March Madness Matchup Preview

by Bodog Sportsbook | Mar 17 2008

> Get your printable Men's NCAA Tournament bracket with the first round matchups already filled in for you.

With the conclusion of Selection Sunday, the field for the 2008 Men’s NCAA Tournament has been decided. There are some noticeable omissions and snubs from the Big Dance this year; however, the first rounds of this year’s March Madness should provide the usual white-knuckle excitement with a number of exciting early matchups.

GAMES TO WATCH

In the Midwest, the game guaranteed to garner the most attention is the matchup between 11th seeded Kansas State Wildcats and the sixth seeded USC Trojans. This game features two of the more talented and hyped players in college basketball, O.J. Mayo of USC and Michael Beasley of Kansas State. This could be the coming out party for one of these stars, particularly O.J. Mayo. While Kansas State has been slumping as of late, losing four of its last six games, USC has apparently found its rhythm, losing its last game in the Pac-10 conference tournament by only three points in a close battle with top-seeded UCLA. The much-maligned backcourt of Kansas State is going to have to step up and play like they did when they beat Kansas earlier this year if the Wildcats are going to stand a chance against the surging Trojans. Head coach Tim Floyd of the Trojans will likely have an effective game plan in place to neutralize Michael Beasley. However, that’s a task easier said than done.

In the South region, the marquee matchup of the first round features two teams with perimeter-oriented offenses: the sixth seeded Marquette Golden Eagles and the 11th seeded Kentucky Wildcats. After a shaky start, Billy Gillespie has his Wildcats playing at the top of their game heading into the tournament as winners of 11 of their last 14. However, a key injury to Patrick Patterson, a big offensive contributor for the Wildcats, will put pressure on this offense to match Marquette on the scoreboard. Both teams do not have a strong inside presence, but it is questionable whether Kentucky has enough fire power to stay with the Golden Eagles. Marquette will be looking to raise the tempo of this game and try luring Kentucky into an up-and-down type game to exploit some deficiencies in the Wildcats’ offense.

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In the East, eighth seed Indiana is matched up against ninth seed Arkansas. This should be an interesting match, as the major question mark on this matchup hinges on which Indiana Hoosier team will show up for this game. We could see the disorganized Hoosier team who dropped three of their last four or the early season Hoosiers who started the season winning 17 of 18. One thing is for sure: The Hoosiers will have to exhibit a more cohesive approach on defense because Arkansas likes to run and gun. The suspect defense of the Hoosiers could prove costly against a Razorback team that is a perfect 9-0 when scoring 80 points or more. D.J. White should make a big impact inside for the Hoosiers. Forward Sonny Weems is averaging 14.3 points per game for the Razorbacks, and 3-point sniper Patrick Beverley for the Razorbacks will try and extend the Hoosier defense. This game may hinge on whether Hoosier freshman Eric Gordon can keep his young wits about him and manage the game and his shot selection effectively.

In the West, perhaps the most entertaining game of the first round of this region may be between the fifth seeded Drake Bulldogs and the always dangerous 12th seed the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The Hilltoppers are a perfect example of why that 12th seed is so dangerous. The Hilltoppers have 15 of their last 16 games and have an NBA-caliber stud in Courtney Lee. Both teams play an exciting style of up-and-down basketball and force a lot of turnovers. Drake is also a very exciting team to watch, as they will let shots fly from just about anywhere. If you are looking for a Cinderella from this region, one of these teams might be wearing a glass slipper, at least until they meet UCLA.
   
WHO GOT SNUBBED?

Selection Sunday always brings a debate as to which teams shouldn’t have made the field and which teams should have. This year, No. 1 on the snub list is awarded to the Arizona State Sun Devils. The Sun Devils are a team that compiled five wins against top 50 opponents, some of which are in the tournament. The Sun Devils can argue that their schedule and record is misleading due the fact that they are playing in the ultra-competitive conference schedule, but that still isn’t going to get them into the tournament; perhaps wins over Oregon and USC may have. Perhaps their non-conference schedule wasn’t tough enough, but that argument has holes in it as well, because they beat Xavier and Michigan State earlier in the year. Either way you look at it, the Arizona Sun Devils got snubbed: They finished ahead of Oregon and Arizona in the Pac-10, yet both of the aforementioned teams are going to the Big Dance.

EASIEST ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR

In college basketball there are no easy roads, much less in the March Madness tournament. But if there was a favorable region for any of the top seeds to advance to the Final Four, UCLA might be the judge of how the West was won. With the exception of an Elite Eight matchup against the Duke Blue Devils, the Bruins have a manageable bracket in the West. The South is shaping up to be challenging for the top-seeded Memphis Bulldogs as they may be looking at a tough Sweet 16 matchup against Pittsburgh. North Carolina also has a manageable bracket in the East; however, Louisville, Tennessee and “sleeper team” Butler may have something to say about that. Kansas should feel good about their draw at least until the Sweet 16 and Georgetown should feel comfortable with their bracket – that is, until a possible meeting with Wisconsin in the Sweet 16.

FYI, for the “stats guys,” there has never been an NCAA tournament where all four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four. Three of the four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four just twice in tournament history. Will March Madness history be made this year?

> For a list of team matchups, dates and locations, check out Bodog's March Madness schedule.