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http://www.freeunderdog.com/college-...edictions.html
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2004 NCAA 1ST AND 2ND ROUND TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
----------------------------------------------
Well, arguably the world’s greatest sports show
gets ready to roll this Thursday with one of the most
competitive fields in recent history. As many as
eight teams have a legitimate shot to win the
tournament this season. I’ll follow up this preview
release with a sweet sixteen preview next week.
Wunderdog’s Top Four Headed Into Tournament
-------------------------------------------
1) Maryland - No one comes into this tournament as hot
as the Terrapins who pulled off on the best three game
stretches of all time in last weekend's ACC
tournament. In case you missed it, and if you're
reading this you did not, The Terps upset Wake, NC
State and Duke in three days to win the title.
Confidence matters so much in this tournament. If UM
gets by UTEP in the opening round, there may be no
stopping Maryland.
2) Kentucky - They also enter this tournament on fire
having won nine in a row, while also covering in each
of those ballgames. They are lead by Fitch and
Daniels, and are known for their tenacious defense
which is certainly an attribute in tournament play.
The only knock on UK is there inconsistency shooting
the basketball. They have been known to put together
terrible shooting performances this season. If that
should happen in this tournament, they could exit
earlier than they should.
3) Oklahoma St. - The Cowboys have a very legitimate
shot to win this tournament, and they are well coached
by Eddie Sutton, and are loaded with talent, led by
Tony Allen, Josh Graham, and PG Lucas. They have
steamrolled through the Big 12 conference this season,
leaving everyone in their dust. Defense will be the
key for this team. If they are able to defend well
throughout the tournament, they will win the National
Championship.
4) Gonzaga - No longer in the underdog roll they
relished for so many years. Gonzaga enters with one
of the best inside / outside offenses in the country
led by Ronnie Turiaf and Blake Stepp. Gonzaga's
weakness lies in their half court perimeter defense.
If they are unable to stop quicker guards from
penetrating, and creating mismatches and foul trouble
for their big men, they could also exit the tournament
earlier than expected. They'll have a tough time as
the tourney goes on and the guards get quicker and
quicker.
Wunderdog’s Top Four teams you've never seen play this season
-------------------------------------------------------------
1) Western Michigan – Could the 26-4 Broncos be my
Cinderella pick this year? See below.
2) East Tennessee St. - a very good team, who got
unlucky in drawing Cincy in Columbus. A bit more of a
neutral court and I think they beat Cincinnati outright.
3) Manhattan - Lead by Luis Flores, the Jaspers have
had a terrific season and get the chance for the
exclamation point against the Gators. The Jaspers
beat Richmond outright earlier this season and nearly
upset Syracuse on the road.
4) Illinois-Chicago - UIC gets terrific guard play
from Cedric Banks and Aaron Carr, and won two tough
games away from home against Butler, and Detroit to
get here. They'll put a real scare into the Jayhawks
in this spot. Boast wins over Eastern Washington and
Northwestern this season and their conference is no
pushover.
Wunderdog’s Top Five Players
----------------------------
1) Emeka Okafor – Connecticut. When healthy, the best
player in the country hands down. Even with back
problems, will still be tough for opponents in this
tournament
2) Jamir Nelson - St. Joseph's. A great point guard,
who combined with Dalonte West, forms the best
backcourt in college basketball. SJU's downfall will
occur in their frontcourt. Jamir has a great NBA
career ahead of him despite his small stature.
3) Josh Childress – Stanford. A high riser with
serious game. Very similar to a young Julius Erving.
I am still waiting for him to come down after his
dunk against UW last Saturday. As Bill Rafferty would
say, 'come down big fella'. Childress has to be
mentioned among the best all around players in college
basketball over the last five seasons.
4) Tony Allen - Oklahoma State, not as well known as
he should be. A slashing-type player who can flat out
score against anyone.
5) Lawrence Roberts - Mississippi State, at the center
of the Bulldogs monster season. One of the best big
men in the country. This will be his true coming out
party.
Wunderdog’s Top Five Players You've Probably Never Heard of
-----------------------------------------------------------
1) Luis Flores – Manhattan. A great scorer for the
Jaspers. He gives them a shot against anyone in the
tournament.
2) Rafael Araujo – BYU. A huge man with NBA in his future.
Has the ability to take over a game by himself. It
will be fun to watch he and Warrick go at it down low
in the first round.
3) Nick Jacobsen – Utah. One of the best pure shooters
in years. He hit the shot that sent the Utes to the
tourney on Saturday night.
4) Tim Smith - East Tennessee State. A speedy point guard
has ability to take over games by himself. Will be a
handful for the lax defense of the Bearcats.
5) Taylor Coppenrath – Vermont. He scored 43 in his first
game in over a month last Saturday. If you get the
chance, watch him play on Thursday against UCONN. You
will not be disappointed.
Wunderdog’s Best First Round Match-ups
--------------------------------------
Florida vs. Manhattan - This one will go down to the
wire. Flores and company have a real good shot at the
upset here. UF has been winning some recently, but
they have beaten some pretty average basketball teams
over that stretch.
Washington vs. UAB - Two teams chalked full of phenom
athletes. This will be the most entertaining first
round game based on that alone. If you have no had
the chance to watch these two point guards, take
advantage of it.
Alabama vs. Southern Illinois - The Salukis are good
and ‘Bama has had a pretty good season considering
their schedule. This is another game where an upset
is a very real possibility.
North Carolina vs. Air Force - Two completely
different teams. Can UNC maintain its focus against
AFA's slow it down style? Can AFA match up with the
athletic Heels? This is essentially a home game for
AFA in Denver. They'll have the sentiment of 22,000
at the Pepsi Center. This should be quite a game.
Western Michigan vs. Vanderbilt - WMU may be flat out
better than the Commodores. This will be a dog fight
between tow very good basketball teams. MAC teams
have fared very well in the NCAA's in recent years.
Wunderdog’s Best Potential Second Round Match-ups
-------------------------------------------------
Texas vs. North Carolina - The match-up everyone in
Denver is pulling for. In a market starved for big
time basketball, this would be a dream match-up, and a
closely contested shootout to boot.
Duke vs. Arizona - When Arizona is motivated, they are
one of the best offensive teams in the country. They
would be ready to play Duke, who has shown some chinks
in their armor recently. If Reddick continues to
struggle from outside, the Cats could win this game
outright.
Memphis vs. Oklahoma State - Memphis would match up
well with the Cowboys in this situation. The only
thing we see is that it will be played in KC, which
favors the Cowboys.
Kentucky vs. Washington - Should UW get by UAB, this
will be a shootout. UW is the quickest team West of
the Mississippi and would pose a serious threat to the
Cats here.
Nevada vs. Gonzaga - Nevada is a great team out of the
WAC. They would give Gonzaga all they can handle
here.
Wunderdog’s Cinderella Pick of 2004
-----------------------------------
Western Michigan - the 26-4 MAC champions are led by
6-8 forward Mike Williams. They boast wins over USC
on their home court, and road wins against UAB and
Arizona State. The Broncos are the real deal and
could easily wind up in the sweet sixteen.
Wunderdog’s 2004 Champion Pick is...
------------------------------------
Oklahoma State - The Cowboys are loaded and have
played very good basketball all year long. Lucas can
beat you in so many different ways, and they are
disciplined on offense and defense. They'll be
celebrating in Stillwater, Oklahoma in early April.
Wunderdog
http://www.freeunderdog.com/college-...edictions.html
Get Free Picks Get Free Picks
http://www.freeunderdog.com/college-...edictions.html
----------------------------------------------
2004 NCAA 1ST AND 2ND ROUND TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
----------------------------------------------
Well, arguably the world’s greatest sports show
gets ready to roll this Thursday with one of the most
competitive fields in recent history. As many as
eight teams have a legitimate shot to win the
tournament this season. I’ll follow up this preview
release with a sweet sixteen preview next week.
Wunderdog’s Top Four Headed Into Tournament
-------------------------------------------
1) Maryland - No one comes into this tournament as hot
as the Terrapins who pulled off on the best three game
stretches of all time in last weekend's ACC
tournament. In case you missed it, and if you're
reading this you did not, The Terps upset Wake, NC
State and Duke in three days to win the title.
Confidence matters so much in this tournament. If UM
gets by UTEP in the opening round, there may be no
stopping Maryland.
2) Kentucky - They also enter this tournament on fire
having won nine in a row, while also covering in each
of those ballgames. They are lead by Fitch and
Daniels, and are known for their tenacious defense
which is certainly an attribute in tournament play.
The only knock on UK is there inconsistency shooting
the basketball. They have been known to put together
terrible shooting performances this season. If that
should happen in this tournament, they could exit
earlier than they should.
3) Oklahoma St. - The Cowboys have a very legitimate
shot to win this tournament, and they are well coached
by Eddie Sutton, and are loaded with talent, led by
Tony Allen, Josh Graham, and PG Lucas. They have
steamrolled through the Big 12 conference this season,
leaving everyone in their dust. Defense will be the
key for this team. If they are able to defend well
throughout the tournament, they will win the National
Championship.
4) Gonzaga - No longer in the underdog roll they
relished for so many years. Gonzaga enters with one
of the best inside / outside offenses in the country
led by Ronnie Turiaf and Blake Stepp. Gonzaga's
weakness lies in their half court perimeter defense.
If they are unable to stop quicker guards from
penetrating, and creating mismatches and foul trouble
for their big men, they could also exit the tournament
earlier than expected. They'll have a tough time as
the tourney goes on and the guards get quicker and
quicker.
Wunderdog’s Top Four teams you've never seen play this season
-------------------------------------------------------------
1) Western Michigan – Could the 26-4 Broncos be my
Cinderella pick this year? See below.
2) East Tennessee St. - a very good team, who got
unlucky in drawing Cincy in Columbus. A bit more of a
neutral court and I think they beat Cincinnati outright.
3) Manhattan - Lead by Luis Flores, the Jaspers have
had a terrific season and get the chance for the
exclamation point against the Gators. The Jaspers
beat Richmond outright earlier this season and nearly
upset Syracuse on the road.
4) Illinois-Chicago - UIC gets terrific guard play
from Cedric Banks and Aaron Carr, and won two tough
games away from home against Butler, and Detroit to
get here. They'll put a real scare into the Jayhawks
in this spot. Boast wins over Eastern Washington and
Northwestern this season and their conference is no
pushover.
Wunderdog’s Top Five Players
----------------------------
1) Emeka Okafor – Connecticut. When healthy, the best
player in the country hands down. Even with back
problems, will still be tough for opponents in this
tournament
2) Jamir Nelson - St. Joseph's. A great point guard,
who combined with Dalonte West, forms the best
backcourt in college basketball. SJU's downfall will
occur in their frontcourt. Jamir has a great NBA
career ahead of him despite his small stature.
3) Josh Childress – Stanford. A high riser with
serious game. Very similar to a young Julius Erving.
I am still waiting for him to come down after his
dunk against UW last Saturday. As Bill Rafferty would
say, 'come down big fella'. Childress has to be
mentioned among the best all around players in college
basketball over the last five seasons.
4) Tony Allen - Oklahoma State, not as well known as
he should be. A slashing-type player who can flat out
score against anyone.
5) Lawrence Roberts - Mississippi State, at the center
of the Bulldogs monster season. One of the best big
men in the country. This will be his true coming out
party.
Wunderdog’s Top Five Players You've Probably Never Heard of
-----------------------------------------------------------
1) Luis Flores – Manhattan. A great scorer for the
Jaspers. He gives them a shot against anyone in the
tournament.
2) Rafael Araujo – BYU. A huge man with NBA in his future.
Has the ability to take over a game by himself. It
will be fun to watch he and Warrick go at it down low
in the first round.
3) Nick Jacobsen – Utah. One of the best pure shooters
in years. He hit the shot that sent the Utes to the
tourney on Saturday night.
4) Tim Smith - East Tennessee State. A speedy point guard
has ability to take over games by himself. Will be a
handful for the lax defense of the Bearcats.
5) Taylor Coppenrath – Vermont. He scored 43 in his first
game in over a month last Saturday. If you get the
chance, watch him play on Thursday against UCONN. You
will not be disappointed.
Wunderdog’s Best First Round Match-ups
--------------------------------------
Florida vs. Manhattan - This one will go down to the
wire. Flores and company have a real good shot at the
upset here. UF has been winning some recently, but
they have beaten some pretty average basketball teams
over that stretch.
Washington vs. UAB - Two teams chalked full of phenom
athletes. This will be the most entertaining first
round game based on that alone. If you have no had
the chance to watch these two point guards, take
advantage of it.
Alabama vs. Southern Illinois - The Salukis are good
and ‘Bama has had a pretty good season considering
their schedule. This is another game where an upset
is a very real possibility.
North Carolina vs. Air Force - Two completely
different teams. Can UNC maintain its focus against
AFA's slow it down style? Can AFA match up with the
athletic Heels? This is essentially a home game for
AFA in Denver. They'll have the sentiment of 22,000
at the Pepsi Center. This should be quite a game.
Western Michigan vs. Vanderbilt - WMU may be flat out
better than the Commodores. This will be a dog fight
between tow very good basketball teams. MAC teams
have fared very well in the NCAA's in recent years.
Wunderdog’s Best Potential Second Round Match-ups
-------------------------------------------------
Texas vs. North Carolina - The match-up everyone in
Denver is pulling for. In a market starved for big
time basketball, this would be a dream match-up, and a
closely contested shootout to boot.
Duke vs. Arizona - When Arizona is motivated, they are
one of the best offensive teams in the country. They
would be ready to play Duke, who has shown some chinks
in their armor recently. If Reddick continues to
struggle from outside, the Cats could win this game
outright.
Memphis vs. Oklahoma State - Memphis would match up
well with the Cowboys in this situation. The only
thing we see is that it will be played in KC, which
favors the Cowboys.
Kentucky vs. Washington - Should UW get by UAB, this
will be a shootout. UW is the quickest team West of
the Mississippi and would pose a serious threat to the
Cats here.
Nevada vs. Gonzaga - Nevada is a great team out of the
WAC. They would give Gonzaga all they can handle
here.
Wunderdog’s Cinderella Pick of 2004
-----------------------------------
Western Michigan - the 26-4 MAC champions are led by
6-8 forward Mike Williams. They boast wins over USC
on their home court, and road wins against UAB and
Arizona State. The Broncos are the real deal and
could easily wind up in the sweet sixteen.
Wunderdog’s 2004 Champion Pick is...
------------------------------------
Oklahoma State - The Cowboys are loaded and have
played very good basketball all year long. Lucas can
beat you in so many different ways, and they are
disciplined on offense and defense. They'll be
celebrating in Stillwater, Oklahoma in early April.
Wunderdog
http://www.freeunderdog.com/college-...edictions.html
Get Free Picks Get Free Picks