The top four seeds
No. 1 Syracuse (31-2): In a season of off-the-court problems, Syracuse has stumbled only twice on the court, losing to Notre Dame in January and to Cincinnati in the Big East tournament last week. Deep and balanced, Syracuse doesn't have a player averaging more than 14 points per game but has 10 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game.
No. 2 Ohio State (27-7): After beating Michigan State on the road on March 4, Ohio State lost to the Spartans in the Big Ten final a week later.
No. 3 Florida State (24-9): The Seminoles enter the Big Dance with the impressive momentum of back-to-back victories over Duke and North Carolina in the ACC tournament.
No. 4 Wisconsin (24-9): The Badgers have allowed just 52.9 points per game, fewest among Division I teams.
Four players to watch
Jared Sullinger, center, Ohio State: The 6-9 sophomore, battled through a series of injuries to put together a second All-American season, averaging 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds.
Kevin Jones, forward, West Virginia: The 6-8 senior, first-team All-Big East, averaged a double-double, 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds.
John Jenkins, guard, Vanderbilt: Georgia coach Mark Fox said the 6-4 junior is the best shooter he has coached against. Jenkins leads the SEC in scoring (19.9 points per game) and has made 129 3-pointers this season.
J'Covan Brown, guard, Texas: The 6-1 junior is the top scorer in the Big 12 at 20.1 points per game.
Three storylines
- Like old times? Can Syracuse get back to the Final Four in New Orleans, where it won the national title nine years ago?
- ACC, SEC champs: Can the winners of the ACC and SEC tournaments (Florida State and Vanderbilt, respectively) build on their momentum?
- The Sullinger factor: Can Jared Sullinger stay out of foul trouble and be a dominant force as Ohio State seeks to go farther than its Sweet 16 exits of the past two years?
Most intriguing first-round matchup
Vanderbilt vs. Harvard: This 5-vs.-12 pairing features two schools much better known for academics than athletics. Vanderbilt is coming off a victory over Kentucky in the SEC tournament final, while Harvard is in the NCAA tourney for the first time since 1946.
Best potential second-round matchup
Syracuse vs. Kansas State: If No. 8 seed Kansas State gets past No. 9 Southern Mississippi on Thursday, the Wildcats could pose a threat to the region's top seed on Saturday.
Bracket buster
Vanderbilt fell short of lofty expectations during the regular season, but the No. 5 seed could stay on its SEC tournament roll and go a long way.
Sound bite
"I think Wisconsin is an interesting team, although they'll face Vanderbilt assuming they both advance. And that to me is the sleeper team in [the East], Vanderbilt." -- CBS analyst Clark Kellogg
The numbers game
14: Consecutive NCAA tournament appearances by Wisconsin, Gonzaga and Texas.
20-1: Montana's record since Dec. 17.
42.4%: Cincinnati's shooting percentage, which ranks 225th in the nation but is mitigated by the Bearcats giving up only 60.8 points per game.
Now you know
Loyola-Maryland is in the tournament with a 24-8 record, eight years after finishing 1-27.
Bound for the Sweet 16
Channel 2 Action News sports director Zach Klein picks Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Florida State and Ohio State.
Bound for the Final Four
Klein sees Florida State and Vanderbilt reaching the Elite Eight, with the Seminoles then beating the Commodores for a spot in the Final Four. Klein: "Vandy is a senior-laden team whose confidence cannot be higher after cutting down the nets in the SEC tournament. I think John Jenkins, who is shooting 45-percent from beyond the arc, will find space in Syracuse’s zone defense. The Seminoles also have some swagger after winning the ACC title here in Atlanta. Any team that can beat Duke and North Carolina twice in the same season has to be taken seriously. FSU has eight players who are on the court for 17-plus minutes a game, and most have experience in the tournament. Look out New Orleans, the Seminoles are coming!"
