A New Rule but Not Much Controversy for NCAA Tournament – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/10/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 10, 2002
%^$
%^$%^$
%^$By JIM O’CONNELL
%^$AP Basketball Writer%^$
%^$The new rule that allowed some teams to play closer to home in the early%^$rounds of the NCAA tournament made a fairly smooth entrance with only a%^$couple of complaints.%^$
%^$There were some of the usual arguments that have become part of the%^$selection process over the years, this time whether or not Oklahoma deserved%^$to be a No. 1 seed instead of a 2, and if Gonzaga was rated too low as a No.%^$6.%^$
%^$The last of the at-large berths didn’t cause much of a stir since those who%^$clamor for the teams from the power conferences lost one (Virginia) as did%^$those who champion the cause of the mid-majors (Butler).%^$
%^$The West Regional was quickly crowned the toughest of the four with an%^$impressive top six seeds: Cincinnati, Oklahoma, Arizona, Ohio State, Miami%^$and Gonzaga.%^$
%^$Pittsburgh, the third seed in South, benefitted most from the attempt to%^$keep teams close to campus. The Panthers can cab it to Mellon Arena in their%^$own city for an opening-round game against Central Connecticut State.%^$
%^$Their possible opponent in the next round is one of the schools that might%^$have gained the most from the new rule. Pennsylvania will travel cross-state%^$as a No. 11 seed to face California, which will bring its No. 6 seed across%^$the country.%^$
%^$Another team that has a long way to go to face a team seeded well below it%^$is Wake Forest, the No. 7 in the Midwest that will go to Sacramento, Calif.,%^$to play No. 10 Pepperdine.%^$
%^$With the complaints, comments and criticisms out of the way it’s time to try%^$and figure out who is going to Atlanta for the Final Four.%^$
%^$Recent history takes care of four games right off the bat. In the last three%^$years, the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds have alternated sweeping each other. It%^$started with the 9s going 4-0 in 1999. That means Wisconsin, Stanford, Notre%^$Dame and UCLA can keep their hotel rooms for an extra couple of days.%^$
%^$Two years ago, three teams with double-digit seedings won first-round games.%^$Last year that number jumped to nine with two each of the 10s through 13s%^$moving on as well as 15th-seeded Hampton, which upset Iowa State.%^$
%^$That number can’t increase that much again, so figure it will hit the%^$average of the two years, six.%^$
%^$Since Gonzaga can’t do it for the third year in a row, how about: No. 10%^$Hawaii beating Xavier, No. 10 Michigan State knocking off North Carolina%^$State, No. 11 Boston College downing Texas, No. 10 Pepperdine beating Wake%^$Forest, No. 11 Southern Illinois eliminating Texas Tech and No. 14 Murray%^$State being this year’s Hampton with a win over Georgia.%^$
%^$Gonzaga, Michigan State and Duke are the only teams to reach the regional%^$semifinals each of the last three years. With Arizona a tough matchup for%^$Gonzaga in the second round and Michigan State having to face Connecticut in%^$the second game, Duke will be the only one to make it four in a row.%^$
%^$The East Regional semifinals will be Maryland-Marquette and Southern%^$Illinois-Connecticut. The Midwest will be Kansas-Illinois and Mississippi%^$State-Oregon. The South will be Duke-Southern California in a rematch of%^$last year’s East Regional final and Pittsburgh-Alabama. The West will be%^$Cincinnati-Ohio State and Oklahoma-Arizona.%^$
%^$The last three Final Fours have each had two teams from the same conference,%^$another trend that will survive.%^$
%^$Connecticut beats Maryland to get there, while Kansas downs Mississippi%^$State, Duke beats Pittsburgh and Oklahoma gets past Cincinnati.%^$
%^$The Big 12 gets Kansas and Oklahoma to Atlanta but neither makes the%^$championship game.%^$
%^$Instead a rematch of the 1999 title game between Connecticut and Duke will%^$occur but with a different ending.%^$
%^$Again, history makes the call. Three times teams have repeated as national%^$champion in a year ending in 2 – Cincinnati in 1962, UCLA in 1972 and Duke%^$in 1992.%^$
%^$Ten years later, the Blue Devils repeat for a second time.%^$
