East Region Rundown

A look at the four teams playing inside the Carrier Dome

By Tom Kahley

EAST REGIONAL

WEEKEND GUIDE

T

his NCAA men’s college basketball tournament has been one of the most puzzling in years. Already, one No. 1

seed, one No. 2 seed and three No. 3 seeds have been eliminated, while there are four teams seeded No. 9 or higher remaining in the Sweet 16. This weekend, the East Region’s four teams will duke it out to see who gets a plane ride to Indianapolis to play in the Final Four and vie for the National Championship.

In this Big East-happy city, we often get

caught up in the teams in that conference. And although one of the four teams playing in the Dome is a Big East member—West Virginia—and another team resides about 45 miles south of Syracuse—Cornell—we still paint all things Orange around here. So, for all the locals and out-of-towners wondering what to expect from the teams in the Carrier Dome this weekend, here are previews. If tickets to the games remain, they cost

$148 for all three contests, and can be ordered by calling (866) 448-7849.

KENTUCKY (1) VS.

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Thursday, March 25, 9:57 p.m.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

Southeastern Conference (32-2, 14-2)

Coach: John Calipari (25-11 in 11 NCAA appearances) After finishing the regular season ranked

No. 2 behind Kansas (which lost their second- round matchup against potential Cinderella Northern Iowa) and winning the SEC Tourna- ment, Kentucky is considered a strong candi- date to win their first national championship

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since 1998 under then-head coach Tubby Smith. (The Wildcats also won it all in 1996 by defeating Syracuse 76-67.) Under Calipari, the Wildcats have looked nearly flawless in every aspect of the game. The only knock on this team is inexperience. Boasting a starting five that consists of

three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior, this year is more than likely this specific team’s only shot at winning it all as three of those starters are a sure bet to head for the National Basketball Association after this season. The main man is freshman guard John Wall— LeBron James’ little buddy—who is more than likely a consensus all-America, player-of- the-year candidate and presumed first pick of the 2010 NBA draft. This stud can carry the ’Cats all the way to the finals should he not have an off night. In the two NCAA games thus far, Wall has

him inside and out. The Wildcats’ starting five is rounded out by guards Eric Bledsoe, also a freshman, as well as 6-foot-7 sophomore Darius Miller, who can both stifle on the defensive end and are capable of going off offensively on any given night. The only thing that might trip them up is their

PREDICTION: It’s hard not to pick Kentucky as the odds-on favor-

ite to emerge from the Carrier Dome into the Final Four. But like fellow No. 1-seed Kansas, being at the top means there is a bigger bull’s-eye on your back.

youth movement. As Kentucky is a run-and-gun team, rookies Wall and Bledsoe sometimes have a tendency to turn the ball over, and if both let the pressure get to them as the tournament goes on, they might get rattled and let a game slip away as they did against unranked South Caro- lina earlier this year in one of their only two losses. As mentioned, while Cousins has a knack for dominating the post, he also has a love affair with fouls, being disqualified in two games this year

averaged 15.5 points and nine assists, after averaging 17 points and more than six assists during the regular season. But should he slip up, he’s got more than enough help to shoul- der the load. Freshman DeMarcus Cousins, a beast in the frontcourt standing at 6-feet-11 and weighing 270 pounds, might be selected right behind Wall come draft time, and proves to be a matchup nightmare. He made most foes look like Lilliputians in the land of the Gullivers on his way to averaging a double- double in points and rebounds this season. But even if Cousins falters or gets into foul

trouble, as he’s known to do, junior forward Patrick Patterson also poses NBA size at 6- feet-9 and can step behind the arc and bury 3-pointers, which renders opposing frontcourt defenders out of rhythm as they have to guard

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while finishing 15 games with four fouls. If he gets hack happy, it could ultimately diminish his aggressiveness and allow opposing frontcourt players to flourish in the paint. And also, while Calipari might sub up to 10 players, the only guys off the bench that see significant minutes are for- ward Daniel Orton and guard Darnell Dodsen.

CORNELL BIG RED

Ivy League Conference (27-4, 13-1)

Coach: Steve Donahue (0-2 in two NCAA appearances)

While the Ivy League doesn’t boast top-

to-bottom talent like the Big East or Big Ten, Cornell has proven once again that the mid- major conferences can make runs in the big dance. In the first two rounds of this year’s tournament, the Big Red defeated No. 5-seed

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