First-round games
With Arizona center Loren Woods out, this could be a wild, wild regional. No. 2 seed St. John’s is the team to watch.
Salt Lake City-Thursday and Saturday.
1. ARIZONA (26-6)
Coach: Lute Olson.
Conference: Pac-10
How they made it: The Wildcats rose as high as No. 3 in the polls despite losing rafts of players to injuries and transfers. But Arizona’s lack of depth caught up with it down the stretch in losses to Oregon and Oregon State.
Key to advancing: Arizona has an excuse for an early exit this spring. Since shot-blocking center Loren Woods isn’t healthy, the Wildcats might not make it to the Sweet 16.
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16. JACKSON STATE (17-15)
Coach: Andy Stoglin
Conference: Southwestern Athletic
How they made it: Beat top-seeded Alcorn State in the conference tournament semifinals and outscored Southern 49-20 in the second half of the SWAC title game for second NCAA bid.
Key to advancing: Center Vincent Jones leads Jackson State in scoring and rebounding, but guard Timmy Marks is its only three-point threat.
8. WISCONSIN (18-13)
Coach: Dick Bennett
Conference: Big Ten
How they made it: By upsetting Texas, Temple, Illinois, Purdue and Indiana. By playing one of the nation’s toughest schedules and by finishing .500 in the Big Ten despite two narrow defeats by Ohio State.
Key to advancing: Defense, defense, defense. If Badgers could shoot better, they’d be more of a threat.
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9. FRESNO STATE (24-9)
Coach: Jerry Tarkanian
Conference: Western Athletic
How they made it: Courtney Alexander, the conference’s player of the year, averaged 25.2 points and Larry Abney averaged 10.3 rebounds as the Bulldogs won 20-plus for the fifth straight season.
Key to advancing: Tarkanian is making his 17th tournament appearance, but he’s yet to recapture the magic that made his 1990 UNLV team the national champion.
4. LOUISIANA STATE (26-5)
Coach: John Brady.
Conference: Southeastern
How they made it: Opened the year with a long win streak against mediocre competition, then beat Oklahoma State, crushed Arizona and finished first in the SEC Western Division.
Key to advancing: Stromile Swift. If the electrifying 6-9 swingman catches fire, he might be able to carry the Tigers to the Elite Eight.
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13. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (24-6)
Coach: Gary Garner
Conference: Ohio Valley
How they made it: After tying Murray State, which had won 11 of the previous 12 titles, in the regular season, Southeast Missouri State was a 67-56 winner over the co-champs in the conference tournament title game.
Key to advancing: Southeast Missouri State starts three seniors and two juniors. They must make their experience an asset.
5. TEXAS (23-8)
Coach: Rick Barnes
Conference: Big 12
How they made it: The Longhorns flashed their potential in November in Puerto Rico, where they beat DePaul and Michigan State. They finished second to Iowa State in a tough conference.
Keys to advancing: The big guy, 7-foot center Chris Mihm. He averaged 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds in the regular season and can’t do any less than that.
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12. INDIANA STATE (22-9)
Coach: Royce Waltman
Conference: Missouri Valley
How they made it: Sycamores won regular-season title with four starters averaging in double figures, including MVC player of the year Nate Green.
Key to advancing: Team-oriented Green (14 ppg) is assist and steals leader who must be willing to take charge. Defense (63 ppg) alone will need to win a game.
Tucson, Ariz.-Thursday and Saturday
2. ST. JOHN’S (24-7)
Coach: Mike Jarvis
Conference: Big East
How they made it: The NCAA temporarily suspended star point guard Erick Barkley, but the Johnnies persevered to finish just one game short of the conference title.
Keys to advancing: The availability of Barkley, who is their leading scorer and their go-to guy. With him the Red Storm can advance deep into the bracket
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15. NORTHERN ARIZONA (20-10)
Coach: Mike Adras
Conference: Big Sky
How they made it: Northern Arizona came back from a 17-point deficit against Portland State in the opening round of the conference tournament to keep its NCAA hopes alive.
Key to advancing: Seven-footer Dan McClintock must continue to be a defensive force and block shots in addition to scoring.
7. LOUISVILLE (19-11)
Coach: Denny Crum
Conference: Conference USA
How they made it: The Cardinals overcame early-season problems on the road, winning eight of their last 10 games. Nate Johnson, Marques Maybin and Tony Williams each averaged 14 to 15 points.
Key to advancing: The flexibility of Louisville’s defenses could create problems for unfamiliar teams with little time to prepare.
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10. GONZAGA (24-8)
Coach: Mark Few
Conference: West Coast
How they made it: Last year’s feel-good story finished second to Pepperdine in the conference, but knocked off the Waves for the conference tournament title.
Key to advancing: Gonzaga knows what it takes after reaching the Elite Eight last season. But there will be no sneaking up on people this time, as regular-season losses to Cincinnati and Temple showed.
3. OKLAHOMA (26-6)
Coach: Kelvin Sampson
Conference: Big 12
How they made it: The Sooners opened strong, losing only to Cincinnati in their first 15 games. They were consistently tough during conference play.
Keys to advancing: They must continue to get big games from Eduardo Najera (18.5 ppg, 9.5 rebounds). And they must continue to demonstrate the toughness they exhibited in their big conference wins.
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14. WINTHROP (21-8)
Coach: Gregg Marshall
Conference: Big South
How they made it: Winthrop ended UNC-Asheville’s (11-19) Cinderella run through the conference tournament, ousting the Bulldogs 75-62 in the finals.
Key to advancing: Greg Lewis, who pulled down 18 rebounds against Asheville, must continue to attack the boards. His teammates must continue their accurate shooting from the perimeter.
6. PURDUE (21-9)
Coach: Gene Keady
Conference: Big Ten
How they made it: Senior leadership of Brian Cardinal, Jaraan Cornell, Mike Robinson and Greg McQuay was critical. Only regular-season-ending loss at Indiana kept Purdue from sharing league title.
Key to advancing: Play together and force turnovers. The Boilermakers averaged eight steals for a turnover margin of plus 3.28.
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11. DAYTON (22-8)
Coach: Oliver Purnell
Conference: Atlantic 10
How they made it: The Flyers secured their first bid since 1990 because of the play of Mark Ashman, a senior center who averaged 13.1 points, and Tony Stanley, a junior guard who averaged 14.7.
Key to advancing: Reminding themselves they belong after nearly a decade out of the tournament.
MIDWEST REGIONAL
First-round games
Michigan State has momemtum coming out of the Big Ten tournament. Iowa State may await the Spartans in the regional final.
Cleveland-Thursday and Saturday
1. MICHIGAN STATE (26-7)
Coach: Tom Izzo
Conference: Big Ten
How they made it: With Morris Peterson turning in a Player of the Year season, 1999 NCAA semifinalists shared their third straight Big Ten regular-season title and won the Big Ten tournament.
Key to advancing: Rebound and play defense with as much passion as they have all season. Keep Peterson and Cleaves healthy.
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16. VALPARAISO (19-12)
Coach: Homer Drew
Conference: Mid-Continent
How they made it: After suffering through six straight losses early in the season, the Crusaders won 12 of their last 13 games, claiming their sixth straight conference title for the automatic bid.
Key to advancing: Valparaiso needs to get solid play on both ends of the court from its big men. Drew seems to have a knack for getting Valparaiso tournament-ready.
8. UTAH (22-8)
Coach: Rick Majerus
Conference: Mountain West
How they made it: RPI ranking (40) helped overcome stumbling finish by team that was able to grind down foes and excels controlling pace of games.
Key to advancing: Utes must improve woeful road play and keep power forward Hanno Mottola (17 ppg, 5 rpg) from carrying load alone while avoiding track meets.
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9. ST. LOUIS (19-13)
Coach: Lorenzo Romar
Conference: Conference USA
How they made it: The only way they could–the Billikens swept four games in four days to win the conference tournament. Senior guard Justin Love was fourth in the league in scoring (18.2) and twice was named conference player of the week.
Key to advancing: St. Louis has held six of its last seven opponents below 40 percent shooting.
4. SYRACUSE (24-5)
Coach: Jim Boeheim
Conference: Big East
How they made it: The Orangemen opened with 19 straight wins and bounced back from a February slump to share the Big East title. Deep, talented and experienced, they can score from inside and out.
Keys to advancing: Their inside force, center Etan Thomas, must stay out of foul trouble. And with five players averaging in double figures, they must remain unselfish.
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13. SAMFORD (21-10)
Coach: Jimmy Tillette
Conference: TransAmerica
How they made it: Samford won nine of its last 10 games, including a 78-69 conference final victory over Central Florida, to claim its second straight NCAA berth.
Key to advancing: Reed Rawlings must continue to shoot well. And the Bulldogs, who connected on a conference-record 302 three-point shots, must maintain their proficiency from beyond the arc.
5. KENTUCKY (22-9)
Coach: Tubby Smith
Conference: Southeastern
How they made it: The Wildcats aren’t as dominant as they were in the mid-1990s, but they beat Michigan State and tied for first place in the SEC East.
Key to advancing: Chemistry has been a problem at times this year for Kentucky. If the Wildcats can get on the same page they can make a deep run. But guard Desmond Allison is suspended indefinately.
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12. ST. BONAVENTURE (21-9)
Coach: Jim Baron
Conference: Atlantic 10
How they made it: Tim Winn, a senior guard, averaged 13.8 points, and Caswell Cyrus, a senior center, averaged 12.5 points and made the league’s all-defensive team.
Key to advancing: Overcoming giddiness. the Bonnies have not been in the tournament since 1978, their only appearance since Bob Lanier’s team reached the Final Four in 1970.
Minneapolis-Thursday and Saturday
2. IOWA STATE (29-4)
Coach: Larry Eustachy
Conference: Big 12
How they made it: The Cyclones were picked to finish seventh in their league. But with junior forward Marcus Fizer emerging as a star they blitzed through the season, claiming their first conference title since 1945.
Keys to advancing: Fizer must produce as he did in the regular season, when he averaged 22.4 points and 7.6 rebounds.
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15. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE (25-5)
Coach: Howie Dickenman
Conference: Northeast
How they made it: Two years after a 4-22 season, CCSU eased through the conference tournament for its first NCAA trip since joining Div. I in 1986.
Key to advancing: Shooting guard Rick Mickens (18 ppg), the NEC player of the year, must do more than score, and injury-prone small forward John Tice (15 ppg) must stay healthy.
7. AUBURN (23-9)
Coach: Cliff Ellis
Conference: Southeastern
How they made it: Picked to contend for the national title, the Tigers spent most of the season atop the SEC Western Division before finishing second.
Key to advancing: The Tigers absorbed a stunning blow when the NCAA suspended star forward Chris Porter for dealing with an agent. Winning three games might be an achievement.
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10. CREIGHTON (23-9)
Coach: Dana Altman
Conference: Missouri Valley
How they made it: Bluejays won second straight MVC tournament and are on a five-game win streak behind guards Ryan Sears and Ben Walker.
Key to advancing: Sears and Walker lead the nation’s No. 2 three-point team (42 percent). Bluejays need at least one long-range shooter to stay hot in each game.
3. MARYLAND (24-9)
Coach: Gary Williams
Conference: Atlantic Coast
How they made it: The Terrapins, returned only two starters from the team that reached last season’s round of 16. But the emergence of sophomore guard Juan Dixon transformed Maryland into the ACC’s second-best team.
Keys to advancing: Dixon must continue to play well. The Terps also need big things from junior forward Terence Morris.
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14. IONA (20-10)
Coach: Jeff Ruland
Conference: Metro Atlantic
How they made it: Defeated defending champion Siena in finals of conference tournament. Tariq Kirksay (19.0 points, 9.3 rebounds) led the Gaels to 14 victories in their last 15 games.
Key to advancing: Ignoring the past. MAAC teams have a 2-17 NCAA record. The Gaels (1-5) have not won since Jeff Ruland was their center 20 years ago.
6. UCLA (19-11)
Coach: Steve Lavin.
Conference: Pac-10
How they made it: The Bruins dropped six of seven games in February. But the Bruins swept into the NCAAs with a late winning streak, highlighted by an overtime victory at then-No. 1 Stanford.
Key to advancing: The Bruins can beat anyone in the field. They can also lose to anyone. Their best strategy is to run and force opponents to match their athleticism.
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11. BALL STATE (22-8)
Coach: Ray McCallum
Conference: Mid-American
How they made it: Ball State came on strong late in the regular season, then upset Miami to win the MAC tournament. Guard Duane Clemens scored 35 points in the Cardinals’ 70-67 semifinal victory over Ohio University.
Key to advancing: The Cardinals have to play the way they did when they handled Purdue by 20 points in December.
EAST REGIONAL
First-round games
Top-seeded Duke opens play in its home state, and could face a rematch with Illinois in regional semifinals.
Winston-Salem, N.C.-Friday and Saturday
1. DUKE (27-4)
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Conference: Atlantic Coast
How they made it: The Blue Devils lost four important players from last year’s tournament finalists. They simply plugged in talented freshmen Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy.
Keys to advancing: Their freshmen must continue to play well. And veterans Chris Carrawell and Shane Battier must be there to steady them when they don’t.
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16. LAMAR (15-15)
Conference: Southland
Coach: Mike Deane
How they made it: Despite posting a losing regular-season record, the Cardinals pulled off three consecutive upsets to win the conference tournament.
Key to advancing: Besides forward Landon Rowe (15.2 ppg), Lamar is a poor offensive team (64.5 ppg, 39.7 percent FG) and must rely on ball control and defense to pull a monumental upset in the first round.
8. KANSAS (23-9)
Coach: Roy Williams
Conference: Big 12
How they made it: The Jayhawks opened 15-2, but were exposed during a shocking 22-point loss at Missouri in late January and stumbled along as a slightly better than .500 team thereafter.
Keys to advancing: The Jayhawks must use their size, which is considerable, to offset their lack of quickness. They switched to a matchup zone late in the season.
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9. DEPAUL (21-11)
Coach: Pat Kennedy
Conference: Conference USA
How they made it: The Blue Demons earned their first appearance since 1992 by overcoming early-season injuries and establishing a defensive approach capable of locking down opponents.
Key to advancing: If DePaul can be emotionally consistent, its defensive ability could become a decisive factor.
4. ILLINOIS (21-9)
Coach: Lon Kruger
Conference: Big Ten
How they made it: Battled back from 1-3 conference start and a slew of injuries to win 10 of last 12, only losses coming at Michigan State and Ohio State.
Key to advancing: Remember to rebound. Shoot better than they have most of the season. Illini can do it in spurts but sometimes even their outstanding defense can’t make up for their poor shot selection.
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13. PENNSYLVANIA (21-7)
Coach: Fran Dunphy
Conference: Ivy League
How they made it: Led by the senior backcourt of Michael (No Relation) Jordan (16.3 points, 52 percent shooting) and Matt Langel (12.0 points), the Quakers won their last 16 games and a second straight Ivy championship.
Key to advancing: The Quakers must benefit from the experience gained in the 14-point first-round loss to Florida last year.
5. FLORIDA (24-7)
Coach: Billy Donovan.
Conference: Southeastern
How they made it: A preseason Top 10 pick, the Gators finished in a three-way tie for first place with Tennessee and Kentucky in the SEC’s Eastern Division.
Key to advancing: Donovan’s teams love to shoot three-pointers. But the Gators need strong forward Mike Miller to carry them if the long ball stops falling, as it often does.
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12. BUTLER (23-7)
Coach: Barry Collier
Conference: Midwestern Collegiate
How they made it: The MCC regular-season and tournament champions are on a 15-game winning streak. The Bulldogs led the league in field-goal percentage (.475) and rebound margin (+4.5).
Key to advancing: The balanced Bulldogs have to avoid their intermittent poor shooting performances because they don’t have enough height to rebound well.
Buffalo-Friday and Sunday
2. TEMPLE (26-5)
Coach: John Chaney
Conference: Atlantic 10
How they made it: They emerged when Pepe Sanchez, the Atlantic 10 player of the year, recovered from a sprained ankle. With him, Temple’s record was 18-2, including the victory at then-No. 1 Cincinnati.
Key to advancing: Making use of their troubling zone defense, and not getting caught up in the possibility of John Chaney’s first Final Four appearance.
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15. LAFAYETTE (24-6)
Coach: Fran O’Hanlon
Conference: Patriot
How they made it: The Leopards extended their win streak to nine games with a win over Navy for the conference tournament title and automatic bid.
Key to advancing: Lafayette has to continue its sharp shooting from three-point range (40 percent), led by conference scoring champ Brian Ehlers (17.7 ppg) and guard Tyson Whittfield (81 three-pointers).
7. OREGON (22-7)
Coach: Ernie Kent.
Conference: Pac-10
How they made it: The Ducks aren’t a glamour team. But they are a gritty bunch that rallied to knock off Arizona State and Arizona last weekend to wrap up third place in the Pac-10.
Key to advancing: Most teams try to get a lead and hold it. The Ducks are better at playing from behind.
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10. SETON HALL (20-9)
Coach: Tommy Amaker
Conference: Big East
How they made it: The Pirates built a nice cushion by winning 10 of their first 12 conference games. They tailed off while dropping the last four.
Keys to advancing: Must recapture early-season magic, which earned them wins over St. John’s and Syracuse. And they must get good shooting nights from at least two of the three guards.
3. OKLAHOMA STATE (24-6)
Coach: Eddie Sutton
Conference: Big 12
How they made it: The Cowboys opened with a rush, winning 14 of their first 15. They cooled off some, but were good enough to finish third in a rugged conference.
Keys to advancing: Sutton’s best teams play tough defense, and this one is no exception; it holds opponents to 38.2 percent shooting.
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14. HOFSTRA (24-6)
Coach: Jay Wright
Conference: America East
How they made it: The Dutchmen received their first bid since 1977 after winning the conference tournament. Hofstra has thrived on its fundamental play, holding opponents to just 63 points per game.
Key to advancing: America East player of the year Craig Claxton (23 ppg) has to get hot and the Dutchmen must continue to use their defense and rebounding to win.
6. INDIANA (20-8)
Coach: Bob Knight
Conference: Big Ten
How they made it: Surprising 12-1 start featured wins over Temple, Kentucky and North Carolina. Hoosiers got great play from senior guard A.J. Guyton.
Key to advancing: Avoid the kind of letdown that helped Illinois romp 87-63. Keep shooting (Hoosiers led Big Ten with 78.7 ppg). Follow Kirk Haston’s lead (8.5 rpg) and hit boards hard.
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11. PEPPERDINE (24-8)
Coach: Jan van Breda Kolff
Conference: West Coast
How they made it: Pepperdine was the conference champion during the regular season but had to sweat out an NCAA at-large invitation after losing the conference tournament title game in overtime.
Key to advancing: Small but athletic Pepperdine is hard to prepare for in a tournament like this. Van Breda Kolff starts four left-handers and uses 13 defenses.
SOUTH REGIONAL
First-round games
Stanford drew the No. 1 seed, but will Cincinnati play even like a No. 2 seed without Kenyon Martin?
Birmingham, Ala.-Friday and Sunday.
1. STANFORD (26-3)
Coach: Mike Montgomery.
Conference: Pac-10
How they made it: The Cardinal opened the season by defeating Duke in overtime and spent several weeks at No. 1, dominating one of the tougher conferences.
Key to advancing: Stanford is deeper and more physical than almost any team. The Final Four is possible if Michael McDonald stands up to the pressure in his first postseason as starting point guard.
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16. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (20-13)
Coach: Cy Alexander
Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic
How they made it: The Bulldogs struggled in non-conference play but surged to the conference’s regular-season and tournament title for the automatic bid.
Key to advancing: Mike Wiatre (15.9 ppg) and Dexter Hall (7.3 rebounds per game) will have to carry the Bulldogs, who find a way to win despite exceptional on neither offense nor defense.
8. NORTH CAROLINA (18-13)
Coach: Bill Guthridge
Conference: Atlantic Coast
How they made it: During an 8-2 start the Tar Heels were regarded as one of the nation’s best. But they managed no better than a split of their last 20 games and are just another team to fill the field.
Keys to advancing: There is ample if inexperienced talent here, but it has rarely played up to expectations. The Heels must somehow emerge as a cohesive group.
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9. MISSOURI (18-12)
Coach: Quin Snyder
Conference: Big 12
How they made it: In the first week of January, the Tigers lost to a team called Winthrop and looked like anything but a tournament team. In the third week of January the Tigers routed Kansas and were suddenly on their way.
Keys to advancing: The Tigers are young, which means their biggest obstacles are inexperience and tournament pressure.
4. TENNESSEE (24-6)
Coach: Jerry Green.
Conference: Southeastern
How they made it: The Volunteers were regulars in the Top 10 and finished in three-way tie for first with Florida and Kentucky in the SEC Eastern Division.
Key to advancing: Tennessee has a ton of talent. But the Volunteers, whipped by 30 by Southwest Missouri State in last year’s second round, have yet to show the character required to sustain an NCAA run.
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13. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (25-8)
Coach: Jessie Evans
Conference: Sun Belt
How they made it: Louisiana-Lafayette lost to South Alabama twice this season, but came up big when it counted, beating the Jaguars 51-50 on Lonnie Thomas’ jumper with 3.5 seconds to play in the tournament championship game.
Key to advancing: Freshman point guard Kenneth Lawrence must distribute the ball and set up Orlando Butler for three-pointers.
5. CONNECTICUT (24-9)
Coach: Jim Calhoun
Conference: Big East
How they made it: The Huskies were frighteningly inconsistent in defense of their national title. But they’re good enough to beat most anybody they play.
Keys to advancing: Khalid El-Amin. When he chooses to involve his teammates, the Huskies are tough. But when he plays as if he doesn’t trust his teammates he’s doomed to failure.
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12. UTAH STATE (28-5)
Coach: Stew Morrill
Conference: Big West
How they made it: Grabbed automatic bid by winning the conference tournament title game 71-66 over New Mexico State. Aggies went 19-0 against conference teams.
Key to advancing: The Aggies must play more like they did in a 17-point victory over Fresno State and in a two-point loss to Florida than they did in a 25-point loss to Utah.
Nashville-Friday and Sunday
2. CINCINNATI (28-3)
Coach: Bob Huggins
Conference: Conference USA
How they made it: The Bearcats, 16-0 in regular-season league play, were considered the NCAA tournament favorites, until Kenyon Martin broke his leg.
Key to advancing: Pete Mickeal, must take more of a leadership role. Freshman guards Kenny Satterfield and DerMarr Johnson will have to accept even more responsibility, particularly on defense.
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15. UNC-WILMINGTON (18-12)
Coach: Jerry Wainwright
Conference: Colonial Athletic
How they made it: After four previous conference tournament final losses, former Highland Park coach Wainwright led the Seahawks to first-ever NCAA berth with a 57-47 win over Richmond.
Key to advancing: Freshman Brett Blizzard, the Seahawks’ leading scorer, needs to continue his dead-on three-point shooting. A tough defense could spark upset.
7. TULSA (29-4)
Coach: Bill Self
Conference: Western Athletic
How they made it: Golden Hurricane dominated the WAC in the regular season, losing only three games by a combined total of four points.
Key to advancing: Tulsa scores at an 81 points-per-game clip and welcomes shootouts.
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10. UNLV (23-7)
Coach: Bill Bayno
Conference: Mountain West
How they made it: Runnin’ Rebels finished winning 7 of 9, including 4 straight going into MWC tournament and were helped by 50 ranking in RPI.
Key to advancing: Point guard Mark Dickel (13 ppg, 8.8 apg) cannot afford the tired legs that destroy his outside shooting and allow defenses to collapse on C Kaspars Kambala (18.6 ppg, 9 rpg) inside.
3. OHIO STATE (22-6)
Coach: Jim O’Brien
Conference: Big Ten
How they made it: Dropped Big Ten opener at Illinois but lost only two more times. Won five of last six games for share of title. Shot-blocker extraordinaire Ken Johnson and George Reese emerged as stars.
Key to advancing: Stay healthy. After top six, Buckeyes’ depth falls off. Improve perimeter shooting and perimeter defense.
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14. APPALACHIAN STATE (23-8)
Coach: Buzz Peterson
Conference: Southern
How they made it: Conference player of the Year Tyson Patterson led the Mountaineers past College of Charleston in tyhe title game for their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1979.
Key to advancing: Must continue to outrebound opponents and play tough defense. Patterson, a senior, provides needed leadership to a young group.
6. MIAMI (21-10)
Coach: Leonard Hamilton
Conference: Big East
How they made it: The Canes were remarkably steady during the Big East schedule, closing the regular season with nine wins in 10 games and tying Syracuse for the league title.
Keys to advancing: Hamilton has twice benched his star, Johnny Hemsley, for violating team rules. And Hemsley, a noted gunner, can’t suffer a bad-shooting night.
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11. ARKANSAS (19-14)
Coach: Nolan Richardson
Conference: Southeastern
How they made it: Arkansas made an incredible run to the SEC tourney title, winning four games in as many days.
Key to advancing: The Razorbacks need to guard against a possible letdown in the first round. They will try to keep their attack balanced between Joe Johnson and Brandon Dean, who sparked them in the SEC tournament.
