Top-ranked North Carolina is the headliner, and the Tar Heels should cruise through their half of the bracket, which also includes host Chaminade, Oregon and Alabama.
The other half of the bracket, however, will be hotly contested, with two other top-ten squads -- Texas (7th in the latest AP poll) and Notre Dame (8th).
If the seedings hold, that means we'll get to see a Notre Dame/Texas matchup on Tuesday. The winner of that game will get Carolina in Wednesday's championship matchup.
All games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. For game times and channel information, consult the bracket.
Game Previews
St. Joseph's vs. Texas
St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli is one of the best in the business, and his teams are always tough. But this is sort of an in-between year for the program, which overachieved its way to big dance last year using a six-man rotation, but is left, after graduations, with a very inexperienced team. They won't get past Texas in their opener, but they'll give one of the higher-seeded schools fits in the losers bracket.The Longhorns enter the tournament ranked in the top ten in both national polls... and might have been in the "preseason number one" discussion if they hadn't lost point guard D.J. Augustin to the NBA draft last spring. They'll be led by junior guard A.J. Abrams, who is playing the point this season after spending last year alongside Augustin, and a frontcourt rotation with excellent size. They'd be a tough matchup for North Carolina in the final game, but they'll need to get past the Fighting Irish -- no small feat.
Indiana vs. Notre Dame
We have no doubt that Tom Crean will rebuild the Indiana program. But not this year. The Hoosiers returned just two players after last year's debacle of a season, and will have a very tough time in this tournament. Their opening round matchup with Notre Dame is looking like a major mismatch.One of about a dozen NCAA Tournament-quality teams in the loaded Big East -- and one of three top ten teams in the field -- the Fighting Irish feature Preseason All American Luke Harangody and an array of wing players who can all hit the three.
North Carolina vs. Chaminade
Carolina's incredible depth is looking a bit... less deep after the loss of freshman Tyler Zeller, who was playing very well in Tyler Hansbrough's stead. The loss will put more pressure on fellow frosh Ed Davis until Hansbrough is ready to return from that stress reaction... which could be any day now.The hosts of the Maui Invitational, the "Silver Swords" of Chaminade University play in Division II. They did score a major upset once, knocking off top-ranked Virginia back in 1982... but we don't expect history to repeat itself this year.
Oregon vs. Alabama
The Ducks started last season ranked in the top 25, but stumbled through the year to finish 18-14 overall. A very young team led by 5'6" dynamo Tajuan Porter -- a junior -- is probably a middle-of-the-pack team in this year's Pac 10... in this field, though, they're probably shooting for sixth place.Alabama could be a very tough out this season... a lot will hinge upon the health of guard Ronald Steele. Steele was a medical redshirt last season due to knee problems... if he returns to the form he showed as a sophomore in 2006-07, he could be an NBA-caliber talent. 'Bama will also feature freshman big man JaMychal Green, a McDonald's All-American and member of Team USA's U-18 squad.
Looking Ahead
The projected semifinal matchup between Notre Dame and Texas could be the best game of the tournament... the seventh-ranked Longhorns and eighth-ranked Irish seem very evenly matched; the game could simply come down to "who gets hot from downtown?"And the consolation game, which projects as Alabama vs. the loser of Notre Dame/Texas could be interesting, particularly if Ronald Steele is playing well.
Another game worth watching -- the fifth-place contest, which I suspect will pit St. Joe's against Oregon, in a matchup of two teams that could be a year away from real contender status.
