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Home > ajcsportstalk > Archives > 2007 > March > 23 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBradley picks South, West regional winners
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
SOUTH REGIONAL
Ohio State over Memphis: OK, it’s official. The Buckeyes are a team of destiny. How else to explain a team falling behind by an aggregate 31 points in its last two games and still advancing?
What’s becoming clear is that Ohio State is a better team in scramble mode than in trying to play conventional basketball, which makes little sense given that any team with Greg Oden should be very good at conventional basketball. But Oden only seems to slow the Buckeyes down, and they’re actually better when they go faster,
Any doubts about Memphis — and I’ve had my share, I admit — are gone now. The Tigers have reached the Elite Eight for a second consecutive season and figure to benefit from their meltdown against UCLA last season. They won’t be as frazzled by the moment this time. (If they weren’t frazzled playing Texas A&M in San Antonio, nothing should bother them.)
Still, the Buckeyes simply have more ways to win. Mike Conley Jr. will again be the best player on the floor, and he’ll take over when Ohio State falls behind by 10. And nobody plays better from behind than Ohio State.
WEST REGIONAL
Kansas over UCLA: A warning flag went up Thursday night. If the Jayhawks couldn’t shake Southern Illinois — and they couldn’t, not for a minute — how will they fare against a team that defends just as well but is capable of scoring a little more?
They should be fine. The Salukis brought Kansas back to reality after two high-flying NCAA victories and re-emphasized the point Bill Self surely keeps making: While talent and dunks are nice, nothing works in March quite like wicked defense and whip-smart execution.
For all its grit, UCLA hasn’t played a team like Kansas all season. Nobody in the Pac-10 — maybe nobody in the country — can match the Jayhawks’ combination of speed and size and depth, and through three NCAA games the Bruins haven’t had to slow down a team that emphasizes running.
Kansas just proved what more than a few folks doubted — that it could win a game in the 60s. The Jayhawks probably will have to do it again Saturday, but they now know they’re capable.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Final Four
Comments
By edubb
March 23, 2007 8:34 PM | Link to this
Hawk Fan In Atlanta. Rock Chalk Baby!!!
By edubb
March 23, 2007 8:35 PM | Link to this
Hawk Fan In Atlanta. Rock Chalk Baby!!!
By nate
March 23, 2007 8:42 PM | Link to this
I think Kansas wins this game. Bill Self is a agood coach and it’s his time. The good coaches eventually win big and I think this Kansas will beat UCLA. Ohio State beats Memphis. I think the inside play will be the difference in this one. This will be a low scoring game.
By Buck Cochran in the NW
March 23, 2007 11:20 PM | Link to this
Lost two when I went with Vandy and the Vols but looking good so far with USC and oregon. Picked Reptile still to win it all………hard to go against Ohio St. but I’m taking another upset special…..U.C.L.A. They’re street fighters and that’ll be the difference.
By Buck Cochran in the NW
March 24, 2007 12:03 AM | Link to this
OOPS’, USC….I’M WAVING AS I FALL BY
By Whopper Dawg
March 24, 2007 2:16 AM | Link to this
Mark,
I patterned one of my bracket entries in my ofice pool on the picks you made in your column preceding the start of the tournament, so I can officially say that you are complete idiot on the subject of college basketball. Not only am I doing better on my self scribed entry, the entry based on your column is dead last, being beaten out by the likes of women (not that there is anything wrong with that) and small children.
On your current picks, Memphis will beat Ohio State and the UCLA/Kansas game is a toss up in which I favor UCLA. I’ll text you tommorrow with the results.
Whopper