2009 NCAA Tournament Recap

March Madness in Review

The Michigan State Spartans -- playing just 90 miles from campus -- became the sentimental favorites at Ford Field. But the Carolina Tar Heels thoroughly out-classed the competition.

Pitt and Villanova played the game of the tournament, Michigan State bounced the top overall seed, and UNC and UConn made good on preseason projections.

Beast of the East -- the Big East sends four teams to the Elite Eight, but Syracuse isn't one of them, losing to Blake Griffin and the Oklahoma Sooners. Two seed Memphis gets out-Memphised by Mizzou -- was that John Calipari's last game as coach of the Tigers?

Most of the favorites advance to the Sweet Sixteen, with 12-seed Arizona emerging as the biggest "Cinderella" in the bunch. The Big East dominates, sending five teams to the tournament's second weekend.

Cleveland State sends Wake Forest home early, but upset bids by Virginia Commonwealth and North Dakota State fall short.

The unforgettable images of March Madness 2009.

The NCAA Tournament isn't just for the players and coaches... it's also a chance for cheerleading squads, dance teams, pep bands, mascots and some very creative fans to get a little time on camera.

A look back at your guide's prognostications. Apparently my crystal ball needs to go back to the shop for repairs...