March Madness: North Carolina's Tournament To lose

March Madness: North Carolina’s Tournament To lose

When talking about this year’s NCAA Tournament and the Final Four, one team seems to get mentioned more than any other. That team is the North Carolina Tarheels.

The Tarheels return everyone from last year’s 36-3 Final Four squad. Tyler Hansbrough is probably the best player in college basketball. Running the Tarheels’ offense is junior point guard Ty Lawson, the quickest player in the nation.

Roy Williams is a coach that knows how to handle the pressure of high expectations. Williams won the 2005 national championship while being ranked No. 1 in almost every preseason poll.

However, before we crown North Carolina champs, there are a few other teams that could challenge the Tarheels come tournament time.

Last year, the UConn Huskies lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. So how are they going to go from a one-and-out team to a Final Four team?

Simple, Uconn has depth and experience.

Returning to Uconn for his junior year is center Hasheem Thabeet. At 7’3”, Thabeet can run the floor and dominate a game with his defense.

With senior forward and rebounder Jeff Adrien, senior floor general A.J. Price and junior guard Jerome Dyson—a player that can flat out score—head coach Jim Calhoun has a talented team that’s not only ready to compete in Big East, but a team that’s ready to challenge for a national title.

Another Big East Team that could make waves in March was also eliminated early from last year’s tourney, the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Head coach Jaime Dixon has recruited a team overflowing with talent.

Senior forward Sam Young is a hard worker who’s very athletic. Savvy senior Levance Fields is an efficient point guard that takes care of the rock. Sophomore forward DeJuan Blair hits the glass on both ends of the court.

The Panthers already play championship caliber defense, now if Dixon can get them to raise their game at the right time of year, the Panthers could be cutting down some nets in March.

The Oklahoma Sooners are the elite team in the Big 12 and that’s not a line leftover from a college football preview. The Sooners can play basketball too.

Coach Jeff Capel resurrected the basketball program and now his team could not only win the Big 12 and they could also be final four bound.

Capel’s squad features the nation’s top power forward in sophomore Blake Griffin. Griffin can score and rebound and is already slated to go No. 1 in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Blake’s older brother, senior Taylor Griffin, is a solid all-around forward and freshman guard Willie Warren is brash, athletic and doesn’t shy away from contact.

While this team hasn’t gone far in the tournament, they do have plenty of leadership from their upper classmen. If the bracket makers are kind, and they get favorable math-ups, Oklahoma could have success come to them sooner rather than later.

UCLA loses players every year to the NBA and every year coach Ben Howland reloads and makes it to the Final Four. Why should this year be any different?

Bruins are led by two seniors, veteran point guard Darren Collison and versatile swingman Josh Ship. Playing alongside of them is highly touted, freshmen guard Jrue Holiday—a smooth and athletic scorer.

What weaknesses the Bruins may have on paper, they make up for in legacy, tradition and mystique. Come tournament time, UCLA will be a factor.

It would be fitting if the Michigan State Spartans reached the final four in a year when Detroit is hosting the event. Don’t think MSU is a sentimental pick; Spartans have a squad capable of winning a regional.

Tom Izzo has five of his top six scores back from last year. Included in that group is heady, sophomore guard Kalin Lucas and athletic, junior forward Raymar Morgan.

Freshman forward Delvon Roe gives Izzo scoring and athleticism.

While you shouldn’t write the Spartans’ name down in ink in your Final Four bracket, winning the Big 10 and making a lot of noise in the tourney is definitely a possibility.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs and last year’s national runner-up Memphis Tigers are two mid-majors that have a legitimate shots to make final four appearances.

Zags’ coach Mark Few always seems to have the Bulldogs poised to make a deep tourney run. This year, Few may have the most talent he’s ever had in Spokane.

Senior Jeremy Pargo is an explosive player that can play both the point and shooting guard positions. Sophomore Austin Daye has the size, skill and athleticism to play multiple positions. He’s a mismatch waiting to happen. Senior Josh Heytvelt is the Zags’ threat down low, but the 6‘11” forward has the touch needed to step away from the basket and stretch defenses.

John Calipari lost a lot of talent from last year’s 38-win team, but returning is ultra mobile, senior forward Robert Dozier and defensive specialist, senior guard Antonio Anderson.

Add super-skilled, freshman guard Tyreke Evans to mix and Calipari has nearly reloaded.

Both teams will blow through their respective conferences, the WCC for Gonzaga and Conference USA for Memphis.

Maybe the lack of competition will hurt these teams, maybe it won’t. If these two mid-majors can keep their focus, despite playing inferior teams within their conference, they will be dangerous in March.

Overview

Obviously, North Carolina needs to stay healthy, but barring major injuries, the Tarheels are the clear cut favorite to cut down the nets in Detroit.

Still, the tournament uses a one-game, single-elimination format. A player gets hot (think Stephen Curry) or North Carolina goes cold and anything can happen.

The chance that “anything can happen” is why we love March Madness in the first place.

Key Tar Heels Matchups:

View NCAA Tickets | Back to Articles List

TERMS OF REPRINT
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free
of charge, as long as the bylines are included and you follow these rules:
*Email distribution of this article MUST be opt-in email only.
*If you post this article on a website, you must set any URL's
in the body of the article and most especially in the Author's
Resource Box as hyperlinks that are NOT nofollowed.