by SMM

Created on: March 01, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I think that both Greg Oden and Kevin Durant will have a major impact on the NCAA Tournament games. As the tournament approaches and we sit here today, it appears that Ohio State is headed for a #1 seed, possibly going into the tournament ranked #1 overall. Texas has been playing well as of late also, as evidenced by their double overtime win over Texas A&M, and if they can win at Kansas this weekend they will gain a share of the Big 12 regular season title. The way things are shaping up, I see Texas going into the NCAA Tournament as a #3 or #4 seed that could make some serious noise.

Ohio State has a solid squad with many of the tools needed to make a run to the Final Four. Oden has been quite effective in the middle, but he still may not even be 100%. Despite the fact that he is averaging 15 points, close to 10 rebounds and 3 and a half blocks a game, there are some who feel like Oden won't completely let loose until next year when he is in the NBA for fear of re-injuring his wrist. I think that He will be a force in the Tournament when it counts, and it will be interesting to see how he does if he gets a chance to go up against some of the other premier big men in the country, such as Joakim Noah of Florida.

Ohio State is one of 5 or 6 teams (Wisconsin, UNC, UCLA, Florida, and Kansas being the others) fighting for a number #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and all 3 of their losses on the season have come to other teams fighting for a #1 seed. They lost at Carolina (without Oden), at Florida, and at Wisconsin. It is hard to argue that Ohio State is not one of the best teams if not the best team in the NCAA's right now, but I do not think they have gotten to where they are primarily because of Oden. They have other players who make huge impacts on games and who they will need to continue to come up big in the tournament. Their other big star is Mike Conley Jr., who averages 10 pts, 6 assists, and 2 steals a game. Many times it is guard play that can lead a team to an NCAA Championship run, so it may end up being that Conley is the freshman that has the biggest impact on the Buckeyes come tournament time.

While Oden has a solid supporting cast around him, down in Austin it seems sometimes like Kevin Durant is carrying the entire Texas team on his back. So far this season, Durant has been dominant, averaging 25 points and 11 and a half rebounds per game. To say that he is carrying the Longhorns by himself would be misleading, as DJ Augustin and AJ Abrams both average

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