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

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

An examination of the four teams that have reached the South Regional semifinals at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas:

No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers


	Tennessee's Tony Harris really took off in the victory over UConn.

How they got here: Beat No. 13 Louisiana 63-58; beat No. 5 Connecticut 65-51.

Who they play next: No. 8 North Carolina on Friday at 10:15 p.m. ET.

What worked: It's all about attitude, not talent. Tennessee played with a purpose against Connecticut, more so than in its opener against Louisiana. The Volunteers got the ball into Ron Slay, and Tony Harris was the aggressor at the point. They also got to the line, showing they were on attack mode.

What didn't work: Tennessee was too passive in round one, and it nearly bit the Volunteers. They played that way in the SEC tournament. The Vols need to get Vincent Yarbrough more involved in the offense as well as Isiah Victor on the boards.

How can the Volunteers advance? If Yarbrough and Victor are factors, they can beat Carolina. If they're not, Slay might not be enough to get past Brendan Haywood by himself.

No. 6 Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes
How they got here: Beat No. 11 Arkansas 75-71; beat No. 3 Ohio State 75-62.

Who they play next: No. 7 Tulsa on Friday at 7:55 p.m. ET.

What worked: The 'Canes defense was as tight as it had been during the season. They shut down Arkansas in the halfcourt and then did the same against the Buckeyes. Miami's offense clicked behind unheralded point guard Vernon Jennings and scorer Johnny Hemsley.

What didn't work: The 'Canes could use more inside scoring to advance past Tulsa. Miami didn't close well against Arkansas, either, but finished up strong against Ohio State and seemed to erase that problem.

How can the Hurricanes advance? If Miami plays defense against Tulsa as well as it did against Ohio State, then the Hurricanes can make the Elite Eight. But they have to get more out of Elton Tyler and Mario Bland in the post.

No. 7 Tulsa Golden Hurricane
How they got here: Beat No. 10 UNLV 89-62; beat No. 2 Cincinnati 69-61.

Who they play next: No. 6 Miami (Fla.) on Friday at 7:55 p.m. ET.

What worked: Tulsa ran away from UNLV and dismantled the Bearcats' inside game by being more physical. The Golden Hurricane defense is as good as Miami's, and it worked to perfection in the first two rounds. Eric Coley gave them enough versatile play -- points, rebounds, steals and blocks -- to help them advance. Greg Harrington, Tony Heard, Brandon Kurtz, Dante Swanson and David Shelton were all scorers this past weekend, making Tulsa one of the most complete teams in the field.

What didn't work: Tulsa did everything right, shutting down Cincinnati's perimeter and interior. When you win convincingly, why find faults?

How can the Golden Hurricane advance? Getting shots off against Miami will be as tough for Tulsa as it will be for Miami against the Hurricane. Shelton has to be a factor inside, and role players like Swanson have to hit the rare open looks when they get them.

No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels
How they got here: Beat No. 9 Missouri 84-70; beat No. 1 Stanford 60-53.

Who they play next: No. 4 Tennessee on Friday at 10:15 p.m. ET.

What worked: The Tar Heels finally lived up to their preseason potential. Brendan Haywood was a factor in the middle, Joe Forte and Jason Capel were scoring on the wings and Ed Cota was a leader at the point.

What didn't work: The Tar Heels exceeded expectations and didn't wilt in any facet of the game in either win. The only problem might have been a bit of a slow start against Missouri. Otherwise, it was a perfect weekend for Bill Guthridge and Co.

How can the Tar Heels advance? Keep getting the ball to Haywood and make him get Tennessee into foul trouble. If they do that, the Tar Heels have a chance. If Forte and Capel are on and Cota is getting past Tony Harris at the point, then North Carolina will win.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.


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