It’s Headache Time For Ncaa Upsets In Smaller Tournaments Have Selectors Scratching Heads

Selection Sunday for the NCAA tournament is five days away, but few bids have been guaranteed.

After all, 13 conference tournaments haven’t even started, prolonging the suspense.

There already have been enough upsets in the lesser-known tournaments to keep the selection committee sending out for Mylanta.

Here are six of this week’s best tournaments and what’s at stake:

Six players to watch: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts; Ace Custis, Virginia Tech; Kwame Evans, George Washington; Marc Jackson, Temple; Donta Bright, UMass; Alexander Koul, George Washington.

Biggest question: Does the rest of the pack have any chance of beating UMass, which likely will be the NCAA’s No. 1 seed in the East?

Teams on bubble: Temple should be in because of strength of schedule. That leaves St. Joseph’s (14-11) and Rhode Island (16-12).

Six players to watch: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest; Stephon Marbury and Matt Harpring, Georgia Tech; Jeff McInnis, North Carolina; Ricky Price, Duke; Harold Deane, Virginia.

Biggest questions: Will Dean Smith and Rick Barnes engage in a fistfight if their teams play? Will Duke’s Chris Collins be healthy enough to play after suffering a foot injury?

Teams on bubble: Clemson (17-9) and Maryland (15-11).

Six players to watch: Allen Iverson, Georgetown; Ray Allen, Connecticut; Kerry Kittles, Villanova; Danya Abrams, Boston College; John Wallace, Syracuse; Doron Sheffer, UConn.

Biggest questions: Who’ll get to the championship game? Can Ray Allen get revenge against Georgetown and Iverson? Will the champion get a No. 1 regional seed? Can Kerry Kittles still dial long distance after his suspension?

Teams on bubble: Boston College (17-9) and Providence (16-10).

Six players to watch: Jacque Vaughn, Kansas; Ryan Minor, Oklahoma; Chianti Roberts, Oklahoma State; Scot Pollard, Kansas; Dedric Willoughby, Iowa State; Kelly Thames, Missouri.

Biggest questions: Can Oklahoma spring a second upset of Kansas? Will the real Missouri stand up? Which is deeper, the Atlantic Ocean or Kansas’ bench?

Teams on bubble: Oklahoma State (17-9), Missouri (16-13), Nebraska (16-13), Kansas State (16-10).

Six players to watch: Danny Fortson, Cincinnati; Lorenzen Wright, Memphis; Samaki Walker, Louisville; Jerald Honeycutt, Tulane; Ronnie Eford, Marquette; Arthur Long, Cincinnati.

Biggest questions: Can Memphis win the tournament on its own floor? Will Cincinnati reign supreme? Can Louisville make a late season run?

Teams on bubble: Alabama-Birmingham (16-13), St. Louis (15-12).

Six players to watch: Everybody in a Kentucky uniform; Roy Rogers, Alabama; Erick Dampier, Mississippi State; Eric Washington, Alabama; Dametri Hill, Florida; Carlos Strong, Georgia; Kareem Reid, Arkansas.

Biggest question: Should they just hand Kentucky the trophy now? Will Rogers find Dale Evans in time to save the day? Is there a nicer guy than Lon Kruger at Florida?

Teams on bubble: Arkansas (17-11), Auburn (18-11), Alabama (16-10), Vanderbilt (17-12) and South Carolina (16-10).