Oakland bracket filled with dangerous foes for Panthers

The name Kent State rings a bell. So do Bucknell and Oral Roberts.

How about anything beyond… The name Kent State rings a bell. So do Bucknell and Oral Roberts.

How about anything beyond their names? These schools are just three of the teams the Pitt men’s basketball team will, or could match up against in the NCAA tournament.

In case you have no idea about them, or even a big-named school, the following is a preview of all 15 teams in Pitt’s bracket.

Take note, you never know who could break out as this year’s sleeper team.

Memphis Tigers (No. 1)

Two missed free throws led to the Tigers not even advancing to the NCAA Tournament last season. This year, they enter as the Conference USA champions and earned a No. 1 seed. The team is led by senior Rodney Carney and sophomore Darius Washington Jr., who average 17.5 and 13.5 points per game, respectively.

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (No. 16)

The Golden Eagles defeated Chicago State in the Mid-Continent Conference championship for their tournament berth. It’s the Golden Eagles’ first trip to the tournament in 22 years. Caleb Green and Ken Tutt are the players to take note of, averaging 20.8 and 14.3 points per game.

Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 8)

This year marks the first time Arkansas has ventured back into the NCAAs since the 2001 season. The 1994 champions rode the shoulders of Ronny Brewer and Jonathon Modica to the Big Dance. The two combined for 34.5 points per game during the season for the Razorbacks.

Bucknell Bison (No. 9)

The Patriot League champs are making their third appearance overall in the NCAA Tourney and have garnered some respect with a No. 9 seed after knocking off top-25 teams in recent years. Three players average more than 12 points per game as the team shoots 47 percent from the field overall.

Kent State Golden Flashes (No. 12)

Watch out for the MAC Tournament champions if they are winning at the 5:00 mark — they are 23-0 on the season when doing so. Senior DeAndre Haynes led the team this year, becoming the first Kent State player to win MAC Player of the Year.

Kansas Jayhawks (No. 4)

A well-known team out of the Big 12, Kansas led the nation in team defense on the season, holding opponents 36.6 field goal percentage. They’re a deep team that enters the tournament hot off the heels of a Big 12 title in a rout over No. 2 seed Texas.

Bradley Braves (No. 13)

A mainly defensive-minded team that uses a man-to-man which limited opponents to less than 40 percent from the field on the season. The Braves feature 7-foot, 260-pound sophomore Patrick O’Bryant in the paint, who averaged 13.2 points and eight rebounds per game.

Indiana Hoosiers (No. 6)

Since head coach Mike Davis announced his resignation, the Hoosiers have played well. One main offensive threat is senior Marco Killingsworth, who transferred from Auburn last season.

San Diego State Aztecs (No. 11)

Champions of the Mountain West, the Aztecs feature two legit scoring threats in Brandon Heath and Marcus Slaughter. The two offer a solid inside-outside combination that not many teams can match up against.

Gonzaga Bulldogs (No. 3)

No secret here. The Bulldogs steamrolled through their conference on the shoulders of National Player of the Year candidate Adam Morrison. Outside of Morrison, J.P. Batista provides the offense underneath but lacks true size as a center, standing at only 6 feet 9 inches.

Xavier Musketeers (No. 14)

The door opened for Xavier when George Washington fell in the Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament, and it took advantage. Though the Musketeers made the tournament, they are missing two key starters – Brian Thornton (injured) and Dedrick Finn (kicked off the team for violating team rules).

Marquette Golden Eagles (No. 7)

Marquette is a team Pitt fans are very familiar with. Senior Steve Novak leads the team in scoring, but the team’s biggest threat is lightning-quick point guard Dominic James, who earned the Big East Rookie of the Year award this season.

Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 10)

A solid team out of the SEC, but it could face its biggest problems because of a lack of depth. Its seven-man rotation averaged 69 points per game on the year, though the defense allows the opposition to shoot at a 42 percent clip from the field.

UCLA Bruins (No. 2)

The Bruins most resemble Pitt, thanks to former Panther head coach Ben Howland installing much of the same defensive tactics. UCLA is a guard-oriented team on offense with Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo, while it offers depth off the bench in three freshmen.

Belmont Bruins (No. 15)

Belmont will provide UCLA with a matchup of the Bruins in the first round in the tournament. The UCLA defense will have its hands full, as Belmont averages 81 points per game. Four different starters averaged double figures during the season.