WHY WAIT TILL SUNDAY? HERE'S THE TOURNAMENT

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 10, 1993                   TAG: 9303100048
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Bill Brill
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium
WHY WAIT TILL SUNDAY? HERE'S THE TOURNAMENT
Last year it was Campbell; this time, it's East Carolina. It's doubtful if the Pirates will get the attention directed at the Camels, but their task is every bit as intimidating.
Having won the Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball tournament with three rousing upsets, ECU will be the lone team in the NCAA field with a losing record. It says here the Pirates will make the short trip to Winston-Salem, where, next Thursday, they will serve as fodder for North Carolina's No. 1 Tar Heels.
North Carolina fans can only hope that this is a good omen. No. 1 Duke defeated Campbell and went on to the NCAA championship.
Let's have some fun and figure out where everybody might play in the NCAA Tournament. The official pairings will be announced Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and a lot will happen before then.
Two disclaimers:
Maybe ECU's win over James Madison in the final wasn't such a stunner. After all, since leaving Davidson for Maryland in 1969, JMU coach Lefty Driesell has been in nine tournament finals and won one, the ACC in '84. "Maybe I should quit coaching in tournaments," Driesell said. Maybe he should.
And, the kicker in these pairings I'm about to forecast, is which team will be the final No. 1 seed. I have less than confidently selected Arizona over Kentucky, only because those Wildcats didn't win their regular-season title and the other Wildcats did.
The rules:
1. Conference teams cannot meet before the regional finals.
2. Arizona, Utah, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest will play on the opposite nights from when their own arenas are being used in the tournament.
3. Brigham Young cannot play on Sunday.
4. Two teams from the same league can't be placed among the top four seeds in a region. This directly impacts the ACC, which will have a high-seeded team in each region.
With that in mind, let's take a peak at our cloudy crystal ball.
\ EAST: At Winston-Salem, March 18-20: No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 East Carolina; No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 New Mexico; No. 5 Massachusetts vs. No. 12 Penn; No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 13 Manhattan.
At Syracuse, March 19-21: No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 Holy Cross or Bucknell; No. 7 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Nevada-Las Vegas; No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 14 Drexel or Delaware; No. 6 St. John's vs. No. 11 Rhode Island.
\ MIDWEST: (East and Midwest meet in the Final Four): At Indianapolis, March 19-21: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 16 Wright State or Illinois-Chicago; No. 8 Xavier vs. No. 9 Pitt; No. 5 New Orleans vs. No. 12 California; No. 4 Wake Forest vs. No. 13 Southern Illinois.
At Chicago, March 18-20: No. 2 Seton Hall vs. No. 15 Santa Clara; No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Brigham Young; No. 3 Vanderbilt vs. No. 14 Jackson State; No. 6 Illinois vs. No. 11 Tulane.
\ SOUTHEAST: At Orlando, March 18-20: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Coastal Carolina; No. 8 Memphis State vs. No. 9 Florida or Louisiana State; No. 5 Virginia vs. No. 12 Rice; No. 4 Oklahoma State vs. No. 13 Northeast Louisiana.
At Nashville, March 19-21: No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 15 Coppin State; No. 7 Temple vs. No. 10 Western Kentucky; No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 14 Tennessee State; No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 11 Big East No. 4 (Connecticut, Boston College or Providence).
\ WEST: At Salt Lake City, March 18-20: No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 Rider or Wagner; No. 8 Southern Methodist vs. No. 9 Nebraska; No. 5 Iowa vs. No. 12 Marquette; No. 4 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Mid-American champion.
At Tucson, March 19-21: No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Big Sky champion; No. 7 New Mexico State vs. No. 10 Minnesota; No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Tennessee-Chattanooga; No. 6 Utah vs. No. 11 George Washington.
On the bubble: Kansas State and Arizona State. If Xavier loses in the Midwestern Collegiate tournament, it will make the field.
What are the chances of this being close to right? Excuse me, but Publishers Clearing House is calling with word on my sweepstakes entry.
You are invited to play along, but no fair waiting until Sunday. Make your picks before the tournaments begin in the major conferences.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB