Tournament Preview -- St. Louis Region

The brackets are out and the field is set. Here's a look at the NCAA Tournament teams, players and coaches. In this article, we look at the Atlanta Region.

St. Louis Region (Team seed is in parenthesis)

Overrated Team: Kansas (4)

The Jayhawks managed to cobble together a 21-8 record while having to adjust to the departure of Roy Williams. However, this is not a classic Kansas team like we have seen over the past two years, when they reached the national title game. Kansas shoots a lot of threes, but don't make many of them (33.3%). They are also prone to turnovers, which could be a problem against a very quick Illinois-Chicago team. The factor that will likely move Kansas through to the Sweet 16 is that the selection committee rewarded them (unfairly) by having them play the first two rounds in Kansas City. Their fans should be out in full force to prod them along.

Underrated Team: Providence (5)

With three straight losses down the stretch, the Friars erased any hopes of a No. 3 or No. 4 seed. However, this is still a team that won 11 games in the Big East and 20 overall. Providence has also shown that they can rebound well off of consecutive losses. After two heartbreaking buzzer-beater losses to Texas and Rutgers earlier this year, they regrouped to win at Seton Hall and at Connecticut. A two-game losing streak in February was followed by a big wins over Syracuse and at Boston College. The Friars have a tough and experienced low post go-to-guy in Ryan Gomes, who can score (18.6ppg), rebound (9.3rpg) and hit free throws (86.8%). They are a very tough defensive team and could pose problems for potential opponents who like to run, like Kansas and Kentucky.

Sleeper: Illinois-Chicago (13)

If they were playing somewhere other than Kansas City, I would give them a real shot to beat Kansas. This is a team that can run and defend, led by senior guards Martell Bailey and Cedrick Banks. The Flames have won 12 straight games and have to feel confident going into the tournament. If they can hit their free throws (63.4%) and rebound, they could shock the Jayhawks fans in Kansas City.

Coach you want on your bench: Tom Izzo, Michigan State

Izzo is 19-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. He led the Michigan State to three straight Final Fours (1999-2001), including an NCAA championship in 2000. Last season, Izzo took a No. 7 seed Spartans team to the Elite Eight.

Coach you want on the other bench: Kerry Rupp, Utah

This is not a knock on Rupp. It's just that he is an interim coach who took over mid-season for Rick Majerus. Rupp has only coached 12 games and it is hard to get a feel for the job in that short a period of time.

Overrated Player: Kelvin Torbert, Michigan State

Torbert was touted by many as the "next Magic Johnson" when he came to East Lansing three years ago. Now a junior, Torbert has failed to give the Spartans consistent and reliable play. As a result, the burden on fellow junior Chris Hill has been heavier than it should be.

Underrated Player: Craig Smith, Boston College

Smith may not be well-known nationally, but opposing players in the Big East have certainly seen enough of him. At 6'7" and 255 pounds, Smith is very difficult to move once he gets position. He possesses a soft touch in and around the paint area and can get his shot off against bigger opponents. Smith, who averages 17.3 points and 8.4 rebounds on 55% shooting from the field, showed that he steps up in big games as he posted a double-double in all three of BC's games in the Big East Tournament.

Role Players to Watch:

Adam Morrison, Gonzaga: Morrison, a 6'8" freshman, pops off the bench like he was shot out of a cannon. He has posted averages of 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in only 21 minutes per game. When he is on the court, Morrison gets involved in every play on both ends.

Isma'il Muhammed, Georgia Tech: If there was a position called "dunker," Muhammed would be the best in the nation. He comes off the bench to provide an instant spark for the Yellow Jackets, usually by unleashing one of his many vicious dunks. When Muhammed drives down the lane, you can either move out of the way or find yourself on the floor staring up at a pair of sneakers.

Tre Simmons, Washington: The aptly named 6'5" junior shoots 40.5% from three-point range. Simmons, who averages 10.8 points off the bench, nailed three shots from downtown in the Huskies' upset win over Stanford. He is capable of starting a rally if Washington falls behind.

Key Stats:

* Northern Iowa's leading scorer, Ben Jacobson, was 7-7 from three-point range in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

* Kentucky has not allowed a team to shoot over 50% against them all season.

* All three starting frontcourt players for Boston College (Craig Smith, Uka Agbai, Jared Dudley) average at least 10 points and five rebounds per game.