Hoop Heaven

By now, you’ve filled out your NCAA tournament bracket and made plans to play hookey from work Thursday to celebrate the beginning of March Madness.
The promise of wall-to-wall basketball is a great reason to become one with your recliner. Here are some of the first round games that hold the promise of high entertainment value:

* East Regional:
No. 3 Washington State vs. No. 14 Oral Roberts -- We’ve come to expect upsets in 3 vs. 14 games, and this could be the one. Washington State features competent guard play and the odds-on favorite for national coach of the year in Tony Bennett, but the Cougars haven’t been to the NCAA tournament since 1994. Oral Roberts enters the tournament with some momentum, having won eight of its last 10, and features a dependable inside scorer in power forward Caleb Green (20.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg).
No. 5 Southern Cal vs. No. 12 Arkansas -- Arkansas (21-13) backed into the field on the strength of its performance in the Southeastern Conference tournament and could give USC fits. Forward Charles Thomas and center Steven Hill provide the Razorbacks with a commanding size advantage.

* South Regional:
No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 10 Creighton -- Nevada forward Nick Fazekas, a 6-foot-11 senior, brings an NBA-quality skill set to the court. As good as he is, the Wolf Pack could be undone by so-so defense. Creighton is balanced and features a lethal shooter in Nate Funk (17.6 ppg, 54 3-pointers, 86.7 percent on free throws).
No. 8 BYU vs. No. 9 Xavier -- It’s hard not to like the Xavier Musketeers, who have won nine of their last 10 behind guard Drew Lavender (11.2 points, 4.6 assists per game).

* Midwest Regional:
No. 5 Butler vs. No. 12 Old Dominion -- Butler rose to as high as 10th in the Associated Press poll, but have been in a freefall of late. The Bulldogs are 4-4 in their last eight games. On the other hand, Old Dominion might represent a surprise Sweet 16 team-in-waiting. The Monarchs have won nine of their last 10 and are tough in the paint. Post players Arnaud Dahi and Valdas Vasylius both average more than six rebounds per game.
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Winthrop -- The Big South Conference owns a 1-15 record in NCAA tournament play, but so many of us have bought into Winthrop as this year’s George Mason. Because of the difficulty of the regional, it's difficult to envision the Eagles getting past the round of 32. This might represent the most entertaining first-round matchup.
No. 7 UNLV vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech -- The Yellow Jackets have won just one true road game in the last two years and have been up-and-down all season, but I have a feeling about them. Point guard Javaris Crittenton is a complete player who could carry Tech to a couple victories.

* West Regional:
No. 8 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Villanova -- Kentucky coach Tubby Smith really, really needs a win or two in this tournament. The Wildcats have lost six of the last nine games and the statements made UK's athletic director shouldn’t be taken as iron-clad votes of confidence. The fact is, this team has underachieved -- and has for a couple seasons now.

What games are you most looking forward to watching? Better yet, who are your Final Four picks?