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Reactions: East Region Users look to Duke in the EastPosted: Wednesday March 22, 2000 05:03 PM
You've read what all the "experts" have to say. Now read how CNNSI.com users broke down the East Region. Many users are looking to No. 1 seeded Duke to make it to the Final Four. Others think Temple is the team to beat. A collection of some of our users' views of the East Region follows:
I think the East is the most wide-open region of them all. Who would ever thought you would see Duke and Kansas with a chance to play in the SECOND round! And you can't forget the game streaky DePaul gave the Blue Devils at Cameron earlier in the season. Florida and Illinois are two teams that could make a serious run for the Final Four, but could also be upset early. Of course, John Chaney probably brings his best team ever into the tourney. The jury is out on teams like Oklahoma St., Seton Hall, and Oregon. Looks like Duke makes another trip to the Final Four. But the East is going to be very interesting and a lot of fun!
I see no way that Duke, a team so heavily dependent upon the guard play of freshmen, will be able to make it to the Final Four. Though I'd love to pick Illinois (my emotional favorite). I can't do so with sanity with Temple in this region.
Being a Carolina grad, it's hard for me to say this, but I think Duke will win the East Region. It's hard to say that the No. 1 team could be a sleeper, but I think a lot of people are underestimating this team. They finished off the season strong, lost to a very hot St. John's team by only one. The type of team that beats the match up zone is one that can shoot the three. And if you watched the ACC tourney, Duke can definitely hit those threes. Not to mention Jason Williams and Carlos Boozer are starting to play very, very, well. The only team I see beating them would be Illinois.
Everyone seems to think that Duke is the weakest of the No. 1 seeds. Hey that's fine. I feel sorry for whoever gets in their way. Teams Duke beat earlier may have improved, but so have the Devils. I hope people don't bet on your "experts" brackets. Duke will not only be the team out of the East, but don't be surprised when they cut down the nets in the finals. GO DEVILS!
The Penn Quakers are my sleeper team. They match up extremely well with a younger Illinois team. They also are the most athletic Ivy League team since their Final Four run in 1979. They possess versatility and a great team chemistry that will work well against a deep team like Illinois. Also, Penn wants a rematch against the Florida team that knocked them out of the NCAA tournament last year. Illinois is younger and will look past them to the bigger names in the East Region, and this will hurt them.
Duke will come out strong, but its toughest game will be against the fifth-seeded Florida. It could possibly be an overtime game. The rest of its games in the bracket will be double-digit victories. But Duke will not make the championship game.
Anyone who has watched Duke play this year know how talented they are with great forwards like Chris Carrawell and Shane Battier. However, I like Temple in the East. Temple is a proud, tough team with a great shooter in Mark Karcher, and solid point guard in Pepe Sanchez. My sleeper pick is Florida. Billy Donovan will have his team ready to meet Duke in the quarterfinals. Cinderella is in Pepperdine this year. Look for an upset of Bobby Knight's Hoosiers, then a win against Oklahoma St. before losing to Temple.
I think there is no doubt John Chaney's club will advance to the Final Four. They are definitely the team to beat, and my pick to win it all. Pepe Sanchez's club is on a hot streak, winning like 16 of their last 17 games, including breezing through the A-10 tourney and beating Cincinnati with a healthy Kenyon Martin. Duke is tough, but I feel Temple is just too tough right now to be stopped.
I think the East is the hardest region Duke has ever been put in. There are a lot of really good even teams. I am a Duke fan, and though I wish my guys luck, I pick Temple out of the East. I think Duke could stumble in the second round to DePaul. Temple will face Illinois in the regional final and I think Temple wins the East.
I like Oklahoma State here. I'd like them in any region. They really seem to be playing well, despite a couple of recent losses. I think Coach Sutton can do a better job of preparing his team to play on short notice than any opposing coach. And their tough "D", coupled with a potent offensive scheme, will be a difficult combination for teams to match up against. Conference play is tough, because these teams see your offense every year. In the NCAA, they bring on the fresh meat, and they find out what Big XII "D" is all about.
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