1) Cornell nearly upset #1 Kansas in January, leading for most of the game before falling 71-66. Their style of play featuring flare screens and back cuts leaves defenses helpless according to their coach. 2) Northern Iowa dominated the Missouri Valley Conference with a 15-3 record and regular season title. They are led by guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe averaging 10.6 points per game and were predicted to upset a team in the NCAA tournament. 3) Butler is undefeated since December 22nd led by four players averaging double figures including guards Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley and forwards Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard.

1. TOP TEN “BRACKET
BUSTERS” IN 2010
Michael Conroy/AP
By: Kels Dayton

2. The Big Red nearly knocked off No. 1
Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse in January,
leading the entire way before falling,
71-66.
AP Photo
Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore says: “There’s no more helpless a feeling than
when you’re guarding Cornell in the half court, and they’re running their flare
screens and back cuts and they get a wide open three on you. As a head coach
you’re just praying it doesn’t go in.”
1) CORNELL

3. The Panthers dominated the Missouri Valley
Conference, going 15-3 and capturing the
regular season title. They are led by guard
Kwadzo Ahelegbe,
who is averaging 10.6 points per game.
Matthew Putney/ WCF Courier
“They’re going to give somebody in the NCAA Tournament an
‘L’,”--Wichita State head coach Greg Marshall, after losing to the
Panthers. (Source: http://www.usatoday.com/)
2) NORTHERN IOWA

4. The Bulldogs are lead by four players who
average in double figures in scoring (Guards
Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley, Forwards Gordon
Hayward and Matt Howard).
Duane Burleson/AP
SCARY STAT: Butler has not lost since December
22 (at UAB). Source: Espn.com
3) BUTLER

5. Sweet-shooting guard Jimmer
Fredette leads the Cougars
with 22.1 points per game.
AP Photo
SCARY STAT: Fredette scored 49
points in BYU’s 99-69 thrashing of
Arizona in Tucson in December.
4 BYU

6. The Lobos are led by guard Darington
Hobson, (1), who averages 15.9 points and
9.3 reboungs per game.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
“They’re legit. Darington Hobson is a 6-7 triple double waiting to happen, and
they’ve got two great shooters, and a terriffic point guard. They play great
together,”-- CBS Sports analyst Steve Lappas, on WFAN’s “Mike’d Up”
5 NEW MEXICO

7. Tre’Von Willis leads the Runnin’ Rebels with 17.2
points per game. The Rebs are deep in the
backcourt, with Willis and guard Chase Stanbeck.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
SCARY STAT: UNLV hasn’t
allowed an opponent to
score more than 77 points
since Decmeber 12. (Source:
ESPN.com)
6 UNLV

8. The Saints have four players who
average over 13 points per game.
(Guard Clearance Jackson, and
Forwards Edwin Ubiles, Alex Franklin,
and Ryan Rossiter.) Source: Espn.com
SCARY STAT: The Saints have
reached the second round of
the NCAA Tournament in each
of the past two seasons.
Pete Iorizzo/Albany Times-Union
7 SIENA

9. The Spiders run a Princeton-style
offense, and are lead by guards
Kevin Anderson (14), and David
Gonzalvez (5).
AP Photo
“I think Richmond presents matchup
problems for a lot of teams because of the
way they play. I think they have a chance to
reach the Elite Eight,”--Doug Gottlieb, ESPN
analyst
8 RICHMOND

10. Forward Gerald Lee (12), and Guard
Ben Finney (15) have lead the Monarchs
to a Colonial Athletic Association
regular season title.
SCARY STAT:
The Monarchs rank
sixth in the nation in
points allowed, giving
up just 57.5 per
game.
Source: bbstate.com
Bill Tiernan/The Virginia Pilot
9 OLD DOMINION

11. High-flying guard Randy
Culpepper leads the Miners with
17.9 points per game.
“If you’re looking for a double-digit
seed that could get to the Sweet
16 or beyond in this bracket, it’s
UTEP.” -- ESPN analyst Andy Katz
Ruben R. Ramirez/ El Paso Times
10 UTEP