East Region: Elite Eight Recap (By David Gentile)

Player of the Round: Despite playing from behind yet again, the Pittsburgh Panthers performed well in crunch time to hold off Xavier. Levance fields made two big plays at the end of the game to secure the victory: A 3-pointer with 56 seconds left to give Pitt a one point lead, and on the next possession a fast break layup off of Dejuan Blair's steal. He proved that experienced guard play does make all the difference in the NCAA tournament.

Best Team Performance: The Villanova Wildcats used their athletic advantage over Duke to win a second straight game by at least 20 points. The Blue Devils were a step behind the Wildcats for the duration of the game, as they led for only 1 minute, 36 seconds of the first half. Duke lost yet another tournament game because of poor 3-point shooting (5-27 from downtown), which was a direct result of Villanova's perimeter defense.

Who is Going to Detroit?: Of all the elite eight matchups, this one presents the most realistic opportunity for an upset. Villanova beat Pittsburgh 67-57 earlier in the season, a game in which Dejuan Blair scored only 7 points. The Wildcats are on a hot streak and Pittsburgh has needed to come back in both of its last two games. I believe that Villanova will be the first team to knock off a number one seed in this tournament.