Want the scoop on the Dance from someone who's been there? The Magazine's Neil Reed -- a former D-1 baller at Indiana and Southern Miss -- tells us exactly what to look for.

Players to Watch

East: Mike Dunleavy, Duke. I first saw Dunleavy play at ABCD camp when he was a 6'5" high schooler. He curled around a downscreen, got the ball and instead of squaring up for the jumper, he took one step and shot a running hook from the free-throw line a la Jabbar. Swish. Now he's 6'9" with SKILLS. CRAZY SKILLS!

West: Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State. The Cyclones win when they follow Tinsley's lead. He plays low to the ground with an unreal handle and sweet touch. He doesn't get the credit he deserves for his outside shot: He can drain them from nearly 25 feet. And he's been waiting all year to show what he can do on this stage.

South: Joe Crispin, Penn State. Word in some NBA circles is ... this guy can ball! He's a potential first-rounder. Crispin can raise up from almost anywhere on the floor, which will come in handy if he's matched up against Providence's 5'9" John Linehan.

Midwest: Jason Gardner, Arizona. Meet the Western version of Duke's Jason Williams. Gardner hasn't performed at Williams' level just yet, but he has similar skills, frame and athletic ability.

Most Intriguing Matchups

East: UCLA vs. Hofstra. Some people think this is an upset waiting to happen. I disagree. With Norman Richardson (17 ppg) leading the way, the Pride are on an 18-game winning streak. But they run into a team with a purpose in UCLA. Earl Watson is one of the most underrated PGs in the country. And, though Dan Gadzuric is awkward at times, he is very potent around the basket. If Jason Kapono plays like he thinks he can play, the Bruins will be thinking Sweet things.

West: Georgia Tech vs. St. Joe's. ACC Coach of the Year Paul Hewitt will rely on the inside-outside combination of Alvin Jones, Shaun Fein and Tony Akins, all of whom have put up monster numbers for Tech at some point this season. One or more of them will need to do it again in order to get by St. Joe's. The No. 9-seed Hawks may have the nation's best freshman in Jameer Nelson. But he needs to raise his game (12.3 ppg, 6.2 apg) for the Hawks to fly with ACC competition.

South: Temple vs. Texas. Temple opened the season without two NBA draft picks -- Pepe Sanchez and Mark Karcher. And Lynn Greer has pressed too much at times to make up for the lost firepower. But John Chaney knows how to make life crazy for opponents. Texas comes off a 54-45 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game. The 'Horns failed to register a single field goal in the last nine minutes. With inconsistency like that, Texas will have trouble handling Temple's smothering zone.

Midwest: Xavier vs. Notre Dame. Troy Murphy was terrible in a Big East quarterfinal loss to Pittsburgh. I saw him sitting on the Irish bench during halftime warm-ups, which means he was sick, tired or just sick and tired. That aside, ND can play ball. The Irish have solid guards who can shoot the lights out. OU transfer Ryan Humphrey plays hard and complements Murphy's sometimes-soft game. X-Man David West (17.8 ppg, 11 rpg) will give Murphy all he can handle. Skip Prosser has one more big plus: the Musketeers' roster goes 10-deep.

Coach's Nightmare

East: Boston College. I love these guys. I saw them roll through the Big East tournament. Their trapping 1-2-2 zone press wears teams down. They aren't overly big, but they make up for it with aggressiveness. Big East Tourney MVP Troy Bell is for real. He's got unbelievable hops to go with his lightning quickness. He's very active on defense and aggressive but patient on O. The Eagles will be hard to beat playing tourney-style ball.

West: Indiana. With junior Kirk Haston and freshman Jared Jeffries leading the way, the Hoosiers are coming off their best post-season run since '93. But don't overlook the play of Tom Coverdale. He can score at will, but has disappeared at times. His Big Ten tourney performance should give him a big boost. Dane Fife plays best when he's focused on distributing the rock and when he takes on the role of villain on D. Mike Davis might have saved his job by getting these guys to believe in him.

South: Michigan State. I know what you're thinking: they're a No. 1 seed, they're supposed to be good. But it's one thing to be a No. 1 seed and another thing to play like one. The defending champs go from offense to defense faster than anyone in the country. They give opposing shooters no time to marvel at their own shots. First there was Eric Snow. Then there was Mateen Cleaves. Now it's Marcus Taylor's turn to make things happen. With Charlie Bell's guidance, this backcourt is lethal. Zach Randolph and Andre Hutson are ideal in a frenzied, fast-paced game.

Midwest: Kansas. Problem is, this team is Roy Williams' nightmare. The Jayhawks coach is still trying to light a fire. They have the talent (Kenny Gregory, Jeff Boschee, Drew Gooden and Co.) and the brains (Williams) to dissect anyone in the country. Scoring points isn't the problem for this team, though; stopping people is. Given a week of solid preparation, Kansas should slide to the Sweet 16. But like they say: no defense, no championship.

Upset Specials

East: No. 10 Creighton vs. No. 7 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are coming off an emotional Big Ten championship win against Indiana. Reggie Evans owns the boards (he set a tourney record with 50) while Brody Boyd is raining threes from deep. And when senior PG Dean Oliver plays up to his potential, the Hawkeyes are hard to handle. But this is Steve Alford's first Tournament appearance as Iowa's head coach and it's up to him to make sure there's no letdown. Creighton coach Dana Altman has the advantage in experience. Though his Bluejays were upset by Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Tourney, they still got in as an at-large team. That tells you they have played well all year long. With four guys in double figures, Creighton can score with the best of them, too. If Iowa comes in a little lax, the Bluejays will take advantage.

West: No. 12 BYU vs. No. 5 Cincinnati. After losing to Charlotte in the C-USA championship game, the Bearcats should be looking for redemption. But this BYU team is primed and ready to cage the 'Cats. Makeli Wesley will have to match his 30-point performance in the Mountain West title game. Terrell Lyday will draw the assignment to cover Kenny Satterfield. The scales tip towards BYU.

South: No. 12 Gonzaga vs. No. 5 Virginia. Can they shock another favorite? Gonzaga won the WCC title because of the leadership and production of Casey Calvary (19.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Washington transfer Dan Dickau (17.8 ppg, 6.7 apg). But Mark Few's team will need more than these two to get by Virginia. The Cavs are on a rollercoaster ride. Win a big one, lose an easy one. Without an inspired effort, U.Va. becomes just another Zag victim.

Midwest: No. 9 Charlotte vs. Tennessee. This may not seem like much of an upset, but it will be significant for the '49ers, who are coming off a big win against Cincy in the C-USA championship game. Diego Guevara and Jobey Thomas have unlimited range (78 three-point attempts in the C-USA tourney). And, at 6'9", 230, Rodney White doesn't mind hoisting up a few either (19.3 ppg), but he's certainly more effective bangin' around the basket. Meanwhile the Vols are slipping. Tony Harris hasn't been able to live up to lofty expectations and Vincent Yarbrough might be an NBA-style player but he can't seem to put anything together. Tennessee will compete hard. It won't be enough.

Neil Reed covers college basketball for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at neil.b.reed@espnmag.com.