Add Feedback | Send this Article | Published 3/28/03

Graphic By: Matt Witherow

WEST
The top 3 seeds in this region still are alive, but not without some scares.  Gonzaga had two opportunities down the stretch in overtime to knock off top  seed Arizona in the second round, but failed. The Wildcats survived and now have  a date with a surging Notre Dame squad. Perennial powerhouses Kansas and Duke  will face in the Sweet Sixteen, which could be a classic. I'd still like for Duke and  Arizona to meet in this region's final.

MIDWEST
Top seed Kentucky has rolled through the first two rounds and will play  Wisconsin after the Badgers squeaked by underdog Tulsa. The Wildcats have not  lost a game since late December and should have no problems with Wisconsin.  Pittsburgh and Marquette feature two of the nation's top players, who are  Panthers' Brandin Knight and Marquette's Dwyane Wade. If it comes down to free  throws, the Golden Eagles will win. Knight and Pittsburgh collectively do not  shoot well from the charity stripe. Expect Knight to carry the team past  Marquette and into a matchup with Kentucky for the right to play in New Orleans.

SOUTH
Texas is still alive but now gets to play the young, hungry, and talented  Connecticut Huskies. Emeka Okafor of the Huskies is the player to watch in this  game. The big man can take over a game on both ends of the court, and Texas  doesn't have an answer for him in the paint. Michigan State is a surprise team  still hanging around and will play Maryland. Drew Nicholas: Welcome to sports  immortality. His buzzer-beater to beat UNC Wilmington in the second round will  be forever remembered as a classic tournament moment. This will be a matchup of  teams that have consistently gotten to the Final Four the past 4 or 5 years and  should be good. Maryland has the edge over everyone left in this region by  virtue of being the reigning champions and by having senior leadership. Seniors  win national championships, period.

EAST
Butler has another chance on the biggest stage to create some magic. Oklahoma,  led by senior Hollis Price, may have the best backcourt in the country right  now. They don't have much of an inside presence, which will hurt them later,  but Price is good enough to carry this team at least to the Elite Eight. Syracuse  rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma State, and Auburn stunned 2-  seed Wake Forest. The Orangemen's Carmelo Anthony is the most NBA-ready player  in the tournament right now and has a special aura over him, which is  scary. He didn't play well against the Cowboys, but his teammates picked up the  slack. Fellow freshman Gerry McNamera is scrappy and fun to watch. Football  schools don't win NCAA Basketball Tournaments, so neither Auburn nor Oklahoma  will win this region. Forget what I said earlier: The inexperienced Orangemen  will march into New Orleans.

In the Sweet 16, teams that should win usually do, and the clock strikes  midnight for the Cinderellas. For a few weeks in March and April, the nation  gets to see basketball in its purest form. There are no jaded millionaires,  endorsement deals, or court cases. It's just a group of kids with one goal: doing what they love. The rest of us can only sit back and enjoy the beauty of  it all.