THE BRACKETS
PITTSBURGH
Hide the children.In the third slugfest of the season between the Big East rivals, the Panthersagain grind UConn into submission, winning their first nationalchampionship
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Midwest
West
East
South
1 LOUISVILLE
16 ALABAMAST./MOREHEAD ST.
8 OHIO STATE
9 SIENA
5 UTAH
12 ARIZONA
4 WAKE FOREST
13 CLEVELANDSTATE
6 WESTVIRGINIA
11 DAYTON
3 KANSAS
14 NORTH DAKOTASTATE
7 BOSTONCOLLEGE
10 USC
2 MICHIGANSTATE
15 ROBERTMORRIS
1 CONNECTICUT
16 CHATTANOOGA
8 BYU
9 TEXASA&M
5 PURDUE
12 NORTHERNIOWA
4 WASHINGTON
13 MISSISSIPPISTATE
6 MARQUETTE
11 UTAH STATE
3 MISSOURI
14 CORNELL
7 CALIFORNIA
10 MARYLAND
2 MEMPHIS
15 CALSTATE--NORTHRIDGE
LOUISVILLE
Three extra days in Dayton are play-in winner's only prize
SIENA
Saints' Hasbrouck-Moore guard duo is Big Ten--caliber
UTAH
Lute-less 'Zona's 25th straight appearance in Dance ends early
WAKE FOREST
Vikings can't channel Mouse McFadden from '86 Cinderella
WEST VIRGINIA
Iron man Ruoff outworks tough Flyers defense
KANSAS
Sharpshooter Woodside almost saves Bison from extinction
BOSTON COLLEGE
ACC-toughened Eagles handle middle-of-the pack Pac-10ers
MICHIGAN STATE
Colonials would need muskets to hold off deep Spartans
CONNECTICUT
Afterward, awed Mocs get autographs from Thabeet
BYU
Cougars claw their way to first tournament win since '93
PURDUE
Hummel's healthy back proves to be painful for Panthers
WASHINGTON
Huskies commute down I-5 and bounce SEC upstarts
UTAH STATE
Loss of injured defensive stopper James dooms Warriors
MISSOURI
Ivy kings would rip Tigers in hockey, but not in hoops
MARYLAND
Gritty guard Vasquez paces—and personifies—tough Terps
MEMPHIS
Matadors wave red cape as energetic Tigers blow past
LOUISVILLE
Nightmare matchup for deserving No. 9 seed Saints—a bigger, faster version ofthemselves
WAKE FOREST
No worries for quicker Demon Deacons as 7'2" Utes center Nevill getssunburned in Miami
KANSAS
Huggins's Mountaineers can't quite keep up with Collins outside and aren't bigenough to contain Aldrich inside
BOSTON COLLEGE
With classic BC backcourt play, fearless point guard Rice orchestrates upsetfor young Eagles
CONNECTICUT
BYU scorers Cummard, Fredette keep it close, but Huskies have found theirpost-Dyson stride
PURDUE
Boilers shut down UW and flashy freshman guard Thomas with steady, Keady-esquedefense
MISSOURI
It's 40 Minutes of Hell for overmatched Aggies in face of Mizzou's ferociousfull-court pressure defense
MEMPHIS
Emotion takes Terps only so far before Calipari's oversized backcourt slams thedoor
WAKE FOREST
Cardinals faithful caravan across the Ohio River, turning Indy redder. But Wakeand productive point guard Teague like the fast pace and pull off the upset
KANSAS
During the regular season Eagles beat North Carolina, lost to Harvard. LatterBC team shows up in regional semis as KU gets its first real whiff of a returntrip to Final Four
CONNECTICUT
In the same building where the Giants upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII,Purdue fails to duplicate the Tyree Miracle against more athletic UConn
MISSOURI
Tigers' three-headed backcourt of Tiller, Taylor and English prove to be therare combination that can match Memphis's frenzied offense
WAKE FOREST
Young Jayhawks are likely to be the preseason No. 1 in 2009--10, but inspiredWake is Final Four--bound two years after the death of former coach Prosser
CONNECTICUT
After surviving a brain hemorrhage and a blown-out ACL, UConn guard Pricehandles Mizzou easily, feeding the Huskies' attack all the way to Detroit
CONNECTICUT
Demon Deacons' unlikely run is stymied by UConn's relentless man-to-man andeight blocks by Thabeet. Streaky forward Robinson has a breakout night
PITTSBURGH
Heavyweights Blair and Hansbrough battle to a standoff, and Fields checksLawson. But Carolina is unable to contain the versatile and exquisite Younginside or out
PITTSBURGH
Duke has no answers for Blair down low, Fields up high or Young everywhereelse. Panthers fan Big Ben shows up, and Boston fans boo
NORTH CAROLINA
Toughened by the Big East tournament, 'Cuse won't go down easily, butHansbrough gets 25 and 12 plus a bloody nose—and versatile wing Green is the Xfactor
PITTSBURGH
Xavier's big Brown and his frontcourt mates are game, but Panthers prevail whensavvy point guard Fields launches too many late daggers
DUKE
Blue Devils slow 6'3" Maynor by siccing 6'5" Scheyer on him, then rainsecond-half threes to get payback and reach their first Elite Eight since2004
NORTH CAROLINA
Not a good matchup. Few's crew wants to run, but Tar Heels run faster. Lawsonlooks better every game, and there's nobody to fight off Hansbrough
SYRACUSE
Orange-on-orange showdown goes to Boeheim & Co. Fantastic Flynn can't berattled, and imposing Onuaku wears down Clemson's front line
PITTSBURGH
Soft OSU is tailor-made for Panthers' rout. Blair goes for 20 and 15, leavinglots of bruises in his wake
XAVIER
Motivated Musketeers coach, a former Pitt point guard, leads team into matchupwith alma mater
VCU
Slashing Rams' guard Maynor took down Duke in '07 tournament. Here he outplays'Nova's Reynolds
DUKE
Staggering Longhorns no obstacle to peaking ACC champions and super swingmanHenderson
NORTH CAROLINA
Lawson toe-watch turns serious. Wouldn't you know it, Ol' Roy was just restinghim for the real prize
GONZAGA
Zags force 'Toppers into track meet, as senior forward Heytvelt leads fiveplayers with double figures
SYRACUSE
'Cuse backcourt of Devendorf, Flynn and Rautins proves too prolific for Owls tohandle
CLEMSON
Tigers have no one to stop Griffin, but Sooners turn it over repeatedly in thebackcourt as big guy watches
PITTSBURGH
Someday a No. 16 will beat a No. 1, but not here
OKLAHOMA STATE
Streaky Cowboys make threes all the way from the north forty
FLORIDA STATE
Dangerous Douglas buries overmatched Badgers
XAVIER
Vikings' 5'6" senior Dominguez fights to keep it close
VCU
Bruins fly coast-to-coast, fall to tourney-tough Rams
VILLANOVA
Wildcats get a home game, but not a pushover opponent
TEXAS
Hulking Pittman beats up Gophers in the low post
DUKE
How many Dukies could find Binghamton on a map?
NORTH CAROLINA
Hansbrough-Parakhouski collision worth watching
BUTLER
Bulldogs' forward Howard too versatile for Tigers
WESTERENKENTUCKY
Hilltoppers survive a slow-paced chess match
GONZAGA
In 11th straight Dance, Zags don't suffer an early letdown
TEMPLE
Christmas comes early as Owls' guard outplays Harden
SYRACUSE
OT-weary Orange disposes of Lumberjacks in a mere 40
CLEMSON
Tigers' pressure D renders maize-and-blue one-and-done
OKLAHOMA
Bears don't see likes of double-double machine Griffin in MEAC
1 PITTSBURGH
16 EAST TENNESSEESTATE
8 OKLAHOMASTATE
9 TENNESSEE
5 FLORIDASTATE
12 WISCONSIN
4 XAVIER
13 PORTLANDSTATE
6 UCLA
11 VCU
3 VILLANOVA
14 AMERICAN
7 TEXAS
10 MINNESOTA
2 DUKE
15 BINGHAMTON
1 NORTHCAROLINA
16 RADFORD
8 LSU
9 BUTLER
5 ILLINOIS
12 WESTERNKENTUCKY
4 GONZAGA
13 AKRON
6 ARIZONASTATE
11 TEMPLE
3 SYRACUSE
14 STEPHEN F.AUSTIN
7 CLEMSON
10 MICHIGAN
2 OKLAHOMA
15 MORGANSTATE
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