They are just two words, but every year they send millions into a bracket-erasing, TV-buying, “friendly-wagering” frenzy.
Those words are, of course, March Madness; just three syllables that can propel a person to the top of an office pool or mark the beginning of a debilitating, life-long gambling addiction.
The road to the Final Four always begins in the four regional brackets. This year, the Phoenix region boasts a strong collection of teams, including both the current and preseason No. 1.
No. 1 Stanford
Stanford, the No. 1 seed in the Phoenix region, comes into the tournament ranked first in the Associated Press poll. The Cardinal saw their dream of a perfect season come to a halt against Washington on March 6, but are confident they can play with any team in the tournament.
“No one in the tournament scares us,” Stanford assistant coach Tony Fuller told the AP. “We respect everybody, but no one scares us.”
No. 2 UConn
The No. 2 seed University of Connecticut, the preseason No. 1, may prove to be Stanford’s biggest obstacle on the road to the Final Four if Player of the Year candidate Emeka Okafor’s back can hold up. UConn’s junior center has a stress fracture in his back and did not play well in the Big East Tournament.
Even if Okafor is unable to play, the Huskies will still be a dangerous team. With Okafor hobbled, junior point guard Ben Gordon picked up the scoring load at the tournament and set a Big East Tournament record with 81 points. UConn also has depth, with scorers Charlie Villanueva and Rashad Anderson coming off the bench.
Before a potential 1-2 match-up between the Huskies and the Cardinal can take place, Stanford will have to get past a number of talented teams.
No. 4 Terrapins on a tear
Maryland, who just a few weeks ago was questionable to even get into the field, managed to earn a No. 4 seed thanks to an Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Championship.
Led by tournament MVP John Gilchrist, the Terrapins beat the top three seeds in the ACC, including a 95-87 overtime victory over Duke in the conference championship.
No. 5 Syracuse to defend title
Maryland, the 2002 National Champions, may have to face 2003 champion and No. 5 Syracuse in the second round. The Orangemen face No. 12 seed BYU in the first round and look to avoid the potential fifth-seed upset. In 15 of the last 16 tournaments, a 12 seed has upset a five seed in the first round.
Although Syracuse is without last year’s Final Four MVP Carmelo Anthony, the Orangemen still have a strong lineup led by junior forward Hakim Warrick. Warrick, who is averaging 19.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, said the Orangemen are ready to defend their title.
“We’re not a No. 1 seed,” Warrick said. “We’re almost like an underdog and we have to go there as a five seed and prove once again that we belong.”
SEC, Louisiana ties
Representing the Southeastern Conference, No. 6 seed Vanderbilt will rely on the inside-outside skills of Matt Freije and David Przybyszewski to power them past No. 11 seed Western Michigan in the opening round.
Alabama, the other SEC team in the Phoenix region, will play the Southern Illinois Salukis in the first round. The Crimson Tide earned a No. 8 seed after going 8-8 in conference play, including a win over then No. 4 Mississippi State on Feb. 21.
Alabama also had one of the toughest schedules in the nation this season, with non-conference games against Pittsburgh, Providence and Wisconsin.
The Crimson Tide will face another tough match-up against Southern Illinois. The Salukis finished with a 25-4 record and went 17-1 in conference play.
As the only Louisiana team in the tournament, Louisiana-Lafayette faces a tough challenge in the first round in No. 3 seed North Carolina State. The Cajuns have five players averaging double figures, but will have to contain Wolfpack freshman forward Julius Hodge, who averages more than 18 points per game.
Biggest Tossup and Snub
The final match-up in the Phoenix region between No. 7 seed DePaul and No. 10 seed Dayton pits two closely matched teams. Depaul has three players who shoot more than 36 percent from 3-point range, while Dayton starts three seniors, all of whom average in double figures.
One team that won’t be in the Phoenix regional is Utah State. Arguably the biggest snub of the tournament, the Aggies failed to get into the field of 65 despite having a 25-3 record and the best winning percentage in school history.
The Aggies, ranked No. 22 in the ESPN coaches poll, lost by one point in the Big West Conference Tournament semifinals, and failed to get an at-large bid.