March Madness Preview by Mike Giongo

     “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. . . . for college basketball fans when spring arrives in March, as this also marks the commencement of March Madness. March Madness is the race for NCAA gold between 65 teams, and it is often the place for numerous thrills and highlight-reel three-pointers and shot blocks. Surprisingly, this is the first tournament in a long time that lacks a truly dominant team. There is no overwhelming favorite this season, which only heightens the excitement of “the Big Dance.”

4 Teams Built for Gold

1. Syracuse-Despite a stunning loss to Georgetown in the Big East Tournament, the fact remains that Syracuse was the number one team in college basketball for the latter half of the regluar season and is home to the Big East Player of the Year in F Wes Johnson, who was nothing short of a revelation after his transfer from Iowa State, with 16.0 PPG. Plus, the Orange have a killer defense and an offense that masterfully spreads the ball, and recent years have shown that balance wins in March.

2. Kansas-This is more like 1A, as  it is an extremely close number two to Syracuse. Kansas won the championship in 2008, and it still maintains the ingredients of a contender-experience, depth,  toughness, versatility, and steel-curtain defense. The Jayhawks are led by arguably the most powerful post game in the country, featuring a superb big man in Cole Aldrich, whichis complemented by equally effective perimenter play, higlighted by swift guard Sherron Collins. KU is probably the most complete team in the tournament.

3. Kentucky-Warning to the other 64 teams in the tournament-you are about to hit a wall. That is, electrifying freshman guard John Wall, who lit up the SEC with his 16.9 PPG and 6.2 AST. Wall, however, is not the only reason that Kentucky has maintained its presence as a perennial power. Credit also another superb coaching job by new coach John Calipari and the best backcourt duo in college basketball, with fellow freshman C DeMarcus Cousins and F Patrick Patterson. No team in the tournament creates more one-on-one matchup dilemmas, as the Wildcats have both the speed to penetrate zone and the size to handle man defenses.

4. West Virginia-The Mountaineers could potentially be the surprise team of the season. Having made only one Final Four and winning no national championships since its inception, West Virginia shocked the world when it clinched the Big East Tournament. Hard-nosed, physical play is this team’s forte, and F Da’Shan Butler is an outstanding floor general who can pass and shoot. Butler is complemented by the quickness of F Devin Ebanks and superb defense of  fellow backcourt mate Wellington Smith. A team playing for history is always dangerous, and that is precisely what the Mountaineers are.

Honorable Mentions: Ohio State, Duke, Kansas State