Dr. Giganto

Which NCAA Tournament teams do you think will move on?

Here are the match-ups:

#1 Duke vs. #4 LSU: This shpuld be a pretty good game. LSU has that "Baby Shaq" guy (who's not nearly as good as shaq, but whatever) but Duke has possible player of the year J.J. Redick and capable big man Sheldon Williams. The rest of the squad has been shaky. Redick and Williams scored 58 of the 70 points Duke scored in its opening round win, and only one other player had more than 2 points. Freshman point guard Greg Paulus has played like a freshman, committing 13 turnovers in the 2 games. Still, I think Duke will pull it out and move to the Elite 8.

#2 Texas vs. #6 West Virginia: I originally thought WVA would fall flat on its face and lost to Southern Illinois in the first round, but the Mountaineers have been one of the more impressive teams in the tournament thus far, winning their two games by an average of 15.5 points. Texas, meanwhile, played a close one against Penn in the first round, and then absolutely destroyed NC State in the 2nd round. Texas is a very balanced team, with all 5 starters averaging 9.5 points per game or more, and 2 players averaging more than 9 rebounds a game. These teams met back in Novemeber, and Texas squeeked out a one-point victory at home. This time, I think West Virginia takes it on the neutral court, in a close game.

#1 Memphis vs. #13 Bradley: Yeah, it's been fun Bradley, but it's time for Cinderella to go home. Memphis hasn't gotten a lot of respect, but they're a genuinely good team that should easily handle Bradley.

#2 UCLA vs. #3 Gonzaga: Gonzaga's been playing a lot of close games lately, but they've been winning, which trumps all. Adam Morrison is the best player in college basketball, and is an absolute nutcase. The 'Zags dont playmuch defense, allowing 77.5 ppg in the tournament so far. UCLA kinda flew under the radar all year, but has played well in the tournament thus far, albeit against a weak Belmont team and a 10 seed in Alabama. They've allowed only 51.5 ppg in the tournament thus far. IF they can find a way to stop Adam Morrison, they've got a great show. Still, I'll take Gonzaga in a mild upset.

#1 UConn vs. #5 Washington: Ironically, both teams are nicknamed "Huskies". UConn has played ridiculously inconsistently, almost becoming the first #1 seed to lose in the first round, and then almost losing to a Kentucky team that played below expectations all year. Still, UConn has way too much talent for me to pick them to lose. i think UConn will take this game, but Washington, a 1 seed last year, will give them a run for thier money. should note that Washington starts 3 seniors, who give them a great deal of experience, including 20-point-per-game scorer Brandon Roy.

#7 Wichita St. vs. #11 George Mason: The "Cinderella Bowl". It's a shame that these two teams from mid-major conferences have to play each other and knock one of them out. Wichita St. has piled on the points, averaging 83 points per game in the tournament. Both teams have legitimate big men, with Paul Miller manning the middle for WSU, and Jai Lewis serving as GMU's lead scorer. Should be a fun game. I'll take George Mason, just because they're named after a character from 24.

#1 Villanova vs. #4 Boston College: This should be a GREAT game. BC is a popular pick, because of their two talented and experienced big mean, Craig Smith and Jared dudley. Villanova is a little undersized, starting 4 guards, but they are ridiculously quick and can drain it from outside. Still, I think BC's big men will be too much for 'Nova to handle, and BC will be the first team to knock off a #1 team this year.

#3 Florida vs. #7 Goergetown: Florida has played better than any other team in the tournament, winning their two games by an average of 24 points. They are balanced, with all 5 starters averaging double digit points. Joakim Noah has played very well so far. Georgetown is a tough team (as evidenced by defeating Duke earlier this season), but I think Florida is just too good.

So, for the Elite 8, I have Duke vs. West Virginia, Memphis vs. Gonzaga, UConn vs. George Mason, and BC vs. Florida.

My Final 4 will be Duke, Gonzaga, UConn, and BC, with UConn over Duke in the final