NCAA Preview by The Chairman

- On the seeding: Pitt's 4 seed is just about right . . . I believe that the wins are there to be much higher . . . but Pitt's losses mitigate some of the great things on their resume. For a team that last week probably needed one win during the BET to cement an 7-9 seed, you can't complain about a 4. One somewhat odd thing though is that if I understand the curve right, Pitt is the second lowest 4 seed . . . meaning that they could have easily been a 5 and probably would have been a 6 if they lost to G-Town. That is kind of low . . . but, no matter, it is what it is.

- On the South Region in General: Looking at the bracket, it appears this bracket, along with the East, are the two toughest brackets. Memphis, Texas, Stanford, Pitt, MSU, Marquette and maybe Oregon or St. Mary's are capable of making a lot of noise. If I were Memphis, I wouldn't overlook that second round matchup, because Miss St. plays tough and has a guy (Jamont Gordon) that can win a game by himself and because Oregon is dangerous. If I was a Marquette fan, I would love that draw and would be very happy. Stanford could be rough, but they get past them and I think they have the tools to beat Texas.

- On the South Region in Relation to Pitt and Pitt's Matchups: The first thing you notice from looking at the bracket is that with Pitt being a 4, they would face a 1 in the Sweet 16. But they have to get there first. And so does the 1, who may have some second round issues.

Lets assume Pitt is going to win in the first round . . . Oral Roberts has some games on its resume, but Pitt should win there.

As for the second round, it would appear to be Michigan State as a probable matchup. Pitt and MSU are clones at points . . . Pitt is usually the toughest team in the Big East and MSU is usually the toughest in the Big Ten . . . the game would be physical and there will probably be blood. MSU throws big bodies at people on the inside, and has smaller, quick guards. They have a wing in Raymar Morgan that is a good and versatile player. They have two young wings off of the bench that provide offense, but are somewhat careless with the ball. They are a good team.

Pitt would need a good effort to beat them. Not a great effort, but a really solid one.

If Pitt faces Temple, I think they win easy underneath . . . Temple just doesn't have the bodies to bang with Blair, Young and Biggs. They have two guys that can get hot and carry them though . . . it probably is better that MSU disposes of those guys without allowing them to get hot, but if they get hot, it could be trouble.

As for the Sweet 16, if Pitt gets there, it appears Memphis would be waiting . . . a tough matchup for Pitt, because I don't know if Pitt can matchup in the backcourt. Pitt's frontcourt will score and gain them a lot of currency here, but it is all about how Ramon and Fields handle the dribble penetration. I am of the opinion that if Pitt plays Memphis, Gil Brown and Keith Benjamin will be very important for Pitt, because these guys are athletic enough to cause problems for Memphis' guards.

I just don't think this is a good matchup for Pitt stylistically and I would hope that Oregon or Miss. St. pulls an early upset. Pitt could handle those teams . . . but, against Memphis, I would place as a 40% percent proposition to win . . . Pitt has a good shot, but I think the odds are against them. Still, I remember back to the last time Pitt played Memphis . . . Pitt threw them around, dominated the boards and just punished them physically at every turn. This Pitt team is much better than that Pitt team was, but Memphis can say the same about themselves.

If Pitt gets past this point, I think they will head to the Final Four, because I don't think there is a team in the bottom of the bracket that Pitt wouldn't be a favorite against. Texas and Stanford are very beatable . . . Pitt has already defeated Marquette, who despite my feeling that they could far there, has shown a propensity to head out early.

- On the Rest of the Brackets: In the Midwest, if Kansas and G-Town don't meet in Detroit for the Midwest regional, I will be stunned. Those teams didn't get walks into the Elite 8, but they should be able to handle what is ahead of them. They both may have some Second Round issues, tough games, but they should be okay.

In the East, North Carolina could have hard matchups every round after the first . . . if Indiana decides that they want to play without Kelvin Sampson, they could be dangerous. Washington State could cause them some problems and so could ND . . . if ND can beat George Mason. Tennessee and Louisville are on a crash course to meet each other in the Sweet 16 and I think the winner of that game will come out of that bracket.

In the West, if UCLA gets past UConn in the Sweet 16, I think they are going to walk in. The West is weak . . . both WVU and UConn could make it out of here . . . I think if UCLA does not come out, something crazy (or UConn) will.

- Dangerous Teams: In the South, Pitt, MSU and Marquette are all very dangerous and could easily come out of there. In the East, Louisville, WSU and maybe Indiana. In the Midwest, Gonzaga, Davidson and UNLV are teams I will keep an eye on. In the West, UConn and WVU deserve for an eye to be kept on them.

- A Premature Pitt Prediction: I am not going to give you a team and round, but I will say this: If Pitt goes out, I think it will be in the round of 32 or the Sweet 16. If the loss isn't there, it will be in San Antonio. That is my opinion right now, and is subject to fast change.

- Possible Surprise Teams (Seeded from 5 and Up): Marquette, BYU, Gonzaga, Davidson, Clemson, South Alabama

- A Premature Final Four Prediction (Narrowing the Field): East: Louisville or Tennessee; Midwest: G-Town or Kansas; South: Memphis or Marquette (I really hope it is Pitt though and they have a chance); West: UCLA.

- A Premature Champion: UCLA

- Final Note: No matter what occurs, it has been a great ride. My advice would be to enjoy the rest of it, whether it is one round or five.