No.1 Memphis
Record: 33-1 overall, 16-0 Conference USA RPI: 3
NCAA bid: automatic NCAA: 25-20
Coach: John Calipari
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Nickname: Tigers
Outlook: Memphis has six NCAA wins in the last two years, losing in regional finals to UCLA and Ohio State.
Did you know? At woeful 58.7 pct, Tigers are last in nation in free throw shooting.
Key players: G Derrick Rose, 13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.5 apg; G Chris Douglas-Roberts, 17.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg; F Joey Dorsey, 6.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg
First-round game: Texas-Arlington, 10 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

No.2 Texas
Record: 28-6 overall, 13-3 Big 12 RPI: 5
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 29-28
Coach: Rick Barnes
Location: Austin, Texas
Nickname: Longhorns
Outlook: Texas has the talent to go deep into the tournament, but loss to Kansas shows the Longhorns can be beaten.
Did you know? Barnes has taken Longhorns to 10 consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
Key players: G D.J. Augustin, 19.8 ppg, 5.7 apg, 1.2 steals; G A.J. Abrams, 16.4 ppg, 37.3 pct. on 3-pt.; G-F Damion Jones, 12.9 ppg, 10.7 rpg
First-round game: Austin Peay, 3 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

No.3 Stanford
Record: 26-7 overall, 13-5 Pacific-10 RPI: 14
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 19-14
Coach: Trent Johnson
Location: Stanford, Calif.
Nickname: Cardinal
Outlook: Making 13th NCAA trip in last 19 years, Cardinal will go as far as gifted big man Brook Lopez takes them.
Did you know? Brook Lopez’s mother, Deborah, was an Olympic swimmer.
Key players: F Brook Lopez , 18.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.7 blocks; G Anthony Goods, 10.8 ppg; F Lawrence Hill, 8.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg
First-round game: Cornell, 5 p.m. Thursday; Anaheim, Calif.

No.4Pittsburgh
Record: 26-9 overall, 10-8 Big East RPI: 15
NCAA bid: automatic NCAA: 17-20
Coach: Jamie Dixon
Location: Pittsburgh
Nickname: Panthers
Outlook: Though there’s plenty of talent, Panthers are dismal 3-7 on road since late December.
Did you know? Dixon’s sister Maggie coached the Army women to their first NCAA berth in 2006, but died weeks later.
Key players: F Sam Young, 19 ppg, 6.4 rpg; F DeJuan Blair, 12.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg; G LeVance Fields; 11.1 ppg, 5.4 apg
First-round game: Oral Roberts, 3 p.m. Thursday; Denver

No.5 Michigan State
Record: 25-8 overall, 12-6 Big Ten RPI: 16
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 41-20
Coach: Tom Izzo
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Nickname: Spartans
Outlook: Spartans’ ugly play on road (3-6 since New Year’s Day) is an ominous sign. Still, Izzo’s 24-9 NCAA Tournament mark cannot be ignored.
Did you know? Izzo has led Spartans to four Final Fours.
Key players: G Drew Neitzel 13.4 ppg, 4.2 apg, 267 career 3-pt.; F Raymar Morgan, 15.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg; G Kalin Lucas, 9.8 ppg, 3.9 apg
First-round game: Temple, 12:30 p.m. Thursday; Denver

No.6 Marquette
Record: 24-9 overall, 11-7 Big East RPI: 20
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 32-26
Coach: Tom Crean
Location: Milwaukee
Nickname: Golden Eagles
Outlook: If 3-pointers aren’t falling, Eagles just don’t have size to do much else offensively.
Did you know? In 2003, Crean joined the late Al McGuire as the only coaches to guide the Eagles to the Final Four.
Key players: G Jerel McNeal, 13.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.8 apg; G Dominic James, 13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg; F Lazar Hayward, 12.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg
First-round game: Kentucky, 2:30 p.m. Thursday; Anaheim, Calif.

No.7 Miami
Record: 22-10 overall, 8-8 Atlantic Coast RPI: 34
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 3-5
Coach: Frank Haith
Location: Coral Gables, Fla.
Nickname: Hurricanes
Outlook: After being picked to finish last in ACC, Haith did tremendous job in getting Canes’ first NCAA bid since 2002.
Did you know? Hurricanes’ 12-0 start this season was the second best in school history.
Key players: G Jack McClinton, 17.3 ppg, 2.6 apg; G James Dews, 10.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg; F Dwayne Collins, 9.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg
First-round game: St. Mary's, 12:30 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

No.8 Mississippi State
Record: 22-10 overall, 12-4 Southeastern RPI: 39
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 10-8
Coach: Rick Stansbury
Location: Starkville, Miss.
Nickname: Bulldogs
Outlook: Led by multi-talented Jamont Gordon, Bulldogs have ability but really didn’t do much against quality competition.
Did you know? Ben Hansbrough is younger brother of UNC forward Tyler Hansbrough.
Key players: C Charles Rhodes, 16.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg; G-F Jamont Gordon, 17.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 apg; F Ben Hansbrough, 10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
First-round game: Oregon, 7:25 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

No.9 Oregon
Record: 18-13 overall, 9-9 Pacific-10 RPI: 58
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 12-8
Coach: Ernie Kent
Location: Eugene, Ore.
Nickname: Ducks
Outlook: Kent has twice led UO to regional final, including last year when Ducks fell to eventual champ Florida.
Did you know? Hairston (6-6) and Porter (5-6) form college game’s Odd Couple backcourt.
Key players: G Malik Hairston, 16.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg; F Maarty Leunen, 15.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg; G Tajuan Porter, 13.8 ppg, 2.4 apg
First-round game: Mississippi State, 7:25 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

No.10 St. Mary’s
Record: 25-6 overall, 12-2 West Coast RPI: 36
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 1-4
Coach: Randy Bennett
Location: Moraga, Calif.
Nickname: Gaels
Outlook: Gritty Gaels have talent and discipline to win school’s first NCAA game since 1959.
Did you know? Gaels’ 88-76 loss at Gonzaga March 1 was the first time in the WCC’s 55 years that two ranked teams faced off.
Key players: G Todd Golden, 7.0 ppg, 2.6 apg; G Patrick Mills, 14.5 ppg, 3.4 apg; F Diamon Simpson,13.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg
First-round game: Miami, 12:30 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

No. 11 Kentucky
Record: 18-12 overall, 12-4 Southeastern RPI: 57
NCAA bid: at-large NCAA: 100-44
Coach: Billy Gillispie
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Nickname: Wildcats
Outlook: Kudos to Gillispie and Co. for shaking off nearly disastrous start to get Wildcats in for 18th straight season.
Did you know? Wildcats have not been back to Final Four since winning last national title in 1998.
Key players: G Rameel Bradley, 16.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg; G Joe Crawford, 17.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg; F Patrick Patterson, injured
First-round game: Marquette, 2:30 p.m. Thursday; Anaheim, Calif.

No. 12 Temple
Record: 21-12 overall, 11-5 Atlantic 10 RPI: 48
NCAA bid: automatic NCAA: 31-25
Coach: Fran Dunphy
Location: Philadelphia
Nickname: Owls
Outlook: Owls’ seven-game winning streak could end early.
Did you know? Dunphy coached Penn to nine NCAA Tournaments before replacing John Chaney at Temple two years ago.
Key players: G Dionte Christmas, 20.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg; G Mark Tyndale, 15.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg; F Lavoy Allen, 8.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg
First-round game: Temple, 12:30 p.m. Thursday; Denver

No. 13 Oral Roberts
Record: 24-8 overall, 16-2 Summit RPI: 52
NCAA bid: automatic NCAA: 2-4
Coach: Scott Sutton
Location: Tulsa, Okla.
Nickname: Golden Eagles.
Outlook: Winless in NCAA play since 1974 (0-3), ORU led Washington State at halftime in first round last year before falling.
Did you know? Scott Sutton has taken ORU to three straight NCAA Tournaments.
Key players: G Robert Jarvis, 16.1 ppg, 2.0 apg; G-F Moses Ehambe, 11.6 ppg, 40.1 pct. on 3-pointers; C Shawn King, 9.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.9 blocks
First-round game: Pittsburgh, 3 p.m. Thursday; Denver

No.14 Cornell
Record: 22-5 overall, 14-0 Ivy League RPI: 65
NCAA bid: automatic NCAA: 0-3
Coach: Steve Donahue
Location: Ithaca, N.Y.
Nickname: Big Red
Outlook: Ivy League teams have lost nine straight NCAA Tournament games.
Did you know? Big Red’s Ivy League title was its first since 1988.
Key players: G Geoff Reeves, 3.4 ppg. 1.5 rpg; G-F Ryan Wittman, 15.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg; F Louis Dale,13.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg
First-round game: Stanford, 5 p.m. Thursday; Anaheim, Calif.

No.15 Austin Peay
Record: 24-10 overall, 16-4 Ohio Valley RPI: 84
NCAA bid: automatic NCAA: 2-6
Coach: Dave Loos
Location: Clarksville, Tenn.
Nickname: Governors
Outlook: Outside of early losses to Vanderbilt and Memphis, APSU didn’t really face this level of competition.
Did you know? The Governors’ 24 wins tied school record set in 1957.
Key players: G Derek Wright, 11.7 ppg, 4.8 apg; F Drake Reed, 14.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg; G Todd Babington, 11.6 ppg, 99 3-pointers made
First-round game: Texas, 3 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

No.16 Texas-Arlington
Record: 21-11 Southland: 7-9 RPI: 149
NCAA bid: automatic Tournament record: 0-0
Coach: Scott Cross
Location: Arlington, Texas
Nickname: Mavericks
Outlook: Facing Goliath Memphis in first round, Mavericks are fresh out of rocks.
Did you know? Mavericks’ 21 wins set school record.
Key players: F Anthony Vereen, 13.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg; G Rog’er Guignard, 12.9 ppg, 2.7 apg; F Jermaine Griffin, 12.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg
First-round game: Memphis, 10 p.m. Friday; North Little Rock, Ark.

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