Did you watch the KU vs. Utah game?  What did the eye test tell you?  Weigh in on my Twitter or Facebook page.  I was in attendance to deliver this eye test report:

Up next, I’ll be at Madison Square Garden for the Indiana Hoosiers and Georgetown Hoyas.  Thanks for watching this video and be sure to check out my next vlog!

I pick five teams every Saturday morning based on odds published by the Vegas Insider.  I look for college basketball odds from Vegas that look wrong.  For example, it seemed odd that Green Bay was a 9 point underdog recently to Miami.  Green Bay beat the Hurricanes outright.  That’s one of my seven wins so far this season.  My 7-3 record is authenticated by the tweets I send pregame.

Check out my future picks on Twitter by using the hashtag #SuspectSpreadsSaturday.  I clearly write what teams you should take and what the point spread is.  This past weekend I registed a 4-1 record against the spread.  Again, the personal highlight included an underdog in Xavier (+3.5) that won the game outright in Columbia, Missouri.
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College basketball’s bubble is like a stick of bubble gum itself.  Right now the flavor of every team is bursting with freshness.  The out-of-conference match-ups allow us to get a true taste for each team.  Two months from now we will be chewing on that same piece, working it over trying to find something new about the teams.  There will be injuries, mental fatigue and, by the way, these kids actually have school to attend.

The first team that strikes me with that type of early season clarity is Clemson.  Sure, they’re a young bunch that will lose games to the Gardner Webb’s of the world, but could be dangerous as they mature later this season.  The athleticism is what passes the eye test.  I find it ironic that AP voters kept LSU and Arkansas from the top 25, in part, because they lost to Clemson.  However, Clemson is young, extremely athletic, and the type of team that steals a seed in early March because it reaches the ACC Championship game.  We’ve seen that script play out before in the past.  The program has a lot of momentum.  They’ll build a new arena next year.  Coach Brad Brownell signed a six-year extension in May.  Yes, they lost dynamic scorer K.J. McDaniels to the Philadelphia 76ers.  However, they add 6’8” freshman Donte Grantham (video embedded below).    They also retained a senior point guard in Rod Hall who led them to the final four of last year’s NIT.

Congratulations to Northern Iowa for entering the AP Top 25.  The two players I like on this team are seniors Seth Tuttle and Marvin Singleton.  Both have size and are tough under the basket.  In Northern Iowa’s impressive win at Stephen F. Austin, Jeff Van Gundy called Tuttle a “draft-able as a big man.”  But, to better understand what’s going on with this team, I go directly to the source.  Here is highlights posted by the UNI Men’s Basketball team’s YouTube channel of its third win of the season (the Panthers are now 8-0).

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And one of my 5 preseason underdog teams, St. John’s, continues to roll.  The Johnnies one upstate in the Carrier Dome against Syracuse.  That’s an impressive win any year.  But my one concern would be the amount of minutes played by the same core group of 5 guys.  Steve Lavin has the exact opposite of John Calipari’s “platoon” system.  Lavin’s combination of Obekpa, Green IV, Harrison, Pointer and Jordan are on the floor together for a majority of these games.  For example, during the Minnesota game, the unit logged 176 total minutes.  Against Syracuse they played 178 combined.

Speaking of Minnesota, watch out now for Mo Walker.  On the heels of learning that fellow Gophers big Josh Martin is leaving immediately, Walker put up a career high 22 points on 9-11 shooting.  Walker has reportedly lost 70 pounds since Richard Pitino took over at Minnesota.  With Martin leaving and Daquein McNeil suspended on charged he assaulted his girlfriend, the Gophers are in need of someone stepping up.

Final from Williams. #RaiseTheBarn http://t.co/lpETFtUpgx—
Minnesota MBB (@GopherMBB) December 09, 2014

Across the Big 10 landscape, a pair of twin towers will challenge the size of the Twin Cities.  Purdue’s freshman Tyler Haas is bringing some infectious energy to the Boilermakers.  Last season, Purdue center A.J. Hammonds looked sleepy, despite being a sure-fire NBA prospect.  Now word is that he and Haas have made a solid friendship through battling each other at practice.  It is evident in watching the games, that the chemistry between these two is strong.  When one scores before a time out, the other jumps off the bench to mug his teammate.  In their dominant performance against N.C. State, Haas and Hammonds took turns jumping on each others back before shaking hands with the Wolfpack.  Don’t ask me how the Boilermakers lost to the North Florida Osprey’s, I didn’t see the game.

The teams I believe do not belong in the AP Top 25 are as follows:  Notre Dame, Washington, Miami and Maryland.  I’d replace them with LSU, Purdue, Green Bay and Arkansas.  Baylor is a tempting pick, especially because the Bears are 7-1 despite losing Kenny Chery to injury the last four games.  However, I give Arkansas the slight edge because of my previous argument about Clemson.  Texas also had an impressive showing this week in Kentucky without one of their best guards, Isaiah Taylor.  In closing, I recommend watching these out-of-conference games while you can, fellow hoops fans.  Make a judgement on these teams now before the grind of conference play lands your opinion squarely on the fence.

College basketball enthusiasts like myself are still eating.  After the Thanksgiving serving of holiday tournaments, our DVRs are full of games left to digest.  I employ anyone like myself to also check out ESPN3’s replay function, where a ton of under top 25 games are available to watch.  Take, for example, a classic matchup in Massachusetts vs. Harvard recently.  Although these teams are quote unquote “Bay State rivals,” it was the first time since the early eighties that the Minutemen visited Harvard’s gym.  Harvard’s leader, Wesley Saunders, made a clutch basket and a few key free throws to win the game.  Because I pride myself on watching these games, this is the type of situational basketball I love to SEE.  Harvard Coach Tommy Amaker got the ball in his leader’s hands at the end of the game.

But, unfortunately, this blog cannot be dedicated to raving about every basketball team in the land.  I have to be critical at some point, because on the first Thursday and Friday we’ll all be eliminating 32 teams in our bracket.  The teams that did not get the ball to their big weapons late in games are two giants in our game:  North Carolina and Michigan State.

UNC lost to Butler in Atlantis during a holiday tournament.  Normally we would chalk this up to “Butler being Butler,” but I’m going to throw a flag on this upset specifically.  If recent history has taught us anything about the anatomy of an upset, it’s that some basketball teams do not respond well early in the day.  Just like the “Eye Test Tuesday” tradition itself, basketball players like getting into a rhythm and act as creatures of habit.  However, March Madness is all about cracking that habit.  A huge upset that comes to mind is  when 10-seeded St. Mary’s defeated 2-seeded Villanova in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.  At the time, Jay Wright’s bunch led by point guard Scottie Reynolds was a vogue pick to make the Final Four.  But, this game was played at one o’clock eastern time and, if you remember being in college, that might as well be 8 a.m.  The sand trap of the first slate of games captured the Wildcats.  Going back to this UNC loss, they struggled to find their identity.  Although big man Kennedy Meeks averages almost 14 points on the season, he struggled to score just 7 in this one (a season low).

The same was true in Michigan State’s mind-boggling offense against Kansas late in the Orlando Classic Championship game.  Folks back in Flint, Michigan could hear Dick Vitale hollering for the Spartans to feed Brandon Dawson the ball late.  But they didn’t.  Kansas won a game which was, in reality, much closer than it should have been.  Travis Trice made a fast-break three pointer to make the score look closer than the play dictated.

Because I’m a basketball junkie, I like listing things in increments of five. Therefore, I’ll round out this Eye Test Tuesday with three more highly-ranked teams that I think are suspect.  I believe the Florida Gators have lost way too much in terms of veteran scoring to justify its 40 votes in the latest top 25 ranking.  Utah, although I listed them as a preseason darling, really disappointed when I watched them against San Diego St.  Delon Wright went 2-13 from the field, not scoring in the first half in that game.  It was an offensive dumpster fire and I personally don’t see how the loser of that ranked matchup can remain in the top 25 (currently 25th).  And, lastly, I really don’t believe Miami is the number 15 team in the nation.  Did it ever occur to you that Miami ranked 15th and Illinois ranked 24 could have something to do with their primetime matchup tonight on ESPN?  Maybe the match of these AP rankings and the primetime programming have some odd connection?  I am not convinced just because Miami beat Florida in some last minute heroics by Angel Rodriguez.  They 7-0 resume includes more cupcakes and back-to-back wins against Charlotte (the last in which they squeaked out a two point win).   These are the sort of gold glove-styled rankings.  By default, Miami earns a 15 ranking, plays Illinois which also falls into a 24 ranking, and these teams are grandfathered into the top 25 for weeks to come.  I encourage more AP voters to watch the tape on teams like Wyoming, Green Bay, St. John’s, Georgetown and, yes, vote with your eyes.

In closing, I’d like to specify that all of these teams have incredible kids that make the game so fun to watch.  Even though I write about so-called flaws to the UNC and Michigan State’s of the world, I do so knowing how high these programs have raised the bar over the decades.  Kennedy Meeks would beat me and two of my clones 11-0 in one-one-one.  I am merely parsing out the cream of the crop as I try to brainstorm months in advance what the bracket could look like.  Enjoy the games everyone!

In a country where twelve-legged turduckens have taken over Thanksgiving, you can also feast on this treat.
Happy Thanksgiving,

Matty D
aka Matty Brackets

So the slew of tip-off tournaments already has me reassessing the top 25 I had preconceived in my head.  It may take until January to digest all of the transfer comings and goings.  However, actually watching the games so far can differentiate what teams are ready to compete versus which rosters look good on paper.

Kentucky, unfortunately, is damn good.  They’re as good as advertised, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop searching the land for the best underdogs to surprise.  I say unfortunately, because, well who can root for a team that already stands at 9/5 odds to win a championship.  On the other side of the ledger, VCU and Trayveon Graham are having trouble ramming through that next step as a program, pun intended.

My biggest take-away from the tip-off marathon (granted, I have hours left on my DVR still to consume) –that I should start listing teams A-Z and grading them.   The letter “W” jumps out.  West Virginia and Wyoming are teams at the bottom of the alphabet with a real ability to be a top sleeper this March.

Let’s start with Wyoming.  Josh Adams is a Delonte West type of point guard.  He has a Sacramento Kings Jason Williams deceptive street style to his handle, but his athleticism is dunk competition-worthy.  Pair him with Larry Nance, Junior and a fleet of swing-men and this team is very dangerous.  The cowboys defeated a very good Colorado Buffaloes team and it wasn’t even close.  Wyoming won by a final score of twenty and dominated throughout.

West Virginia could be Bob Huggins best team since a final four run some years ago.  The key difference is the size and athleticism at the forward position that allows a feisty full court press.  That versatility is most embodied in junior college transfer Jonathan Holton.  Holton is a 6-7 senior from Miami who appears to enjoy guarding the ball on an inbound.

True college basketball enthusiasts already know WVU’s guard Juwon Staten is one of the nation’s best point guards.  If they can create as many problems for opposing guards in the full court press as they did against a traditionally guard-strong UCONN bunch, it only gives better leverage to Staten and his backcourt.  West Virginia is instantly ranked 21st in the nation now after its tournament championship.  However, look for this team to disappear again from the national conversation once its conference play brings about the usual suspect headliners in the Big 12—Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma…even Iowa State, which has become a media darling with Fred Hoiberg aka “The Mayor” in charge.

Welcome to my second season as an NCAA basketball blogger.  Last year, in my first-ever article, I listed UCONN in my “starting five,” a list of five underdog teams I believe have a chance to win a championship.  How is that for a rookie perfomance?

I create my “starting five” of underdog teams with a simple method.  I pretend I have $100 to spend in Vegas.  In this hypothetical, I am trying to win at least $1,000 bucks.  I pick five teams that could win me that $1,000.  Betting $17 on UCONN at 60-to-1 odds would have earned you $1,020 dollars.  If you won on my advice last season, you’re welcome.

Here’s my “starting five” for 2014-15, according to odds published by the vegasinsiders.com.

St. John’s at 200-to-1 is attractive.  The Red Storm lost Jakarr Sampson to the NBA, but what good team doesn’t?  I personally believe coach Steve Lavin is at a turning point with this program.  I know he is a great coach, seemingly a better motivator.  Lavin has reached the point in where the team is full of “his guys.”  Sadly, the Big East is watered down from its glory days of Syracuse and so on.  This presents an opportunity for St. John’s to battle with Villanova and Georgetown for the top spot.  Don’t sleep on Providence (hello: conference champions) and Creighton.  However, I think St. John’s has a great chance of making the NCAA tournament with momentum, even if I’m wrong and they finished third place in this league.

Speaking of a coach who has a full tenure as “having his guys” in the program, Virginia is a no-brainer risk at 35-to-1.  Coach Tony Bennett brings back talented and now-experience swingmen Malcom Brogdon and Anthony Gill.  The Cavaliers have asserted themselves as one of the nation’s best defensive programs.  There’s also another player I’ll tell you more about later.

LSU is another huge sleeper of mine.  The Tigers sit at 220-to-1 odds currently.  They have two sophomore stud forwards and add the orchestration of Bruce Hornsby’s son Keith at point guard.  Yes, the son of the Grammy-Award winner will be eligible to play this season after transferring from UNC Asheville.

My fourth team makes me nervous, but that pales in comparison to what the club experienced this offseason.  A player on the team was hit by a car driven by his teammate.  You can research on your own the conditions surrounding that incident.  However, in this case, I think what doesn’t kill IU will make them stronger.  Yogi Ferrell and the Indiana Hoosiers top my preseason value picks.  Let the record show, this team is listed as a 220-to-1 underdog to win the title.  I think this team is one of a few that is not expected to win its conference, but can in fact win a national championship.  The reason is that Indiana has a point guard that is a true floor general in Yogi Ferrell.  My UCONN pick was based on point guard Shabazz Napier.  If there will be a repeat storyline in 2015, with a winning point guard taking complete command of a team, I can envision it in Ferrell.  The report embedded below is Ferrell’s reaction to the off-the-court incidents, as filed by Indianapolis WRTV-6 ( ABC) sports anchor Dave Furst.

My fifth and final underdog value pick is Utah.  Coach Larry Krystkowiak is more likely to tweet a photo of a snowman than his own basketball team, but don’t send the Utes “packing” just yet.

Utah is listed at 85-to-1 now.  Las Vegas seems to be catching on, as I saw them 200-to-1 a few weeks ago.  Bleacher Report wrote an entire article about how Delon Wright, the brother of NBA player Dorrell Wright, is the best prospect you’ve never heard off.  Put $11 fictitious dollars on Utah, $5 apiece on LSU, Indiana, St. John’s, and $28 on Virginia.  That leaves me with $46 and plenty of room left to write about my counter to the AP’s top 5 players.

Once again, I am again shaking my head at the Associated Press preseason top 5 All-Americans.  The only guy who deserves to be there is Montrezl Harrell.  Have you ever wished for Gold Glove Awards and season MVP’s to be handed out *after* championship are decided.  In many leagues, like the MLB, that is not the case.  Apparently, in the NCAA preseason top 5 selection, the reverse logic is at play.  Whichever player has performed well in postseason is a shoe-in for the preseason 2014-15 projection.  Frank Kaminsky, Fred Van Vleet, and Marcus Paige all made the list.  Sure, they had fine seasons and performed in the tournament.  However, I feel the selection is more a reflection that these guys playing for teams with huge expectations for March 2015.  The Associated Press has to assign a player to carry those flags.

https://twitter.com/tina_pasos32/status/530535207943012352

To replace Paige and Van Vleet, I am choosing Ferrell and London Perrantes.  Sure, the hardcore NCAA fans could note that my Perrantes pick is a hypocritical stance, considering my previous argument.  His Virginia squad surged last season.  However, my argument is that his ceiling is much higher than Van Vleet and Paige’s (when it comes to room for growth).  I think Paige and Van Vleet are terrific.  Both will play in the NBA.  Van Vleet is the best chance at a future Jason Kidd the NBA will have.  Both players were squarely on the radar in 2013-14.  However, Perrantes himself only scratched the surface last season as a freshman.  He played with the confidence of a baller whose team has held court all afternoon and has never had to call “next.”  He plays point at Virginia, but I am listing him in my top 5 at shooting guard because of his range and ability to play away from the ball.

I look forward to telling you about my front court selections.  Treveon Graham of VCU has waited for his opportunity.  He averaged 7 points as as freshman, then became a consistent scorer for the Rams with an average of 15 points the past two seasons.  Now it is unquestionably his team.  Juvonte Reddic is gone, which will help Graham’s cause from the standpoint that he is absolutely the late-game option.  Graham scored the game-winning basket a couple times for VCU last season, and I expect more of the same this year.  Graham is a physical, big bodied, swingman who reminds me of Jason Richardson of the Golden State Warriors fame.  He is not as freakishly athletic, but will probably end up with a better jump shot in the end.

My second forward is Jarell Martin of LSU.  On a team where J.J. O’Brien and Jordan Mickey had high expectations, Martin was able to play his third-ever season of basketball and grow into his ability.  See that snapshot below on the LSU season highlight?  Yeah, that’s number 12, Mr. Martin throwing one down in transition.  As big men, he and Mickey love getting out in transition.  Martin wears number 1 headed into this season and has dropped numbers when it comes to his playing weight as well.

Martin and LSU are one of three teams I’m pointing to for a possible and serious Cinderella sleeper run.

Rounding out my top 5 player board that consists of Martin, Graham, Perenthes and Ferrell, I am going with a guy who is unseen in plain sight.  Kaleb Tarczewski should be talked about the way Tyler Hansborough was in the offseason leading to his 2009 UNC Championship.  This guy is an absolute beast.  To see that a freshman made the AP list over him may be an indictment on the Arizona offense.  It’s going to be time to feed the post and get Tarczewski his touches.  Give collegebasketballeyetest.com your own personal touch.  Follow the blog with wordpress.com or on Facebook and Twitter.  

I lost my shirt in Vegas.
Well, not exactly, but I certainly have had better years (handicapping) here.  Wichita State killed me.  I have been drinking the Shocker Kool Aid since 2012, so I have to give Kentucky a lot of credit here.  Andrew Harrison, Willie Cauley-Stein and Julius Randle stepped up.  The “young, inexperienced team” also beat the Shockers at the free throw line.  I counted six free throws that the Shockers missed, including a pair of empty trips in the second half.  It was an uncharacteristic loss for the Shockers.  This sets up a fantastic sweet sixteen matchup between Blue Grass rivals Louisville and UK.  Like Michigan State versus Virginia on the other side of the bracket, I feel the winner of Kentucky vs. Louisville will play in the national championship game.  Those four teams are just playing at a higher level right now.  (PS- I wrote on November 8th how the SEC is the best conference in America.  SEC is 6-0 in the NCAA tournament).

Even in their wins, I feel Arizona and Florida have shown subtle signs of being in that second tier of remaining teams.  For Florida, I think Casey Hill at backup point guard could be exploited under pressure, as well as an extremely muscular yet not super-tall front line.  In the SEC Championship game, Kentucky killed Florida on the boards when its entire front-line attacked the glass.  I can envision Michigan State, Virginia, or UK again doing the same.  For Arizona, I feel its Weber State and Gonzaga path has been the easiest road to the Sweet Sixteen so far.  Freshman Aaron Gordon is showing why he is a lottery pick.  However, I feel there will come a point where the injury of Brandon Ashley will catch up to them.  A substitute so far has been for guard Gabe York to play more minutes.  I think that move to a smaller lineup will eventually not work out.

Speaking of size, the two teams I just put $5 to win it all remains Baylor and Tennessee.  “You can’t teach size.”  Tennessee blasted an upstart Mercer team because of its bigs – Mayben and Stokes.  For Baylor, not only do they have Jefferson and Austin, but Rico Gathers is playing really well thus far in the tournament.  I think he has a future in the NFL, literally.  I made those football comparisons with Jordair Jett, but this is one that I actually mean when you look at the way Gathers rebounds the ball.  If you look at the above picture, I jumped all over the 75-to-1 odds for Baylor to win it all.  I did a double-take when I saw that longshot exists at Caesar’s Palace.   At the MGM Grand, Baylor was 30-to-1.  At my “hometown” resort South Point Casino, the Baylor Bears remain 15-to-1.  It’s surprising yet comical how the speculation continues to vary.  I doubled-down on my Michigan State pick as well.  I have believed they were the odds on favorite from the beginning.  (Sadly, I wished I had re-read my own blog, where I wrote on November 8th how Wichita State, Gonzaga, New Mexico, Indiana and Oregon are my top 5 teams to take step backwards in 2013-14.  Today, I also hedged that bet slightly with Virginia at 11-to-1.  Again, I feel the winner of Michigan State vs. Virginia will play the winner of Kentucky vs. Louisville in the championship game.  I also love the way Anthony Gill is playing for Virginia, hence listing him pre-tournament as one of my Elite 8 Unknowns…until tip.
With either Dayton or Stanford a sure-fire for the actual Elite Eight, there is still much madness to be had.  I hope you are all enjoying it.  And hopefully your bracket doesn’t have as much pink highlighter as mine!

Sitting here in the Phoenix airport.  One flight left until Vegas.  Eight hours left until tip-off.  I want to tell you about the eight players I feel could be household names by Saturday.

1. Jordair Jett – G – St. Louis
Jett epitomizes the senior leadership exhibited by the Saint Louis squad. NC State has become a fashionable pick to defeat the Billikins tomorrow in a 5-12 matchup.  I would caution those looking for the obligatory 12 seed upsets tomorrow; UTEP was written on almost everyone’s bracket back in 2010 with Derek Caracter.  Butler beat them by 20 then went on to the Championship Game.  I see Saint Louis as very similar to Butler in that spot.  Although “Jordair” sounds like the combination of His Greatness and his sneakers, he is actually more like a football player.  I think he’ll move the chains, get to the rim, and beat Louisville or Manhattan to advance to the Sweet 16.
2.  Elfrid Payton/Shawn Long – G/F – Louisiana Lafayette
The Ragin’ Cajuns duo here are the most productive pair in the entire NCAA Tournament.  I don’t know if Creighton will have the defensive tandem to be able to guard them.  They are both a tough cover with pure scorer mentalities.
3.  Anthony Gill – G/F – Virginia
Gill played one season at South Carolina, averaging almost 8 points as a freshman before bolting to the Cavaliers.  He took over a couple of games in the ACC Tournament and I think this is just the tip of the ice berg.  It’s funny, I asked myself whether he is related to Kendal Gill, because he plays somewhat similar.  Like Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, Virginia is a great team, but can go through its offensive droughts.  I believe Gill will be the answer this first weekend.
4.  Amedo Della Valle – G – Ohio State
If you give me the opportunity to sneak in a paisan, I will.  This kid looks like a cross between Danillo Gallinari and Sideshow Bob on the court, but his play has propelled the Buckeyes into the tournament.  They could have easily ended up like Illinois and Indiana in the Big 10; Highly talented, but left on the outside looking in.  Ohio State Coach Thad Matta has been looking for a second guard off the bench, especially in situations where they need to score.  The freshman Loving from Toledo has recently been benched in lieu of Della Valle.  I look for the Italian to continue his clutch play, quietly being the glue that gives this team a second wind in the second half.
5. Josh Newkirk – G – Pittsburgh
As previously mentioned, the Panthers can struggle to score at times.  This freshman is changing that.  He is an exceptionally quick guard.  With the seniority surrounding him, Newkirk has been able to find his niche and contribute more scoring late this year.  If there is a guy to hit a big shot to win a close game versus Colorado.
6.  Eric Stutz – C – Eastern Kentucky
The Colonels beat a respectable Belmont squad to make the tournament.    Picture NBA euro-star Luis Scola and you’ll see the NCAA equivalence in Stutz.  What he lacks in athleticism, he will make up for in hustle.  Eastern Kentucky is a very small team, but one of the best 3PT shooting team in the U.S.  Stutz’s foul count could be the key to them covering a spread against the Kansas Jayhawks.
7. Deandre Bembry
Look for the afro on the court.  Bembry reminds me of a young Sam Perkins.  You’re not sure if he is a big or a guard.  He will find himself in the paint when it’s time for offensive rebound for the team.  He will sneak along the baseline when it’s time to knock down a twelve foot jumper.  Bembry joins Kanacevic and Roberts Jr. on a very athletic front court for the Hawks.  They can get above the rim.  That’s why I believe Saint Joseph’s will make the actual Elite 8 with this one of my Eight Unkowns.
8. J.J. O’Brien – F – San Diego St.
O’Brien is the guy who you pick up on your team during pickup basketball because you actually want to win and hold the court.  Fans who watch the Mountain West already know his name.  I have credited coach Steve Fisher for training this Aztec defense as the best in the country for double-teaming.  They confused Joel Embiid earlier in the year at Allen Fieldhouse during a win.  J.J. O’Brien is usually the guy who comes over as the second defender, then quickly rotates to help side once the ball is passed opposite wing.  I can see him knocking down a crucial and-one to catapolt the Aztecs into the Final Four.  Right now I have Wisconsin in that region, but it could easily be San Diego St., Arizona or Oklahoma State.  I am not believing in Creighton, Gonzaga, Oregon or Oklahoma as a Final Four team from that region.