The One Where STF Helps You Find a Team to Root for in the Sweet 16

Cinderella is dead and buried. You've heard the story over and over since Sunday, but just to hammer home the point once more: - There are only two non-BCS schools remaining in the Big Dance, one of which checked in its mid-major creds a few years ago (Gonzaga), while the other wants no part of being called a mid-major (Xavier). - For the first time in history, all the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 seeds have advanced to the Sweet 16. - The only double-digit seed remaining is Arizona. Calling Arizona a Cinderella is like calling - One conference - the Big East - makes up more than 1/4 of the remaining teams. - One of those teams, UConn, may have a few things on its mind other than Purdue So yeah, slim pickings if you are looking for a team to get behind and feel good about. But that is where STF's gang of writers jumps to lead you in the right directions. Here are the followig teams that we'll be getting behind, while still feeling good about ourslves. Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } Jacob: I will be rooting for Duke. This will certainly be an unpopular answer, which is why the rest of America should root for Duke as well. There are no mid-majors left - Gonzaga doesn't count anymore - in the Tournament. The show is run by the big boys. But the least liked team left in the Tournament is Duke. People hate the Blue Devils with a passion for no reason other than they are f-ing good and racially eclectic and symbolize a Yankee mentality in the South. Why not support the one team that everyone else is ragging on? Why not come on over to the dark side and check out the view? Plus, the Tournament is always a lot more fun when you've still got a team left that inspires some sort of emotion, whether that be good or bad. Seth: I'm pulling for Louisville, for its talented "point forward" Terrence Williams. I have a soft spot for Williams because he's a Seattle kid, but all basketball fans should appreciate Williams' all-around magnificence. Need scoring? Williams leads his team in points and three-pointers made. Passing? Williams was 3rd in the Big East with a 2.1 assist/turnover ratio. You'll see him celebrate as lustily after a nice pass as after a made basket. Rebounding? T-Will was just four boards behind Earl Clark for the team lead. Defense? He was 2nd in the Big East in steals, and had 28 blocks (more than twice as many asTyler Hansbrough). All this while playing in the one of the best conferences in NCAA history. Williams grew his game much in the same way fellow Seattleite Brandon Roy did, by playing four years of college ball. Williams has steadily improved his shooting, passing, and defense each year, and has a shot to cap it all off by winning an NCAA title. KD: Anyone but Memphis and f-ing John Calipari, who seems to get sleazier every year, if that's even possible. Tooch: I've got to go with Syracuse this year. The Orange have been one of the most exciting teams in the nation to watch this season and, with the exception of the ever-scummy Eric Devendorf, have some of the best pure, young talent around. After ousting Player of the Year Blake Griffin, the Orange can play the ultimate spoilers in this year's tourney by taking down reigning POY Tyler Hansbrough and the overhyped Tarheels. The Big East was by far the best conference in the nation this year -- and maybe ever -- so it would only be fitting for a Big East team to take home the title. It would just be a lot more exciting to see the "underdog" of the remaining Big East teams be the ones to win it all. (On that same note, Villanova winning it all would suffice as well) Extra P: I will, of course, be rooting for Kansas. Do I seriously think they will win back-to-back championships? No. Too many first-time tourney players on the roster. But getting those guys as much dance experience as possible bodes well for the future. The team I'd like to see break through other than the one that's mixed into my DNA is Gonzaga. I like the team they've built this year, and there's no sulky Adam Morrison-type to make me feel foolish for rooting for them this year. The fact that Josh Heytvelt was once busted for chewing psychedelic mushrooms just heightens the appeal for me. There's also Austin Daye, who suffered a leg injury during the offseason that nobody could agree on - would it end his career, or did he just need to put a bag of frozen peas on it and rest for a couple of days? I've also talked about my love for the heady and aggressive point play of Jeremy Pargo, and the AWJS skills of Micah Downs. Matt Bouldin has wacky surfer-dude hair, and Steven Gray is coming along nicely as well. Seriously. Re-read that description: a dead-head, a mysterious injury, a sharp point guard, crazy hair, a developing understudy, and a skilled AWJS. It's a team built for STF. How could I not back them? Marco: I'm pulling for Missouri in the Sweet 16. In a Sweet 16 filled with chalk, traditional powers, the big guy squashing the little guy's hopes, Mizzou is probably the closest thing to an outsider left. Not that I'm dissing any of Tiger's basketball tradition, but in the past decade, Mizzou basketball been non-existent, lacking any kind of identity and any semblance of . Enter Mike Anderson. Not only has he brought passion back to the Missouri program, but he's mad it relevant again - believe it or not, this is the Tigers first trip to the Big Dance since 2002. But most importantly, he's given this team an identity that any fan of college basketball can appreciate - a "40 Minutes of Hell" type of full court pressure defense not seen since the Arkansas days. Also, Joe Posnanski loves them, and Eric f'n hates them. That's usually good enough in my book.