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Four on the floor for Sweet 16
by Shawn Sillinger

How sweet it is.

Two rounds are in the books at the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. We’ve seen the usual share of upsets, but brackets across the nation are holding up pretty well – three of the top four seeds have advanced in three of the four regions. The Washington Region, on the other hand, is guaranteed to send a mid-major team into the Elite Eight.

Of the eight third-round matches coming up this week, these four promise to crank up the Madness a few extra notches.

Atlanta Region: No. 1 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 4 LSU Tigers

When LSU’s Darrel Mitchell hit that “miracle” 3-pointer to down the Texas A&M Aggies in the second round, Duke haters across the nation rejoiced. The Tigers frontline poses a serious threat to the Blue Devils. SEC Freshman of the Year Tyrus Thomas has played his way into lottery pick position at the upcoming NBA draft, and center Glen Davis showed his stuff with 21 points and eight rebounds versus the Aggies. Playing Duke physically in the paint puts the Devils’ fate in J.J. Redick’s hands. He often comes through (4-for-9 from downtown against George Washington), but it’s not a given this late in a long, punishing season. Redick was a combined 6-for-24 from downtown in Duke’s back-to-back losses to Florida State and UNC earlier this month.

Atlanta Region: No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. No. 2 Texas Longhorns

Although the Mountaineers faded a bit during the stretch, it’s a fair argument to say the best four teams in the region are still alive. The Mountaineers lost a 76-75 nailbiter to Texas during non-conference action at the Guardian Classic, but cashed in as 6-point underdogs. The ‘Horns held WVU to 9-for-23 from outside and Kevin Pittsnoggle to just nine points. Texas will have to do it again to advance; like Redick for Duke, Pittsnoggle gives the Mountaineers at least a puncher’s chance. Otherwise, getting through the ‘Horns outstanding frontcourt of P.J. Tucker, potential No. 1 draft pick LaMarcus Aldridge and Brad Buckman is too much to ask for. They helped Texas outrebound the N.C. State Wolfpack 37-25 in the previous round.

Washington Region: No. 11 George Mason Patriots vs. No. 7 Wichita State Shockers

As we said earlier, somebody from a mid-major is going to go to the Elite Eight. Which mid-major will it be: the Colonial Athletic Association or the Missouri Valley Conference? Both have sent some excellent basketball teams to the big dance, although it was the MVC earning four bids this year to the CAA’s two. Don’t be fooled by the lower seed for George Mason. The Pats are the cream of the CAA crop despite losing to Hofstra in the conference tourney – check out their No. 26 RPI ranking. Right behind them at No. 27? The Shockers. Picking between these two balanced clubs won’t be easy; however, the Pats did beat Wichita State 70-67 last month as 3 ½-point road dogs. That closely fought contest was part of ESPN’s BracketBusters coverage.

Oakland Region: No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. No. 2 UCLA Bruins

This is the matchup just about everyone on the West Coast was hoping for. The Bruins have been one of the best-kept secrets of the season, playing well enough in a relatively soft Pac-10 conference to grab a No. 9 RPI figure, one spot ahead of the WCC’s Bulldogs. Gonzaga has received plenty of attention this year thanks to Adam Morrison, who has more than wispy facial hair in common with Larry Bird. Morrison’s flair makes the ‘Zags the public team in what should be an even contest. UCLA brings the outstanding guard play of Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo (31 points combined versus the Crimson Tide in Round Two), while Gonzaga is dominated by the frontcourt duo of Morrison and J.P. Batista. Expect a high-scoring affair when these teams meet.

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