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Let
the Madness Begin
Nantz, Packer, Kellogg Talk About NCAA Tourney Pairings
 By
Randy Williams
As usual, CBS' NCAA Selection Show was smooth with host Greg
Gumbel ably running the program and Michelle Tafoya revealing the
64-team field.
In a conference call following the show, CBS analyst Billy Packer
said Cincinnati has the best chance to beat Duke and also wondered
how the health of senior guard Trajan Langdon will affect the Blue
Devils. He said 10th-seeded Gonzaga, facing Minnesota in the first
round Thursday, is a sleeper to watch.
Packer said the Big 10, with seven NCAA tournament teams, "is
a very, very well-balanced league...There's not a difference
between No. 2 and No. 11." Packer and broadcast partner
Jim Nantz (pictured) worked three games this weekend from that conference's
tournament in Chicago.
Nantz astutely noted that Oklahoma's 13th-seed in the Midwest
Regional means "you can deduce the Sooners were the last
team to make the field, though the committee would never admit
it." Nantz said Michigan State's victory against Illinois saved
Kelvin Sampson's club from an NIT bid.
He added that the parity in college hoops this year "opens
up an opportunity for these mid-level teams to star in this tournament.
Is that going to hurt us? Did Valpo hurt us last year?"
Nantz was referring to underdog Valparaiso's stunning run into
the Sweet Sixteen in 1997-98.
During the conference call, I asked Clark Kellogg what is
the most interesting part of covering the tournament.
"Well, being in the studio you get a flavor for what's going
on everywhere as you catch bits and pieces of each game, especially
in the first round. It's a little bit of a challenge but I like
having the chance to check everything out.
"The rest of the days it's obviously tough but you work on
adrenaline and it's a great thing to be a part of," he said.
Interviewed on CBS after the brackets were read, selection committee
Chairman C.M. Newton said Wake Forest missed the NCAAs
because it failed to win an ACC tourney game while North Carolina
State's weak nonconference season damaged its chances.
...Nice taped shots of reactions from Southwest Missouri
State, Washington and Miami (Ohio).
...Nantz said the "toughest second-round game" is potentially
Villanova against Mississippi.
...CBS
had a typo on its bracket, listing Florida as an eighth seed when
it was a sixth seed. Gumbel later corrected CBS' mistake.
...ESPN's 90-minute Selection Special included a good interview
of coach Rick Stansbury, whose Mississippi State squad failed to
make the field. Give credit to Dick Vitale for asking Stansbury,
whose team played a weak nonconference schedule, if he'll upgrade
his slate for next season.
...
Why did ESPN interview Auburn coach Cliff Ellis in front of a
blue screen, i.e. a neutral background (usually in blue) on
which networks can project images - in this case Auburn's cheerleaders
and fans - behind him?
...Vitale likes Duke, Kentucky, Maryland and Connecticut
to reach the Final Four with the ACC champion winning it
all. Temple, Kansas, Louisville and Florida are potential sleepers.
Vitale had huge problems with Alabama-Birmingham making the
tournament ahead of Toledo and California.
...ESPN's Digger Phelps, echoing Packer's sentiments, said
Cincinnati is the only team that can beat Duke. Later, Phelps
said Tennessee and Miami (Fla.) could challenge the Blue Devils.
...
At one point during an interview, ESPN was showing Vitale, while
Phelps was asking the question.
...The ESPN show also included interviews with Southwest Missouri
State coach Steve Alford, Evansville coach Jim Crews and
College of Charleston top man John Kresse.
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Photo
courtesy of CBS
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