This week's syllabus: March 18-24

__THE FAB FIVE

My look at the top five school in the country right now

MEN__

1. Stanford (Last week: 1)

The Cardinal earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Match Play event outside Tucson. It's a great opportunity to gain some team experience in the format, although I disagree with coach Conrad Ray and would have liked to have seen the event keep one day of stroke play to seed the teams, so that schools can gain experience in adapting to the transition from stroke to match play.

*Next event: *Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Ariz., March 21-23

2. UNLV (NR)

I can't point my finger on a go-to person for the Rebels but after winning the John Burns Invite earlier this spring and then sharing the title at home last weekend at Southern Highlands, there's no question this group is building some momentum.

Next event: Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Ariz., March 21-23

3. Texas (3)

The Longhorns no doubt were hoping for better than a seventh-place finish last weekend in Las Vegas after their fireworks in Puerto Rico. No time to dwell on that, however, as Texas quickly flies off to Tucson to play in this week's NIT event, an event that's in progress.

Next event: Morris Williams Intercollegiate, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, April 5-6

4. Oklahoma State (2)

Do I really think the Cowboys are the fourth best team in the country? No, but after the dreadful 11th-place performance in Las Vegas, you've got to wonder about just where this group stands mentally as we get into the dog days of the spring season. Ultimately, there's too much pride on this team to believe that Southern Highlands was anything but an aberration.

Next event: Linger Longer Invitational, Reynolds Landing GC, Greensboro, Ga., March 26-28

I give the Huskies the nod over Oregon right now, only because they have a 1-0-1 head-to-head record against the Ducks. That said, a victory in the next few weeks would go a long way to assuaging any concerns that Washington might be a notch or two below last year's Elite Eight squad.

*Next event: *Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship, Ritz-Carlton GC, Dove Mountain, Ariz., March 21-23

WOMEN

Golfweek has the Trojans at No. 5. Golfstat has them at No. 5. Even the Golf World/NGCA poll has them at No. 5. So what am I missing? My eye-ball test tells me this team with three wins (one more than Arizona State and three more than UCLA) has as much talent as anyone. Are you really ready to say that there are four teams that USC would lose to if their roster is 100 percent healthy?

Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, Karsten GC, Tempe, Ariz., April 9-11

The Sun Devils are no doubt a tight knit group. Latest example? Coach Melissa Luellen is training for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this summer in San Francisco, where she'll honor associate head coach Missy Farr-Kaye, a breast cancer survivor.

Next event: Ping ASU Invitational, Karsten GC, Tempe, Ariz., April 9-11

3. Auburn (NR)

Most impressive part about the Tigers' victory in New Orleans last weekend (their second win of the season) was that the team made eight birdies and an eagle on the final six holes at English Turn G&CC. That's what you call closing out a tournament.

Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 26-28

You can't argue with the fact the Bruins have impressive stats. I need to see them come through in the final round and win a title, however, before I'm ready to say they're the best team in the land, as Golfstat professes. Of course there's still time to take that next step.

Next event: Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, University of Texas GC, Austin, Texas, March 26-28

I have officially been silenced by the Crimson Tide, who finished third at the Tiger Wave Classic after their month-plus layoff. So much for knowing something about momentum? Now, though, can the Tide roll in Georgia next week?

Next event: Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, University of Georgia GC, Athens, Ga., March 26-28

__STAT OF THE WEEK

__6

Number of subpar rounds shot by N.C.State junior Matt Hill. A year ago at this time the Canadian who went on to claim the NCAA title and national player of the year honors had nine. He then proceeded to break par in 18 of his final 19 rounds of the season.

Two points here: 1) While Hill's year has yet to live up to the season he had a year ago, it was a torrid closing stretch that earned him all his post-season accolades. Before anyone describes 2009-10 as a bust for Hill, he could once again get on a role, starting at this week's Schenkel tournament, the same event that the hot streak began at last March.

__WHAT TO WATCH FOR

____TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS

____MEN

Desert Shootout

__Palm Valley GC, Goodyear, Ariz. (Par 71, 7,015 yards)

March 18-20

Host: Denver

__Field:__Boise State, BYU, Denver, Eastern Michigan, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Nebraska, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Pacific, Southern Utah, Utah, VCU, Wichita State, Xavier

Defending champion: Denver (-35/829) by one stroke over Tulsa; Air Force's Tom Whitney (-16/200) by one stroke over Tulsa's Nicolas Geyger and Coastal Carolina's Zack Byrd

Skinny: The host Pioneers are still looking for their first victory of the 2009-10 season. Senior Espen Kofstad also is looking for his first individual title after four top-three finishes and six top-10s.

__Furman Intercollegiate

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Furman University GC, Greenville, S.C (Par 72, 6,994 yards)

March 19-21

Host: Furman

Field: UAB, Appalachian State, Charleston Southern, Chattanooga, Clemson, Davidson, East Carolina, Elon, Francis Marion, Furman, Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw State, Marshall, Mississippi State, Old Dominion, Presbyterian, Rhode Island, Samford, Temple, Troy, Virginia Tech, Western Carolina, Winthrop, Wofford

Defending champion: East Carolina (+19/595) by one stroke over Furman and Virginia Tech; Furman's Austin Reeves and Daniel Bowden (+1/145)

Skinny: Do the Paladins have a home-course advantage? Not really when you consider the school has won its home event just twice (1986 and 2004) in the tournament's 39-year history.

__Schenkel E-Z-Go Invitational

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Forest Heights CC, Statesboro, Ga.

March 19-21

Host: Georgia Southern

Field: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi, North Carolina, N.C. State, North Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia

Defending champion: South Carolina (+1/865) by two strokes over N.C. State and Tennessee; N.C. State's Matt Hill (-7/209) by three strokes over South Carolina's George Bryan IV

Skinny: The historic tournament coincides this year with the opening of the Bennett-Ramsey Golf Center, a 25-acre facility houses the team clubhouse, a dedicated practice putting green, a three-green short-game area, a two-tiered practice tee, a driving range and three practice holes.

__Callaway Collegiate Match Play Championship

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Ritz-Carlton GC at Dove Mountain, Marana, Ariz

March 21-23

Host: GCAA

__Field:

__[#image: /photos/55ad7212b01eefe207f68a90]|||Callaway Collegiate Match Play bracket.jpg|||

Defending champion: Middle Tennessee State over Indiana, 4-1

Skinny: Per the request of the coaches, this year's event is strictly match play with the 16 teams being seeded ahead of time. … Four of the teams that reached last year's Elite Eight at the NCAA Championship (Texas A&M, USC, Washington and Arizona State). … Course is the same one that hosted the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship last month.

__Oregon Duck Invitational

__Shadow Hills CC, Junction City, Ore. (Par 72, 7,020 yards)

March 22-23

Host: Oregon

__Field:Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Oregon State, Pacific, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara, UC Davis, UC Riverside, Washington State __

Defending champion: Washington (-5/859) by 15 strokes over Oregon; Washington's Nick Taylor (-5/211) by one stroke over Oregon's Jack Dukeminier

Skinny: I like the Ducks' chances at home, considering their 71.49 adjusted stroke average is the best in the country and their 75.68 is the best average drop score of any team in the country. Still, the last time UO won its home event? 2004.

__WOMEN

UNCW Lady Seahawk Classic

__River Landing CC, Wallace, N.C. (Par 72, 6,012 yards)

Host: UNC Wilmington

Field: Appalachian State, DePaul, Elon, Jacksonville State, Longwood, UMKC, UNC Wilmington, Penn, Winthrop

Defending champion: East Tennessee State (+39/903) by six strokes over Elon; Elon's Danielle Mills (E/216) by six strokes over East Tennessee State's Laura Jansone

Skinny: Tournament celebrates its 10th year, although we wouldn' blame the UNCW folks it they were thinking about that other event they're hosting later this spring: the NCAA Women's Championship.

__Pinehurst Spring Challenge

__Pinehurst No. 6, Pinehurst, N.C. (Par 72, 6,004 yards)

March 22-23

Host: Charleston

Field: Campbell, Charleston, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, East Tennessee State, Florida State, Illinois, James Madison, Maryland, Minnesota, N.C. State, UNC Greensboro, Princeton, Richmond, SMU, Western Carolina, Wofford

Defending champion: East Carolina (+46/910) by 20 strokes over East Tennessee State; Charleston's Steffi Kirchmayr (+1/217) by four strokes over East Carolina's Emelie Lind

__Skinny:__Current weather projections have temps in 60s for the two tournament days, a far cry from a year ago when snow blanketed the course and forced the cancelation of the tournament.

__John Kirk/Panther Intercollegiate

__Eagle's Landing CC, Stockbridge, Ga. (Par 72, 6,047 yards)

March 22-23

Host: Georgia State

__Field:__Arkansas State, UALR, Augusta State, Ball State, Chattanooga, Daytona State, Florida International, Georgia State, Murray State, South Alabama, Texas State, Xavier, Troy

Defending champion: Georgia State (+22/886) by nine strokes over Furman; Georgia State's Sandra Maier (E/216) by one stroke over Georgia State's Anna Scott

Skinny: Maier was just the second Georgia State player to win medalist honors in the event's previous 16 editions.

__BYU at Entrada Classic

__   (For live scoring, click here to link to Golfstat)

Entrada at Snow Canyon, St. George, Utah

March 22-23

Host: BYU

Field: BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Louisville, Nebraska, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Southern Utah, Weber State, Wyoming

Defending champion: Denver (+13/877) by 22 strokes over Colorado State; Denver's Dawn Shockley (E/216) by five strokes over Denver's Ellie Givens

Skinny: The tournament undergoes a small name change, adding Entrada to its title as the course prepares to host the event for the seventh year. Teams in the event are assigned home families that they'll stay with for the week.