Isn't this what college basketball is all about? Four great games in the Elite Eight to see who will dance on to the Final Four in St Louis. Let's run down all four regions and dissect them from best game, surprise team, biggest disappointment, etc.
Syracuse Regional:
Winner: UNC -- Unstoppable. After the last two years I never would have thought a coach could get Felton, May and McCants to play together as a team. Didn't McCants say back in October that playing for Roy Williams was like 'being in prison?' Yes, I'm sure he said that. I guarantee he isn't thinking that now.
Best game: Wisconsin vs UNC -- Okay, I like the Badgers but never in a million years would I have thought Wisconsin would have been down by a point with 3 minutes left and the ball in their hands with a chance to win this game. Sean May has the best hands of any big man I've ever seen.
Surprise team: Wisconsin -- I don't think I'm completely going out on a limb with this. The Badgers didn't beat a team seeded higher than themselves but it's not their fault Kansas and UConn lost. Nobody had UW in the Elite Eight. It's a surprise. Deal with it.
Biggest dissapointment: UConn -- Marcus Williams. Marcus Williams. Marcus Williams. Get it? Villanueva did all he could. Yes, Rashad Anderson had been hurt but with all this talent all you need is a point guard who can distribute the ball. Williams couldn't even do that.
Austin Regional:
Winner: Michigan State -- After seeing the Spartans vs Wisconsin earlier this year a couple times and also in the Big Ten tournament I would have been hard pressed to believe this team could make a run to the Final Four. Paul Davis is playing great, but will have to get better to match up with Sean May.
Best game: Michigan State vs Kentucky -- Would those ref's have made it out of Austin alive if they would have overturned Patrick Sparks' three at the buzzer? I highly doubt it.
Surprise team: Michigan State -- Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Alan Anderson haven't lived up to expectations....until now. Coming out of high school Shannon Brown was supposed to be the Spartans next All Everything. I can't say enough about Paul Davis. Earlier this year he looked completely out of place but he has definitely picked it up a few notches; and at the right time. Chris Hill still looks like a deer in headlights when the game is on the line.
Biggest disappointment: Duke -- Poor Coach K. Only the Sweet Sixteen this year. Losing Luol Deng and Shaun Livingston doesn't help. Sean Dockery went down injured. Being a number one seed with this team is a special coaching job. Just imagine Livington at the point and Deng at small forward. That's a scary thought.
Albuquerque Regional:
Winner: Louisville -- Rick Pitino's third different school (Providence and Kentucky are the others) in the Final Four. Talk about a great coaching job. You think the Cardinals were a little upset about being a FOUR seed?
Best game: 1. Louisville vs West Virginia -- Down 20 at one point Louisville went on a roll. When Garcia fouled out I thought they were done. Not quite. Taquan Dean was incredible even with a bad ankle and cramping up. Larry O'Bannon scoring 24 points after the half helps just a little.
1A. West Virginia vs Wake Forest -- Double overtime thriller. Mike Gansey looked like Jimmy Chitwood in Hoosiers hitting three after three. That's gotta hurt if you have Wake Forest in the Final Four...or winning it all like I did. I'll admit it.
Surprise team: West Virginia -- Tough call here. Before the Big East Tournament the Mountaineers were riding the bubble. Thankfully they made the tourney because they were fun to watch. Pittsnogle needs a couple more tattoo's.
Biggest disappointment: Gonzaga -- Who for Texas Tech stopped Ronny Turiaf exactly? The Red Raiders have NOTHING inside. I mean nothing. Turiaf should have scored 50 and the Zags should have won this game easily. (I want to put Georgia Tech down here but losing to Louisville looks alright now)
Chicago Regional:
Winner: Illinois -- Losing to Ohio State helped. You knew also that after Bruce Weber's mother passed away that this team was going to leave everything they have on the floor. How much Orange is going to be in the St. Louis this weekend?
62-8 in his first two years in Champaign. Bill Self has a tiny bit to do with that record.
Best game: Illinois vs Arizona -- Down 15 with four minutes to play, I figured Illinois were done. I was wrong. Deron Williams was amazing. His three to tie it up with 50 seconds left gave me goosebumps. I haven't heard a stadium that loud in a long time. Hassan Adams played amazingly but I'm sorry, that ball needs to be in Stoudamire's hands at the end of regulation. I don't care how well he played up until then. Did Lute Olson not learn anything from the Oklahoma State game?
Surprise team: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee -- I don't feel making the Sweet Sixteen was a surprise for the Panthers. I didn't thinkbeating Alabama was an upset and neither was beating Boston College. Then again I'm not the general public. This team can play as Illinois found out. Now they have to find a new coach.
Biggest dissapointment: Boston College -- This team was a win or two away in the Big East Tourney from being a two seed. What happened to the Eagles in mid-February? They completely fell apart.
My Top Eight Players from the First Round through the Elite Eight:
1. Sean May, UNC -- If he dominates Michigan State and Paul Davis like he did Wisconsin and Mike Wilkinson watch out. Neither Illinois nor Louisville has a horse inside to stop this tower of power.
2. Deron Williams, Illinois -- I can't say enough about his leadership. This is not Dee Brown's team.
3. Taquan Dean, Louisville -- He might shoot a little more than he should but he makes the ones that need to go down.
4. Salim Stoudamire, Arizona -- I really don't think he can do much other than shoot. His passing skills need a lot of work and so does he defense, but the Wildcats don't make the Elite Eight without him.
5. Paul Davis, Michigan State -- In the four games the Spartans have played I'm saying Paul Davis was the best player on the floor in every game. He looks like Ivan Drago. "I must break you!"
6. Andrew Bogut, Utah -- The nation found out that Bogut doesn't have to score 25 points a game for the Utes to win. He does everything else too.
7. Ronald Ross, Texas Tech -- Ross didn't look good vs West Virginia (8 for 20 shooting), but he certainly put on a show against Gonzaga.
8. Raymond Felton, UNC -- There isn't a player who is more important to their team's chances than Felton is for the Tarheels. He has all the tools to help UNC cut down the nets in St. Louis.
