SWEET 16 PREVIEW | March 25

Back in October, more than 320 college basketball teams tipped it off, all with the dream of making it to the Final Four in New Orleans.

And now the greatest sporting event of them all, the NCAA Tournament, is down to the Sweet 16. Most teams have put away their basketballs and uniforms, but 16 remain to brave March Madness. There is nothing like the three weeks that lead up to the crowning of a national champion.

It's amazing to note that of the 16 coaches left, six have won the national title before (Jim Calhoun, Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Lute Olson, Tubby Smith and Gary Williams). They have celebrated the joy already, showing that the crème de la crème rises to the top.

EAST: Orangemen Close To Home In Albany
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has to be smiling to know his Orangemen are staying in-state for their Sweet 16 round, with the East Regional in Albany, N.Y. Syracuse is facing a Cinderella, underrated and 10th-seeded Auburn.

What a matchup, as Syracuse diaper dandy Carmelo Anthony squares off against Auburn senior forward Marquis Daniels. Anthony has been on the nation's stage all season long -- he's my choice for national freshman of the year -- but people are just finding out how good Daniels is.

It blows my mind when I try to figure out how Auburn was blown out by Western Kentucky and Western Michigan earlier this season. When you see the Tigers perform now, it makes you wonder. Coach Cliff Ellis has his club playing its best basketball of the season at the right time. Just ask Wake Forest and coach Skip Prosser, who Auburn defeated in the second round.

There's another classic David vs. Goliath matchup in the East: Oklahoma vs. sharpshooting Butler. Can the 3-point shot carry coach Todd Lickliter's Bulldogs to the Elite Eight? Brandon Miller and Darnell Archey outside plus Joel Cornette inside could give Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson fits. But something tells me that the Sooners' defense and preparation will be able to contain Butler enough to advance.

SOUTH: Longhorns, Huskies In Classic Showdown
In the South, the Texas-Connecticut showdown could be special. Can the Longhorns stop sophomore center Emeka Okafor inside? Nobody has done that yet in the tournament. He has been sensational -- a shot-blocking, scoring dynamo.

On the other side, can UConn point guard Taliek Brown stop the penetration ability of his Texas counterpart, sophomore T.J. Ford? If he can, coach Jim Calhoun's Huskies are capable of a (slight) upset en route to the Elite Eight.

Calhoun is familiar with being in the Sweet 16 and his coaching experience should be a plus. He knows how to prepare a team at this time of the year.

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MIDWEST: Expect 'Cats, Panthers To Claw For Final Four
I'm so psyched when I think about the matchups! In the Midwest Region, there's a potential Elite Eight showdown between Kentucky and Pittsburgh. That would be a heavyweight showdown, but both teams have business to attend to first.

Coach Tubby Smith's Wildcats have to deal with the patience and discipline of Wisconsin, which has won back-to-back Big Ten regular-season titles. Coach Ben Howland's Panthers have to handle physical, tenacious Marquette, coached by Tom Crean. The Golden Eagles have a rising star in sophomore guard Travis Diener, who reminds me a lot of Mark Price. Diener has totaled 55 points in the first two rounds.

I spoke to Louisville coach Rick Pitino on Monday, and he sang the praises of Diener, saying he has become a special player who makes big, big shots. Pitino should know, since he has seen Diener make big shots in Conference USA action. But Marquette's heart and soul is All-American Dwyane Wade. If he has a big game, watch out. And Steve Novak has to make big shots, as he did against Missouri. The Golden Eagles have a legitimate shot against Pittsburgh.

But I feel that the physical play and toughness of both Pittsburgh and Kentucky will be the difference. I believe we'll see them meet in a classic this weekend.

WEST: Finesse Rules Out West
The four remaining teams in the West Region are all about finesse, finesse, finesse. That helps a team like Notre Dame, which has had trouble against physical teams like Kentucky and Pittsburgh.

In the tourney, the Irish have been able to prevail with the shooting of senior guard Matt Carroll and senior forward Danny Miller, plus the ball-handling skills of sophomore point guard Chris Thomas. Against Arizona, Irish diaper dandy Torin Francis must be a factor inside against Arizona big men Channing Frye and Rick Anderson.

I have to give the edge to the Wildcats. The experience and determination of seniors Jason Gardner and Luke Walton should be a key factor.

The Duke-Kansas matchup is a classic coaching duel between Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski and future Hall of Famer Roy Williams. Both coaches do things the right way, promoting integrity and team play. These teams are about the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.

The experienced combination of seniors Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison can be tough to stop. But if Duke can knock down 3-pointers, led by sharpshooter J.J. Redick, watch out. The Blue Devils need sophomore guard Daniel Ewing to help offensively and senior forward Dahntay Jones to do his thing. Big men Casey Sanders and Shelden Williams also must contribute in the middle. If this happens, Duke could move on.