March 17, 2007

It is time to look at the second round showdowns on Sunday:

WISCONSIN VS UNLV
Bo Ryan's Badgers had a scare against 15th-seed Texas A&M-CC, falling behind 25-7 before receiving a wakeup call. Kammron Taylor was a different player in the second half after getting a big zero on the scoresheet in the first half. Taylor finished with 24 points in the opening round win.

Wisconsin ended up with its best offensive showing since late December. The bottom line is the Badgers cannot spot UNLV an 18-point lead.

Lon Kruger has been successful at all levels, and has his fourth different team in the NCAA tournament. Wendell White and Michael Umeh helped the Runnin' Rebels get past Georgia Tech in the first round. White is very athletic and he could be a factor inside. Umeh averaged just 7.3 ppg. during the regular season but he came up big in the opening round.

I think Wisconsin will rebound after its scare and move on.

MEMPHIS VS. NEVADA
Tempo will be a key in this game. If Nevada can set-up in a halfcourt game and get the ball to Nick Fazekas, he can score both inside and outside. Memphis got good point production from its bench and a solid rebounding effort from Joey Dorsey (15 boards) in a win over North Texas. John Calipari would like this game to be more fast-paced, run, run, run.

I feel the Tigers and the 23-game win streak is in some jeopardy.

VIRGINIA VS. TENNESSEE
Wow, the Vols put on an offensive show, putting up 121 big points against Long Beach State in the first round. Chris Lofton, Ramar Smith and JaJuan Smith combined for 71 points. Now comes a showdown against a Virginia team that has its own backcourt stars in J. R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary. That duo combined for 51 points against Albany.

How good is Singletary? He had nine assists and just one turnover in 33 minutes on Friday.

You have to give Bruce Pearl credit for the way the Vols play. It is fun to watch and puts people in the seats. Singletary and Reynolds will find gaps in the seams and those guys will score often. It could come down to the complimentary players as the guards may offset each other.

In a thriller, I give a slight edge to the Cavaliers.

WINTHROP VS. OREGONv Gregg Marshall's squad got solid play from Craig Bradshaw up front and Torrell Martin in the backcourt The Eagles had a 20-point lead before the Irish came back and took a lead. Give Winthrop credit for fighting hard and getting to the winner's circle.

The Ducks struggled to get past Miami-Ohio. Ernie Kent's team has super talent with Aaron Brooks leading the way.

I feel the Eagles have another surprise in them. An 11th-seed goes to the Sweet 16 (remember George Mason last season?

FLORIDA VS PURDUE
The defending national champions did not have a vintage first half against Jackson State as the backcourt tandem of Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey shot 0-for-10. Billy Donovan's team responded in the second half, playing like true champions, finishing with 112 points. Al Horford had a monster game with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

Purdue hung tough and beat a disappointing Arizona team in round one. Carl Landry vs. Horford should be a battle inside. Matt Painter's squad plays hard, but in the end I think the Gators have too many scoring threats and Donovan's team moves on, though this will not be an easy win.

KANSAS VS. KENTUCKY
This is a marquee match-up of big-time programs. I hope the fans in Kentucky will get off of Tubby Smith's back as the Wildcats beat Villanova Friday. Randolph Morris has to have another big game here and Joe Crawford cannot have a four-for-12 shooting performance (like he did vs. Villanova) if Kentucky wants a shot here.

I have been so impressed with Kansas' guard play and the trio of Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins and Mario Chalmers put up big numbers against Niagara. Bill Self's team got over the hump after two straight first-round exits. I feel the Jayhawks are simply too strong and talented. Kansas will move on to the Sweet 16.

VIRGINIA TECH VS. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
The Hokies scored the last 12 points in getting past defensive-minded Illinois. Southern Illinois held Holy Cross to 51 points.

Don't look for a great offensive showdown here. These teams will grind it out. Virginia Tech needs a better outing from Zabian Dowdell, who struggled against NC State in the ACC tournament, and shot three-for-nine vs. the Illini. Somehow Seth Greenberg's athletic team will escape this Maalox Masher with the W!

TEXAS VS. USC
Kevin Durant made 15-of-16 free throws and finished with 27 points in a win over New Mexico State. My friends, this Texas team had a battle against Reggie Theus' club, and this test vs. Tim Floyd's Trojans won't be a walk in the park either.

The Longhorns are a lot more than just Durant. A.J. Abrams and D. J. Augustin can make big plays. Connor Atchley came off the bench and gave Rick Barnes 28 quality minutes against the Aggies, playing solid defense, chipping in with seven points and six boards.

USC has Taj Gibson, Nick Young, Lodrick Stewart and company, so the talent is there to make this interesting. I think Durant steps up and hits the big shots as Texas advances.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.