No. 1 KENTUCKY
Record: 32-2
Coach: John Calipari
Bid: Southeastern Conference champion
Star power: Freshman point guard John Wall averages 17 points, 6.2 assists and 1.8 steals a game and hits 77 percent of his free throws. He just might be the most exciting player in college basketball.
Last 10: 9-1
Reasonable expectation: If Kentucky can just average making five 3-pointers a game, the Wildcats should make the Final Four in Wall’s lone year in UK Blue before he heads off to the NBA.
No. 2 WEST VIRGINIA
Record: 27-6
Coach: Bob Huggins
Bid: Big East champion
Star power: Leading scorer Da’Sean Butler does a little bit of everything for the Mountaineers (17.3 ppg, 6.3 reb, 3.3 assists), including preposterous game-winners, like the ones he hit against Cincinnati and Georgetown in the Big East tourney.
Last 10: 8-2
Reasonable expectation: West Virginia plays the kind of rock-ribbed defense that gives it a chance to beat almost anyone in the field. Mountaineers could reach Final Four and should reach Elite Eight.
No. 3 NEW MEXICO
Record: 29-4
Coach: Steve Alford
Bid: At-large
Star power: Guard Darington Hobson leads the Lobos in scoring (16.2 ppg), rebounding (9.2) and assists (4.6). Possibly the best player in the country no one east of the Mississippi River has heard about.
Last 10: 9-1
Reasonable expectation: Alford has a crafty, gritty team that could make the Sweet 16 but has no reasonable chance to advance past Elite Eight.
No. 4 WISCONSIN
Record: 23-8
Coach: Bo Ryan
Bid: At-large
Star power: Guard Trevon Hughes averages 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Beyond that, he can score in bunches, as when he totaled 12 points in 80 seconds during the Badgers’ Big Ten tourney loss to Illinois.
Last 10: 7-3
Reasonable expectation: With four players 6-10 or taller, a reliable 3-point shooter in 6-8 Keaton Nankivil and the dangerous Hughes, Badgers could reach the Elite Eight. Anything less than Sweet 16 should be a disappointment.
No. 5 TEMPLE
Record: 29-5
Coach: Fran Dunphy
Bid: Atlantic 10 champion
Star power: With 11.7 ppg and 10.9 rebounds, 6-9 power forward Lavoy Allen gives the Owls the kind of inside presence not often seen from the non-BCS conferences.
Last 10: 10-0
Reasonable expectation: Owls have looked both awesome (75-65 over Villanova) and awful (84-52 losers to Kansas) against the big boys this season but seem to be peaking at right time to become a Sweet 16 threat.
No. 6 MARQUETTE
Record: 22-11
Coach: Buzz Williams
Bid: At-large
Star power: Forward Lazar Heyward is the team’s leading scorer (18.1 points per game) and rebounder (8.6 per game) and is one of three players averaging more than 12 points per game.
Last 10: 7-3
Reasonable expectation: The Golden Eagles have a win over Villanova on their ledger but are 214th in rebounding. That’s a tough stat to overcome this time of year.
No. 7 CLEMSON
Record: 21-10
Coach: Oliver Purnell
Bid: At-large
Star power: Forward Trevor Booker is a game changer and is athletically talented enough to match up with anyone. He is the only player in ACC history with 1,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 blocks and 100 steals. Andre Young can be a streaky shooter.
Last 10: 6-4
Reasonable expectation: Purnell’s Tigers have to be pleased with a No. 7 seed. Booker is a special talent, but Clemson averages more turnovers than assists and only shoots 33.5 percent from 3-point range.
No. 8 TEXAS
Record: 24-9
Coach: Rick Barnes
Bid: At-large
Star power: Damion Jones averaged a double-double and Dexter Pittman can be a match-up problem for any team.
Last 10: 5-5
Reasonable expectation: Texas started 17-0 and reached No. 1 in the polls before limping in with a 7-9 record. There is loads of talent, but the up-and-down nature of this bunch makes them a real bracket buster — in both directions.
No. 9 WAKE FOREST
Record: 19-11
Coach: Dino Gaudio
Bid: At-large
Star power: Al-Faroug Aminu (15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds) averages a double-double for a team thgat has a front court that can battle against any in the country.
Last 10: 5-5
Reasonable expectation: The frontcourt looks to be strong, but the tournament is a guard-oriented adventure. Wake is weak at guard other than Ishmael Smith, who averages more assists (6.0) than the rest of the team combined.
No. 10 MISSOURI
Record: 22-10
Coach: Mike Anderson
Bid: At-large
Star power: Kim English paces a balanced group that has eight players averaging at least 6.0 points per game. English, a 6-6 sophomore, is a streaky shooter that can change games — both good and bad.
Last 10: 6-4
Reasonable expectation: The Tigers have lost three of their last four and are 6-8 in games not played in Columbia, Mo. Missouri has been outrebounded on the season (-2.6 margin) but has had success with defensive pressure — forcing almost 20 turnovers a game.
No. 11 WASHINGTON
Record: 24-9
Coach: Lorenzo Romar
Bid: Pac 10 champions
Star power: Forward Quincy Pondexter would be a household name if he played for Duke or Kansas. Instead, his 19.8 ppg, 7.5 rebs and 1.8 assists will merely torment anyone the Huskies face.
Last 10: 8-2
Reasonable expectation: Huskies like to play fast but Marquette plays fast really well. Washington’s tourney run should end quickly.
No. 12 CORNELL
Record: 27-4
Coach: Steve Donahue
Bid: Ivy League champions
Star power: Ryan Wittman, son of former Indiana Hoosiers star Randy Wittman, averaged almost 18 points and shot better than 42 percent from 3-point range for a team that is making its third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.
Last 10: 9-1
Reasonable expectation: Look for the Big Red to make a lot of noise. They lead the country in 3-point shooting at 43.4 percent, led by Wittman, who made 100 this season.
No. 13 WOFFORD
Record: 26-8
Coach: Mike Young
Bid: Southern Conference champions
Star power: Forward Noah Dahlman shot almost 60 percent from the field and averaged 17 points per game on his way to being named SoCon player of the year.
Last 10: 10-0
Reasonable expectation: The Terriers make their first trip to the dance and draw a tough opener against physical Wisconsin. The Badgers are well-coached an will not look past Wofford, which is just 151st in scoring.
No. 14 MONTANA
Record: 22-9
Coach: Wayne Tinkle
Bid: Big Sky champions
Star power: The Griz have Anthony Johnson, who became an ESPN sensation with his performance in the Big Sky title game, and that is the very definition of star power. He scored 34 of his 42 points in the second half as Montana rallied from a 22-point hole to get to the dance.
Last 10: 9-1
Reasonable expectation: Unless Johnson can duplicate his magic in that got the Griz here, the stay likely will be short.
No. 15 Morgan State Bears
Record: 22-9
Coach: Todd Bozeman
Bid: MEAC champions
Star power: Reggie Holmes can fill it. The quick shooting guard averaged right at 22 points per game. Inside, Kevin Thompson ranked third in the country with 12.1 rebounds per night.
Last 10: 8-2
Reasonable expectation: The Bears have talent — Thompson is a monstaer — but their second trip to the NCAA tournament likely won’t last beyond the first game against West Virginia.
No. 16 EAST TENNESSEE State BUCCANEERS
Record: 20-14
Coach: Murry Bartow
Bid: Atlantic Sun champions
Star power: Balance and timing have benefited the Bucs more than star power this year. Tommy Hubbard would have to qualify after leading ETSU in scoring at 14.1 points per game.
Last 10: 8-2
Reasonable expectation: Making the field is a nice achievement for the Bucs, who lost four starters from last year’s NCAA tournament team. That said, they have no shot against Kentucky.
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