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The San Diego Aztecs Will Need to Find Answer for Kemba Walker of UConn

It is not enough to take on a team of confident role players. The San Diego Aztecs have to find an answer for one of the best players in the nation.

You can have your Jimmer. I want me some Kemba. The guy is not only the best player on the team, he is an outspoken and driven leader. Every player can easily spout off something nice to say about Walker. The fact that he is consistently trying his best to get this team to the next level is what shines through.

He is tough as nails. With the game on the line, he will take the ball. He does not take it with trepidation or pause. He wants the ball.

This is the personality and talent that San Diego State will attempt to lock in a corner.

Aztecs coach Steve Fisher will attempt to corral Walker and UConn with his new look Fab Five. The returning starters are ready for the task at hand.

The problem I see is that San Diego State has run into a feisty guard before. They have two losses this season the BYU and the ever productive Jimmer Fredette. How can we expect them to contain a talent equally as volatile as the Jimmer.

San Diego State will hope that their backcourt can equal the output of Walker. With a stud like Jeremy Lamb on the wing, it's possible.

Two tightly matched teams will wage war Thursday. It's my guess that Kemba gets the better of the Aztecs.

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Arizona Wildcats Will Need Huge Effort From Derrick Williams

Arizona is a one man show. You know it. I know it. Duke knows it.

Can the Wildcats win a game when the cat is not only out of the bag, it is running around the court stirring up a ruckus? Derrick Williams is the only reason you pay to see Arizona.

Well I have to say that there is more than a shot. Granted, Williams is the only player to average double digits on the squad. Still, the Wildcats are more than capable at hitting the three-ball. The trick is, they have to hit the three-ball on Thursday.

Duke will lock down on Derrick Williams. There is no way of getting around that. However, Williams is great at dishing out to the perimeter. If the role players can knock down shots, there is no way Duke can continue the double team.

The real difficulty in this game comes down to defense for Arizona. Forget Williams. He can have a marvelous game and the Wildcats would still lose. Arizona has to stop the Duke backcourt.

That is a tall task as there is not one player I am confident in covering Nolan Smith. Add to that the fact that Kyrie Irving will be getting more minutes, and I smell disaster for the Wildcats.

The keys are stopping the back court ad getting the outside shot working. There. Easy. Now go do it. This is one game that Arizona really should lose. They are out-matched in almost every way imaginable.

However, I have learned not to ignore Derrick Williams and the grit and determination he brings to the court. The Wildcats have a shot, and he goes by Derrick Williams.

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Richmond, Virginia is Home to VCU Rams and Richmond Spiders

The NCAA tournament started with 68 teams, only 16 are left standing. The winners of the tourney are plentiful.

We might say that Kansas is the big winner as they get one of the lowest seeds left standing in their next game. We could also say that Jimmer Fredette has been the out and out star of this tourney.

We would be wrong on both counts. The real winner is the city of Richmond. The capital of Virginia is home to two teams left standing. The fact that both teams are underdogs only makes their presence in the Sweet 16 that much sweeter.

VCU will take on Florida State, and you can bet the city will be cheering them on. They will also be treated to the Richmond Spiders trying to pull off a mammoth upset over Kansas.

It is a win-win for the capital this week. You can't keep this place from talking about the excitement. Richmond mayor Dwight C. Jones echoed this sentiment,“The city is on the edge...Excitement is everywhere.”

You can't keep this town down. Win or lose, they feel justified in their loyalties. Richmond Magazine editor-in-chief, Susan Winiecki was fired up about the chances they were given before the tourney.

“Considering how upset Dick Vitale and the rest of the ESPN talking heads were, I find this to be the supreme justice of the basketball gods that our city gets two in the Sweet 16."

Now two teams that many said should not even be in the tournament, will make their way into the closing rounds. They are already winners in the hearts of their hometown. Now every stage is icing on the cake.

No need to mourn a loss. These teams have already won.

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Florida State Will Play VCU in Sweet 16 Chris Singleton Hopes for Added Minutes

The Duke Blue Devils are not the only team bringing along a star player in the middle of the NCAA tournament.

The Florida State Seminoles are hoping to get star big man Chris Singleton back to full strength. Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton has been slow to add minutes to the player that is coming off a five week layoff with a broken foot.

So far the Seminoles have found success without him. He as been used sparingly in the Seminoles first two wins of the tournament. It is clear that Singleton wants more.

“Just sitting on the bench, it’s been tough. (But) if someone else is doing better than me I can’t tell them (coaches) to take them out of the game.”

Coach Hamilton is in a tough spot. He has a defensive weapon in Singleton. Yet he has found the perfect formula for success without him.

It also may be that he wants to bring Singleton along in the right way. There is nothing scarier than holding the health and future of a young man in your hands.

I applaud Hamilton for slowly bringing Chris along. But he has been released by the doctors. He says he feels fine. Florida State have a real mismatch down low. It would be a shame to not use it at this crucial time.

You can bet that if the Seminoles fall to VCU, Hamilton will be questioned about Singleton's lack of minutes. I'll be here to say I told you so.

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Florida is Confident They Can Contain BYU Phenom Jimmer Fredette

I feel like I have heard this somewhere before. A team is stating that they have it all worked out right before facing Jimmer Fredette. Yes, I am sure I have heard this elsewhere.

Florida is heading down the same path as other fallen Fredette opponents before them. Now I must say that coach Billy Donovan and company are not guaranteeing a stop on Jimmer. Their defensive hopes are best described as measured optimism.

This comes as news to me as the Gators best defender is a bit hobbled after injuring his left ankle. The best hope for locking down the Jimmer has a bum leg. Well Florida rests its defensive assurances in a lock-down effort by committee.

Florida will use Scottie Wilbekin and Casey Prather to also cover the BYU hero. Donovan relayed his thought process to ESPN:

"I really felt like last year, because of our lack of depth, I thought [Boynton] got worn out as he started to get into that into the first overtime, then second overtime. I just don't think it can be one guy. Now there's going to be some possessions and some plays in the game where whoever's on him, they're going to be on an island by themselves. That's gonna happen."

Now we get to see if the Florida coach is spot on in his assessment or delusional. Florida is once again the favorite. They will once again be taller and more acute at nabbing boards. But BYU has the biggest trump card of them all.

There is no getting around it, Jimmer will get his. You are better off making sure the other guys don't score.

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Mike Krzyzewski Will Increase Duke Guard Kyrie Irving's Minutes Significantly

Well that didn't take long.

I remember hearing something about bringing along Kyrie Irving in a measured, responsible manner. Well Duke has a title to win. So release the Kraken.

ESPN is reporting on comments made by Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K relayed that star guard Kyrie Irving will play "significant minutes."

Irving has had limited play in the opening rounds of the tournament. You can bet that more of Kyrie is a good thing for Blue Devils fans. The kid is a beast on the floor. He has been out of the game for almost four months with a toe injury.

Despite his lengthy absence, he is still regarded as a lottery pick in this year's NBA draft. While the "significant minutes" he sees will ensure that an already great team gets even better, it will not change the look of the starting five.

Nolan Smith is still the starting guard. You can bet that the two will at some point share the floor together. That is an indefensible back-court if I ever saw one.

The call is most likely due to two factors. Kyrie has apparently shined in practice. More importantly is the forward play of Arizona's Derrick Williams Duke is about to see. He has the ability to put up great numbers.

Duke needs insurance they can cover the difference. What better way than to give a little more slack on the leash. Letting Irving go may not do wonders for his injury, but it sure makes Duke the favorites to win it all.

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