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THE BRACKETS

Power struggle: The top two conferences—the Big 12 and the Big East—stand tall on the season's last night. And with its superior low-post game, Kansas edges West Virginia

MIDWEST

1 KANSAS

16 LEHIGH

8 UNLV

9 NORTHERN IOWA

5 MICHIGAN STATE

12 NEW MEXICO ST.

4 MARYLAND

13 HOUSTON

6 TENNESSEE

11 SAN DIEGO STATE

3 GEORGETOWN

14 OHIO

7 OKLAHOMA STATE

10 GEORGIA TECH

2 OHIO STATE

15 UCSB

KANSAS

Freshman guard C.J. McCollum keeps Mountain Hawks close—briefly

NORTHERN IOWA

Panthers nearly took out Purdue in '09. This time they'll finish the job

MICHIGAN ST.

Up-and-down Spartans will be steadier come tourney time

MARYLAND

Terps withstand huge game from guard Aubrey Coleman to take a close one

SAN DIEGO ST.

Aztecs were left out of last year's field; they refuse to make an early exit this year

GEORGETOWN

Midnight strikes early for MAC Cinderella, despite efforts of guard Armon Bassett

OKLAHOMA ST.

Big 12 player of the year James Anderson carries Cowboys past a young Tech team

OHIO STATE

David Lighty is only big contributor left from '07 Oden-Conley finals squad

KANSAS

UNI senior forward Adam Koch goes down fighting against jayhawks' front line

MICHIGAN ST.

Junior point guard Kalin Lucas evokes memories of last season's run to the Final Four

GEORGETOWN

Guard Chris Wright and his Hoyas will make sure it's one upset and done for SDSU

OHIO STATE

Oklahoma State is undone by the hot hand of Buckeyes 6'6" junior guard Jon Diebler

KANSAS

Freshman sensation Xavier Henry helps the Jayhawks win matchup of top-flight backcourts

OHIO STATE

Hoyas have no answer for silky 6'7" Evan Turner, the most complete player in the field

KANSAS

The 2008 champs return to the Final Four by smothering a valiant Turner. Undersized Buckeyes just don't have enough other scorers

WEST

1 SYRACUSE

16 VERMONT

8 GONZAGA

9 FLORIDA STATE

5 BUTLER

12 UTEP

4 VANDERBILT

13 MURRAY STATE

6 XAVIER

11 MINNESOTA

3 PITTSBURGH

14 OAKLAND

7 BYU

10 FLORIDA

2 KANSAS STATE

15 NORTH TEXAS

SYRACUSE

Catamounts upset Orange in first round of 2005. Not going to happen again

FLORIDA STATE

Zags are Dance veterans but played two ACC teams this year and lost to both

BUTLER

Miners are the fashionable pick, but nation's longest win streak reaches 21

VANDERBILT

Last Ohio Valley tournament win was by Middle Tennessee State in '89

XAVIER

Jordan Crawford has another YouTube moment to add to dunk on LeBron

PITTSBURGH

Against power teams, Summit champs lost five games by combined 140 points

BYU

Slick passing and experience help BYU end seven-game NCAA losing streak

KANSAS STATE

Wildcats survive an early test from quick, experienced Mean Green

SYRACUSE

Orange faithful buzz down the N.Y. State Thruway and make Buffalo feel like home

BUTLER

Behind forwards Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward, Bulldogs reach third Sweet 16

PITTSBURGH

Rematch of 2009 Sweet 16 game. Another hard-fought battle, another X-cruciating loss

BYU

Hot-shooting Cougars pull off upset and earn the right to play their regional in Utah

SYRACUSE

The cream rises: Big East player of the year Wes Johnson makes sure Butler doesn't do it

BYU

Junior point guard Jimmer Fredette shoots BYU into the Elite Eight for first time since 1981

SYRACUSE

On the same Salt Lake City floor where Magic first beat Larry in 1979 title game, another Johnson shows his all-around game. Cougars dream run comes to an end

KANSAS

The winningest Jayhawk, senior point guard Sherron Collins (above), solves Orange's 2--3 zone

WEST VIRGINIA

Mountaineers pound Duke inside, and Da'Sean Butler (below) wins it with a buzzer-beater

EAST

1 KENTUCKY

16 EAST TENNESSEE ST.

8 TEXAS

9 WAKE FOREST

5 TEMPLE

12 CORNELL

4 WISCONSIN

13 WOFFORD

6 MARQUETTE

11 WASHINGTON

3 NEW MEXICO

14 MONTANA

7 CLEMSON

10 MISSOURI

2 WEST VIRGINIA

15 MORGAN STATE

KENTUCKY

Buccaneers shiver Wildcats' timbers before fading at the end

TEXAS

Longhorns save face in matchup of reeling heavyweights

TEMPLE

Owls coach Fran Dunphy takes out former pupil Steve Donahue

WOFFORD

Hardworking post player Noah Dahlman leads Terriers to upset

MARQUETTE

A quick out for tourney champs of Pac-10, worst of the power conferences

NEW MEXICO

Grizzlies are out of miracles after their Big Sky title game victory

MISSOURI

In battle of pressing Tigers, Mizzou's veteran backcourt prevails

WEST VIRGINIA

Farewell to guard Reggie Holmes, Bears' alltime leading scorer

KENTUCKY

Damion James keeps Texas close, but Kentucky's frontcourt depth proves decisive

TEMPLE

Both teams like to win ugly with half-court defense. Owls' D is just a little uglier—er, better

MARQUETTE

Proof of Big East power: 11-loss Golden Eagles KO Mountain West regular-season titlist

WEST VIRGINIA

Missouri lacks inside power and the Mountaineers are relentless in the paint. Mismatch

KENTUCKY

Freshman point guard John Wall came to Lexington to take over a tight game like this

WEST VIRGINIA

A rematch of WVU's one-point victory in December. Forward Kevin Jones & Co. squeak by again

WEST VIRGINIA

A Big East team flexes its Big East muscle on a Big East floor (the Carrier Dome). Wildcats' youth—three freshman starters—finally catches up to them

SOUTH

1 DUKE

16 ARKANSAS--PINE BLUFF/WINTHROP

8 CALIFORNIA

9 LOUISVILLE

5 TEXAS A&M

12 UTAH STATE

4 PURDUE

13 SIENA

6 NOTRE DAME

11 OLD DOMINION

3 BAYLOR

14 SAM HOUSTON ST.

7 RICHMOND

10 ST. MARY'S (CALIF.)

2 VILLANOVA

15 ROBERT MORRIS

DUKE

Lessons learned from tough schedule won't help Arkansas--Pine Bluff against Duke

LOUISVILLE

Golden Bears save Pac-10 from total humiliation by keeping it close

UTAH STATE

Both Aggies like a slow tempo, but Utah State has superior long-range shooters

SIENA

With forward Robbie Hummel injured, Boilermakers are a very beatable No. 4

NOTRE DAME

Fighting Irish built momentum over the last seven games to make the NCAA field

BAYLOR

This is not a gimme. Sam Houston lost to Kentucky 102--92 in Rupp Arena

ST. MARY'S

No worries, mate. Gaels have five Australians on their roster

VILLANOVA

Pittsburgh-area Colonials' solid defense will make 'Nova sweat

DUKE

A long, embarrassing year for Cardinals coach Rick Pitino ends decisively in Jacksonville

UTAH STATE

In battle of long shots Siena can't win twice with guard Clarence Jackson hobbled by a bad ankle

BAYLOR

With power forward Luke Harangody playing on one knee, Notre Dame won't prevail

ST. MARY'S

The Wildcats have been playing on borrowed time throughout a shaky 4--6 finish

DUKE

Guard Nolan Smith and the Blue Devils were blown out in last year's Sweet 16. Not this time

BAYLOR

A great name—Tweety Carter—has a great game to lift Baylor to its first Elite Eight appearance

DUKE

Thanks to forward Kyle Singler, ACC champion Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski reach Final Four for the first time since 2004

TEN PHOTOS

JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (HENRY, COLLINS); AL TIELEMANS (JOHNSON); MITCHELL LAYTON (FREDETTE); JOHN F. GRIESHOP/SCHWARTZMAN SPORTS (TURNER); GREG NELSON (WALL); LOU CAPOZZOLA (SMITH); DENNY MEDLEY/US PRESSWIRE (CARTER); CHRIS SZAGOLA/CAL SPORT MEDIA (BUTLER); ANDREW HANCOCK (JONES); BOB ROSATO (BACKGROUND FLOOR)

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

GREG NELSON (BASKETBALL). PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SI IMAGING