Every year, the NCAA Tournament starts with sub-plots aplenty. This year, the Selection Committee not only set up several potential story lines but there are numerous sub-plots simply given the teams involved, where they are playing, and who they might play.
Let's take a look at a few of these interesting stories:
Fathers and sons in the Midwest Regional. Ray McCallum is head coach at Detroit and his son, former McDonald's All-American Ray McCallum Jr., plays for the Titans. Likewise, at Creighton, Doug McDermott plays for his dad, Greg. This regional also features Pat Knight, head coach at Lamar and son of Bob Knight, and John Thompson III, head coach at Georgetown and son of the Hoyas' former coach. (By the way, Doug McDermott played at Ames, IA High School alongside Harrison Barnes of North Carolina. And, yes, Barnes and the Tarheels just happen to also be in the Midwest Regional.)
Larry Eustachy returns to the NCAA Tournament. Eustachy, who resigned at Iowa State after incriminating photos of him partying with college students hit the web, guided Southern Mississippi into the tourney field and will play a former Big 12 foe, Kansas State, in the Golden Eagles' first game.
Kansas and Missouri share the same arena in Omaha. Kansas and Missouri open tournament play on Friday at the CenturyLink Arena. That fan interaction will be like having cats and dogs in the same space--don't look for Tiger fans to cheer for the Jayhawks and vice versa.
Mike Brey versus Coach K. If Notre Dame and Duke both win their first games, Brey will face his former employer, Mike Krzyzewski, in the round of 32.
Kentucky-Duke rematch? The Kentucky-Duke East Regional in 1992 is regarded as perhaps the best tournament game ever. Will we get a rematch of these two schools in the South Regional final?
Missouri versus Bradley Beal. The Tigers will likely face Florida in the second game of the tournament. Florida is led by Bradley Beal, a former high school standout from St. Louis who took his talents south.
Michigan plays Ohio. Yes, Ohio--not Ohio State. I hope the Wolverines don't get confused when they don't see scarlet and grey uniforms on their opening game opponent.
Kansas schools. The three major universities in Kansas--KU, Kansas State and Wichita State--all made the tournament. Wichita State stands a strong chance of making the deepest tournament run of the three.
Roy versus Bill, round two? North Carolina is the one seed in the Midwest and Kansas is the two seed. Roy Williams once famously spit in the Mississippi River, at a previous St. Louis regional, while coaching at Kansas. Will the two meet in the Midwest Regional final, once again in St. Louis, so that Williams has a chance to avenge the 84-66 Carolina loss to the Jayhawks in the 2008 Final Four?
Syracuse and Kansas in New Orleans? Speaking of Williams, if Kansas makes the Final Four, along with Syracuse, the two championship finalists from 2003 would once again play in New Orleans. It won't be the same, though, without Roy uttering his famous "I don't give a 'crap' about North Carolina" line. (And, whatever happened to CBS' Bonnie Bernstein anyway?)
Missouri and the Final Four. Missouri is a 10:1 favorite to win it all, trailing only Kentucky, 7:2, and Ohio State, 5:1. Is this the year when MU breaks through with a Final Four berth?
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