NCAA Tournament 2000 - Midwest: A look at who's left

Midwest: A look at who's left
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

An examination of the four teams that have reached the Midwest Regional semifinals at The Palace at Auburn Hills, Mich.:

No. 1 Michigan State Spartans
How they got here: Beat No. 16 Valparaiso 65-38; Beat No. 8 Utah 73-61

Who they play next: No. 4 Syracuse on Thursday, 7:38 p.m. ET

What worked: The Spartans got into an offensive rhythm under Mateen Cleaves against the Utes. Cleaves, who had been rather quiet offensively, decided to be more assertive and aggressive. Point-guard play wins games deep in the tournament. Cleaves can be a decisive factor in the tourney if he keeps this up, especially as defenses try to shut down Morris Peterson.

What didn't: The Spartans weren't effective on the offensive backboard against the Utes. That has to change against Syracuse. Al Anagonye is back after missing time with a stress fracture and he gives the Spartans another physical player in the post. They'll need to do a better job on the boards to keep advancing.

What can the Spartans do to advance: Keep the ball in Cleaves' hands. Good things seem to happen lately when he's in control. His shot is on and he can start creating for Peterson and Jason Richardson, if he continues to assume a leadership role. The Spartans looked vulnerable before Cleaves decided to play Saturday. The Spartans will have a tussle on the boards with Orangemen, making the Cleaves-Jason Hart matchup the key point of the game.

No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones
How they got here: Beat No. 15 Central Connecticut 88-78; beat No. 7 Auburn, 79-60.

Who they play next: No. 6 UCLA on Thursday, 9:55 p.m. ET

What worked: Marcus Fizer and Jamaal Tinsley. The Cyclones relied heavily on their one-two punch inside and at the point. Both came through in tight games to allow the Cyclones to prevail. The Cyclones went through some slow points during both games but still were able to outrun both teams.

What didn't: These Cyclones haven't been in this situation before. Iowa State's last NCAA appearance was in 1997 and Fizer wasn't on the team. They seemed a bit stunned when Central stayed in the game. Auburn did it in the first half, too. But the Cyclones can't afford to play catch up against UCLA.

What can the Cyclones do to advance: Keep getting the ball to Fizer. He'll carry this team to the Elite Eight if he's active early. Tinsley can beat Earl Watson off the dribble and get in the lane. He has to get Dan Gadzuric and Jerome Moiso to commit fouls early in the first half. The X-factor will be whether or not the Cyclones can stop JaRon Rush on the wing.

No. 4 Syracuse


	Syracuse's Jason Hart is a key for the Orangemen.

How they got here: Beat No. 13 Samford, 79-65; Beat No. 5 Kentucky 52-50

Who they play next: No. 1 Michigan State on Thursday, 7:38 p.m. ET

What worked: The Orangemen got decent balance in both wins without having to rely heavily on Etan Thomas. He fouled out of the loss to Kentucky with the game tied in the final four minutes. But Jason Hart was able to get by Saul Smith and create shots, notably for Preston Shumpert for a winning jumper.The Orangemen's zone kept Kentucky in check in the second half.

What didn't: Syracuse didn't play well against zone, but the Orangemen probably won't see too much zone the rest of the tournament.

What can Syracuse do to advance: The Orangemen need Thomas to be more assertive and aggressive against Michigan State to get to the Elite Eight. Syracuse has won without Thomas (see beating Kentucky), but it won't work against the physical Spartans. Syracuse will have to challenge the shooters better in their zone, especially Morris Peterson. The Orangemen can't allow Jason Richardson to get free inside for jams, either. Hart will have his hands full against Mateen Cleaves, but he can't afford foul trouble if Syracuse wants to advance.

No. 6 UCLA
How they got here: Beat No. 11 Ball State 65-57; beat No. 3 Maryland 105-70.

Who they play next: No. 2 Iowa State on Thursday, 9:55 p.m. ET

What worked: The Bruins' up-tempo style was on fire. No team is playing better right now than UCLA. Dan Gadzuric and Jerome Moiso are running the break, Jason Kapono and JaRon Rush are hitting shots and Earl Watson has become the ultimate playmaker.

What didn't: Not much. The Bruins got off to a slow start against Ball State in the first round but left the Terps in the dust in round two. The Bruins have little to lose as they advance in this tournament.

What can the Bruins do to advance: Keep applying the pressure and play loose. The Bruins have a decent shot to upset Iowa State if they can get Marcus Fizer in foul trouble. Gadzuric and Moiso are strong enough to body him into committing a few touch fouls. Get them the ball and the Cyclones could be in trouble.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.


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