This one seems to be a two horse race. North Carolina and Duke have jockeyed for position and nothing has been settled as far as the regular season ACC champion. Duke won the first meeting at Chapel Hill with the March 8th grudge match going to UNC for the regular-season title and subsequent #1 seed in the conference Tourney to be played in Charlotte, NC.

Tyler Hansbrough continues to lead the Tarheels with his talent and tenacity. The 6’10” junior is quickly approaching the 2,000-point scored mark. He gives Coach Roy Williams a daily double-double at 23.3 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per contest. He shoots a solid 55% from the floor and a more important 81% from the free throw line where he basically lives.

North Carolina has lost only to Duke and to Maryland (by two points.) The Heels are getting healthy and have won seven straight. Ty Lawson seems to be catching his stride and when he’s right he may be the fastest guard in the nation. He dishes out 5.6 assists per contest. Danny Green at 13 points per game and Wayne Ellington with his 40% shooting from downtown are other major factors for Carolina.

Duke has won their last four and, aside from back-to-back losses to Wake Forest and Miami, are perfect in the ACC. They won their first matchup with North Carolina back in January (89-78).

DeMarcus Nelson is the senior leader of the Blue Devils. The California native leads Duke in scoring at 15.5 points per game with 1.7 steals per contest. Nelson amazingly makes 44% of his three-point attempts but only converts 60% from the free throw line. Nelson did make eight of nine from the line in his last game against North Carolina State.

Freshman Kyle Aingler is among the nation’s best rookies. He scores 14.4 points per outing and grabs six rebounds per contest. Greg Paulus runs the show for Coach K. The New York native who passed up a football career at Notre Dame to lead the Blue Devils is a deft passer and can hit the big shot. He has been averaging just under four assists per game and has limited his turnover ratio down the stretch with a total of only six turnovers over his last four road games.

Duke makes almost 40% of its shots from beyond the arc and converts 69% of its free throws. Lately, their free shooting has improved, making 74% over the last four contests.

Coach K just won his 800th game and afterward thanked his former mentor Bobby Knight who he played for and apprenticed under as an assistant coach.

Clemson, Virginia Tech, Maryland and Miami are all possible NCAA tourney teams and are in the pack behind Duke and North Carolina A solid ACC tourney showing will be critical for all these teams as far as getting into the Big Dance.

The Clemson Tigers got off their usual fast start but have hung tough this season. They have actually won four of their last five and appear a certainty for the NCAAs. They have given North Carolina and Duke good ball games including a two-point loss to the Tarheels. The Tigers were down 20 to Maryland the other night and came back to win on the Terp’s senior night, showing they are better than previous Clemson teams.

KC Rivers leads the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game. Freshman Terrence Oglesby has hit some big shots lately. They have beaten some good competition out of conference as well in Mississippi State, DePaul, Purdue, Alabama and South Carolina.

Miami has a win over Duke and also a five-point loss to the Blue Devils. They have won six of their last seven. They opened the season 12-0, so you can see this team is streaky yet dangerous. Jack McClinton leads the ballclub at 17.2 points per game and almost three assists per outing. He can shoot it with marks of 89% from the line and 44% from beyond the arc.

Maryland has beaten North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has two hard fought losses to Duke. Greivis Vasquez and James Gist provide Coach Gary Williams’ Terrapins with the punch needed to pull off an upset or two in any tourney. Vasquez leads the ballclub with 17.5 points per outing . He also adds 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists. This big guard is only a sophomore.

The Terps are another team that is consistently inconsistent but a tough matchup for the top teams. They have lost four of their last six. So who knows which Maryland squad will show up in Charlotte.

Virginia Tech has won its last four contests for Coach Seth Greenberg. The Hokies are real young but getting better. They did get blown out by North Carolina and lost by 17 to Duke. They end the regular season with a big game with Clemson on March 9th. AD Vassallo leads the team with 16.4 points per game. The 6’6” junior swingman hails from Puerto Rico. Jeff Allen a talented frosh who leads the team in rebounding at just under eight boards per game Florida State, Boston College and Wake Forest will all be tough first round opponents, though none appeared headed to the Big Dance.

The Seminoles make 78% from the line as a team and are led by guard Toney Douglas at 15.8 points per game. They have three loses to Duke and North Carolina but played well at times in all three of those losses.

Boston College has the league’s best player (at least after Hansbrough) in Tyrese Rice. Rice just put up 46 vs. the Tarheels, including 34 in the first half. Roy Williams said of Rice’s performance, “It was as impressive as anything I’ve seen in this game in a long while.”

The Eagles have dropped ten of eleven after a solid start. Al Skinner has seen his team lose five in a row. They do have wins at Maryland and at home against Wake Forest and Miami. Rice is averaging 20.4 points per outing with five assists per ballgame.

Wake Forest does have a win over Duke in coach Dino Gaudio’s first season. The Demon Deacons are still feeling the death of their former coach the ever popular Skip Prosser. Freshman James Johnson leads the way with 14.6 points per game and 8.3 rebounds. They have lost their last four games but something tells me that they have at least one upset in them to honor their fallen coach.

BIG TEN CONFERENCE

You could make a case for any one of four schools to walk away with this tournament championship. Wisconsin should clinch the regular season title win over cellar dweller Northwestern in their last game. Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana all can provide evidence that they can win the postseason Big Ten tourney played this year at the Conseco Field House in Indianapolis. No matter what happens, all four of these teams are certain invites to the Big Dance. How they perform in this tourney may help decide their seeding for March Madness.

The Wisconsin Badgers are the best defensive team in the nation, allowing a stingy 54.9 points per game. They defeated Michigan State in their only meeting. Interestingly enough they have knocked off Indiana twice but have dropped a pair of games to Purdue. They are probably the hottest team of the title contenders looking for a seventh straight win in their finale vs. Northwestern, a nice time of year for them to get hot. The Badgers have been led by pivot man Brian Butch. The 6’11” senior is leading his team with 12.4 points per game and nearly seven boards per outing. He can score inside and out as shown by his 47% clip from downtown. Michael Flowers triggers the defense.

The Michigan State Spartans have been in the mix on the national scene for Coach Tom Izzo for the past several years. They ran off to a 19-2 start but have now dropped four of their last eight ballgames. They lost their only contest with Wisconsin and have split four games with Purdue and Indiana. They have cut down on turnovers and shoot 73% from the charity stripe. Those are two positives for postseason success.

Senior guard Drew Neitzel is tournament tested but has had a lackluster final season, at least for his standards. The talented Spartan leader has scored 13.5 points per game with 4.2 assists per outing. Raymar Morgan leads the ballclub in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (6.3)

Indiana has been through a tumultuous season, losing their head coach while being led by perhaps the league’s two best players. Dan Dakich has replaced the disgraced Kelvin Sampson. The Hoosiers have lost both games to Wisconsin- one by a single bucket. They have been blown out by Michigan State and have lost to Purdue. Freshman Eric Gordon and senior DJ White have been solid all season. Armond Bassett has emerged as a third weapon, scoring 24 vs. Northwestern and 23 vs. Ohio State. Indiana shoots a sizzling 76% from the free throw line as a ballclub.

Purdue is one of the youngest teams in the nation. Their young coach Matt Painter has done a great job as well. They have beaten first-place Wisconsin twice, split two games with Michigan State and lost their only decision with Indiana. They had won eleven in a row until recently splitting their last four contests. The Boilermakers shoot a very respectable 71% from the foul line. Their top player has been one of their many freshmen, Robbie Hummel. The 6’8” newcomer has really stuffed the stat sheet, scoring at a 16.7 pace with six rebounds and 2.5 assists. He is a tremendous shooter, especially for his size. Hummel is shooting 55% from the floor, 85% from the free throw line and 46% from beyond the arc.

Ohio State and Minnesota need to impress in the Big Ten Tourney to help their chances for an at large bid to the Big Dance. The Buckeyes, who played in the finals last year, have lost four of their last five. They did knock off Purdue the other night to keep their candle flickering. Thad Matta is one of the nation’s hardest working coaches. Jamar Butler is a well-kept secret who has starred in the post Oden-Conley era in Columbus. Butler tallies 14.5 points per game with six assists as well as being on the money from the line at 93%. Freshman Kosta Koufos has not disappointed as a frosh scoring 13.8 points per outing and snaring seven boards per contest.

The Minnesota’s Golden Gophers, under new coach Tubby Smith, have hung tough all season and are a sentimental pick here to steal a game or two because of my appreciation of Coach Smith’s work over his career.

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

This is another league where there are two clear-cut favorites. Tennessee had its moment in the national spotlight, upsetting top-ranked Memphis. They climbed to number one only to be defeated by conference rival Vanderbilt in their next game. Talk about not getting respect.

The Volunteers have won eleven of their last twelve. They have clinched the regular season SEC and are now playing for a one or two seed in the Big Dance. Bruce Pearl is a controversial figure in the coaching ranks but has pushed all the right buttons in Knoxville. Men’s hoops has come out of the shadow of its big sister, the Lady Vols, coached by Pat Summitt, who seems to coexist rather well with Pearl.

Tyler Smith has been a major addition for the Volunteers. He transferred back home from Iowa and has had a super sophomore season. The 6’7” swingman is averaging 13.4 points per game with seven rebounds an outing as well. He is a complete player dishing out 3.5 assists and makes1.5 steals per contest. Florida Gator coach Billy Donovan believes that Smith should be the Player of the Year in the SEC.

Look for Chris Lofton to take and make some big shots in some big games. Teams have been ganging up with him but Tennessee has lots of weapons. The senior leader scores 15.6 points per contest making 85% from the line and just under 40% from beyond the arc.

Vanderbilt is undefeated at home. Their 25 wins so far are the most for the Commodores since 1993. Vandy has won eight of their last nine, including the big one vs. Tennessee. Shan Foster has had a breakout senior campaign. This guy clearly deserves consideration for first team All-American. The 6’6” swingman can jump out of the gym and bury threes, not bad combination. Foster scored 42 points in his last outing vs. a solid Mississippi State, nailing his last nine three pointers. He’s averaging 20.1 points per outing with a season total of 122 three point shots made.

Alex Ogilvy is 6’10” freshman from down under. He chips in 16.7 points per outing while grabbing seven rebounds and delivering 1.4 blocks per contest.

Mississippi State has emerged as the third-best team in this league. Rick Stansbury, one of the country’s underrated coaches, has seen his Bulldogs win six of their last eight. They had a one-point loss to Vanderbilt recently. A mid-season, nine-game win streak did not hurt. Jamont Jordan is their top player with 17.3 points per game with 4.8 assist per outing. Jarvis Vernado, a 6’9” sophomore, blocks 4.7 shots per game. North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough younger brother, Ben Hansbrough, is a valuable contributor from the back court, scoring 10.3 points per contest.

The Ole Miss Rebels bolted out of the gate with a 15-1 record. Since then, they have dropped eight of thirteen ballgames. Coach Andy Kennedy’s troops will struggle to get what was at one point a certain NCAA bid. They have won their last two games for their first two-game streak since January 16. Chris Warren has had a super freshman campaign, tallying 15.7 points per game and dishing out 4.6 assist from his point guard slot.

Two-time defending national champ Florida has had a solid year, especially considering their losses to graduation and the NBA. Coach Billy Donovan bypassed some NBA attention and has proved himself to be an elite college coach. The Gators have dropped six of their last nine however. They have a win over Vanderbilit and a three-point loss to Tennessee.

The Gators are real young. Nick Calathes a 6’6” freshman has not disappointed his home-state fans. The Sunshine State native is averaging 16 points per game with six assists per contest. In their recent 89-86 loss to Tennessee he scored 24 points and dished out nine assists. Florida has been in the Big Dance nine straight years. This year will be close, but their track record the past few years can’t hurt.

Kentucky staggered in the early going with a mystifying loss to Gardner Webb. New coach Billy Gillispie has taken some punches but seems headed in the right direction. The Wildcats have won ten of their last twelve, the only two losses being to Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Losing Patrick Patterson (stress fracture in his foot ), one of the nation’s top freshman, will most likely cost them a chance at the tournament this season. Patterson had been putting up 16 points and seven boards on a nightly basis. Senior Joe Crawford has finished strongly scoring 17.1 points per game including a 35 point outburst vs. South Carolina. If Kentucky is in a close game, watch out. They shoot 75% from the charity stripe.

BIG 12 CONFERENCE

This is yet another conference with two main combatants. Kansas and Texas both have legitimate shots at reaching the Final Four. In fact, each team has had support from some college hoop pundits as their top team in the entire nation. The Jayhawks won their first 20 ballgames. They finished perfect 20-0 at home as well. They have balance and depth with McDonald’s All-Americans coming off the bench. Coach Bill Self’s squad shoots just under 40% as a team from behind the three-point arc and makes 70% of their free throws.

Junior guard Mario Chalmers just moved into third place in steals behind Kansas legend and current assistant Jayhawk coach Danny Manning. Amazingly, Darrel Arthur, Brandon Rush, Darnell Jackson and Chalmers all average between 12 and 13 points per game. Kansas will be right there when this season winds down.

The Texas Longhorns have won nine of their last ten with improved bench play. Coach Rick Barnes, speaking after a loss this season, states “Championship teams don’t beat themselves.” They could set up a final four scenario with three of the Longhorns victories being against UCLA, Tennessee and UCLA.

DJ Augustin, AJ Abrams and Damion James provide a trio of talent that may be matched but not topped by any other team. Augustin may be the best point guard in the the nation. He is scoring 19.8 points per game with just under six assist per outing. Damion James puts up a daily double-double at 12.9 points and 10 boards per contest. AJ Abrams chips in 16.4 points. If that’s enough, they have a 6’10” forward Connor Atchley who makes threes (48%) and blocks shots (2.0).

Kansas State may have the best player in the nation and he’s only a freshman. Michael Beasley has had a monster rookie campaign. His stats are staggering at 26.9 points per outing on 54.3% shooting from the floor, 77% shooting from the charity stripe and 40% accuracy from beyond the arc. Throw in the 12.6 rebounds he snares nightly and almost two blocks and you can see why his fans were chanting “Please don’t go,” pleading for him not to enter the NBA at season’s end.

The Wildcats have a win over Kansas (84-75) but have lost six of their last ten, including a four-game loss streak in the midst of that decline. Billy Walker is another talented freshman who often is lost in the Beasley fanfare. All Walker does is get you 16.3 points per games and grab almost seven boards per outing.

Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M need solid performances in the Big 12 tourney to impress the NCAA committee. The Aggies have been a .500 team since January 16. They jumped out to a 15-2 start but have struggled since. Texas A&M has wins over Baylor and Texas and lost the season’s craziest game to Baylor on January 23 when the dropped a 116-110 five-overtime epic to Baylor. Josh Clark a 6’7” swingman leads the Aggies with a scoring average of 12.6 points per outing.

Baylor is looking for their first ticket to the Big Dance in 20 years. They have good balance with six players scoring between 9 and 14 points per game. The Bears are another team that has hit a tailspin of late losing seven of their last eleven after standing tall with a record of 16-2. Junior Curtis Jerrells is their leading scorer at 15.1 points per contest. Freshman Lace-Darius Dunn is a clutch shooter making 83% from the line and 42 % from downtown.

The Oklahoma Sooners have won five of their last seven games and have a winner in their coach former Duke captain Jeff Capel. Blake Griffin is a 6”10” freshman workhorse. His game is similar to Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough with his hustle and desire. He’s had his share of injuries but leads the Sooners in scoring (15.2) and rebounding (9.3). He shoots 57% from the field.