March 17
The second round of the NCAA Tournament got off to a great start, with Duke surviving, Mizzou thriving and Alabama diving. Here's a quick preview of the second half of the second round. Sunday's games are listed by region (earliest games first; all times are Eastern):

	Bob Huggins had tests on his heart four years ago as a precaution, but there's a history of heart trouble in his family.

SOUTH REGION
(6) California vs. (3) Pittsburgh: Ben Howland's team has been a surprise all season long. Brandin Knight and company have the advantage of playing in Pittsburgh, but don't count Ben Braun's team out. The Bears are scrappy, and they have terrific balance. The Panthers and the Golden Bears will provide one of the most exciting contests of the second round.

MIDWEST REGION
(6) Texas vs. (3) Mississippi State: Mississippi State has to battle the Texas Longhorns in Dallas -- a tough assignment for anyone. Rick Barnes' Longhorns looked solid in the first round against Boston College. Longhorn T.J. Ford led the nation in assists and is one of the best diaper dandies in America. Mississippi State will rely on Mario Austin on the inside, but Marckell Patterson -- who had an important game against McNeese State -- will be another key to the Bulldogs' victory.

(12) Creighton vs. (4) Illinois: Can Creighton pull off shock city again? It will be tough to do against a very good Illinois team at the United Center. Frank Williams and his Illini mates played very well against San Diego State. Kyle Korver and the Creighton Bluejays will give them a significantly bigger challenge.

EAST REGION
(11) Southern Illinois vs. (3) Georgia: Jim Harrick's team has been a pleasant surprise all season, thanks to the Hayes brothers. Jarvis had 31 in the opening round, and Jonas came through with an unexpected explosive performance. But this Southern Illinois team was really impressive in its win over Texas Tech. Rolan Roberts was especially impressive, and I feel strongly that the Salukis are capable of pulling off another shock-city!

(1) Maryland vs.(8) Wisconsin: The Terps have the advantage of playing in the MCI Center, but Wisconsin is a scrappy, hard-fighting team. Maryland will be fired up; Gary Williams remembers last year, when his Terps lost at Madison, and he's looking for payback. Juan Dixon had 29 points in Maryland's first-round victory over Siena -- he'll be ready to roll again.

(7) N.C. State vs. (2) Connecticut: Caron Butler and company had to struggle against Hampton. This ACC vs. Big East matchup will be a real test for the UConn Huskies. Watch out for the Wolfpack's Anthony Grundy, who got in early foul trouble in the first round. If Grundy can stay out of foul trouble, and if Julius Hodge can live up to expectations, this game will be a Malox-masher!

WEST REGION
(1) Cincinnati vs. (8) UCLA: If the Bruins come to play the way they did against Mississippi, this should be one heck of an exciting matchup. It's hard to believe UCLA won with such ease in their first game against Ole Miss, because Dan Gadzuric and Jason Kapono put up only 11 total combined points. Gadzuric and Kapono won't have two down games in a row. Steve Logan and the rest of the Bearcats will be prepared to shut them down with their trademark suffocating defense. This will be a second-round barnburner.

(7) Xavier vs. (2) Oklahoma: The Sooners are a very athletic team, and Hollis Price and Ebi Ere will be ready to challenge David West and the Xavier Musketeers. Make sure to keep an eye on Lionel Chalmers; he had a big second half in Xavier's win over Hawaii.