West Region Anaheim, Calif.
The filet mignon matchup
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Oklahoma St.
Watch out for the Cowboys. They've gone 5-2 down the stretch — both losses were in overtime, to Iowa State (a No. 3 seed) and to Kansas (a No. 2). OSU guard Marcus Smart is going to be hard to stop.
Stick a fork in them? Oklahoma
Yes, the Sooners finished second in the talented Big 12 Conference. But they have lost five of their past six games. They don't play a whole lot of defense. And 12th-seeded North Dakota State can score. The Bison also have won nine consecutive.
Grade-A player
Doug McDermott, Creighton
The 6-8 forward ranks fifth on college basketball's all-time scoring list (3,105 points), having passed the likes of Larry Bird, Elvin Hayes and Oscar Robertson this season. He scored 45 against Providence, 39 once against Villanova and 33 vs. Nebraska — all NCAA tournament teams — this season.
Kent Youngblood
