seeds can give the one seeds a hard time, and so forth.

The biggest matchup probably are going to occur in the first round; take a look at my must watch games in the first round.

George Mason Patriots (26-6, 16-2) vs Villanova Wildcats (21-11, 9-9)


George Mason and Villanova are going in completely opposite directions. Villanova has started to make their late season slump, and George Mason is coming off a loss that snapped their 16-game win streak.

This is a great first round match that should have an Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight type atmosphere.

Both teams have great guard play, which should make the game very interesting. George Mason's senior guard Cam Long and Villanova's Corey Fisher should be an interesting matchup because both guards have the ability to fill it up from the field.

My prediction: Villanova is on a five-game losing streak headed into March and some questioned if they should even make the tournament after turning in that kind of performance at the end of the season. Villanova is struggling with defense and that is one thing George Mason has in their favor. My bracket wants to say Villanova won't lose six in a row, but George Mason is too talented to lose in the first round.

Cincinnati Bearcats (25-8, 11-7) vs Missouri Tigers (23-10, 8-8)

On the road, Missouri has been a team that struggles. But when it's neutral, Mizzou has come away with four wins compared to two losses. Cincinnati, on the other hand, has come away with a 2-1 record at neutral sites but has shown more of an ability to win on the road in a tough environment.

Both teams have their differences but their similarity is what makes this matchup intriguing. Both teams are very good defensively. Cincinnati is physical and makes the offenses force shots that aren't there.

Missouri, on the other hand, strives off a physical press defense that create many turnovers and easy baskets.

My prediction: Cincinnati doesn't have near as much offensive power as Mizzou. The Bearcats only blemish this season is their inability to put up big offensive numbers. The game will be decided by defense, as you probably have guessed. If Cincinnati can keep the game around the 60's the Bearcats should be in good position to move on, but if their guards are unable to handle the pressure by Mizzou, the Bearcats will be looking at a early round exit.

Texas Longhorns (27-7, 13-3) vs Oakland Golden Grizzlies (25-9, 17-1)

The game certainly fails the eye-test. You have a Summit League team in Oakland and a Big 12 powerhouse in Texas, easy game right? Not so much.

Oakland went out and competed against nationally ranked colleges in the non-conference highlighted by matchups with Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois and Tennessee.

The Golden Grizzlies have size in the frontcourt that can match Texas' as well as talented guards that can create problems as well.

My prediction: Despite the non-conference SOS taking on eight teams inside the RPI top 100. There outlook, however, wasn't so pretty. Oakland finished (1-7) against teams inside the RPI top 100 because of their inability to take care of the ball. They'll be up against one of the more physical defensive teams in the nation and that could be too overwhelming for the mid-major.

Princeton Tigers (25-6, 12-2) vs Kentucky Wildcats (25-8, 10-6)

15 years ago, Princeton was a No. 13 seed and knocked off defending champ UCLA in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This year, Princeton is the No. 13 seed, again, and taking on a perennial threat in fourth-ranked Kentucky.

The Princeton Tigers isn't a team that is going to beat you with offense. In fact, this season, the Tigers only surpassed 80-points five times.

Although, I do believe Princeton could be a tough matchup for this young Kentucky team.

My prediction: As of late, Kentucky has showcased their ability to play as one, instead of playing one-on-one basketball with a matchup that they favor. Princeton has the tools to disrupt Kentucky, I just don't see it unfolding that way.

VCU Rams (23-11, 12-6) vs USC Trojans (19-14, 10-8)

The First Four might have one of the more interesting match-ups in VCU vs USC. USC has non-conference wins against Texas, Tennessee and just barely loss at Kansas. VCU has just the same amount of significant wins but also failed to win against Tennessee at home.

This matchup should be very good considering that both teams have proved that they can play with some of the best.

Both are virtually the same team with no significant differences and matchup very well.

My prediction: I believe VCU holds a slight edge over USC, although I believe USC should win this game. USC has competed against some of the best in the Pac-10 but VCU has competed against some of the best in the Colonial as well. It will be a very good game that I think will be decided by a couple of points.

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Is Harrison Barnes The Next Kevin Durant?

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Kevin Durant is currently one of the best players in the NBA at a young age. He played for Texas in 07' and lead them to the NCAA Tournament before being selected No. 2 overall by the Seattle Supersonics.

As a Longhorn, Kevin Durant scored 25.8 points, and grabbed 11.1 rebounds, while shooting 40 percent from three.

The Maryland native took Texas by storm, and even did enough to get his jersey retired after one year of College Basketball.

He was the National Player of the Year as a freshman, and almost every award you would want to receive--AP National Player of the Year, John R Wooden Award, Adolph Rupp Trophy, and Oscar Robertson Award Trophy.

This year, College Basketball will get a similar player in North Carolina Tarheel freshman Harrison Barnes.

Barnes comes out of high school as the 2010 Morgan Wooten Player of the Year, McDonald's All-American Team Selection, and Jordan Brand Classic Team Selection. He was also the No. 1 rated player overall by Scout.com, and ESPN but came second in the Yahoo Rivals rankings.

He shared an MVP selection in both the Jordan Brand Classic, and McDonald's All-American game. We also got a glimpse of Barnes ability during the NC Pro AM this summer.

Now with that said, Barnes is the closest thing I've seen to Durant. His ability to handle the ball at 6-foot-7 is amazing. Not to mention, he will be able to influence the game as Durant did in '07.

Many media outlets are considering Barnes a possible National Player of the Year as a true freshman. I believe he will recieve top honors in almost every category Durant did in 07' even more.

Regardless of if Barnes is the next Durant or not, the Tarheels posses a very special player. With Barnes, the Tarheels and Roy Williams will move on from the dreaded season they had before.

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Flashback Friday: George Mason's Run To The Final Four

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Sikids.com Photo

Back in 2006, the College Basketball world was shocked. George Mason made a run to the Final Four before being defeated by the Florida Gators, who were then-National Championships.

But before anything like that happened, the Patriots made a magical run.

After or even before losing in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament to Hofstra, the Patriots were never considered to win any games after that.

But on Selection Sunday, the Patriots were granted a No. 11 seed and had the right to play the Michigan State Spartans. Now if you were following the year the Spartans had, it was average, but they still should have beaten the Patriots.

But that didn't happen. With balanced scoring throughout the starting line-up and great frontcourt play, the Patriots were able to take down the Spartans early and went on to win the game by ten.

They were on their way to playing the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round. 

North Carolina was a better squad. They were (12-4) in the ACC, while acquiring a No. 3 seed in the tournament. Not to mention, they were the defending National Champions.

The Patriots frontcourt once again, locked down in the post. The Tar Heel great Tyler Hansbrough was limited to a ten point performance. The double-team worked and the Patriots moved on to the winners circle.

With Wichita State, the Patriots were looked to win this game. They're magical run was going to continue passed the Shockers.

But once they reached the UConn Huskies' everyone thought the dream run could be over. The Huskies were a No. 1 seed and with the Rudy Gay at the helm. So did you really think the Patriots could overcome the experience and talent on the Huskies roster?

At least I didn't. But they surely proved me wrong.

After one half of play, the Patriots season looked over. It was 43-34 and UConn was all over George Mason in attempt to stop an upset-bid.

However, after resurgence in the second half the Patriots took a two-point lead and the game looked like it was headed towards an upset. But that all changed when Denham Brown hit the game-tying layup as time expired.

Heading into overtime, George Mason had the momentum on their side. Once it was time to play in overtime, you could tell this was the Patriots game to win. They held the UConn Huskies scoreless during the right stretch and pulled away.

The George Mason Patriots from the Colonial Conference made a magical run to the Final Four as a No. 11 seed.

"I think it's been working for us, calling us Cinderella," Skinn said. "We were not supposed to get into the tournament, we got into it. We were not supposed to beat Michigan State and we beat them. Weren't supposed to beat North Carolina and we beat them. We definitely weren't supposed to be UConn. I think we'll stick to the script going into whoever we play. We don't mind being the Cinderella."

Now after the win over the No. 1 seed, the Patriots advanced to play the Florida Gators.

Now with the way George Mason had played throughout the tournament, they could have brought the Gators down--right.

But in reality, we all wanted to see them play longer. But the big-three of Florida, which presented Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer, was just too much for the Patriots.

In the first half, the game was real tight. Going into the half, the Patriots were down just five to the No. 1 seeded Florida Gators.

However, in the second half, the Gators took over. Lee Humphrey collectively took the game over in the second half. He came out and hit three straight three-balls, and a free-throw that pushed the lead to 41-28.

After that, the game was already in the books. The Gators never let them get back in the game, and marched on to victory.

There frontcourt couldn't do the things they were accustom to because of the frontier force of Noah and Horford.

They ended with 25 compared to the 36 the Gators were able to pull down.

So with that said, the magical run was over and the Patriots sent home.

But it was a different approach for the program. They were the first team out of the CAA to make the Final Four; the second team to reach the Final Four as a double-digit seed; they were ranked No. 8 when the final poll came out, which happens to be the best ranking in school history; and made one of the best runs by a mid-major in tournament history.

George Mason run to the Final Four will always be compared with other mid-major programs. They defeated the tough opponents on their way to the Final Four.

If they could have stopped Humphrey's three-balls I think they would have had the chance to take down the eventual National Champion Florida Gators.

(Flashback Friday is a segment CoHoops does every week. If you missed last weeks segment of Flashback Friday, click here to read. To review the series click here)

The Committee Pushing For More Upsets With 68-Team Format?

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

In the 2010 NCAA Tournament, a lot of teams were 'snubbed' by the selection committee. You had a bunch of teams with significant wins that didn't make the tournament.

You had Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Illinois and other schools that weren’t given any love on Selection Sunday.

However, the tournament still lived on. We didn't see a lot of upsets, but it was a substantial amount that kept us on our feet throughout the tournament.

However, we mostly have to wait until maybe the second round of the tournament, or if we're lucky we'll see it in the first.

For some reason, during the tournament next March things will change. I believe the committee is pushing towards a new trend. Not only to acquire more viewers but also to keep the tournament interesting.

Last week the selection committee adopted the new 68-team format. It is going to hold a "First Four" tournament of play-in games. While everybody is calling it boring already, let's look at this theory here.

The 'First Four' is going to allow teams to come into the tournament that was on the bubble. Versus allowing the mid-major teams to just proceed in. This will most likely help the cause of an upset. In fact, throughout the tournament's history, there has never been a No. 16 seed that defeated No. 1; that's what the NCAA is pushing for.

Almost like they would rather force them than let them happen. Because really, what better way to put the favorite in jeopardy than making them play against a team that's already fresh.

It's either going to help college basketball or hurt it. If we start seeing so many upsets from the higher seeds on the lower seeds it will lose it prominence. 

While on the other hand, if it happens rarely, then it was always make the tournament more exciting.

But one thing is evident, and that's the committee wants’ to see more upsets in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Can The Memphis Tigers Make a Run?

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

After Coach John Calipari left Memphis, the Tigers weren't considered to be anything in Conference USA.

However, there was a back-up plan. Josh Pastner was hired and he did exceptionally well from what I thought he could do last year, and the upcoming season will only be better.

With one of the better 2010 recruiting classes, that highlights some of the top guards in the country; Memphis will rise back into the nation’s spotlight.

Not to mention, starters Will Coleman and Wesley Witherspoon return to Memphis to accompany the eight freshmen coming in. 

But can the Tigers make a run in the tournament? It's not surprising to see a young team making a run in the NCAA tournament. However, it is very rare for them to get to the big game--unless you're Carmelo Anthony.

The Memphis Tigers only have two starters from last year's team and eight freshmen. 

Something similar to what Kentucky did last year. Differently from Kentucky, Memphis has a talented core of guards versus the all-around threat of Kentucky.

Jackson and Jelan Kendrick were the McDonald's All-Americans of the recruiting list. It's no question that they will be used a lot. They're big time playmakers will the ability to carry a team to victory.

With their contributions plus the leadership from returning players, Memphis does have a chance to make a run in the tournament. However, for the Tigers to do so, Roburt Sallie will need to step up big-time playing on the wing.

But, with so many solid recruits in the backcourt, mixed with a lot of frontcourt depth, the Tigers will need more from the wing position.

This season, the toughness of Pierre Henderson-Niles will be missed tremendously. The Tigers lack toughness inside but took on a different approach in the frontcourt. The last few years with the Tigers, it has been size in the frontcourt. 

This year it will be athleticism. They have versatile and athletic forwards that will create match-up problems down-low.

There backcourt is set with talented guards, now it's up to the frontcourt. If they can step up and make plays with the guards, there is no doubt in my mind that Memphis will not be dancing for a while in the NCAA tournament. 

Flashback Friday: Carmelo Anthony + Syracuse = National Champions

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Carmelo Anthony came out of high school, tabbed as the No. 1 overall small forward in the nation. 

When he signed his letter of intent to play with Syracuse, you knew that Anthony and Hakim Warrick would make this team a title contender.

In his first game as a freshman, Anthony scored 27 points and grabbed 11 boards in a loss to Memphis. This was one of the best freshmen debuts in the history of the NCAA.

After the loss to Memphis, the Orangemen followed up with ten straight wins before losing to Pittsburgh by 13.

However, after that, Syracuse didn't lose too many more. They had a great revenge game against Pitt where they rallied back to win by two. 

It not only kept them undefeated at the Carrier Dome, but it also kept Pitt from being the No. 1 overall team in the nation.

Jeremy McNeil was the unsung hero that day after hitting clutch free-throws and a lay-up to win the game. 

When the season ended, Syracuse was (23-4) overall and (13-3) in the Big East. 

In the regular season, UConn's Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon posed a problem for the Orange. Everything was the same in the Big East tournament, as the Huskies blew Syracuse out of the waters again.

However, once the NCAA tournament started, Syracuse was doing the blowing out. Before being tested by Auburn, Syracuse beat their first two opponents by ten points or more.

But once they got to Auburn that was the scare of the tournament. Anthony or Warrick didn't play particularly well but they did come out with the win.

With less than 30 seconds, Syracuse was up by three until Kueth Duany pushed the lead out to five. With two seconds left, Auburn's Nathan Watson hit a three to pull within one, but the game was already over.

Syracuse steamrolled past Oklahoma, before Anthony's managed a historic performance against Texas. 

In their first Final Four match-up, Syracuse faced Texas. In the first half, Anthony led Syracuse to a three-point lead with 16-points to his name.

But coming out the second, Anthony was on fire. He hit the first lay-up of the second half for the Orange. Soon after, he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored again.

He went on to score 17-points in the second half while leading Syracuse to their first ever National Championship. In that game, Anthony set a record for the most points scored by a freshman in the Final Four with 33 points. 

Now that Syracuse advanced they had the right to play the Kansas Jayhawks for the National title.

This by-far, was the most difficult challenge they faced throughout the tournament.

The Jayhawks early on looked like they were going to fold against Carmelo Anthony and Syracuse.

At the half, Anthony had 13-points and the Orange has a 53-42 lead.

However, the second half Kansas came out with a different mindset. The Jayhawks would get as close as three before Syracuse would answer to conserve the lead.

There was a point where Kansas didn't score for almost four minutes and Syracuse pushed the lead out to ten. But after a burst of scoring, the Jayhawks got the game to three with under a minute left.

After Michael Lee hit a lay-up, Nick Collison committed a foul on Anthony. Remember, the game was under a minute and Syracuse desperately needed this free-throw.

However, Anthony missed it and the Jayhawks had a chance to knot things up. Aaron Miles tried a three-point attempt first but it went off rim. 

Jeff Graves grabbed the rebound, missed the put-back, grabbed another board, and finally was fouled by Warrick with about 40 seconds left in the game.

Graves hit the first one at the line; however, after the timeout by Jim Boehim, he missed the second. Anthony grabbed the rebound and got the ball up court.

With less than 30 seconds, Collison fouled Kueth Duany; he would miss the first, but then made the second. 

Syracuse had many chances to put this game away. Warrick missed two late game free-throws that would have put the game away, but did come up with the biggest play of the game.

With just under five-seconds, the Jayhawks had the ball and was thinking three. With Anthony harassing Hinrich, he passed it off to Michael Lee for the three.

Lee was 1-for-5 from three but Syracuse still wanted a hand in his face. Lee pulled up what he thought was a decent shot before having it blocked by the lengthy Warrick to seal the victory.

Anthony as a true-freshman delivered the city of Syracuse, New York their first ever National Championship. 

He finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assist. He was named the 'Most Outstanding Player' in the tournament, and on top of that, his Coach Jim Boehim claimed he was the best college basketball player in the game.

Anthony led Syracuse in almost every statistical category you could think of. 

After cutting down the nets as the leading scorer and rebounder, his college career was over and a new era was beginning.

Since leaving Syracuse, Anthony has been in the NBA playoffs all seven-years of his NBA career. He has eclipsed 10,000 points and is the go-to-guy for the Denver Nuggets.

Anthony will forever be remembered for what he achieved as a freshman at Syracuse. He is the only player to win a National Championship as a true freshman in the past 20-years.

(Flashback Friday is a segment CoHoops does every week. If you missed last weeks segment of Flashback Friday, click here to read. To review the series click here)