Posted on Mon, Mar. 17, 2008

'08 NCAA tournament | South Region

RECORD: 24-10

BID: Automatic

BEST WIN: 93-84 at Belmont

WORST LOSS: 121-116 at SE Missouri State

KEY PLAYERS: Drake Reed (14.6 pgg, 5.7 rpg); Derek Wright (11.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Todd Babington (11.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 9-1

ANALYSIS: Defense has been Austin Peay's mainstay as its held opponents to shooting 40-percent or less during its six-game winning streak. Balanced scoring has also been key -- at least four scored in double figures in its three tournament games. -- James Horne, Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle.

RECORD: 22-5

BID: Automatic

BEST WIN: 83-77 vs. Siena

WORST LOSS: 76-73 vs. Colgate

KEY PLAYERS: G Ryan Wittman (15.4 ppg), G Louis Dale (13.8 ppg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 10-0

ANALYSIS: The Big Red chewed up opponents in the Ivy League, but Cornell will have a hard time getting rebounds in this tournament. Cornell does shoot 41 percent on 3-pointers, and is tough to beat late in the game. Its top three scorers all shoot at least 86 percent from the free throw line. -- Staff Reports

RECORD: 18-12

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: Tennessee 72-66

WORST LOSS: Gardner-Webb 84-68

KEY PLAYERS: F Joe Crawford (17.3 ppg); G Ramel Bradley (15.8 ppg).

LAST 10 GAMES: 7-3.

ANALYSIS: Kentucky started the season with a 6-7 record, including home losses to Gardner-Webb and San Diego.Thanks to a weak SEC, Kentucky took advantage of the fresh start that conference play represented. -- Jerry Tipton, Lexington Herald-Leader

RECORD: 24-9

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: 81-76 vs. Wisconsin

WORST LOSS: 87-72 vs. Syracuse

KEY PLAYERS: Jerel McNeal (14.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Dominic James (13.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg).

LAST 10 GAMES: 7-3

ANALYSIS: After being voted as the conference's top defensive player last season, Jerel McNeal was not an award winner this year despite leading the league with 2.27 steals per game. Keep up this rate of scoring and he could be up for the conference's player of the year next season, which usually goes to the best offensive player. -- SHANNON RYAN, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

RECORD: 33-1

BID: Automatic

BEST WIN: 85-71 vs. Georgetown

WORST LOSS: 66-62 vs. Tennessee

KEY PLAYERS: Chris Douglas-Roberts (17.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Derrick Rose (13.9 ppg, 4.5 apg).

LAST 10 GAMES: 9-1

ANALYSIS: The Tigers have stacked up 99 wins in three remarkable seasons. They have won 42 straight Conference USA games and three straight C-USA championships. ... It means that this team has taken its place at the very top of the college basketball world, alongside North Carolina and UCLA.

-- Geoff Calkins, Memphis Commercial Appeal

RECORD: 22-10

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: 96-95 against Duke

WORST LOSS: 79-77 at N.C. State

KEY PLAYERS: G Jack McClinton (17.0 ppg, .426 3-pt. pct.), G James Dews (10.4 ppg); F Dwayne Collins (8.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 7-3

ANALYSIS: McClinton will need to regain the touch he lost in the ACC tournament. Dwayne Collins, who also disappeared in the tournament, must give the Hurricanes scoring in the post. -- Jorge Milian, Palm Beach Post

RECORD: 25-8, 12-6

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: 78-72 vs. Texas

WORST LOSS: 43-36 at Iowa

KEY PLAYERS: G Drew Neitzel (13.4 ppg); F Raymar Morgan (15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 5-5

ANALYSIS: Michigan State was the favorite to win the Big Ten, and senior guard Drew Neitzel was the conference's preseason Player of the Year. Neither the team nor Neitzel lived up to those lofty expectations. -- Dave Dye, Detroit News

RECORD: 22-10

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: Kentucky 69-64

WORST LOSS: Miami (Ohio) 67-60

KEY PLAYERS: G-F Jamont Gordon (17.3 ppg); C-F Charles Rhodes (16.9 ppg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 7-3

ANALYSIS: With opposing teams keying on Jamont Gordon and attempting to keep the strong, 6-foot-4 guard out of the lane, the Bulldogs had to rely on Gordon to kick out and find shooters on the wings. Ben Hansbrough has benefited, hitting 3-pointers and helping build momentum. -- CBS Sportsline.com

RECORD: 24-8

BID: Automatic

BEST WIN: 74-59 vs. Oklahoma State

WORST LOSS: 68-55 vs. North Dakota State

KEY PLAYERS: Robert Jarvis (16.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg); Moses Ehambe (11.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg); Adam Liberty (9.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 10-0

ANALYSIS: Oral Roberts won at Kansas a year ago and beat Oklahoma State this year (in a coaching matchup of the Sutton brothers). The Golden Eagles had chances in the final two minutes before losing at Texas and Arkansas. -- John Klein, Tulsa World.

RECORD: 18-13

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: Stanford 71-66

WORST LOSS: At Oakland 68-62

KEY PLAYERS: G Malik Hairston (16.1 ppg); F Maarty Leunen (15.2 ppg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 5-5

ANALYSIS: The Ducks are a perimeter team. When their shots fall -- and they recently went 20-for-42 from 3-point range in victories against Arizona and Arizona State -- they're tough. -- David Scott

RECORD: 26-9

BID: Automatic

BEST WIN: 74-65 vs. Georgetown

WORST LOSS: 77-64 vs. Rutgers

KEY PLAYERS: Sam Young (18.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg), DeJuan Blair (11.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 7-3

ANALYSIS: Pitt is making a school-record seventh straight NCAA tournament appearance. Additionally, Jamie Dixon has guided Pitt to NCAA appearances in each of his first five seasons as head coach -- the first coach in school history to do so. -- JIM UTTER

RECORD: 26-7

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: At Washington State 67-65

WORST LOSS: At Siena 79-67

KEY PLAYERS: C Brook Lopez (19.2 ppg); G Anthony Goods (10.7 ppg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 6-4

ANALYSIS: Big and slow is the stereotype of Stanford basketball, and that's pretty close this season. The 7-foot Lopez twins are a force offensively and defensively, and everything revolves around them. Brook Lopez is the better offensive player of the two. Had two close losses to UCLA. -- Jake Curtis, San Francisco Chronicle

RECORD: 25-6, 12-2

BID: At-large

BEST WIN: 99-87 vs. Oregon

WORST LOSS: 71-56 at Southern Illinois

KEY PLAYERS: G Patrick Mills (14.5 ppg); F Diamon Simpson (13.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg).

LAST 10 GAMES: 7-3

ANALYSIS: The Gaels stormed to a 17-2 start. Mills leads a balanced offense that has six players scoring at least seven points a game. Simpson is a tenacious rebounder, and St. Mary's has a tough perimeter defense, allowing 30 percent shooting on 3-pointers. -- staff report

RECORD: 21-12

BID: Automatic

BEST WIN: 78-59 vs. Xavier

WORST LOSS: 79-76 vs. College of Charleston

KEY PLAYERS: Mark Tyndale (15.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Dionte Christmas (20.2 ppg, 6.0 rog)

LAST 10 GAMES: 8-2

ANALYSIS: The Owls rallied from a slow start to the season to finish second in the A-10. Tyndale and Christmas have been an explosive combination, with Christmas finishing the season as the league's leading scorer. -- JIM UTTER

RECORD: 21-11

BID: Automatic

BEST WIN: 75-65 at Stephen F. Austin

WORST LOSS: 70-68 at Central Arkansas

KEY PLAYERS: F Anthony Vereen (13.2 ppg); C Jermaine Griffin (12.4 ppg)

LAST 10 GAMES: 5-5

ANALYSIS: The Mavericks have waited 39 years for an NCAA appearance. Can they shock everybody? Doubtful, even though they beat the Shockers, winning at Wichita State. They will pound the ball inside to 6-9 Jermaine Griffin and look to Rog'er Guignard for 3-pointers. -- CHUCK CARLTON, Dallas Morning News

RECORD: 28-6

BID: At-large.

BEST WIN: At UCLA 63-61.

WORST LOSS: At Texas A&M 80-63.

KEY PLAYERS: G D.J. Augustin (19.8 ppg); G A.J. Abrams (16.1 ppg).

LAST 10 GAMES: 8-2.

ANALYSIS: Augustin and Abrams form what might be the country's top backcourt. The Longhorns have an impressive resume, including victories against UCLA and Tennessee. -- David Scott