10. Tyler Hansbrough. The iron-willed North Carolina forward scored 39 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a double-overtime thriller against Clemson Sunday night. He’s had the burden of carrying the team for the last few weeks because of an ankle injury to point guard Ty Lawson, and his tournament performance this year will dictate whether or not the Tar Heels are a Final Four team.
9. The resurgence of the Atlantic 10 conference. Xavier, Rhode Island, Saint Joseph’s and Dayton have established themselves as teams to be reckoned with, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see any one of those teams pull a big upset in the early rounds. These Atlantic 10 powerhouses are known for strong guard play and hard work, which contrasts with the popular high-flying renegade offenses found in the BCS conferences.
8. Michael Beasley. His name should be Beastley, as he is currently fourth in the nation in scoring at 25 a game, as well as first in the nation in rebounding at just over 12 per contest. He is mature beyond his years as a freshman, and has taken Kansas State on his back to contend with the Wildcats for the Big 12 title this year.
7. Nobody will have to watch Bobby Knight choke another player or wail another chair at a referee. The man is regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time, but will face scrutiny for the rest of his years due to his volatile personality and colorful history. Texas Tech probably will not make the tournament this year, and the Red Raiders will not be in the spotlight nearly as much as before. Knight, in fact, may have been their only notable member.
6. Kevin Love. The 6’ 10” freshman for the UCLA Bruins is averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds per game, and will probably end up leading the team to a number one seed. At nearly 275 pounds, complete with quickness and agility, Love has the ability to dominate the tournament and will challenge Beasley as the top freshman in college basketball.
5. The Syracuse Orangemen. After watching this team first-hand at the carrier dome against Villanova, there is no doubt that they have the ability to come out of nowhere. Donte Green, a 6’ 11” forward, will most certainly be a lottery pick next year. Their style is based on the aforementioned renegade offense, and they will need to slow down and make better decisions in order to have a shot at an 11- or 12-seed.
4. Illinois fans won’t be able to humiliate Eric Gordon again for his decision to attend Indiana. The same kid that played Michael Jordan’s son in the 1996 hit movie “Space Jam” was heckled, pushed around and essentially made into a spectacle during Indiana’s visit to the University of Illinois this past week. As he is one of the top freshmen in the country, it is easy to see why he was highly coveted by the school he spurned when he put down 19 points on the Illini in a huge Big Ten match up.
3. The Memphis Wildcats. This is an unbelievable team to watch, evidenced by the fact that, at 23-0, they are the only remaining unbeaten team in the nation. Picking them as national champions would be the gambler’s move at this juncture, but there have been off-court problems for forward Robert Dozier, and they call it March Madness for a reason.
2. Dick Vitale will be available to broadcast games once again. It’s awesome, baby! The longtime announcer returned this past week from throat surgery to call the UNC-Duke game. It really isn’t college basketball without him, which reminds me how lucky I was to be able to snare his autograph a few years ago at Madison Square Garden during a preseason tournament.
1. The lives of many of us are devoid now that the Patriots, Giants, Red Sox and Yankees are in the midst of their respective offseasons. March Madness presents itself as a more than satisfactory substitute. It combines the factors of random chance, gambling and excitement into one glorious month.