The NCAA Tournament brings its annual excitement this month and the same question is raised: who will make it to the Final Four? This year's story can be summed up with the first half dominated by UCONN and then the second half by Duke along with the emergence of St. John's, Auburn, and Michigan St. The NCAA Tournament will no doubt be dominated by the titans, but some Cinderella teams may show up also.

There are some names to look for in all regions. In the South, Auburn's Chris Porter is an exciting player who'll rack up points and lead his team far, but Scootie Penn and Ohio St. may stop Auburn in the second round. Maryland, if they can get past St. John's, may have a very good chance at its first Final Four appearance. In the West, UCONN, led by Ray Hamilton and Khalid El-Amin, are no doubt the favorites, but in their way is a tough opponent in Standford, with flashy guard Arthur Lee. In the East, it's Duke all the way unless Cincinnati, which handed Duke it's only season defeat, can repeat the miracle again or athletic Miami comes up with an upset. Finally, the Midwest brings plenty of excitment as defending champion Kentucky may face Kansas in the second round. Utah, with Andre Miller playing exceptional ball, may make a run for another trip to the championship game, but Michigan St. is on a dangerous hot streak to make its first Final Four appearance since Magic Johnson played for the Spartans.

So, who will make it to the Final Four from each region? In the South, though Auburn did great in the regular season in the SEC, their ACC opponent Maryland, led by Jordanesque Steve Francis, should roll into the Final Four. In the West, UCONN will definitely make it to the Final Four if their players stay healthy. In the East, Duke is a given in the Final Four. The Midwest is very questionable, but Kentucky, with experience from last year, should be able to make it back. Duke over UCONN is probably what the season will come down to, a classic #1 vs. #2 matchup. Prepare for one of the most exciting tournaments yet.

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