March Madness
Why did James Beltran throw a clock? He wanted to see time fly, and that's just what happened in college hoops this year.
The invitations have been mailed and directions given to the special 64 teams (okay, 63 and Prairie View) who are vying for the NCAA National Championship.
Year End Awards
DeMarco Johnson, the forward from UNC Charlotte, nabbed the Conference USA Player of the Year Award. Johnson averaged 20.4 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game to lead the 49ers to a 19-10 record. His accurate shooting percentage (.495) was third, and his free throw percentage (.795) was seventh in C-USA.
No surprises when Larry "highlight film" Hughes took the C-USA freshman player of the year award. Hughes' 20.9 points per game were second in C-USA, and age was the only thing keeping Hughes from being Player of the Year as well. His 2.2 steals per game were second in C-USA.
Bob Huggins, who lead Cincinnati to a 26-5 record, won the C-USA Coach of the Year award. His Bearcats took nine straight games to win the C-USA tournament and solidify a number two seed in the NCAAs. Cincinnati looks to have an easy road to the sweet 16.
Tourney Preview
Three teams from C-USA were invited to participate in the NCAA tournament. Besides Cincinnati's 26-5 record, UNC Charlotte's 19-10 and St. Louis' 20-9 records earned the 49ers and Bilikens invites to the Big Dance.
Despite having three teams in the tourney, this was a down year for C-USA. Eight Conferences, including the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, had as many or more teams invited.
The Atlantic Coast Conference, Atlantic 10, Big East, Big 10 and Southeastern Conference all have five teams in the tournament.
Surprise Partygoers
Florida State, Western Michigan and Miami of Florida were the surprise invitees of this year's field of 64. The Seminoles of FSU lost seven of their last 10 games, but wins over Arizona and University of Connecticut helped FSU grab an invite. A 20-7 record helped Western Michigan sneak into the tournament.
After a 12-1 start, Miami cooled down to finish at 18-9, barely good enough to get into the field of 64. Strength of schedule was the rallying cry for the Hurricanes, who haven't been to the Big Dance since 1960.
Bursting Bubbles
Arizona State, Wake Forest, Hawaii and Vanderbilt had to settle for a National Invitation Tournament bid, despite strong seasons from each.
Number One Seeds
To no one's surprise, North Carolina, Kansas, Duke and Arizona were all given the status of number one seed in each of the four regions. In the history of the tournament, all four number one seeds have never matched up in the final four. This year will probably be no exception.
Sleepers and Darkhorses
Several teams with "lower seeds" could contend this year, with Xavier, Maryland and the winner of the Princeton, UNLV, going further than most expect.
Declaring a Winner
When the dust settles, look for Antawn Jamison and first-year head coach Bill Guthridge to cut down the nets in San Antonio. North Carolina has more talent and more tourney experience than the other 63 teams participating in the festivities. Who they beat seems to have little, if any, significance.