THE BRACKETS

The Bruins win their 12th national championship by imposing a slow half-court tempo, throttling Kansas's perimeter threats and riding the coattails of superlative freshman Kevin Love to victory

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EAST
MIDWEST
SOUTH
WEST

1 NORTHCAROLINA

16 MT. ST.MARY'S/COPPIN

8 INDIANA

9 ARKANSAS

5 NOTRE DAME

12 GEORGEMASON

4 WASHINGTONSTATE

13 WINTHROP

6 OKLAHOMA

11 SAINTJOSEPH'S

3 LOUISVILLE

14 BOISESTATE

7 BUTLER

10 SOUTHALABAMA

2 TENNESSEE

15 AMERICAN

1 KANSAS

16 PORTLANDST.

8 UNLV

9 KENT ST.

5 CLEMSON

12 VILLANOVA

4 VANDERBILT

13 SIENA

6 USC

11 KANSAS ST.

3 WISCONSIN

14 CAL ST.FULLERTON

7 GONZAGA

10 DAVIDSON

2 GEORGETOWN

15 UMBC

NORTH CAROLINA
Only question here: Can Heels break 100?

ARKANSAS
Hoosiers sunk in post-Sampson funk

NOTRE DAME
'Gody's grit turns Mason Magic into misery

WASHINGTONSTATE
Cougs' backcourt too savvy for early exit

SAINT JOSEPH'S
Beastly Nivins counters OU's interior power

LOUISVILLE
Williams, Clark matchup nightmares for Boise

BUTLER
NCAA-tested Dogs survive 'Bama "road" game

TENNESSEE
Vols' full-court pressure is downright unpatriotic

KANSAS
Big Sky's Vikings are no Bradley or Bucknell

KENT STATE
Fisher, Flashes have enough firepower to light up Vegas

CLEMSON
Tigers unfazed by 'Nova's perimeter athletes

SIENA
Stanford-stunners still have upset magic left

USC
Beasley State's one-man show has one-show run

WISCONSIN
Flowers Power keeps Fullerton's Akognon under wraps

DAVIDSON
Hot Cats use home cooking to win 23rd straight

GEORGETOWN
B'more boys too tiny to bother Big Roy

NORTH CAROLINA
Jumbo Hogs go 6'8", 6'10", 7-foot on front line, but length alone can'tstop Psycho-T from 25 and 10

WASHINGTONSTATE
Senior star Low has one last field day from beyond the arc, exploiting Irish'sperimeter problems

LOUISVILLE
Padgett stages offensive clinic, sets up Pitino-Pearl sideline duel

TENNESSEE
Vols' army of perimeter weapons slashes through Bulldogs, who don't have speedto match

KANSAS
Jayhawk Nation caravans north on I-29 to Phog up Qwest Center, see talentoverwhelm Kent State

CLEMSON
Tigers serve up K.C. barbecue as Rivers leads long-distance barrage to endSaints' Cinderella march

USC
Healthy Hackett, Trojans emerge from defensive derby with proof of theirdark-horse potential

GEORGETOWN
Nation's third-best field goal defense turns cold-blooded Curry just plaincold

NORTH CAROLINA
Battle of nation's seventh-fastest-paced team (UNC) versus the eighth slowest(Wazzu) does not go to the tortoise

LOUISVILLE
After blowing chance to meet UNC in Vegas Invitational, Cards earn a secondshot by grinding Vols into submission

KANSAS
"Shady" Arthur hits real Slim Shady's hometown, has career game atexpense of Tigers' weak interior defense

USC
Hoyas can't repeat '07's Elite Eight miracle as Trojans' slippery big men getHibbert in early foul trouble

LOUISVILLE
Pack the white suit for San Antonio: Pitino and the 'Ville prolong Hansbrough'sElite Eight curse, claw out OT win

KANSAS
Matchup of exquisitely balanced teams goes Jayhawks' way when Rush catches firefrom three-point range and Arthur owns both offensive and defensive glass

KANSAS
Breakthrough! Self, Jayhawks finally shed tournament-bust label by topplingTrojans for second time in '07--08

UCLA
Bruins' Love recovers from his lowest moment (December loss to Longhorns) bypiling up boards, inside buckets and 50-foot outlet passes for paybackvictory

TEXAS
Home cookin': Tigers have a beef after Longhorns ride Houston crowd,three-point barrage to Final Four berth

UCLA
Bruins use backcourt edge to wear down valiant Musketeers at both ends inlow-scoring slugfest

MEMPHIS
Douglas-Roberts goes wild, lights up Golden Eagles with dribble-driveexhibition to send Tigers back to Elite Eight

TEXAS
Augustin reigns supreme in little-versus-big battle, pulling all the rightstrings to drive and kick to Abrams for threes

UCLA
Love shows Thabeet he's not ready for NBA while Shipp rediscovers three-pointstroke to bury Huskies

XAVIER
Duncan goes to work down low against Devils' soft underbelly as Muskies exactrevenge for '04

MEMPHIS
Gordon comes up huge for Bulldogs, but Tigers defense makes difference indown-to-the-wire finish

ORAL ROBERTS
Upset! Cold Spartans succumb to Eagles' defensive gem, toss up brick afterbrick from three-point range

STANFORD
Undervalued Card guards limit mistakes and feed ball to B. Lopez, who feasts onEagles' weak inside D

TEXAS
Longhorns repeat January victory over Gaels the same way, putting Johnson towork down low

UCLA
Bruins lock up Cougars with trademark defense, unleash Love for a 20-and-10tour de force

CONNECTICUT
Price steals Hilltoppers' mojo and leads Huskies' perimeter assault in ablowout

XAVIER
Musketeers' Stanley Burrell declares Hammertime on Jerrells as X shuts downBears' attack

DUKE
Singler lights up Mountaineers with inside-outside domination as Devils cruiseto Phoenix

MEMPHIS
Mavericks can't stop Rose's rapid drives to rim

MISSISSIPPISTATE
Varnado's block party shuts down Ducks

MICHIGAN STATE
Morgan makes like Grinch, stops Christmas

ORAL ROBERTS
Eagles' taller front line smothers Young, Blair

MARQUETTE
James goes off, wins guard battle with Bradley

STANFORD
Lopezes' size matters in battle of brainiacs

ST. MARY'S
McClinton shoots'Canes into early elimination

TEXAS
OVC doesn't have guards like Augustin, Abrams

UCLA
Collison, Westbrook race past Delta Devils

BRIGHAM YOUNG
Plaisted trumps Jones, Jordan in battle of bigs

W. KENTUCKY
'Toppers shooters zing Bulldogs' diminishing D

CONNECTICUT
Toreros don't face shot blockers like Thabeet in WCC

BAYLOR
Boilermakers aren't used to Bears' wide-open style

XAVIER
Lavender punishes exhausted Dawgs from deep

WEST VIRGINIA
Hot Alexander exposes 'Zona's slow defenders

DUKE
Nelson penetrates Bruins' Swiss-cheese defense

1 MEMPHIS

16UT-ARLINGTON

8 MISSISSIPPISTATE

9 OREGON

5 MICHIGANSTATE

12 TEMPLE

4 PITTSBURGH

13 ORALROBERTS

6 MARQUETTE

11 KENTUCKY

3 STANFORD

14 CORNELL

7 MIAMI

10 ST. MARY'S

2 TEXAS

15 AUSTINPEAY

1 UCLA

16 MISS. VALLEYSTATE

8 BRIGHAMYOUNG

9 TEXASA&M

5 DRAKE

12 W.KENTUCKY

4 CONNECTICUT

13 SAN DIEGO

6 PURDUE

11 BAYLOR

3 XAVIER

14 GEORGIA

7 WESTVIRGINIA

10 ARIZONA

2 DUKE

15 BELMONT

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHEN SKALOCKY, DAMIAN DEMARTING, EVAN SCHMIDT

ILLUSTRATION

BLACK BOARD BY BRUCE LONNGREN/WWW.ISTOCKPHOTO.COM