CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Let's call the whole thing off.
Judging by what Duke did here at the Charlotte Coliseum as the top seed in the East Regional, the other 15 teams left in this year's NCAA tournament probably don't have any more hope of beating the Blue Devils than the teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference had during the regular season.
If anything, they might have less.
Avoiding Duke, until at least the Final Four, is a plus for the 12 fortunate enough to be in the other three regions. One team will be lucky enough to avoid the Blue Devils until the March 29 championship game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The sigh of relief you hear is emanating from College Park.
"I think somebody can beat them, but I don't think anyone will," said Tulsa coach Bill Self, after his ninth-seeded Golden Hurricane was reduced to a slight breeze during a 97-56 defeat yesterday to Duke. "They're even better than advertised."
And considering the number of top four seeds that have already been beaten -- including Cincinnati, the only team to defeat the Blue Devils this season, there were seven others, the fewest to advance since 1990 -- there are fewer obstacles in Duke's way toward its third national championship this decade. Here's how the four regionals stack up:
South Regional: This is likely to be the most competitive bracket, because it's the only one in which the four top seeds advanced. The matchup between second-seeded Maryland (28-5) and third-seeded St. John's (27-5) Thursday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., has the makings of the best game in the Sweet 16.
Both the Terrapins and Red Storm have had remarkable seasons, one that was expected at Maryland but wasn't at St. John's. Unless you count Maryland's convincing regular-season victories over North Carolina and Saturday's 25-point win by St. John's over Indiana in Orlando, Fla., neither team has won what might be called a significant game.
They are two of the more athletic teams in the tournament, and the Red Storm could be even more gifted in that area than the Terrapins. It will be Maryland's job to stop sophomore forward Ron Artest, whose versatility and strength will make it difficult for Terence Morris. Conversely, St. John's will have to figure out a way to play Steve Francis, who is too big for point guard Erick Barkley and too quick for former Dunbar standout Bootsy Thornton.
The reaction of the two teams to their respective victories might be telling come Thursday night. Maryland was unhappy about its sloppiness down the stretch in its 75-63 win over 10th-seeded Creighton, but St. John's was almost giddy at the thought of getting to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1991. This will be second straight year the Terrapins have gone this far and the fourth time since 1994.
The other game on the University of Tennessee campus, between top-seeded Auburn (29-3) and No. 4 seed Ohio State (25-8), might be treated an afterthought for fans outside of the ACC and Big East, as well as for the folks at CBS, but the Tigers and Buckeyes are an intriguing contrast between a team with a dominating frontcourt that likes to crash the offensive boards (Auburn averages nearly 20) and a team with a dominating backcourt.
Oklahoma State figured out how to stop All-American Chris Porter and slow Auburn's transition game, but couldn't come up with an answer to sophomore guard Scott Pohlman in Saturday's 81-74 victory by the Tigers. Scoonie Penn needs to come out of a late-season shooting slump for the Buckeyes.
Prediction: Most figure the winner of Maryland-St. John's to come out of this region, but don't underestimate Ohio State.
West Regional: Most of the top seeds have disappeared, clearing the way for top seed Connecticut (30-2) to give long-suffering Jim Calhoun his first shot at the Final Four. The Huskies had no trouble dispatching either Texas-San Antonio or New Mexico, but could face a stiffer challenge from Iowa (20-9).
Connecticut has seemingly regained its health, and it shows in the play of both Big East Player of the Year Rip Hamilton and center Jake Voskuhl. The backcourt of Khalid El-Amin and Ricky Moore is better than anything the Hawkeyes have faced this year.
The No. 10 seed, Gonzaga (27-6), is perhaps the biggest Cinderella team left in the field. The West Coast Conference champion used its home-crowd advantage -- the school is in Spokane, and the first two rounds in Seattle -- and Minnesota's academic scandal to knock off the seventh-seeded Gophers and No. 2-seeded Stanford. Florida (22-8) held off another team with a glass-slipper fetish, Weber State, to advance to its first Sweet 16 since the 1994 team made the Final Four.
Led by guard Matt Santangelo, Gonzaga is balanced and plays at two speeds, fast and faster. But it is not reckless, and the more experienced Bulldogs might be able to take advantage of the young Gators. Florida showed its age by drawing three technicals, including one by coach Billy Donovan, 33, to help Weber State force overtime.
Prediction: With Stanford, North Carolina and Arkansas gone, this will be Calhoun's year to get to the promised land.
East Regional: When second-seeded Miami was upset yesterday by 10th-seeded Purdue in Boston, Duke's ticket to its eighth Final Four since 1986 was all but punched. Though it would have taken a huge effort by the Hurricanes, they at least matched up well with the Blue Devils at a couple of positions.
Purdue (21-12) barely made the field as a No. 10 seed after losing five of its last six before the tournament, and barely beat Texas in the first round. But it was convincing in a 73-63 victory over Miami.
Temple (23-10) lost its best shooter, Lynn Greer, early in the season, but stayed competitive on the strength of John Chaney's vaunted matchup zone defense. Now it needs to hit some shots -- reserve guard Quincy Wadley had four threes in yesterday's 64-54 win over Cincinnati.
Southwest Missouri State (22-10) is next up on the list of NCAA tournament fodder for the Blue Devils. The 12th-seeded Bears looked impressive in victories over No. 5 seed Wisconsin and yesterday's 81-51 pasting of fourth- and badly over-seeded Tennessee, but Duke is another story. With only one starter for Southwest Missouri over 6 feet 6, it could be another 30-point win for Duke (34-1).
Prediction: With Duke there, does anyone else matter?
Midwest Regional: Michigan State nearly became the first top seed to lose, but the reigning Big Ten champion came back to beat No. 9 seed Mississippi, 74-66, yesterday in Milwaukee. Still, the Spartans will need a better effort than what they showed this weekend at the Bradley Center if they want to advance to their first Final Four since 1979, when they beat Larry Bird and Indiana State for the title.
Michigan State (31-4) will face 13th-seeded Oklahoma (22-10), which backed up its first NCAA tournament win under Kelvin Sampson with its second yesterday against North Carolina-Charlotte. The Sooners will have to slow the Spartans, and they might watch the tape from the opening-round game against Mount St. Mary's to see how it's done. Oklahoma's Eduardo Najera is quickly developing into a Scott Padgett-like force down the stretch.
Speaking of Padgett, the player who silenced Duke last year with a crucial three-pointer for Kentucky (27-8) in the South Regional final at the Thunderdome did it against in yesterday's overtime win over sixth-seeded Kansas in New Orleans. The defending national champion will play another of the Cinderella teams, No. 10 Miami, Ohio. The Redhawks continued to ride the play of senior forward Wally Szczerbiak to another upset, this time over second-seeded Utah.
Prediction: After a midseason malaise, the Wildcats are playing the kind of basketball that could get them a date with Duke.
Pub Date: 3/15/99