Memphis Tigers

1. It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp. Memphis really, really wants to make it to the Final Four. It has been 21 years since the Tigers went that deep in the tourney. In that year, Prince won an Oscar for the Purple Rain soundtrack. This year, Memphis' own Three 6 Mafia wins an Oscar for original song in the movie "Hustle and Flow." Prince is a funky, R & B artist. Three 6 Mafia is a funky, gangtsa rap artist. Oh, my God — the Memphis Tigers are going to the Final Four again!

2. Pull-Up Patsies. Memphis has only one senior who contributes greatly on this team. The Tigers have five freshmen who clock significant time on the court. Freshmen make mistakes. Freshmen need experience playing against high-caliber teams to iron out those baby cheeks. Memphis plays in Conference USA. Repeat: Conference USA. Oh my God, the Memphis Tigers are going to lose in the second round!

3. Reality TV, March Madness Style. Memphis is loaded with talent — and unselfish talent at that. The current Tigers have a 10-1 road record. They are 6-3 versus top 50 RPI teams and 11-3 versus the top 100 RPI. This team starts three players who will play in the NBA in the next year or two (Rodney Carney, Darius Washington and Shawn Williams). They've got the coach. They've got the players. They've got a high seed (presumptively). Now, all they have to do is something they haven't done in a long time — win in the tourney. — John Harris