March Madness: NCAAs' apple cart has been overturned

PROVIDENCE -- So, how messed up are your NCAA Tournament brackets right about now?<br><P></P><br> After a relatively sane opening two days, March became downright mad over the weekend as top seeds fell

Tuesday, March 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PROVIDENCE -- So, how messed up are your NCAA Tournament brackets right about now?

After a relatively sane opening two days, March became downright mad over the weekend as top seeds fell in shocking fashion. In the 16 second-round games, a lower seed won nine times. On Sunday, underdogs took six of eight games.

Two No. 1 seeds -- Arizona and Stanford -- are gone. So are three of the four No. 2 seeds. In two of the four regions, the highest remaining seeds are No. 4s Tennessee and LSU. Anyone who remains on track in the office pools that dominate the country these days is a certified college hoops guru.

The weekend's losers have much more national sizzle than the Sweet 16 teams still playing Thursday and Friday. Stanford. Cincinnati. Temple. Arizona. Ohio State. Connecticut. All gone; all sent home before their time.

What's left is a collection of favorites (Michigan State, Duke), surprising contenders (LSU, Miami, Oklahoma State) and teams the national media will try to fit with Cinderella's slipper (Gonzaga, Seton Hall). There are as many No. 10 seeds (Seton Hall and Gonzaga) alive as No. 1s. Since seeding started in 1979, the only other time two No. 1s didn't reach the round of 16 was 1981, when DePaul and Oregon State failed to survive.

How did the rash of upsets break out? Before the tournament even began, most observers recognized this season as one of the most wide-open races in recent memory. The season-ending injury to Cincinnati center Kenyon Martin in the Conference USA Tournament crippled the nation's clear-cut dominator and made the road to the Final Four in Indianapolis that much easier.

Then, the dynamic that makes the NCAA tourney so special -- one and done -- took over. The best teams don't always win in March, so when one top seed loses, it shouldn't be shocking to see several more fall, as well.

As Kansas pinned East top seed Duke against the ropes in Winston-Salem on Sunday, Blue Devil players said they couldn't help but hear news of other top seeds.

``If that's not motivation, what is?'' the Blue Devils' Shane Battier said. ``You couldn't help but hear and think.''

No game epitomized the unexpected thrills of the tournament more than Seton Hall's 67-65 overtime win over Temple. Throughout the season, the Owls showed they had too much defense, shooting and inside power for a talented-but-limited Pirate team. But, on this day, the Owls didn't put their best foot forward and the Hall took advantage.

The Owls shot 33 percent from the foul line and missed the front ends of two one-and-ones in the final five minutes of regulation. Star guard Pepe Sanchez had an ordinary -- or worse -- game, with only two assists in the second half, before fouling out near the end of regulation with two points on 1-for-6 shooting. Temple was outrebounded, 40-35, by a Hall team that had been outboarded in more than half of its games. Big men Lamont Barnes and Kevin Lyde were a combined 3-for-11 for eight points.

The strangest development of all came when Pirates senior Shaheen Holloway turned his ankle in the first half and never returned. The Owls had to think that was the end of Seton Hall's chances, but reserve Ty Shine stepped in and drilled a career-high seven 3-pointers and 26 points, leaving John Chaney to just shake his head.

``I feel bad because this team, in terms of talent and depth, was as good as any I've had,'' Chaney said. ``But the best team isn't always the team (that goes the farthest). Most coaches will tell you that.''

The win gave the Big East victories in its last three 10-vs.-2 matchups. The others were West Virginia's triumph over Cincinnati in 1998, and Providence's shocker over Duke in 1997.

What happens from here is anybody's guess. But, as usual, it is sure to be exciting.