(1) UNC (27-4)
(16) Alabama A&M/Oakland
(8) Minnesota (21-10)
(9) Iowa St (18-11)
(5) Villanova (22-7)
(12) New Mexico (26-6)
(4) Florida (23-7)
(13) Ohio (21-10)
(6) Wisconsin (22-8)
(11) N Iowa (21-10)
(3) Kansas (23-6)
(14) Bucknell (22-9)
(7) Charlotte (21-7)
(10) NC State (19-13)
(2) UConn (22-7)
(15) C Florida (24-8)
The Prospects:
North Carolina
Raymond Felton, 6-1, PG, junior, lottery pick
Scouts either love Felton or they don't, there is no middle ground when it comes to him. He's stepped up his game big time this year for the Heels and is the #1 reason they are in the position they are in right now. A lot is riding on this tournament for Felton; he is their PG and the guy who will have the ball in his hands down the stretch for Carolina, but that hasn't always worked out that well for Felton in the past. Therefore, it will be key for him to show that he can perform when the pressure is on. If Felton continues to hit his outside shots, play good defense and run his team full of pros like a pro, he's a likely lottery pick and maybe even a top 10 pick.
Marvin Williams, 6-9, forward, freshman, potential #1 pick
No one is really sure whether Williams will come out or not, and the NCAA tournament could play a huge role in that. If he can step up his game like he has at times this year and help his team win a national championship, there might not be much left for Williams to prove at the NCAA level. He could just as well return to Carolina next year and be the man for that team, though. Either way, its hard to imagine his stock going up or down too much over the next month. He's already a top 3 pick whenever he decides to come out, and his incredible potential is enough to make anyone forget a poor performance or two.
Jawad Williams, 6-9, forward, senior, bubble first rounder
Carolina's senior will be expected to step up and provide his team with leadership, good defense, a reliable outside threat and some serious aggressiveness on their way to the final four. He's a bubble first rounder, and strong and confident play reminiscent of the way he performed earlier on in the season could help secure his place in the 1st round of the draft. He's certainly got all the tools, but he's still considered a tweener with his lack of ball skills. Now wouldn't be a bad time to disprove that belief.
Rashad McCants, 6-3, shooting guard, junior, bubble first rounder
This talented, but sometimes troubled shooting guard has had a tough past few weeks, and just returned to Carolina's lineup in time to see them lose to Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament. North Carolina didn't look like they missed a beat in McCants' absence, and that doesn't bode well for him. Scouts will be watching him very closely this month, looking to see how he fits in with Carolina's team concept, scrutinizing his defense and shot selection, and generally just watching every move he makes in order to come to a final opinion on him before he declares for the draft. Scouts all over the place on how to rank him at the moment.
Sean May, 6-8, PF/C, senior, 2006 first rounder?
He's probably not getting any taller anytime soon, but his terrific post presence has been very steady for North Carolina this season and another huge reason why they are considered the favorites to win the National Championship. May doesn't have a whole lot to gain either way, but North Carolina really needs him to play big for them.
Jackie Manuel, 6-5, SG/SF, senior, bubble 2nd rounder
Carolina's defensive specialist, he has shown some flashes of being able to do other things in sparks this year, but probably too little, too late. He could be a fantastic player for Europe, a swingman version of Maceo Baston who can lock down guys and guard anyone from the 1-4 positions.