Ask anyone what caused them to tear their NCAA bracket into a thousand pieces of confetti over the weekend, and the answer is pretty much the same.
With No. 1 seed Kentucky and No. 2 seed Gonzaga both eliminated in surprising fashion, the St. Louis bracket quickly became the place where office pools are won and lost. The region is up for grabs, and any of the four teams remaining could potentially advance to San Antonio.
No. 3 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Nevada — Friday 8:40 p.m. Central Time
With the top two seeds out of the picture, Georgia Tech is suddenly the favorite in the St. Louis region.
Before the Yellow Jackets can pack their bags for San Antonio, however, they will have to get by No. 10 seed Nevada, which so far this tournament has been more than up to the challenge of pulling the upset.
The Wolf Pack (23-8) joined the long list of non-conference opponents who have defeated Michigan State in the first round, and dominated Gonzaga in a 91-72 win to advance to the Sweet 16.
Nevada played great defense against the Bulldogs, holding scorers Blake Stepp and Rony Turiaf to just 9-of-28 shooting from the floor. In contrast, the Nevada offense was explosive with five players in double figures. The Wolf Pack also shot 47 percent from behind the arc.
Nevada’s offense revolves around 6-foot-6 guard Kirk Snyder, who averages 3.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds to go along with his 18 points per game. Forward Kevin Pinkney has also been solid in the tournament, with 33 points in the first two games.
If Georgia Tech is going to avoid becoming the third team upset by the No. 10 seed, the Yellow Jackets will have to get their offense back on track. After scoring more than 77 points per game during the regular season, Georgia Tech has averaged just 61 points in their two tournament wins.
The Yellow Jackets do have a potent offense revolving around their three guards: Jarret Jack, Marvin Lewis and B.J. Elder, all of whom average in double figures. Junior forward Anthony McHenry also has been a pleasant surprise in the tournament. McHenry, who averaged just 2.7 points during the season, has scored in double figures in both of Georgia Tech’s victories.
Nevada has had a miracle run through the tournament, and with a win could set up a potential rematch with Kansas, which the Wolf Pack defeated 75-61 in December. However, look for Georgia Tech’s fast-pace attack and perimeter shooting to be too strong for the Wolf Pack.
No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 9 Alabama-Birmingham — Friday 6:10 p.m. Central Time
Nevada has been impressive in its upset victories, but the most surprising victory in the bracket may have been No. 9 seed Alabama-Birmingham’s 76-75 win over top-seeded Kentucky.
The loss marks the second straight tournament that Kentucky has been the top seed and failed to make it to the Final Four.
Senior guard Mo Finley made the game-winning shot, a 17-foot jumper, with 12.2 seconds remaining. The Wildcats had a chance at a buzzer-beater, but Gerald Fitch missed his 3-point attempt with 2.2 seconds left, and Chuck Hayes failed on the tip in.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Finley told the Associated Press after the game. “That shot definitely was a blessing from above. Hopefully, I’ve got a lot more games left in the tournament, but I don’t know if it can get any better than this.”
If Finley and his teammates are going to play more in the tournament, they will first have to get past No. 4 seed Kansas, who makes the short trip to St. Louis for the regional semifinals.
The Jayhawks have a huge advantage inside over UAB, with 6-foot-9 forwards Wayne Simien and Jeff Graves starting and 6-foot-11 center David Padgett coming off the bench. The trio combined for 37 points and 26 rebounds in the second round victory over No. 12 seed Pacific.
The Kansas backcourt is also talented, with junior point guard Aaron Miles averaging 7.4 assists per game and junior Keith Langford scoring 16.1 points per contest. Freshman J.R. Giddens has also been an important contributor with 30 points in the first two games of the tournament.
The Blazers will try to counter the Jayhawks’ deep lineup with an up-tempo game and pressing defense, but are very small on the inside. UAB was outrebounded by Kentucky 40-29 and may do even worse against Kansas’ talented front line.
The Blazers do have some depth with twins Ronnell and Donnell Taylor combining for 16 points per game off the bench. Guards Carldell “Squeaky” Johnson and Finley fit well into coach Mike Anderson’s pressing defense and may cause some problems for Kansas.
UAB, like Nevada, has had a great ride through the tournament, but getting past Kansas may be more than they can handle. Look for the Jayhawks to use the “home” court to their advantage to defeat UAB, but to come up just short against Georgia Tech in the regional final.
Surprise teams advance in St. Louis region games
March 25, 2004