NCAA Tournament 2000 - So much for that bracket

So much for that bracket
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

This week's storyline
The tournament went from the most predictable to the most surprising -- all in the span of 36 hours.

Regional games to watch

West -- No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 10 Gonzaga, Thursday: The battle will be won in the post between Gonzaga's Casey Calvary and Purdue's Brian Cardinal. The Boilermakers' Jaraan Cornell finally snapped a slump and could give the Zags perimeter fits.

Midwest -- No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Syracuse, Thursday: The Orangemen's zone was a problem for Kentucky, but the Spartans have the shooters to get over it. The key matchup will be Syracuse's Jason Hart against Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves at the point.

East -- No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Florida, Friday: This should be a track meet with both teams playing pressure defense. Whichever one cracks first will determine which team advances.

South -- No. 6 Miami vs. No. 7 Tulsa Texas, Friday: This is the best defensive matchup in the Sweet 16. Both teams play tight, man-to-man, in-your-face D. Getting shots off will be an arduous task. The 'Canes have the better scorer in Johnny Hemsley but the Golden Hurricane have the more versatile player in Eric Coley.

The biggest upsets in two rounds were: Seton Hall over Temple (the Pirates playing without Shaheen Holloway for most of the game); Pepperdine over Indiana (especially the margin of victory); UCLA over Maryland (the margin only); North Carolina over Stanford (because of how poorly the Tar Heels played during the last two weeks of the season) and then Wisconsin over Arizona (because the Badgers usually struggle to score).

The Sweet 16 has room for as many upsets, as unheralded teams like Gonzaga, Tulsa and Seton Hall all have a legitimate shot to make it the Final Four. But, in the end, Duke and Michigan State -- two of the teams expected to reach the title game by most (I had Temple against Michigan State in my bracket) -- are still alive.

Tourney favorite
Michigan State: The honor still stays with the Spartans after the first weekend. Michigan State got a scare in the first half against Utah but the Spartans relied on Mateen Cleaves at the point to bail them out of a possible loss. Having Al Anagonye back allows the Spartans the chance to match the size of Syracuse, UCLA and/or Iowa State. If Cleaves continues to be the aggressor get into the lane, drive and dish and score, then the Spartans can win the title.

Premier player
Marcus Fizer, Iowa State: This one is hard to switch, too. Fizer scored 27 points in a win over Central Connecticut in the first round, taking over the game in the second half. Auburn held him without a field goal for the first 17 minutes, but he ended up scoring 22 on the Tigers. He's averaging 23 points in two games and is the most dominant player left in the field. He can turn it on and off -- and when he's on, Iowa State remains a title contender.

Climbing up
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, got beat up and suddenly dropped from the radar screen. Why? Because they're Gonzaga.

But, remember, Richie Frahm and Matt Santangelo are two of the most experienced guards in the tournament. These two got to the Elite Eight last season -- it shouldn't be a shock that they're back in the Sweet 16. The West has opened up for the Bulldogs and given them a realistic shot -- maybe even a better one than last year -- to get to the Final Four.

Falling down
Maryland: There are so many to choose from here -- Temple, Stanford, Arizona, Kentucky, St. John's and Connecticut. But the Terps have to re-examine their play from Saturday and wonder how they could execute so poorly in the loss to UCLA. The Terps should be back at the top of the ACC next season if Terence Morris returns. Regardless, they never should have played defense -- Gary Williams' staple -- so poorly in such a big game.

Five to watch


	UCLA guard Earl Watsonwas everywhere against Maryland -- including above the rim.

Earl Watson, UCLA: He put up Doug Gottlieb-like numbers against Maryland, passing out 16 assists. Watson finally realized his role with UCLA and didn't try to be Baron Davis. Being a playmaker is what the Bruins needed and he met the expectations.

Ty Shine, Seton Hall: He is the MVP of this tournament, thus far. No player has come into as difficult a situation as Shine. He was expected to replace Holloway in the middle of the game -- against Temple, one of the country's toughest defenses -- and save the Pirates from a second-round exit. He hit big shot after big shot, made the right passes and helped Seton Hall pull off the biggest upset of the tournament. If Holloway's ankle is done for the tournament, he'll have to be even more of a hero.

Carlos Boozer, Duke: The freshman made a key steal to preserve Duke's win over Kansas and keep the Blue Devils' national title hopes alive. Boozer has always been one step ahead of his competition and is living up to his big-time billing. Boozer's play in the post is the reason the Blue Devils are still a national contender.

Brian Beshara, LSU: The forgotten player in LSU's frontcourt made the critical 3-pointer to beat Southeast Missouri and then the steal to preserve the win over Texas. Beshara never gets the pub he deserves but will likely play a key role in whether or not the Tigers advance to the Elite Eight.

Jon Bryant, Wisconsin: He was the X-factor in beating Fresno State. The Badgers usually struggle to score, but Bryant's 3s helped key a 24-6 run to bury the Bulldogs. If Bryant can get free for shots like that against LSU, the Badgers have a chance to continue their improbable run to the Elite Eight.

Five in trouble
Kentucky: Team Turmoil, Version 1.0, was doomed from the start of the tournament with the DUI of Desmond Allison. The Tubby Smith questions (will he or won't he go to the Atlanta Hawks?) have to be answered quickly in the offseason before this team moves forward.

Indiana: Team Turmoil, Version 2.0, couldn't deal with the Neil Reed fallout and the poor play in the final three games. The recruiting class gives the program new hope but the image took another devastating hit.

St. John's: Team Turmoil, Version 3.0, still isn't out of the NCAA's reach. The Johnnies displayed poor sportsmanship by blowing past Gonzaga at the end of the game. The Storm need to re-examine their image before beginning what should be a sensational 2000-'01 season with a highly touted recruiting class.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats are only on this list because of what could occur if DerMarr Johnson leaves. They have a ton of openings to fill next season and could actually be looking at a retooling season under Bob Huggins -- or someone else, if the NBA comes calling.

Conference USA, the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West: None of the three got into the Sweet 16, making it hard to talk up any of the three in the offseason.

What went right
Syracuse as a No. 4 seed: The Orangemen are now 10-3 as a No. 4 seed in the tournament.

Utah's first-round record: Rick Majerus continued his streak of winning first-round games at Utah by squeeking out a win over Saint Louis.

Florida's press: The Gators leaned on it for most of the season and it let them down when they weren't intense. They weren't against Butler but they were against Illinois for a resounding win after an overtime scare.

Oklahoma State's defense: The Cowboys' staple clamped down on Pepperdine inside and on its ballhandlers outside to pull away from the Waves and make the Cowboys a threat to win the East Regional.

Tennessee's toughness: The Volunteers were criticized for not possessing a little grit in the SEC tournament or in the first-round win over Louisiana. They had it in taking down Connecticut. Do it again and the Vols can advance to the Elite Eight.

What didn't
Fresno State's second half: The Bulldogs shot too quickly and didn't rebound in the second half against Wisconsin. That's why they lost.

Temple without Pepe Sanchez: Lynn Greer is not a point guard, at least not yet. His decisions in the overtime didn't help the Owls get into position to score. That has to change before next season.

Cincinnati's perimeter scoring: Johnson was 2 of 9. Steve Logan and Kenny Satterfield were each 2 of 10. Those numbers add up to a loss to Tulsa.

The committee's last teams in the field: For the first time in years, the committee didn't get one of its last four at-large teams in the Sweet 16. Seton Hall, a No. 10 seed, was the closest.

Ohio State's shooting: The Buckeyes shot 36 percent against the 'Canes and that wasn't good enough to get back to the Sweet 16.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com


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