| | ESPN college basketball analyst Digger Phelps didn't pull any punches in his chat with users the day after the NCAA Tournament brackets were announced. He revealed his Final Four and pins the label of favorite on the Temple Owls.
During his chat, Phelps shocked users with his comments about Duke, saying they will be the first No. 1 seed to feel the upset bug. He also talked about his sleepers, his Cinderella and even offered the best advice for skipping work on Thursday and Friday.
If you missed Digger's March 13 chat, an edited transcript follows:
|  | | Pepe Sanchez and Temple are Digger's team to beat. |
Digger Phelps: The first eight seeds in the Midwest are like naming the field in a Final Eight. Michigan State,
Iowa State, Maryland, Syracuse, Kentucky, Auburn and UCLA.
Alexander Penrod: How does the bracket and tournament look for Ohio State? Do they have a shot of repeating their
performance from one year ago?
Digger Phelps:
They will have trouble with the Miami-Arkansas winner. Arkansas was very impressive with their
40 minutes of hell defense, forcing a lot of turnovers (over 20 a game in the SEC tournament) and
getting plenty of points off those turnovers. Miami is smart, aggressive and physical, a lot like St.
John's, which Ohio State beat in MSG. I love Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd, and they are hungry to get back.
George Reese must score big and Ken Johnson must stay out of foul trouble.
Hoosier Daddy: What do you think Maryland will do this year? Will they finally get past the Sweet 16?
Digger Phelps:
Tough draw with a potential matchup vs. UCLA in the second round. The Bruins are reborn with
JaRon Rush back in the lineup; their confidence is high. Danny Miller's ankle injury could be a
negative factor; the Terps need him. They have a tough road with Iowa State possibly in the
Sweet 16; that could be a war and their downfall. Marcus Fizer and Jamal Tinsley are tough to
beat. They can flat out play.
Owl Hooter: Temple always plays tough "D," but this year they have an inside game and a
perimeter game to go with it. Are they the most dangerous non-No. 1-seed in the tournament?
Digger Phelps:
Absolutely, and the Owls are my pick to win it. Pepe Sanchez is one of the rare college basketball
players that can dominate a game like a 7-foot Bill Walton, Lew Alcindor did for UCLA.
KeithBooth: Which team was most deserving that did not make it in?
Digger Phelps:
I think Vanderbilt had a strong argument, even over Missouri since the Tigers lost five of their last
eight. They never beat Oklahoma State, Iowa State or Texas at home. Vandy beat Notre Dame,
Tennessee twice, Florida and LSU in a conference where six solid teams are in the NCAA
tournament.
Cincy Lover: Do you think Cincinnati has any chance to make a run at it without Kenyon Martin in the lineup?
Digger Phelps:
No. They will miss him in so many different ways. He can't be replaced. It should be an
interesting showdown in the Sweet 16 against Ohio State assuming they get that far. Bragging
rights for the state are on the line.
Spartan Guy: Who poses the biggest threat for MSU to make it to the Final Four?
Digger Phelps:
The entire bracket is loaded. Anyone of the seven seeded teams behind them have an opportunity
to knock them off. Beating them in Auburn Hills will be tough. It's about time the Big Ten had a
team win its conference tournament and play in its home region like Duke and N.C. did in
Greensboro and Charlotte in recent years.
MarquetteGirl: Does the selection process need to be revamped?
Digger Phelps:
No, it's fine. I think this year's committee did the best they could, but it is obvious they need some
real basketball minds like ex-coaches Dave Gavitt, Terry Holland and C.M. Newton on the
committee. Les Robinson is on the committee.
Rebel: What do you think of the potential matchup of Lute Olson and Jerry Tarkanian?
Digger Phelps:
It should be an interesting matchup, but it may not happen. Tark has a war against Wisconsin in
game one. Dick Bennett's team can really frustrate you.
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Tues. Jan. 11
Phelps, who enjoyed two successful decades as Notre Dame's head coach, joined ESPN as a college basketball studio and game analyst in November 1993. He works in the studio each Monday and Tuesday, and calls select games. He also teams with Dick Vitale to provide studio and on-site analysis during Championship Week, the NCAA Tournament and Final Four. Prior to ESPN, Phelps served as a college basketball analyst for CBS Sports during the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Championships, handling both studio and game analysis. In 1984, he served as commentator for ABC Sports' basketball coverage at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. During his 20 years as head basketball coach at Notre Dame (1972-91), Phelps won more games (393) than any coach in Irish history. His teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament on 14 occasions -- including six of his last seven seasons -- and reached the Final Four in 1978.
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Dsl634: Who are your sleepers?
Digger Phelps:
UCLA, Connecticut, Illinois and Gonzaga. Last year's Gonzaga will be this year's Gonzaga ... it will
beat Louisville.
Rutgers Mike: Can Oregon beat Seton Hall?
Digger Phelps:
Yes. Oregon is one of the best-kept secrets coming out of the Pac-10, as shown by the recent win
over Arizona. Shaheen Holloway and Ty Shine have to come out of the box early to give Seton
Hall momentum. Oregon has to travel cross country, and that is not easy.
Rhody: What do you think of Florida's chances this year? They are young but their young
guys have been producing all year.
Digger Phelps:
Florida is another mystery team. Auburn knocking them off in the SEC tourney surprised me since
they beat up the Tigers recently. When Florida lost to DePaul in January, I was wondering then
how they would respond to March Madness. Even as a No. 5 seed, Butler's defense can take a lot
out of them. Illinois, coached by former Gators coach Lon Kruger, can be dangerous.
Da Bracket Maestro: Which No. 1 seed will be the first to go down?
Digger Phelps:
In my opinion, Duke.
I think it will be interesting once they play the Kansas-DePaul winner. It could be a payback since
DePaul lost in OT at Cameron. Kansas would match up well against the Dukies.
Hunter3: Can UConn beat Tennesee then beat Stanford?
Digger Phelps:
UConn can beat anybody if Khalid El-Amin plays to his potential early. He did it against Arizona, getting
eight quick points. He finally got the Huskies going again in the first three Big East tourney games.
They were tired playing four games in four days. Albert Mouring has to shoot the 3's and Jake Voskuhl and
Kevin Freeman must show up on the boards. I was impressed how they turned it around from a month
ago. El-Amin's final basket to beat West Virginia by one was the biggest of the season, getting
them going until the loss to St. John's.
Tourney fan: We all know that there are going to be some major first round upsets. I just can't see where in this
tournament they will occur. What teams will go out early and who has Sweet 16 potential?
Digger Phelps:
Gonzaga over Louisville. I love their team; not shooting the 3's as well, but Richie Frahm and Matt Santangelo
can control any game. Casey Calvary is a warrior in the paint, but he also shoots the 3's. This is a
dangerous game for Louisville. Nate Johnson and Marques Maybin must play big. It should be like
playing HORSE, watching which team can hit the 3's.
C&C: Kelvin Sampson does a great job getting his kids to play their best right at postseason time. There
is a another potential Arizona-Oklahoma matchup in the West but no one's giving them a chance
against St. John's. What do you think?
Digger Phelps:
I fear Oklahoma. Last year, nobody thought they'd get in as an at-large, seeded 13th and knocking
off Arizona first and then UNC-Charlotte in the second round. I do not see any No. 13 vs. No. 4 upsets this
year in the first round, when the Sooners were a No. 3 last year. Samford is the only one with a
chance of that upset, and it's not a great shot. Warning to Oklahoma: Winthrop beat Missouri
earlier this year.
SBU Students: Can SBU best Kentucky in the No. 5-12 dreaded match up, that seems like the Bermuda Triangle!
Digger Phelps:
Kentucky will miss Desmond Allison. He's played well in a lot of games for them. Bonnies did
beat Temple earlier this year. Jimmy Baron has his school in for the first time since '78. Key
player is Tim Winn, the guard who doesn't get much national publicity.
Tucol: Assuming a first round win, is Tulsa's No. 7 seeding a punishment for their schedule, or a reward by
putting them against a weakened Natti team in the second round?
Digger Phelps:
I thought they'd be higher, but the three losses to Fresno hurt them.
Jay: What's the problem with Tennessee come tourney time? any remedy?
Digger Phelps:
Tony Harris has to play under control. He's the key. I can't believe C.J. Black and Vincent Yarbrough
struggled against South Carolina in the SEC tournament. Yarbrough had only five points in the
game. They lost in the second round to SW Missouri State last year, and perhaps Jerry Green will
remind his team of that. Tough draw with Connecticut a potential second-round opponent.
SteveC: Without Weber St. in this year, can Carolina advance past the first round?
Digger Phelps:
If Missouri shoots the 3's well against Carolina's zone, the Tar Heels could have a problem.
Missouri made 14 of 33 treys in the regular-season finale against Kansas. This could be an
interesting matchup
Spanky: What about Auburn's chances?
Digger Phelps:
Cliff Ellis has a tough draw, Creighton first and then with a win, Iowa State. The Cyclones are too
physically tough in the second round. He has done a great job getting this team ready to play in the
SEC tourney. Arkansas went on a late run and that was the difference. The Chris Porter situation is
history and the rest of the team knows it has to step up.
TBurns: Texas has shown signs of being a dominant defensive team, especially at the guards. Do you think
they have a legit chance of beating LSU in the second round?
Digger Phelps:
I think Texas guard play is important, but Chris Owens is a quiet factor. Attention goes to Chris
Mihm and Gabe Muoneke. Owens can explode for 20 any given night. Their defense is solid.
This team has an excellent shot to make it to the Sweet 16.
B.K. Fan: Were you surprised at all with IU's seeding of No. 6? I thought they were looking at a No. 4 or
5?
Digger Phelps:
They have faded at the end, so no, I did not think 4-5 seed was possible. Losing the Wisconsin game, after
leading by 12 points with 11 to go, was a breakdown of Indiana's frontline as well as A.J. Guyton's
scoring. The same happened vs. Illinois in the Big Ten tourney. The Hoosiers can't be happy with
their draw. Pepperdine is a good team. Oklahoma State in the second round would be a good
matchup. Desmond Mason is due to get hot after struggling from the field his last few games.
Doug Gottlieb and Joe Adkins in the backcourt, that would be a challenge for Michael Lewis and Guyton.
FlyerFan: No "Sit down, Digger!" comments coming from this Dayton fan. Bring back memories? Seriously,
though, how did UD end up being one of the last teams in, and do you think they can beat Purdue
and possibly Oklahoma?
Digger Phelps:
I thought their loss to St. Bonaventure in the conference tournament hurt them and helped the
Bonnies get in. Remember, they beat Kentucky in Cincinnati early in the season. Oliver Purnell
has to rally the troops and this is a second chance.
Jim: Do you think NCAA coaches should be miked during games like the NBA is trying to do? Do you
agree with the NBA's decision to fine coaches for not wearing mikes?
Digger Phelps:
No. What goes on during the timeouts among players talking to each other, coaches talking to
players and coaches talking to each other should not be part of public consumption. Sometimes as
a coach, you have to get in someone's face to wake them up. A lot of people wouldn't understand.
Sometimes players get in each other's faces to wake each other up. It happens in the emotion of
the game. Yet that can be misunderstood.
Wes: Who do you see winning the Kansas-DePaul matchup?
Digger Phelps:
I like DePaul. Lance Williams in the paint being a factor. Kansas has been struggling. The three
freshmen, Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich have really developed into fine players, but Eric Chenowith
has struggled all year. Jeff Boschee and Kenny Gregory have been inconsistent. Quentin Richardson will do
better than he did vs. Saint Louis.
Mrharrier: What's your best recommendation for a get-out-of-work-free excuse for this coming
Thursday and Friday?
Digger Phelps:
You have a very contagious flu, a strain which came in from Mars from the space shuttle, a germ
from the Hale-Bop comet and you need three weeks off. If that doesn't work, your dog ate your
homework.
JermGLC: Who are your Final Four?
Digger Phelps:
Temple, Stanford, Arizona and Michigan State.
Thanks for all of your questions. I hope you enjoy the tourney. Watch our coverage all week on
ESPN.
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