| 16 teams, no surprises
The question hovered over college basketball from preseason practice until Selection Sunday. Who's this year's George Mason?
Two rounds and one weekend into the NCAA tournament, we have our answer: no one.
You should not be surprised.
Nor should you be surprised at the ACC's rapid postseason demise - only one regional semifinalist for the first time in 25 years.
First, the Mason factor.
The Patriots' Final Four run last season was positively magical. They were an 11th seed, one of the final at-large teams chosen, and their tournament conquests included past national champions Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut.
Do not expect a replay anytime soon. The postseason minefield is harrowing enough for top-four seeds,let alone an 11 or 12.
Certainly none of this season's 16 regional semifinalists weaves a Mason-like tale. Oh, some will portray Southern Illinois and Butler as the charming overachievers, but don't believe it.
The Salukis advanced to a regional semi in 2002 and are competing in their sixth consecutive NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs have qualified for five NCAAs in the last decade and made the final 16 in 2003. George Mason had not won an NCAA tournament game before last season.
This season, Southern Illinois dominated the nation's premier mid-major conference, the Missouri Valley, and deserved its No. 4 seed in the West Regional. Butler of the Horizon League defeated Indiana, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Gonzaga en route to winning the Preseason NIT and earning the No. 5 seed in the Midwest.
Southern Illinois guard Jamaal Tatum and Butler guard A.J. Graves may not be ESPN staples, but anyone who's seen them realizes Tatum and Graves would thrive in any conference, including the ACC. Tatum and the Salukis sent Virginia Tech packing, while Graves and the Bulldogs defeated Maryland, both in the second round.
Butler and Southern Illinois are part of the most predictable tournament in ages. For only the second time in 25 years, no double-digit seed advanced to a regional semifinal. Nevada-Las Vegas, the Midwest's No. 7, is the lowest remaining seed, and thankfully we have no photos of Rebels players in a hot tub with Richard "The Fixer" Perry.
So you button-down conservatives should own the office pool - unless you booked on ACC success.
Seven conference teams made the tournament. Only North Carolina remains.
Again, no great shock. North Carolina and Maryland were the lone ACC teams among the final Associated Press top 25, and the truth is, no conference team other than the Tar Heels ever resembled a national-championship contender. Not Virginia, which shared the regular-season title with North Carolina, or Virginia Tech, which beat North Carolina twice. Not Maryland, Boston College, Duke or Georgia Tech.
Solid teams all. Worthy of NCAA bids. And in the case of Virginia and Maryland, oh-so-close to the Sweet 16. But not Final Four material.
Big Ten teams were equally dismal. Ohio State is the sole survivor of six, and the Buckeyes needed Ron Lewis' 25-footer to force overtime against Xavier in the second round.
Meanwhile the Southeastern Conference (Florida, Vanderbilt and Tennessee), Pacific 10 (UCLA, Southern California and Oregon), Big East (Georgetown and Pittsburgh) and Big 12 (Kansas and Texas A&M) account for 10 of the remaining 16.
Deep as the ACC was - North Carolina State, Miami and Wake Forest were as good as bottom feeders get - it was interesting to see three of its teams fall to so-called mid-majors: Virginia Tech, Maryland and Duke (to Virginia Commonwealth in the first round). So the next time Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski stumps for nine ACC teams to make the tournament, or Maryland's Gary Williams rants that the mid-majors' computer rankings are inflated, ignore them.
And there will be a next time. Sooner rather than later - much sooner than we see the next George Mason.
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