SOUTH REGIONAL
THURSDAY: (at Atlanta) No. 1 Kentucky over No. 16 *Western Kentucky (projected first-round winner); No. 9 Connecticut over No. 8 Iowa State; (at Portland) No. 5 Wichita State over No. 12 VCU; No. 4 Indiana over No. 13 New Mexico State; (at Albuquerque) No. 11 Colorado over No. 6 UNLV; No. 3 Baylor over No. 14 South Dakota State.
FRIDAY: (at Greensboro) No. 7 Notre Dame over No. 10 Xavier; No. 2 Duke over No. 15 Lehigh.
ROUND OF 32: Kentucky over Connecticut; Wichita State over Indiana; Colorado over Baylor; Duke over Notre Dame.
SEMIFINALS (at Atlanta March 23&24): Kentucky over Wichita State; Duke over Colorado.
NEW ORLEANS-BOUND: Kentucky
WHY? The Wildcats are the deepest and most gifted team in this region. Anthony Davis has been the most dominant player in the sport over the past two months or so and fellow freshman Marquis Teague is a much more stable and sound playmaker than he was in November. No. 2 seed Duke has the jump shooting ability and size up front to make things interesting for the Wildcats but choosing anyone to upset John Calipari’s squad in this regional is a bit of stretch.
UPSET SPECIAL (by seed): Colorado over UNLV
DON’T MISS THIS ONE: Connecticut vs. Kentucky (if they play). Only two other teams approach the Wildcats in terms of relative size, athleticism and skill. North Carolina (in the Midwest) is one and the defending national champion Huskies are the other. Unless the Wildcats and Tar Heels hook up in the national final on April 2, this is the game that will most intrigue the NBA talent evaluators, notably because of potential Davis vs. Andre Drummond and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vs. Jeremy Lamb matchups.
THE FIVE-BEST PLAYERS: (not necessarily best NBA prospects) Davis and Kidd-Gilchrist; Lamb; Andre Roberson (Colorado); Pierre Jackson (Baylor).
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