Ncaa’s Dance Partners Take Parity For A Swing

Defending NCAA champion Arkansas is still standing after two rounds - something North Carolina and Duke couldn’t manage in defending their crowns the last two years.

But the Razorbacks are just barely in the field, thanks to an overtime victory over No. 7 seed Syracuse on Sunday.

If the first two rounds are any indication, the rest of the NCAA Tournament could be the most closely contested in history.

There have been six overtime games already. Of the six games played in the Midwest Region in Austin, Texas, five were decided by four points or fewer.

Taking the tournament as a whole, 15 games have been decided by five or fewer points.

The top two seeds are still alive in each region. But the third seeds in three of the four regions - Purdue, Villanova and Michigan State - are gone. And two No. 4 seeds - Utah and Oklahoma - have been eliminated.

“Power ratings, they don’t mean anything,” said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. “The secondary teams in the top conferences just aren’t as dominant. And even the top teams in the big conferences are not as strong as they used to be.”

It certainly wasn’t easy for Arkansas, which claimed a one-point victory over Texas Southern in the first round and a two-point win over Syracuse in the second. But Arkansas has played this game before. In 1990, Arkansas defeated Princeton by four and Dayton by two in Austin, then went to the Final Four in Denver.

“Our team is as good as any team in the country,” Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said. “It’s about parity. I don’t look at any team as better than us. By the same token, I don’t think we are that much better than some teams.”

The Midwest final could pit No. 1 seed Kansas against the second-seeded Razorbacks, who lost to the Jayhawks in the Southeast final in 1991.

Kansas will have the advantage of playing in Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., where it has played three games this season, including two in the Big Eight Tournament two weeks ago.

“I’d rather go to Maui,” said Kansas coach Roy Williams. “I have ticket problems in Kansas City. All I hear is Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas City.”

Arkansas must first get past Memphis in the Midwest semifinals. The Razorbacks defeated Memphis, 88-87, at home in Fayetteville earlier this season.

The Southeast could have a classic final between the two winningest programs in college basketball history, North Carolina and Kentucky. The Wildcats are trying to duplicate their 1993 Final Four run when they recorded four blowouts on the way to New Orleans.

Going against the tournament’s trend, Kentucky has won by 46 and 22 points. And North Carolina has won by 10 and 22.

In the East, sixth-seeded Tulsa has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year, but will face a tough test against No. 2 seed UMass. Both teams will be trying to advance to a regional final for the first time. In the other semifinal, Oklahoma State center Bryant Reeves and guard Randy Rutherford will be a good match against Wake Forest center Tim Duncan and guard Randolph Childress.

In the West, top-seeded UCLA will try to make its first Final Four since 1980, when Larry Brown was the Bruins’ coach. It will be Mississippi State’s 3-point shooters and strong inside game against the transition-oriented Bruins, who take few 3-pointers.

The other game in the region pits Maryland and center Joe Smith against UConn, which relies on pressure defense and outside shooting. The Huskies do not have much size and could be vulnerable to Smith’s power moves to the basket.