Providence Subregional
Games: Villanova (2) vs. Robert Morris (15), 12:30 p.m.; Richmond (7) vs. St. Mary's (10) 2:50 p.m., (3) Georgetown vs. (14) Ohio, 7:25; (6) Tennessee vs. (11) Tennessee State, 9:45What to Watch
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- When Villanova reached last year's Final Four, it was a surprise. Some people felt they'd done it a year early. This year they're a 2-seed in the South, and they'll start the action in Providence with a 12:30 p.m. tip against Robert Morris. However long this tournament run lasts, it'll be the final one in the career of Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds, whose performance could determine whether the Wildcats can make it back to the Final Four in 2010. The evening session brings Georgetown, the No. 3 seed in the Midwest, against Ohio. The Hoyas finished hot and barely lost the Big East tournament final. Sophomore Greg Monroe is among the best big men in the country, and with the way pro scouts are drooling over his multifaceted game, he could be playing his final college games as well.
Upset Watch: No. 11 seed San Diego State over Tennessee. Sure, the Vols beat Kansas and Kentucky, the top two seeds in the whole field, but they're seeded sixth for a reason – they didn't always play up to that level. The Aztecs have size, and they're a great rebounding team, particularly on the offensive glass. Tennessee lives on defense, but San Diego State gets extra possessions by rebounding 40 percent of its misses, and when you get those second chances, you can sneak up on teams that don't shoot the lights out. Tennessee could be a first-round goner.
Player to Watch: Chris Wright, Georgetown. Monroe is the star, and Austin Freeman is the leading scorer, but Wright is the barometer. As he goes, so go the Hoyas. When he's focused, engaged and hitting his shots, Georgetown is the team that beat Duke, Villanova, Butler, Temple and, in the Big East tournament, Syracuse. When Wright is sulky and losing concentration, the Hoyas are the team that lost to South Florida, Rutgers and Old Dominion.
-- Dan Graziano
Oklahoma City Subregional
Games: BYU (7) vs. Florida (10), 12:20 p.m.; Kansas State (2) vs. North Texas (15), 2:40 p.m.; UNLV (8) vs. Northern Iowa (9), 7:10 p.m.; Kansas (1) vs. Lehigh (16), 9:30 p.m.
What to Watch
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. -- Can Florida slow down BYU's Jimmer Fredette? No one else has this season. The last time Florida made the NCAA tournament in 2007, the Gators won it all. That's not going to happen this year.
North Texas plays Kansas State looking for its first ever NCAA tournament victory. After Thursday, the Mean Green will still be looking for it.
No. 1 seed Kansas plays No. 16 Lehigh in the OKC finale. Jayhawks against the Mountain Hawks. That's the closest Lehigh will get to Kansas -- having a 'hawk' as a mascot.
Upset watch: Not much to pick from, but Northern Iowa's defense could give UNLV fits. The No. 9-seeded Panthers have held 15 of their last 19 opponents to 56 points or less, while UNLV is 0-4 when scoring 61 or less points. If the UNI can slow the pace down, it will pull off the slight upset over eighth-seeded UNLV.
-- Brett McMurphy
New Orleans Subregional
Games: Notre Dame (6) vs. Old Dominion (11), Baylor (3) vs. Sam Houston State (14), Texas (8) vs. Wake Forest (9), Kentucky (1) vs. East Tennessee State (16)
What to Watch
The Big Easy -- For some reason there hasn't seemed to be a lot of pre-NCAA tournament buzz in New Orleans leading up to today's first round at the New Orleans Arena. That will likely change today as the Eastern Region No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats take the floor. The Wildcats are a team that many believe is talented enough to win it all. We will also find out quickly if one-time No. 1-ranked and No. 8 seed Texas is ready to take back off against No. 9 Wake Forest after a steady decline to end the regular season. Perhaps the crowd favorite of the locals will be No. 3 Baylor, which has a couple of Louisiana high school basketball stars in guards Tweety Carter and LaceDarius Dunn.Upset Watch: Notre Dame could be the most suspect No. 6 seed in the entire tournament. A month ago the Irish didn't even seem NCAA tournament worthy, but a six-game winning streak at the end of the season and nice run in the Big East tourney propelled them in. But the 11th-seeded Old Dominion Monarchs, an experienced and defensive-oriented team, could pull off a major first-round upset. Led by 6-foot-10 forward Gerald Lee (14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds), the regular-season and tournament champs in the Colonial Athletic Association are far from a pushover. Just ask Big East power Georgetown, which lost to the Monarchs in December.
Player to Watch -- Without question Kentucky freshman phenom John Wall offers the most intrigue in New Orleans Subregional, and perhaps the entire tournament. Tons of NBA scouts will be on hand to get another up close look. Widely considered the No.1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, Wall certainly lived up to the hype this season as a high-scoring guard. He along with freshman DeMarcus Cousins have led the Wildcats to their first No. 1 seed since the 2004 season.
-- Terrance Harris
San Jose Subregional
Games: Vanderbilt (4) vs. Murray State (13), 2:30 p.m.; Butler (5) vs. UTEP (12), 4:45 p.m.; Marquette (6) vs. Washington (11), 7:20p.m.; New Mexico (3) vs. Montana, 9:40 p.m.
What to Watch:
Where's Eddie Gaedel, the St. Louis Browns' famed pint-sized batsmen when you need him? The San Jose subregional is one for the little guys. New Mexico, the third seed in the East and the only non-power conference team among the top 16, anchors this bracket and are the only thing that passes for a solid favorite in the Shark Tank. Even the Lobos have to stop Montana's Anthony Johnson, one of March's early heroes, who put the Grizzlies on his back in a 42-point effort in the league final, including the game-winning jumper, in a performance right out of Harold Arceneaux's playbook. But no one is safe in the rest of the games among a series of teams that, except for Marquette, have seen less network time than Manimal. Keep a close eye on San Jose. It'll do more for recycling than anyone since Al Gore as dozens of brackets hit the blue buckets.
Upset Watch: Easier question: Which favorite won't lose? Short of a 40-point game from Johnson, New Mexico seems safe, but the rest are up in the air. Murray State is dealing with the death of reserve Picasso Simmons' mother, but they're balanced, have a skilled big man and have fewer losses since Christmas (1) than the Super Bowl champ New Orleans Saints (2). Expect the Racers to knock off inconsistent Vanderbilt and 12th-seeded UTEP to stun Butler. Beating Washington won't be easy for Marquette, either. The Pac-10 champs have won six straight away from home.
Player Watch: Derrick Caracter, UTEP. He's out of the limelight, but the one-time star Louisville recruit has finally put his game together. Expect the big man to cause trouble on the court (for a change) and outplay Butler star Matt Howard.
-- Ray Holloman
