10 | THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2010 THE CHRONICLE | 11

MIDWEST (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 St.

(1) Duke

(16) Arkansas-PB

(8) California

(9) Louisville

(5) Texas A&M

(12) Utah St.

(4) Purdue

(13) Siena

(6) Notre Dame

(11) Old Dominion

(3) Baylor

(14) Sam Houston St.

(7) Richmond

(10) St. Mary’s

(2) Villanova

(15) Robert Morris

(1) Kansas

(16) Lehigh

(8) UNLV

(9) Northern Iowa

(5) Michigan St.

(12) New Mexico St.

(4) Maryland

(13) Houston

(6)Tennessee

(11) San Diego St.

(3) Georgetown

(7) Oklahoma St.

(10) Georgia Tech

(2) Ohio St.

(15) UC-Santa Barbara

(1) Syracuse

(16) Vermont

(8) Gonzaga

(9) Florida St.

(5) Butler

(12) UTEP

(4) Vanderbilt

(13) Murray St.

(6) Xavier

(11) Minnesota

(3) Pittsburgh

(14) Oakland

(7) BYU

(10) Florida

(2) Kansas St.

(15) North Texas

(14) Ohio

(1

(8

(9

(5

(1

(4

(((((1

(6

(1

SOUTHWEST

EASTEAST

CHAMPION

DUKEthe case for...

KANSASthe case for...

SALT LAKE CITY

ST. LOUIS

HOUSTON

SYRACUSE

by Chris CusackTHE CHRONICLE

“We signed our two most important recruits right there,” head coach Bill Self said last April. “Those two together mean at least 12 to 15 wins.”

Self wasn’t talking about the class of 2013, or even junior college transfers. He spoke of the decisions by established Jayhawk stars Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich to remain at Kansas for their senior and junior seasons, respectively.

After a brutal five-point loss to eventual NCAA Tournament runner-up Michigan State in the final of the Midwest Regional, Kansas’s immediate future was left in the hands of Collins and Aldrich, arguably the best inside-outside combination in college basketball. The decisions of the two future pros, more than any-thing else, would determine the fate of this team.

Collins and Aldrich did not wait long to make up their minds, announcing at the end-of-year team banquet that they would return.

The acquisition of top recruit Xavier Henry has meant almost as much to Self and the Jayhawks, as the freshman is averaging 13.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Plus, Henry is realizing his potential at just the right time. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound shooting guard is physically mature, but has only just begun to play his best basketball in February and March, leading the team in scor-ing in five of eight games in that stretch.

Add in an experienced supporting cast, and it comes as no surprise that the Jayhawks have rolled to 32 wins and both the Big 12 regular season and Tournament titles.

Back in the Midwest Regional as the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Kansas is built more effectively for a deep run than last year, or

SEE KANSAS ON PAGE 17

by Nicholas SchwartzTHE CHRONICLE

When Hakim Warrick’s spectacular block on Kansas’s Michael Lee secured Syracuse’s first na-tional championship in 2003, the Orange com-pleted a title run few could have predicted going into the season. While Syracuse featured perhaps the best player in the land that year in freshman Carmelo Anthony, the Orange weren’t ranked to begin the season and weren’t Tournament favor-ites in March.

Flash forward to 2010, and the scenario seems eerily similar.

Syracuse lost its three leading scorers from last season’s squad in Jonny Flynn, Eric Deven-dorf and Paul Harris, and the outlook seemed bleak for the Orange in what was expected to be another tough year in the Big East. Head coach Jim Boeheim’s squad was ranked 25th before the season in the USA Today coaches poll—and was left out altogether by the AP—after a shocking loss at home to Division II Le Moyne in a pre-season game.

Then Wes Johnson got on the court.Johnson, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Iowa State,

had to sit out the entire 2008-2009 season due to the NCAA’s transfer rules—but he was well worth the wait. The junior has been stellar for the Orange this season, leading the team in both points and rebounds with 16.0 and 8.4 per game, respectively, earning him Big East Player of the Year honors.

Perhaps more importantly, his unmatched athleticism and length at the small forward posi-tion have made him a perfect fit for Boeheim’s signature 2-3 zone, as Johnson’s ability to recover quickly and close down on outside shooters has contributed to Syracuse’s formidable defense.

SEE ’CUSE ON PAGE 18

SYRACUSEthe case for...

by Josh HammerTHE CHRONICLE

Enough talk about Duke’s “Big Three.” It’s time to start talking about the Blue Devils’ new “Core Four.” The rise of center Brian Zoubek has been well-publicized over the past month—the seven-footer has averaged over nine rebounds per game since his 16-point, 17-rebound effort against Mary-land Feb. 13. With Zoubek providing a dominant presence on the boards to complement Duke’s high-scoring perimeter attack, the Blue Devils are in good shape to cut down the nets once more this season—this time in Indianapolis April 5.

Featuring head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s most balanced offensive attack since his most recent Final Four team in 2004, this 2010 Duke squad is poised to make a deep NCAA Tournament run. Point guard Jon Scheyer has displayed un-canny will and determination all year, and he has emerged as a true 3-point-shooting, driving, pass-distributing triple threat. ACC Tournament MVP Kyle Singler is playing lights-out basketball at the most important time of the year, dispelling the popular notion that Krzyzewski’s heavy reliance on his top players leads to them burning out in March. And guard Nolan Smith has been remark-ably consistent all season, both offensively and defensively.

Not since 2004—when senior point guard Chris Duhon, sophomore shooting guard J.J. Redick and one-and-done freshman swingman Luol Deng led the Blue Devils—has Duke featured such a dan-gerous offensive trio.

Critics will point to Duke’s thin backcourt. In real-ity, the backcourt issue hasn’t been a problem. Schey-er and Smith are each averaging 35-plus minutes per game, yet show no signs whatsoever of wearing down. Andre Dawkins has displayed some flashes of slashing

SEE DUKE ON PAGE 15

KENTUCKYthe case for...

by Matt LevenbergTHE CHRONICLE

Every past national champion has proven it can win a game in a variety of different ways—be it by virtue of offense, defense or other various intangibles like excel-lent coaching or the Herculean abilities of star players.

When measured by any of these tests, Kentucky passes with flying colors.

Offensively, the Wildcats average 79.4 points per game, best in the SEC. If Kentucky isn’t slowed offen-sively, the Wildcats have proven unbeatable this season. When the SEC champions score at least 70 points or more, they are 29-0. Balance has been a calling card of head coach John Calipari’s squad this year, as four Wildcats average double figures in scoring. Freshman phenom John Wall averages 16.9 points and over six as-sists per game. The prolific point guard has scored at least 11 points in all but two games this season.

Wall has shown that he can win games with his defense as well. Rewind the clocks back to Febru-ary 20—when Vanderbilt trailed Kentucky at home by one point with under ten seconds left. Commo-dore guard John Jenkins attempted a game-winning 3-pointer, but Wall would have none of it. The fresh-man quickly elevated, blocked the shot attempt and grabbed it out of the air to seal the Wildcats’ victory.

Wall was the face of the top recruiting class in the country, but he’s found a strong complement down low. Fellow freshman DeMarcus Cousins, a 6-foot-11 forward, has emerged as a potential lottery pick with his 15.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Cousins has shown that he can carry the team when Wall is cold from the perimeter. Like clockwork, Cousins has scored 19 points in each game when Wall failed to reach double-digits.

SEE KENTUCKY ON PAGE 17