Here’s one you don’t hear everyday: it’s on Arizona (Yes Tourney Mainstay ‘Zona) to keep Cinderella alive, in what has turned out to be an incredibly top heavy Sweet 16.

SCOTT JACOBS

You know what we learned this weekend?

That the gap in talent has closed immensely, and that the top seeds aren’t invincible.  With close games aplenty all weekend long I think that much is clear.  But we also learned this weekend that the difference between this and this, is that little extra, and so a tournament devoid of a true cinderella team with the exception of NCAA Tourney mainstay Arizona is what we’re left with.

Yup, Arizona, the most controversial selection, and the last team in to the dance is the people’s last hope as cinderella.  Sounds almost laughable, no?  With future pros in Nic Wise and Chase Buddinger, this isn’t exactly the type of team that is going to captivate the masses.  But the’re the best we’ve got, and with the exception of five seeded Purdue, the only team that made it out alive if they weren’t a top three seed.

As strange as this is going to sound, all one seeds, two seeds, and three seeds made it to the NCAA’s second weekend.  Despite what logic may suggest, this simply doesn’t happen often.

There is no George Mason, no Davidson, none of that left in this year’s tourney.  And inevitably all those who picked ones and twos to make the final four will probably be right.  Which is unfortunate, because the great thing about the tourney is when things don’t go according to plan.  But with the exception of a few games in the Midwest region there hasn’t been that chaos.

Siena gave Louisville a great game, but just couldn’t get it done.  Pitt got all it could handle with Oklahoma State.  North Carolina took a few punches from LSU, but overcame a late deficit.  And UConn destroyed Texas A&M.  And so did number two seed (or as many like to say co number one seed) Memphis.

Marquette lost a heartbreaker because their inbounder stepper over the line.  Gonzaga nearly got taken out by Western Kentucky’s wild rally but it wasn’t meant to be.

So here we go with some final thoughts for the weekend:

*The Big East has five teams in the Sweet 16: I guess they really are that good. The ACC: just two in Duke and North Carolina.

*Of the six Pac10 teams that got into the tourney (Washington, UCLA, USC, Arizona State, Cal, and Arizona) just one left the tourney’s first weekend alive.  And wouldn’t you know it: it’s Arizona.  Yeah, the same Arizona team that is being coached by Russ Pennell, who apparently will be fired the minute Arizona loses.  But after taking out Utah, the Wildcats lucked out with Cleveland State, and now they’re in the Sweet 16, where they’ll get the number one seed of them all: Louisville.  Ah the intrigue: the last team in versus the best team in.  Should be fun.

*We’re loving a pair of three seeds right now: Syracuse and Villanova.  Syracuse is a very good team with a very balanced offense of inside and out, and they will be a tough out for anybody, including incosistent Oklahoma.  And as for Villanova, which slaughtered Final Four regular UCLA, look for the Wildcats to move on when they get Duke.  Villanova was simply awesome in their disposal of the Bruins and they have the defensive toughness to play with Duke.

*Most intriguing game that will probably float under the radar: Pitt versus Xavier.  Pitt had a tough time with East Tennessee State, and nearly got upset by Oklahoma State today.  Enter Xavier, a tourney tested team that made an impressive elite eight run last year, and has the pieces to pull the upset.  We’re not picking the upset (yet), but this game should be nail bitingly close.

*If there’s one game that won’t be that close…
It’s got to be UConn and Purdue.  Did you see the way UConn mutilated Texas A&M on Saturday?  I think they feel disprespected with so many people picking Memphis instead of them to go the Final Four and that they are on a mission to pulverize everything in their path. Purdue squeaked by Washington to get here, but the Big 12 tourney champs might have some problems with the Huskies inside game, and their speed.

*Could we have a rematch… of the NCAA Tournament final last year?
Kansas and Memphis are both alive.  Not predicting it, just saying.

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