Second-round matchups:
1 N. Carolina vs. 16 Lamar/Vermont
8 Creighton vs. 9 Alabama
5 Temple vs. 12 California/S. Florida
4 Michigan vs. 13 Ohio
6 San Diego St. vs. 11 N.C. State
3 Georgetown vs. 14 Belmont
7 Saint Mary's vs. 10 Purdue
2 Kansas vs. 15 Detroit
My pick to win it: North Carolina. Roy Williams knows what to do with a No. 1 seed, having won his two titles (2005, 2009) with Carolina from that spot.
Dark horse: Taking Creighton as a dark horse is in obvious conflict with my pick to win it all, but the Bluejays are a dangerous team. Doug McDermott, Creighton's best player, is this generation's Larry Bird (at least collegiately). He would cement his legend if he could pull an upset of Carolina in the third round.
Obvious rout: The winner of Lamar/Vermont gets the pleasure of getting blasted by Carolina.
Upset special: Look for Belmont to give Georgetown fits.
Looking forward to: Temple to beat Michigan and dedicate its victory to John Chaney, who was beaten twice by the Fab Five in the 1990s.
Questionable seeding: Detroit deserved better than a No. 15. N.C. State as a No. 11 while Drexel is headed to the NIT also doesn't feel right. Kansas deserved a No. 2, but the seed could haunt North Carolina. If the seeds hold, Carolina and Kansas will play in St. Louis, which is Kansas' territory. The committee should have made Ohio State or Duke the No. 2 in this region, even if Carolina and the Dookies have played twice already.
Players you will love to watch: McDermott, from Creighton, is a special talent, but he might not be around for long. Ohio's D.J. Cooper was the best guard in the Mid-American Conference and will get to go against Michigan's Trey Burke on Friday. Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller are a powerful 1-2 punch for the Tar Heels, who expect John Henson to be OK. Henson missed the end of the ACC Tournament with a wrist injury. San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin was the MVP of a Mountain West Conference that sent four teams to the dance.
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TEAM-BY-TEAM THUMBNAILS/By Daily News Staff
1. NORTH CAROLINA (29-5)
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Conference: Atlantic Coast.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 3.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 6.
NCAA Tournament Record: 105-40 (5 Titles, 18 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2011, lost in regional final to Kentucky, 76-69
Head Coach: Roy Williams.
School: 254-67 (9 years). Overall: 672-168 (24 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Kendall Marshall, G, 6-4, So., 7.2, 2.6, 42.8, 71.4
Reggie Bullock, G, 6-7, So., 8.6, 4.8, 43.7, 83.3
Harrison Barnes, F, 6-8, So., 17.4, 5.1, 45.8, 73.0
John Henson, F, 6-11, Jr., 14.2, 10.3, 50.7, 50.8
Tyler Zeller, F, 7-0, Sr., 16.3, 9.3, 54.9, 80.3
Other Key Players
P.J. Hairston, G, 6-6, Fr., 5.7, 2.3, 30.6, 86.3
James Michael McAdoo, F, 6-9, Fr., 5.0, 3.7, 40.0, 60.3
About the Tar Heels: Second nationally in scoring (82.3 points) ... Play at the eighth fastest pace (72.5 possessions per game) yet commit just 14.7 fouls per game ... Marshall leads the nation in assist/turnover ratio at 3.6/1. Second in assists (9.6 per game) ... No. 1 in rebound margin (plus 11.3 boards per game) and 11th in field-goal defense (38.6%) ... The frontcourt of Henson, Zeller and Barnes is a major matchup problem for every team in America. Barely 18% of their points come from threes while 61% come from twos. The lack of the three-point threat could hurt, as they get deeper into the draw ... McAdoo blocks three shots a game off the bench. He is the son of Ronnie McAdoo, second cousin to Hall of Famer Bob.
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2. KANSAS (27-6)
Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Conference: Big 12.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 6.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 10.
NCAA Tournament Record: 88-39 (3 Titles, 13 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2011, lost in regional final to VCU, 71-61
Head Coach: Bill Self.
School: 264-52 (9 years). Overall: 471-157 (19 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Tyshawn Taylor, G, 6-3, Sr., 17.2, 1.8, 48.9, 69.1
Elijah Johnson, G, 6-4, Jr., 8.9, 3.1, 40.2, 68.8
Travis Releford, G, 6-6, Jr., 8.6, 4.3, 50.0, 63.9
Jeff Withey, C, 7-0, Jr., 9.2, 6.3, 55.0, 81.8
Thomas Robinson, F, 6-9, Jr., 18.0, 11.9, 53.1, 68.5
Other Key Players
Conner Teahan, G, 6-6, Sr., 6.3, 2.2, 39.5, 86.2
Kevin Young, F, 6-8, Jr., 3.5, 2.7, 54.0, 60.6
Justin Wesley, F, 6-9, So., 1.4, 1.8, 55.2, 45.5
About the Jayhawks: Overrated all season, failed to end their rivalry with Missouri in style (Mizzou is headed to the SEC) and put their No. 1 regional seed in peril with a conference tourney semifinal loss to Baylor, whose uniforms preening Jayhawks coach Bill Self criticized ... KU dominated the two regular-season games against Baylor, but the tourney loss calls into question KU's pedigree and that of the Big 12, considered one of the top three conferences this season ... Withey's 104 blocks is second all-time at KU ... Robinson and Taylor lead the scoring attack, but Johnson hit for over 20 twice in his last five games ... Outshoot opponents by about 10 percentage points (48-38) from the floor.
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3. GEORGETOWN (23-8)
Location: Washington
Conference: Big East.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 15.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 14.
NCAA Tournament Record: 45-25 (1 title, 5 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2010, lost in first round to Ohio University, 97-83
Head Coach: John Thompson III.
School: 183-81 (7 years). Overall: 251-123 (12 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Jason Clark, G, 6-2, Sr., 14.3, 4.2, 47.8, 73.5
Henry Sims, C, 6-10, Sr., 11.1, 5.6, 44.8, 72.1
Nate Lubick, F, 6-8, So., 3.8, 4.0, 52.4, 44.2
Otto Porter, F, 6-8, Fr., 9.0, 6.8, 51.0, 70.4
Hollis Thompson, F, 6-8, Jr., 13.0, 5.6, 47.8, 65.2
Other Key Players
Markel Starks, G, 6-2, So., 7.5, 1.6, 45.1, 75.9
Greg Whittington, F, 6-8, Fr., 4.0, 2.8, 36.7, 60.6
Jabril Trawick, G, 6-5, Fr., 3.6, 1.4, 39.4, 78.6
Mikael Hopkins, F, 6-9, Fr., 2.6, 1.2, 42.9, 80.0
About the Hoyas: Haven't won a postseason game, NCAA or NIT, since 2008, when they won once a year after going to Final Four ... These guys play some serious defense ... They won 11 in a row, their longest such streak since 2006-07 ... They made it into the Top 10 for the sixth straight season, one of only four programs that can make that claim ... Ten of the 13 players on the roster are freshmen or sophomores ... Clark has almost as many career starts as the other four starters combined ... Shot 46% from the floor ... Hold opponents to 28.5% from three ... They outrebound teams by six a game ... Had four wins over Top 25 clubs in regular season.
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4. MICHIGAN (24-9)
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Conference: Big Ten.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 13.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 12.
NCAA Tournament Record: 43-21 (1 title, 6 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 20119, lost in third round to Duke, 73-71
Head Coach: John Beilein
School: 91-76 (5 years). Overall: 567-351 (30 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Trey Burke, G, 6-1, Fr., 14.6, 3.4, 43.4, 74.3
Stu Douglass, G, 6-3, Sr., 7.7, 2.6, 41.3, 82.8
Zack Novak, G, 6-4, Sr., 9.6, 4.6, 48.8, 85.7
Tim Hardaway Jr., G, 6-5, So., 14.5, 3.8, 42.3, 70.8
Jordan Morgan, F, 6-8, Jr., 7.5, 5.7, 63.2, 50.0
Other Key Players
Evan Smotrycz, F, 6-9, So., 7.8, 4.8, 48.0, 76.4
Matt Vogrich, G, 6-4, Jr., 2.3, 1.2, 38.0, 50.0
About the Wolverines: Play an unusual offensive style where they launch a ton of threes, but still shoot a great percentage from two (54.7%, eighth best nationally). Nearly 45% of all their shot attempts come from the arc ... Defensively, they give up nothing easy ... Point guard Burke (4.6 assists a game) and shooting guard Hardaway (who is tall and thin, looking nothing like his dad) were the Big Ten's best backcourt ... The veteran role players all know their roles and play them perfectly ... Styles win in the NCAA and this team has a very unusual style with two very talented guards ... Shoot 72% as a team from the line, with Morgan the only real liability (50%) ... Without much size, they were outrebounded by opponents on the season.
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5. TEMPLE (24-7)
Location: Philadelphia.
Conference: Atlantic 10.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 19.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 54.
NCAA Tournament Record: 32-29 (0 Titles, 2 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2011, lost in third round to San Diego St., 71-64 (2 ot)
Head Coach: Fran Dunphy.
School: 134-64 (6 years). Overall: 444-227 (24 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Juan Fernandez, G, 6-4, Sr., 11.4, 2.8, 40.5, 81.6
Ramone Moore, G, 6-4, Sr., 17.8, 4.2, 43.0, 77.2
Khalif Wyatt, G, 6-4, Jr., 17.1, 3.2, 48.0, 84.9
Micheal Eric, C, 6-11, Sr., 9.2, 8.7, 53.9, 57.6
Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, F, 6-6, Jr., 9.1, 6.5, 57.4, 56.6
Other Key Players
Aaron Brown, G, 6-5, So., 6.7, 2.1, 46.5, 65.5
Anthony Lee, F, 6-9, Fr., 5.0, 5.4, 50.4, 55.1
T.J. DiLeo, G, 6-2, Jr., 3.0, 2.0, 56.6, 66.7
About the Owls: They won an NCAA game last year for the first time since 2001, which was also the last time they made it past the second round ... Three-headed backcourt is as lethal as any. They are all fearless. Moore and Wyatt in particular have an assassin's mentality, especially late in games. When even just two of them get it going, they're a tough matchup ... Eric has been steadily having more impact at both ends since his return from a knee injury in mid-January ... Hollis-Jefferson is one of those guys who just takes care of all those detail things that make a difference ... This group isn't as strong defensively as it was with Lavoy Allen in the middle, but is more equipped from an offensive standpoint.
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6. SAN DIEGO STATE (26-7)
Location: San Diego.
Conference: Mountain West.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 24.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 61.
NCAA Tournament Record: 2-7 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2011, lost in regional semifinal to Connecticut, 74-67
Head Coach: Steve Fisher.
School: 258-159 (13 years). Overall: 367-238 (22 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Chase Tapley, G, 6-2, Jr., 15.2, 4.3, 45.1, 73.0
Xavier Thames, G, 6-3, So., 10.5, 3.2, 42.0, 82.1
Jamaal Franklin, G, 6-5, So., 17.1, 8.0, 43.1, 80.4
James Rahon, G, 6-5, Jr., 9.1, 2.9, 41.1, 59.5
Tim Shelton, F, 6-7, Sr., 5.4, 4.9, 48.8, 63.6
Other Key Players
Garrett Green, F, 6-11, Sr., 6.1, 4.7, 57.8, 48.0
Deshawn Stephens, F, 6-8, Jr., 5.5, 4.8, 61.4, 41.4
LaBradford Franklin, G, 6-2, So., 3.1, 1.6, 39.7, 86.1
About the Aztecs: Fisher and the month of March have a bit of a history. Fisher, the coach behind Michigan's "Fab Five" phenomena in the early 1990s, has also built quite the powerhouse here. SDSU is 23-5 in its last 28 games in March. It's a number that includes the NCAA, NIT and the Mountain West Tournament, the latter finding SDSU winning 14 of its last 15 ... The Aztecs made it to the Sweet 16 last year, after it took a pair of OTs to defeat Temple, 71-64 ... SDSU's women's program won the MWC title. In his postgame conference after the Aztecs' MWC men's championship loss to New Mexico, Fisher said: "I have one comment. I should have started with this. Our women's team did what we hoped to do. They cut down the nets."
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7. SAINT MARY'S (27-5)
Location: Moraga, Calif.
Conference: West Coast.
Bid: Automatic
RPI: 28.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 102.
NCAA Tournament Record: 3-6 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2010, lost in regional semifinal to Baylor, 72-49
Head Coach: Randy Bennett.
School and Overall: 235-117 (11 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Jorden Page, G, 6-1, So., 7.8, 1.2, 35.9, 86.4
Matthew Dellavedova, G, 6-4, Jr., 15.4, 3.3, 45.5, 84.9
Rob Jones, F, 6-6, Sr., 14.7, 10.8, 46.8, 64.2
Clint Steindl, F, 6-7, Sr., 8.1, 2.7, 41.3, 96.7
Brad Waldow, F, 6-9, Fr., 8.0, 4.4, 66.5, 50.0
Other Key Players
Stephen Holt, G, 6-4, So., 10.4, 4.7, 50.0, 76.7
Mitchell Young, F, 6-8, Jr., 4.3, 2.7, 59.2, 65.0
Kenton Walker II, F, 6-9, Sr., 4.1, 3.2, 54.5, 61.5
Beau Levesque, F, 6-5, So., 3.2, 1.7, 44.4, 75.9
About the Gaels: Tiny school with an even tinier enrollment (3,810), but they have become quite the perennial power. This is the first time since joining the West Coast Conference in 1952 that Saint Mary's captured the regular season and conference tournament titles in the same season ... Usually playing second fiddle to Gonzaga, the Gaels won the WCC title and earned a trip to the Big Dance for the second time in 3 years ... Dellavedova, the two-time WCC Player of the Year, was groomed at the Australian Institute for Sport before coming stateside, and captained the Australian under-19 team at the 2009 FIBA U-19 World Championship in New Zealand.
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8. CREIGHTON (28-5)
Location: Omaha, Neb.
Conference: Missouri Valley.
Bid: Automatic.
RPI: 25.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 98.
NCAA Tournament Record: 9-17 (0 titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2007, lost in first round to Nevada, 77-71 (OT)
Head Coach: Greg McDermott
School: 51-21 (2 years). Overall: 331-216 (18 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Antoine Young, G, 6-0, Sr., 12.5, 2.1, 43.7, 73.6
Jahenns Manigat, G, 6-1, So., 6.6, 2.2, 47.3, 86.2
Grant Gibbs, G, 6-4, Jr., 7.1, 4.3, 49.7, 69.7
Gregory Echenique, C, 6-9, Jr., 9.8, 7.4, 61.4, 69.2
Doug McDermott, F, 6-7, So., 23.2, 8.2, 61.0, 79.9
Other Key Players
Ethan Wragge, F, 6-7, So., 6.4, 2.8, 41.7, 84.2
Josh Jones, G, 6-2, Jr., 5.0, 1.8, 41.2, 55.6
Avery Dingman, G, 6-6, Fr., 3.0, 0.7, 43.8, 64.3
Will Artino, C, 6-11, Fr., 3.0, 2.2, 63.3, 75.0
Austin Chatman, G, 6-0, Fr., 2.5, 1.2, 36.8, 75.8
About the Bluejays:McDermott is the first sophomore ever to be named MVC player of the year, something Larry Bird or Oscar Robertson can't say ... McDermott was a teammate of North Carolina star Harrison Barnes at Ames (Iowa) High School ... McDermott's dad, Greg, spent four losing seasons at Iowa State before taking the Creighton job ... Echenique was taught to expertly use his 270-something pounds by his father, Jose, who once played for Venezuela's national team. The Creighton big man wears pink sneakers in honor of breast cancer awareness. McDermott's wife, Theresa, is a survivor.
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9. ALABAMA (21-11)
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Conference: Southeastern.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 35.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 32.
NCAA Tournament Record: 20-19 (0 titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2006, lost in second round to UCLA, 62-59
Head Coach: Anthony Grant
School: 63-38 (3 years). Overall: 139-63 (6 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Trevor Releford, G, 6-1, So., 12.0, 3.1, 47.4, 81.4
Andrew Steele, G, 6-4, Jr., 7.3, 3.7, 50.8, 77.8
Levi Randolph, G, 6-5, Fr., 6.4, 4.0, 38.8, 59.6
Nick Jacobs, F, 6-8, Fr., 6.1, 3.7, 50.0, 59.1
JaMychal Green, F, 6-8, Sr., 13.8, 7.4, 54.3, 67.0
Other Key Players
Trevor Lacey, G, 6-3, Fr., 6.7, 3.0, 39.2, 80.4
Rodney Cooper, G, 6-6, Fr., 5.4, 2.5, 39.7, 82.8
Charles Hankerson Jr., G, 6-5, So., 4.0, 1.6, 37.6, 70.0
About the Crimson Tide: Give Grant a ton of credit for sticking to his principles and suspending his best player (Green) for four games and tossing starter Tony Mitchell from the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules in February. The discipline nearly sank the Tide's season ... Green has been suspended three times in 3 years ... Steele missed the first 13 games with a concussion he sustained last March. It was originally feared the injury, which was his fourth known concussion, would end his career ... Hankerson (34%) is the best of a not-so-hot lot on the perimeter. Club is shooting 28% from the arc ... Opponents shooting 39% from the field, 28% from the arc.
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10. PURDUE (21-12)
Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
Conference: Big Ten.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 47.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 28.
NCAA Tournament Record: 34-25 (0 titles, 2 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2011, lost in third round, VCU, 94-76
Head Coach: Matt Painter
School: 159-76 (7 years). Overall: 184-81 (8 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Ht., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Lewis Jackson, G, 5-9, Sr., 10.5, 3.2, 48.3, 72.8
Terone Johnson, G, 6-2, So., 8.4, 3.2, 46.4, 41.6
Ryne Smith, G, 6-3, Sr., 9.4, 2.7, 43.8, 76.0
Robbie Hummel, F, 6-8, Sr., 16.8, 7.0, 41.4, 82.8
Travis Carroll, F, 6-9, So., 2.7, 3.0, 47.3, 52.6
Other Key Players
D.J. Byrd, G, 6-5, Jr., 8.5, 2.3, 42.3, 78.6
Anthony Johnson, G, 6-3, Fr., 5.0, 2.1, 37.2, 49.1
About the Boilermakers: Early in the Big Ten season, it really looked like Hummel was going to struggle after two ACL surgeries. Over the last month, nobody in the league has played better. In the last seven regular-season games, he averaged 22.6 points and shot 50%. He made 56 of 63 free throws (89%). He is most definitely back ... Despite Hummel's 82%, the team is just 66% from the line ... Purdue commits just 8.7 turnovers per game, fewest in the country ... Very solid offense, but lack of athleticism and size is a problem on defense ... Just a shame Hummel did not get a chance to finish the 2009-10 season with his teammates. That team could have won it all ... Virtually even with their opponents on the boards (33.1 to 33.7).
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11. NORTH CAROLINA STATE (22-12)
Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Conference: Atlantic Coast.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 50.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 26.
NCAA Tournament Record: 32-21 (2 Titles, 3 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2006, lost in second round to Texas, 75-54
Head Coach: Mark Gottfried
School: 22-12 (1 year). Overall: 301-166 (15 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Lorenzo Brown, G, 6-5, So., 12.5, 4.4, 44.8, 74.6
C.J. Williams, G, 6-6, Sr., 11.2, 3.8, 52.4, 81.3
Scott Wood, F, 6-7, Jr., 12.6, 2.3, 42.6, 92.5
Richard Howell, F, 6-8, Jr., 10.8, 9.3, 50.6, 64.6
C.J. Leslie, F, 6-8, So., 14.3, 7.1, 51.4, 62.0
Other Key Players
DeShawn Painter, C, 6-9, Jr., 6.4, 4.5, 42.4, 71.6
Alex Johnson, G, 5-10, Sr., 4.7, 1.7, 35.2, 76.9
About the Wolfpack When Gottfried was chosen as head coach last spring, nobody was overwhelmed. It turns out the former Alabama coach was an inspired choice. He has taken a team of underachievers and gotten them to maximize their talent ... Five players score in double figures ... This is not a high-volume three-point shooting team, but Wood (88 threes) is terrific from the arc ... They got in because of their finish and solid work against a strong nonconference schedule, including wins against St. Bonaventure, Princeton and Texas, and competitive losses to Vanderbilt, Indiana, Syracuse and Stanford ... When they gave up that huge lead and lost at Duke, it could have ended very badly. They eventually recovered and nearly beat North Carolina in the ACC semis.
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12A. CALIFORNIA (24-9)
Location: Berkeley, Calif.
Conference: Pac-12.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 36.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 84.
NCAA Tournament Record: 19-16 (1 Title, 3 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2010, lost in second round to Duke, 68-53
Head Coach: Mike Montgomery
School: 88-46 (4 years). Overall: 635-290 (30 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Justin Cobbs, G, 6-2, So., 12.8, 2.9, 47.6, 81.5
Jorge Gutierrez, G, 6-3, Sr., 12.9, 5.3, 44.2, 78.9
Allen Crabbe, G, 6-6, So., 15.4, 5.6, 43.9, 83.3
David Kravish, F, 6-9, Fr., 7.0, 5.7, 58.6, 65.3
Harper Kamp, F, 6-8, Sr., 11.3, 5.1, 55.5, 76.0
Other Key Players
Brandon Smith, G, 5-11, Jr., 3.1, 1.3, 34.2, 67.6
Robert Thurman, F, 6-10, Jr., 3.8, 1.8, 64.4, 52.9
Bak Bak, F, 6-9, Jr., 1.9, 1.4, 57.5, 71.4
About the Golden Bears: Beat Washington in the teams' sole matchup this season, which earned the Bears the conference's second bid ... A tough matchup against Colorado made Cal sweat out the weekend; the Buffaloes beat Cal in the conference tourney semifinal, the second loss to the Buffs in less than 3 weeks; they averaged just 57.7 points in three games against Colorado this year ... The presence of conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Gutierrez surely helped Cal earn a ticket to the dance, but the senior has been limited in three of his last four games ... Crabbe and Cobbs (5.1 assists) are both shooting three-pointers at over 40%.
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12B. SOUTH FLORIDA (20-13)
Location: Tampa, Fla.
Conference: Big East.
Bid: At-large.
RPI: 52.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 27.
NCAA Tournament Record: 0-2 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 1992, Lost in first round to Georgetown, 75-60
Head Coach: Stan Heath
School: 71-90 (5 years). Overall: 183-167 (11 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Anthony Collins, G, 6-1, Fr., 8.0, 1.9, 49.3, 85.7
Hugh Robertson, G, 6-6, Sr., 6.7, 4.5, 52.3, 70.0
Victor Rudd, F, 6-7, So., 8.4, 4.5, 35.4, 73.2
Ron Anderson Jr., F, 6-8, Sr., 7.5, 5.7, 55.9, 49.5
Augustus Gilchrist, F, 6-10, Sr., 9.9, 4.8, 39.7, 70.7
Other Key Players
Jawanza Poland, G, 6-4, Jr., 8.9, 3.6, 43.7, 75.7
Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, F, 6-8, Jr., 8.3, 6.6, 44.7, 65.0
Blake Nash, G, 6-0, So., 3.9, 0.9, 39.3, 82.4
About the Bulls: As a rookie coach in 2002, Heath took Kent State to the Elite Eight. He went 0-2 in NCAAs at Arkansas in 2006 and '07 ... Were picked to finish 14th in Big East preseason poll ... Beat Louisville (on the road) late, for first time in eight meetings ... They're offensively challenged (59.6 points per game), but can defend with anyone (39% opponents FG) ... Anderson, who played two seasons at Kansas State, is the son of the former Sixer ... You won't find many Bulls among the Big East stat leaders, but Collins did shoot 85% from the foul line ... Average scoring margin of plus-2.4 points was worst among Big East's NCAA teams ... Ten players started at some point in the season.
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13. OHIO UNIVERSITY (27-7)
Location: Athens, Ohio
Conference: Mid-American.
Bid: Automatic.
RPI: 46.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 164.
NCAA Tournament Record: 5-13 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2010, lost in second round to Tennessee, 83-68
Head Coach: John Groce.
School and Overall: 83-55 (4 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
D.J. Cooper, G, 5-11, Jr., 14.6, 3.7, 34.8, 73.7
Nick Kellogg, G, 6-3, So., 8.9, 1.9, 44.6, 90.9
Walter Offutt, G, 6-3, Jr., 11.7, 3.7, 43.1, 71.3
Jon Smith, F, 6-7, So., 3.7, 4.7, 64.1, 65.0
Ivo Baltic, F, 6-8, Jr., 9.0, 5.1, 47.8, 51.2
Other Key Players
Reggie Keely, F, 6-8, Jr., 9.2, 5.1, 53.0, 66.7
Steve Taylor, G, 5-9, Fr., 4.7, 1.2, 35.2, 59.1
T.J. Hall, F, 6-6, So., 3.8, 2.0, 32.9, 63.3
Ricardo Johnson, G, 6-4, So., 3.4, 2.7, 45.0, 65.5
About the Bobcats: This team thrives on forcing turnovers. Ranked fourth in the nation in steals with 9.5 per game and boasts a turnover margin of plus-4.3, which is also one of the best in the nation ... Cooper is the Bobcats' all-time leader in assists and leading scorer ... The Bobcats are 16-0 in games in which they outrebound opponents ... Resume lacks a strong non-conference win, which they would have had if they did not let a six-point lead slip away in the final minutes of a 59-54 loss to Louisville ... Kellogg makes 41% of his three-pointers ... Forced 150 more turnovers than they committed.
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14. BELMONT (27-7)
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Conference: Atlantic Sun.
Bid: Automatic.
RPI: 58.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 192.
NCAA Tournament Record: 0-4 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2011, lost in second round to Wisconsin, 72-58
Head Coach: Rick Byrd.
School: 545-285 (26 years). Overall: 637-340 (31 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Drew Hanlen, G, 5-11, Sr., 10.9, 3.4, 46.5, 71.4
Kerron Johnson, G, 6-1, Jr., 14.1, 3.1, 52.6, 77.2
Ian Clark, G, 6-3, Jr., 12.7, 2.7, 45.5, 82.2
Blake Jenkins, F, 6-7, So., 5.6, 3.0, 52.8, 62.9
Mick Hedgepeth, F, 6-9, Sr., 9.8, 5.8, 53.5, 65.7
Other Key Players
Scott Saunders, C, 6-10, Sr., 10.2, 5.0, 54.8, 77.1
J.J. Mann, G, 6-6, So., 8.5, 3.7, 40.9, 84.8
Adam Barnes, G, 6-2, Jr., 2.9, 1.3, 58.6, 78.8
About the Bruins: They have five offensive options and are fourth in the nation in scoring (81.4 ppg), 13th in FG shooting (48.4%). They run a three-guard offense, with the entire backcourt trio first-team all-conference ... Johnson runs the point and is a penetrator with finishing ability ... They were 13-1 at home ... Clark can shoot and defend at the two ... Hanlen, a combo guard, is deadly from long range (13th in the nation at 48.1%) ... Saunders and Hedgepeth are capable bigs - both all-conference last year ... Confident team that gave Duke a scare in 2008 as a 12 seed, 71-70, in an NCAA first-round game at Washington, D.C., and at Cameron, 77-76, this November ... They have won 14 straight.
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15. DETROIT (22-13)
Location: Detroit, Mich.
Conference: Horizon League.
Bid: Automatic.
RPI: 125.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 171.
NCAA Tournament Record: 3-5 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 1999, lost in second round to Ohio St., 75-44
Head Coach: Ray McCallum
School: 66-66 (4 years). Overall: 236-215 (15 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Ray McCallum, G, 6-1, So., 15.6, 4.5, 46.5, 76.6
Jason Calliste, G, 6-2, Jr., 10.4, 3.0, 38.8, 76.3
Chase Simon, G, 6-5, Sr., 13.5, 4.4, 37.5, 76.6
LaMarcus Lowe, C, 6-11, Sr., 6.6, 4.9, 52.6, 75.6
Doug Anderson, F, 6-5, Jr., 9.1, 4.7, 51.8, 80.8
Other Key Players
Eli Holman, C, 6-9, Sr., 10.9, 6.8, 61.3, 59.5
Evan Bruinsma, F, 6-7, So., 4.2, 2.4, 52.4, 61.9
Donavan Foster, G, 5-10, Sr., 3.5, 1.0, 35.6, 57.8
About the Titans: Won the Horizon League as the No. 3 seed, burying top-seed Valparaiso by 20 for the title ... The Detroit Titans have 22 wins, seven more than the Detroit Pistons ... McCallum is the son of the coach. The junior had scholarship offers from Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma and UCLA. He is the first Detroit player selected first-team all-league since former Sixer Willie Green in 2003 ... Holman, a transfer from Indiana, was the league's sixth man of the year. He was suspended the first 10 games of the year and McCallum (the coach) decided to use him off the bench this season ... The Titans lost to Mississippi State by five, to Notre Dame by six, and to Alabama by eight ... Shoot just 30% from the arc.
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16A. LAMAR (23-11)
Location: Beaumont, Texas
Conference: Southland.
Bid: Automatic.
RPI: 107.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 213.
NCAA Tournament Record: 505 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2000, Lost in first round to Duke, 85-55
Head Coach: Pat Knight
School: 23-11 (first season). Overall: 50-61 (4 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Anthony Miles, G, 6-0, Sr., 14.5, 4.7, 43.6, 81.3
Mike James, G, 6-1, Sr., 17.2, 3.2, 45.7, 81.0
Devon Lamb, G, 6-2, Sr., 11.9, 7.9, 48.7, 65.7
Brandon Davis, G, 6-6, Sr., 9.1, 3.1, 39.3, 77.8
Stan Brown, F, 6-9, Jr., 4.9, 4.1, 47.9, 65.2
Other Key Players
Charlie Harper, G, 6-5, Sr., 8.9, 5.9, 39.4, 75.7
Donley Minor, G, 6-2, Jr., 2.4, 1.4, 33.0, 86.7
Vincenzo Nelson, F, 6-5, Sr., 2.3, 2.0, 36.2, 67.5
Osas Ebomwonyi, C, 6-10, So., 2.2, 3.6, 52.5, 34.2
Nikko Acosta, F, 6-9, Jr., 1.2, 1.1, 45.5, 42.9
About the Cardinals: Coach Pat Knight is the son of Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight. The team is undefeated since Knight went on a rant where he said, "These kids are stealing money by being on scholarship with their approach to the game" ... Lives and dies with guard play. Plays small ball as the largest member of the starting five is 6-8 ... Were 0-3 in games against Top 25 competition, losing each game by a minimum of 20 points ... Key forward Charlie Harper was arrested for marijuana possession on Jan. 26. He was suspended for three games.
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16. VERMONT (23-11)
Location: Burlington, Vt.
Conference: America East.
Bid: Automatic.
RPI: 137.
Strength of Schedule Rank: 271.
NCAA Tournament Record: 1-4 (0 Titles, 0 Final Fours).
Last NCAA: 2010, lost in first round to Syracuse, 79-56
Head Coach: John Becker
School: 23-11 (1 year). Overall: 29-55 (3 years).
Probable Starters, Pos., Hgt., Yr., Pts., Reb., FG%, FT%
Sandro Carissimo, G, 6-2, So., 6.9, 3.0, 43.1, 80.5
Brendan Bald, G, 6-4, Jr., 7.8, 1.8, 34.1, 73.8
Brian Voelkel, F, 6-6, So., 4.8, 8.6, 34.2, 54.8
Matt Glass, F, 6-8, Sr., 11.9, 3.7, 46.4, 79.1
Luke Apfeld, F, 6-8, So., 10.2, 3.9, 56.0, 80.8
Other Key Players
Four McGlynn, G, 6-2, Fr., 12.0, 1.6, 39.3, 89.0
Clancy Rugg, F, 6-8, So., 5.0, 3.1, 54.6, 86.4
Ben Crenca, C, 6-10, Jr., 4.1, 2.9, 57.3, 60.4
Pat Bergmann, F, 6-10, Sr., 3.4, 2.3, 57.8, 62.1
About the Catamounts: Becker spent 3 years as an assistant coach and two more as director of basketball operations ... The closest thing Becker has to a star is Voelkel, whose deceptive scoring average (4.8) looks better when you consider that he leads the team in rebounding (8.6) and assists (5.2). Voelkel had five points, 15 boards, seven assists and a steal in the 51-43 ouster of top-seeded Stony Brook in the conference final ... A fundamentally sound outfit, the Cats don't scare many opponents with their overall athleticism, and they can lose ugly, as was the case in a 57-53 shocker to Binghamton (2-29).