Variety rules in Sweet 16

Every year, after two rounds of the college basketball tournament, people look for a theme. Did upsets prevail? Was there a myriad of buzzer-beaters? Is this the most exciting tournament ever?\nThis year, while there were plenty of upsets, not one of the remaining teams can be accused of getting lucky. Even Georgetown, which was fortunate enough to play No. 15 seed Hampton in the second round, had to upset Arkansas to get there.\nThere are three double-digit seeds still breathing, but none of them are flukes. Along with the Hoyas, 11th-seeded Temple not only started the season ranked, but thoroughly destroyed Florida Sunday. The Owls proved they are a top team.\nNo. 12 seed Gonzaga is no surprise, either. The Bulldogs will compete in Round 3 for the third consecutive season, again proving that their small-school status is not enough to stop them from winning.\nBut as Round 3 tips off at 7:38 tonight, the intriguing teams are the ones that are still supposed to be alive, rather than the Cinderellas. Michigan State, Duke, Kansas, Illinois and Arizona all played their own games and won convincingly in each of the first two rounds. While last weekend might have lacked the close games and dramatic finishes fans crave, this weekend should be full of excitement.\nThis year, the first two rounds merely set up the theme. What we have left is the most diverse group of teams in recent memory. Fans of all different styles of basketball can finally go head-to-head to see which style will come out on top.\nThere is the strong offensive team in Duke. The Blue Devils didn't need much time to prove their firepower, opening the tourney with a 14-0 run against Monmouth. While it is the most talented of the remaining teams, its style clashes with strong defensive teams such as Michigan State and Illinois. These two Big Ten schools are the toughest teams left and have a workman's mentality.\nUCLA and Kentucky swear by the full-court press, which worked last weekend, but might not against quick, guard-heavy third-round opponents Duke (which battles UCLA) and USC (which meets UK). \nKansas comes in high on emotion, as coach Roy Williams is using a stuffed monkey as a gimmick to psych up his team, but that might not help against the no-nonsense teams, which are too focused on winning to enjoy tournament time.\nThen there is Arizona. The Wildcats are hands down the most complete team in the country. They have a true center in Loren Woods, great swingmen in Richard Jefferson and Gilbert Arenas and a terrific point guard in Jason Gardner. They have speed, energy and skill. They play for a great coach in Lute Olson, whose importance was proven as they struggled while he tended to his wife, who died New Year's Day. They even have character -- who doesn't love Eugene Edgerson's throw-up afro haircut and knee pads? \nArizona is the team that was supposed to be here all along, as it was ranked No. 1 in the preseason. The Cats have been through such an emotional season, it is a wonder they never caved. But they didn't stop then, and they are not ready to call it quits now. The Wildcats are playing their best basketball of the year. \nMore than any recent year, the tournament has not yet begun in earnest. Patterns have yet to be formed, and the exciting match-ups have yet to be played.\nSo what are the big match-ups? Look for Kansas and Illinois to go down to the wire and expect a good but useless game between Penn State and Temple. \nBut the most exciting match-up has to be the game that could be played Saturday in Philadelphia. Nine years ago, Duke and Kentucky met in Philly in a game that ended with Christian Laettner's infamous overtime buzzer-beater. If anyone believes Kentucky fans have forgotten, think again. The Wildcats would love nothing more than to get revenge on the Blue Devils and continue their journey to the Final Four.