Previews of second-round games for Sunday, March 23

EAST REGION
(10) Auburn vs. (2) Wake Forest
Yes, we were all screaming and yelling about Auburn's tournament resume, but no one said they weren't capable of winning games. Any team that can compete in the SEC can win against anyone. If the Tigers play like they did down the stretch and in overtime against St. Joe's, they could make life really uneasy for the ACC regular-season champs.

Wake Forest won the title for the first time since 1962, but is going to have to get a better performance than it had against East Tennessee State to survive against Auburn. Marquis Daniels is a man, a big-time player who will go on to the next level, and Marco Killingsworth can cause problem on the interior along with Derrick Bird's shooting. The bottom line is, Wake's Josh Howard has to be the superstar that he was in the ACC and Justin Gray cannot have a performance like he did against ETSU. This is going to be a tough game for Skip Prosser and his players.

(6) Oklahoma State vs. (3) Syracuse
You better believe that the kids at Syracuse are dreaming about a trip to Albany for the Sweet 16, and what a home-court feeling that would be for them! But to get there they will have to beat a tough Oklahoma State team, which will have to find a way to attack the 2-3 zone of Jim Boeheim. Victor Williams, Melvin Sanders and Tony Allen are going to have to make shots on the wing, because the Orangemen are going to force the Cowboys to the perimeter.

Oklahoma State struggled in the second half of the season and Syracuse has been consistent all year long, and when you think about Hakim Warrick on the inside and the superstar Diaper Dandy Carmelo Anthony, this Syracuse team is dangerous. The backcourt gets better as Billy Edelin gets more experience, and Gerry McNamara can make big shots. My gut feeling is Boeheim and his team will find a way to get an edge over OSU and move on to Albany, where the crowd will be going bananas.

(12) Butler vs. (4) Louisville
Wow, 51 wins in two years and Butler is making some noise in the NCAA Tournament. The Horizon Conference has to be ecstatic about the the Bulldogs' victory over Mississippi State, because a lot of people out there had MSU moving on to the second round. But no one told Todd Lickliter and his kids, and Brandon Miller wouldn't let it happen, making a phenomenal play at the end of the game to spark Butler to the big upset.

But will they have enough to offset the firepower of Louisville, which will out with defensive pressure and live off point guard Reece Gaines? The Cardinals have also been great play out of Luke Whitehead, and this team is deep and can attack in many ways. The two freshmen, Francisco Garcia and Taquan Dean are capable of making plays, and let me tell you, Rick Pitino is a master at tournament time. He is one of the premier postseason coaches in America, and has an unbelievable ability to get his players to understand the one-game scenario.

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SOUTH REGION
(9) Purdue vs. (1) Texas
When you look at Texas, it's depth, defense and T.J. Ford. The orchestra leader Ford hooks up against a solid tandem in Purdue's backcourt in Kenny Lowe and a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=840">Willie Deane. And Diaper Dandy Melvin Buckley had a big game with 20 points in the victory over LSU. The Boilermakers will need more of that to hang with Texas.

The Longhorns get firepower inside from James Thomas and Brian Boddicker, who had the first double-double of his career in the last game. They have so many weapons, but the catalyst and the guy who has to be stopped is the best little guy in the game, Ford. Texas should be able to march on to San Antonio and the Sweet 16, but you better believe that Gene Keady will get the most out of his kids and have them ready to play.

(7) Michigan State vs. (2) Florida
The physical interior play of Michigan State could be a major concern for Florida. Gator fans have to be concerned about the toughness of the Spartans with the play of Aloysius Anagonye, Erazem Lorbek and the outstanding Diaper Dandy, 6-11 Paul Davis. The question all year about Florida was how it could compete in a physical situation. Billy Donovan's kids will be tested big-time in Tampa by Tom Izzo's squad. Like Rick Pitino, Izzo is one of those special tournament coaches who has a way of getting his players ready.

If Chris Hill and Alan Anderson are making shots on the outside it could spell lots of trouble for Florida. But something tells me that the Gators will find a way to get it done, led by inside-outside threat Matt Bonner. David Lee will also have to be active on the interior like he was in the first round, but this will be a different level of competition against Michigan State. It will be a real test for Florida, and the Gators will have to come up with a big-time performance to take care of the Spartans.

(6) Maryland vs. (3) Xavier
You have to wonder if Gary Williams has come down yet from the miraculous finish against a tough UNC-Wilmington team. Who will ever forget the dramatic finish, with Drew Nicholas hitting the fade-away, one-handed 3-pointer at the buzzer with a hand in his face. Maryland moved on in dramatic fashion, and as Jimmy V used to say, "It's all about surviving, man!" Winning one at a time is all that matters, no matter how you do it. The Terps are looking for their second straight Final Four and they have a winning mentality.

Xavier has a great combination in Romain Sato and the big superstar, David West. But the key in this game will be the play of Lionel Chalmers. If he can offset Steve Blake and have a big game like he did in the first round, the Musketeers could be able to make it to the Sweet 16. Thad Motta has done a great job with this program, but they will be tested. I'm here to tell you, they are in for a heck of a game against a Maryland team that will be in their face on every possession, reflecting the personality of their leader, Mr. Williams.

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MIDWEST REGION
(9) Utah vs. (1) Kentucky
Tubby Smith, my national coach of the year, gets to hook up with Rick Majerus in this one. It seems that Majerus' name always pops up against Kentucky, because Utah has had four opportunities since 1996 to beat the Wildcats, but the Utes haven't been able to post the W against the 'Cats. Will it be any different this time? Well, it will be a tough ordeal for them to challenge Kentucky and its versatile offensive weapons. Gerald Fitch was brilliant with 25 points in the last game, but so many guys can hurt you. Marquis Estill is tough on the interior, and Jules Camara, Antwaine Barbour and Cliff Hawkins are as good as any trio in the country coming off the bench.

It will be tough for Utah, but who would have ever thought the Utes would have found a way to beat Oregon? Led by Nick Jacobson's 23 points, they took out the Pac-10 tournament champions. Majerus is a brilliant tactician and is one of the best at putting together a game plan. But, with out Britton Johnsen, I really believe it will be tough for his team to hang around with this tenacious Wildcats squad.

(7) Indiana vs. (2) Pittsburgh
Indiana was able to survive against Alabama because of a brilliant performance by point guard Tom Coverdale. He was really effective as the Hoosiers jumped out to a 14-3 start, but went into a struggle in Big Ten action, and he will have to have his premier game and be a PTPer if Indiana is going to survive against a tough Pittsburgh team. Mike Davis will also have to get super performances out of Jeff Newton and George Leach inside, who must be a shot-blocker in the 3-second area.

Everybody raves, and deservedly so, about the backcourt of Brandin Knight and the athletic Julius Page, but this club is more than the guard, baby! Ontario Lett, Chevy Troutman and Jaron Brown can play with anyone, and Ben Howland's club is on a mission. The Panthers lost in the round of 16 last year, and this season they are not just dreaming of the Sweet 16. They have their eye on the Big Easy, man! This should be a terrific game!