PHSports Staff Picks & Predictions: 2009 NCAA Tournament

Sure, none of us correctly predicted Kansas would win it all last year ... but two out of four PHSports writers did have the Jayhawks in the Final Four. So maybe, just maybe, two of us have this year's winner somewhere in our listings as well. Unfortunately, none of us have my "Lawlma Mater" of American getting to the national semifinals ... but hey I can still dream, right?

So kick back, call Papa John's, and start reading how two of us pick UNC and two of us don't, all before tipoff at 12:20 pm EDT.

"I just don't see why we can't have a 640 team tournament instead ..." (Photo by Dennis Nett/The Post Standard)

Paymon
Final Four: Villanova, North Carolina, Louisville, UConn
National Champions: North Carolina over UConn
MOP: AJ Price, UConn

Top Sleeper: Arizona State
Under the Radar: Clemson
Underrated: UCLA
Overrated: Illinois, Oklahoma ... and Memphis

1st -Round Upset I Love: Western Kentucky over Illinois (esp. if Chester Frazier does not play)
2nd -Round Matchup I'm Craving: Syracuse v. Arizona State
Final Comment: I anticipate a paucity of first-round upsets, which will set up a series of marquee games between evenly-matched teams on the tail end of the opening weekend. Ultimately, this tournament, like every other NCAA Tournament, will come down to steady guard play. If Ty Lawson is able to overcome his toe injury and Danny Green gets out of his shooting slump, then I expect the Tar Heels to cut down the nets in Detroit.

Clement
Final Four: Louisville (Midwest), Memphis (West), Villanova (East), North Carolina (South)
National Champions: Louisville Cardinals
MOP: Terrence Williams, Louisville

Top Sleeper: Stephen F. Austin (mid-major), Purdue (major)
Under the Radar: Butler (mid-major), West Virginia (major)
Underrated: Cleveland State (mid-major), Texas (major)
Overrated: VCU (mid-major...ouch), Kansas (major)

1st -Round Upset I Love: Stephen F. Austin (I don't love it. Believe me. Syracuse is 0-2 in opening round games after reaching or winning the Big East Tournament finals. They lost to #13-seed Vermont and #12-seed Texas A&M. I suspect they will start cold and lose a heartbreaker. However, they'll be a Final Four team next year...if Johnny Flynn remains with the Orange.)
2nd -Round Matchup I'm Craving: Eric Maynor and the upstart Rams of VCU barely get by UCLA, setting them up for a match-up - in Philly - against the Villanova Wildcats. Why? I'd be there. I'd also LOVE to see any scenario with a 16-seed winning. Any of them.
Final Comment: This field is much more open than you think. I'm too Big East heavy; however, I also have Pitt out before the Sweet Sixteen (shocker!) and UCONN out before the Elite Eight (surprise!). Louisville will prove me wrong - yet again - and cut the nets down for Pitino.

Armin
Final Four: G'head...hate me...all the #1s make it this year. I'll be the smart-alec that says it.
National Champions: UNC (Sheesh...What's wrong with me?)
MOP: Someone named Tyler (ok...I officially hate myself)

Top Sleeper: Arizona (gotta pick my "alma mater")
Under the Radar: Utah State (that thug they got playing center is a BEAST)
Underrated: Tie...Northern Iowa & Western Kentucky
Overrated: Florida State

1st -Round Upset I Love: Arizona over Utah, of course
2nd -Round Matchup I'm Craving: American vs. VCU....go Virginia!!!!
Final Comment: I'm filling out my sheet with teams that have the best looking cheerleaders. No other strategy has ever helped me do well in my tourney pools...figure I should implement this strategerie. ;)

Sum
Final Four: Louisville (Midwest), Missouri (West), Pitt (East), North Carolina (South)
National Champions: Pitt (over Louisville)
MOP: DeJuan Blair, Pitt

Top Sleeper: West Virginia (major), Western Kentucky (mid-major)
Under the Radar: Clemson (major, Butler (mid-major)
Underrated: Purdue (major), American (mid-major)
Overrated: Oklahoma (major), VCU (mid-major)

1st -Round Upset I Love: Western Kentucky over Illinois. Like Paymon mentioned, Frazier is not at 100% even if he does play, and that will hurt the Illini, especially against a strong 12-seed in Western Kentucky. And yes ... I do think they can repeat their Sweet 16 appearance of last year.
2nd -Round Matchup I'm Craving: UNC vs Butler, especially if Ty Lawson isn't back. Butler is an extremely solid squad that got jobbed (in my opinion) with the 9-seed. I think Butler's defense will give Hansbrough and Co. lots of trouble before finally giving way to the 'Heels in the last 5 minutes of the game.
Final Comment: The tourney is the Big East's to lose. Aside from 2-3 upsets (I don't count 9's beating 8's as an upset), I think the first round will hold true to form. Unfortunately, a lot of deserving mid-majors were excluded from this tournament (read: Creighton and St. Mary's) and saw their rightful spots go to undeserving majors (read: Arizona and Wisconsin). Good to know that Fudgy Packer still has his unannounced seat on the Selection Committee.

Yeah ... you know can't wait to see him at this job instead either. (Credit Tiricosuave.com)

Thanks for listening to us ... now make sure you DON'T bet your savings on our picks (though it's safer than investing in Citi...). Got an opinion? Want to tell us how wrong we are? Chime in below!

Answers from the Editor - Bracket Style

Yesterday, Clement posed a baker's half dozen worth of NCAA Tournament-related questions. Today, I will answer them. We are a logical bunch at PHSports.

Q: "The Other Tyler in Chapel Hill"
What does Tyler Zeller's return mean to North Carolina's rotation? Will he become a major factor or perhaps hinder the minutes of contributors off the bench? Is 5 regular season games and the ACC Tournament enough time for him to be prepared for major minutes come March Madness?
A: Immediately, Zeller's return gives Carolina its second big off of the bench and gives Roy Williams more options when crafting his lineups. Perhaps, he may hinder the minutes of other contributors off of the bench (e.g. Bobby Frasor, who has been excellent), but he plays a position of need. In two games before the injury, Zeller averaged 22.5 minutes; even if he is effective, expect him to play no more than 15-18 minutes when he has reached true game fitness.

Q: "Cinderella Arrives at MSG"
Which Big East "letdown" do you see more capable of making a legitimate run at MSG: Georgetown or Notre Dame?
A: Georgetown. They are the only team currently on the outside looking in who have adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency numbers in the top 25. However, they are wildly inconsistent and lack poise in the final four minutes of games. I can also see their legs turn into jello if they get to play a third game in as many days. Detractors may say that Notre Dame has a better chance because they have the best player, can score, have a deeper bench and have stronger play at the point. One minor point: playing defense is optional at Notre Dame. Everyone saw the result against Louisville. We also saw result at Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Q: "Judgment Day"
Oklahoma may be the #1 team in the country next week. What else should we know about this besides "The Terminator" Blake Griffin?
A: Despite my unquestioned love for one Blake Griffin dating back to last winter, I am not as wild about this Oklahoma team as the pollsters are. The reason being that they eke out results against inferior competition when they should be throttling them. The key element in getting this team from a mid-grade Big XII team to a national contender has been the presence of freshman guard, who averages more than 14 points per game and shoots nearly 50% from the field. Senior point guard Austin Johnson has improved his play every year, and this is a testament to head coach Jeff Capel.

Q: "Hokie Hotline"
Is there anyone in college basketball who has a more murderous road ahead than "bubbly" Virginia Tech (home and away w/ Florida State, Duke, UNC, and @Clemson)?
A: No. They are in serious trouble. Even without Jeff Allen, there is no excuse for losing to UVa. Urgency requires results. They need one to two players excluding their big three to make steady scoring contributions on a regular basis if they want to win two of these games.

Q: "Bracketbusters Galore"
Should Stephen Curry play in the bracketbuster game? Is it worth it to risk further injury with such a crucial matchup against Butler?
A: If he is good to go, then yes, he should play. It's not worth it to risk injury, which would say bye-bye to their at-large hopes even with a victory. This win would not even be Davidson's best win, because they won a neutral court against West Virginia.

Q: "Revenge of 2008???"
Which team is a more dangerous matchup come March Madness: Memphis or Kansas?
A: Very tough question (because both teams have a go-to guy), but I'll go with Memphis. Both are excellent defensive teams, but Memphis is the best nationally, and the team has undergone a metamorphosis since Tyreke Evans moved to the point. Kansas may be more well-rounded as a team.

***Bonus Question***
Let's be geeks for a moment. If you could have any starting 5 (plus a 6th man) in the country - without the following 5 - who would it be? You might consider matching up against this squad.
C - Hasheem Thabeet [Connecticut]
PF - Tyler Hansbrough [North Carolina]
SF - Blake Griffin [Oklahoma] (we know it's a stretch, but Blake will excel at any forward spot)
SG - Stephen Curry [G, Davidson]
PG - Ty Lawson [North Carolina]
6th Man: James Harden [SG, Arizona State]

A: No matter who I choose, my team will be undersized. Therefore, I am going with talent, versatility and defense (sorry, no 'Gody). We also want to make this a full-court game.

C - DeJaun Blair [Pittsburgh]
PF - Dante Cunningham [Villanova] (I really badly wanted to go with Sam Young, but he's only 215 pounds)
SF - Terrence Williams [Louisville]
SG - Jodie Meeks [Kentucky]
PG - Darren Collison [UCLA]
6th Man: Jerel McNeal [SG, Marquette]

Predicting UNC/Duke ... Not Really

As many of you know, tonight is this season's first rendition of the best college basketball rivalry ever: UNC and Duke. As our regular readers know, I grew up a UNC fan and cannot tolerate Duke. Here are 10 things I guarantee will happen in tonight's game.

1. Duke Vitale will crowd surf with a group of booksmart half-wits, known to the public as the Cameron Crazies and claim to be objective during the game whilst describing an anecdote from a book signing he had. The odds are probably 3:1 that he will do this before the 8-minute media timeout in the first half.
   
2. Mike Patrick - no stranger to using hyperbole to the point that it is an arrestible offense - will at some point call this game, "Perhaps the best in the rivalry" ... when the score is 10-8.
3. I will mute the TV out of respect for my ears and waning intelligence.
   
4. Tyler Hansbrough will look like a dear in headlights at least twice.
   
5. Greg Paulus will pound the floor ... because he is a floor-pounder. He just is. Barring injury (if this happens, atheists should reconsider their stance on God) or an uncharacteristic blowout, I can almost guarantee the bank account on this one.
6. Mike Patrick will use Brian Zoubek's name in the same sentence as Tyler Hansbrough that does not sound like, "Brian Zoubek could not clean Tyler Hansbrough's 8th pair of shoes."
7. ESPN will show Gerald Henderson 'punching' Tyler Hansbrough from two seasons ago at least twice.
8. A Duke player will take a charge (real or flop) and Duke Vitale will attribute it to Coach K, and mention that K has never dissociated himself from his Chicago roots.
9. At halftime, someone in the studio will point out that though Carolina has given up [insert #] points, they rank 20th nationally in defensive efficiency and that Roy Williams does not get enough credit for instilling defensive principles.
10. Either Danny Green or Gerald Henderson will have a highlight reel dunk that you will replay on your DVR. Make sure you look for John Scheyer's face for his reaction. He always has one. This has nothing to do with tonight's game, but here's a picture of Chris "Gary" Duhon (credit on the nickname: BP) wearing a stupid hat.
    

Final Four Preview and A Week in Review

Tonight, the culmination of over 60 NCAA tournament games ensues as the top four teams in the nation face off in what is a historical first. More importantly, expect absolutely no teams to be just smitten with making it to San Antonio and forget to show up. Of course, here is one item concerning each team:

• If Memphis is going to play like they did last week in Houston, can they just begin cutting down the nets at halftime of their game and forget the hoopla? During the course of the week, I used the words "Joey Dorsey" and "intelligent player" in the same clause of a sentence. That's saying something.
• Is the third time a charm for UCLA in the Final Four? The last two times, they had to face the mighty Gators, and this time, they have Kevin Love, who is a proven inside threat.
• Will National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough succumb to the hype or expect whistles to be blown just because he is who he is? Cynical as that statement may be, an unfulfilled expectation of assistance has been a bitter pill to swallow deep in the tournament for many of the nation's finest.
• Now that the monkey is officially off of his back, how will Bill Self motivate his Jayhawks to defeat Carolina?

For a second, let's take a small break from the Final Four to discuss the Week in Review.

• First and foremost, the Lopez twins are leaving Stanford and they ain't comin' back. You probably didn't hear it here first, but wouldn't it be something if the Memphis Grizzlies selected Brook with the first pick and traded up (they have a stash of future 1st-round pick and young, cheap talent) to select Robin?
• Staying in Palo Alto ... well, sorta. Okay, not so much. After 18 years at Stanford and a failed stint in the NBA, Mike Montgomery is off to Berkeley to coach the Golden Bears. For those just joining us or those of us on the East Coast who could care less about West Coast rivalries, this is huge. Montgomery and Trent Johnson will embrace at half court, but much more love for the former Stanford head coach cannot be guaranteed. It won't be smooth sailing for Montgomery, especially if Ryan Andersen signs with an agent.
• Indiana filled its coaching vacancy by turning to Marquette head coach Tom Crean (AKA "The Stockbroker" - credit: Matt Carroll). Though I hate it when coaches do not properly inform their teams when leaving, I am happy for Crean who may have plateaued at Marquette after 9 years at the school, where he raised graduation rates and had an impact on the hardwood. Nevertheless, work starts immediately for Crean, who must act quickly to deal with two recently dismissed players and recruits who had commitments in place before Kelvin Sampson's forced resignation.
• And in other news, Providence continues its head coaching search because Coach L is sticking with the Patriots. In all honesty, 60% of me thought he was a goner.

Ok, let's return to our regularly scheduled programming.

National Semifinal #1: UCLA vs. Memphis

KEY PLAYERS: Let's keep this short and sweet. UCLA absolutely needs to have production on the interior at both ends of the floor. That means Kevin Love must meet or surpass his season averages in scoring and rebounding, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute must disrupt the fluidity of Memphis's inside play. Expect Ben Howland to insert Lorenzo Mata-Real, Alfred Aboya and James Keefe for the sake of using 15 fouls to keep the Tigers honest ... at the charity stripe. As for Memphis, they will need to dictate the tempo. As Derrick Rose dominated DJ Augustin in the South Regional Final, he must do similar to another diminuitive guard, Darren Collison. Meanwhile, as Clement has pointed out regularly, CDR has to slash in order to draw fouls and create easy shots for Dorsey, Dozier and Taggart (almost sounds like "The Law Firm").

MOMENT OF TRUTH: TEMPO. At each of the ten-minute intervals, fans will be able to determine which team will dictate the pace of this game. If it's quick, Memphis has a decided advantage and the bodies minus Andre Allen, but even with that, do not count out UCLA. If it's slow, methodical and unappealing to the eye, Ben Howland probably will have a sheepish grin with good reason. Of course, there's also the 'F' word. Yes, free throws. There you go. No more on that.

THE WINNER WILL ...

• Have less turnovers (shocker!)
• Have higher backcourt scoring

PREDICTION: UCLA wins 65-61.

National Semifinal #2: UNC vs. Kansas

KEY PLAYERS: Let's get this one out there. Tyler Hansbrough is very good and will get his points this evening (how many shots will it take though?). He is the best player in this contest, though Kansas's Darrell Arthur may be a stronger professional prospect. The key matchup has to be the war between Mario Chalmers and Ty Lawson. Chalmers has an advantage because he is 100% healthy and will be able to play more minutes if he has to. Additionally, when Chalmers goes out, Sherron Collins will enter the game, and he may be the only player in the NCAA who can outrun both Lawson and Collison. The other matchup of interest will be Brandon Rush versus Wayne Ellington. Though Rush may focus his attention to Danny Green when the latter comes off the bench early in the first half, both Rush and Ellington are dynamic players who can create shots for themselves and can find open teammates. Lastly, the combos of Deon Thompson/Alex Stepheson and Darnell Jackson/Sasha Kaun serve as the X-Factor in this game. Whichever combination can be effective and stay out of early foul trouble may decide this one.

MOMENT OF TRUTH: Since both teams have the propensity to go on sustained runs and can score points in bunches, the player reactions (e.g. body language) and adjustments (e.g. change in defensive assignments) will decide this game. If Carolina goes up early, will Kansas resort to a four-guard lineup and sacrifice physicality and rebounding for speed, shooting and the ability to cause turnovers. Given the few times that Carolina has been down in games with Ty Lawson healthy enough to play, will Roy Williams be able to ensure that the heads of Hansbrough and Green stay in the game if a Kansas lead is sustained for a long period of time?

THE WINNER WILL ...

• Give kudos to its coaching staff who won the 'X's and 'O's battle.
• Have more offensive rebounds and second-chance points.

PREDICTION: UNC wins 83-76

PHSports Staff Picks & Predictions: NCAA Tournament

Here they are (just in time)…the PHSports Staff Picks for March Madness!!!!

Before you start laughing, or hyperventilating if you remembered to actually fill out the $5-million bracket, I have to admit that we here at PHSports have been on a a bit of roll as of late (except for that whole Super Bowl-ordeal) predicting key games. Not to mention, several of us at least ½, if not ¾ of last year's Final Four squads (including a Florida pick or two to repeat in '07).

So sit back and relax…and watch us pick either UNC or UCLA to cut down the nets. JUST like EVERYBODY else!!!!

Do YOU trust this man with your team's Final Four aspirations?
Credit: CollegeInsider.com

Note: If you’re feeling a little down in-between games, feel free to check out:
-Players we LOVE in March Madness
-Upsets we LOVE in March Madness
-Games we LOVE in March Madness
-A Dozen Thoughts on the Bracket and Selection Sunday

Paymon’s Picks:
Final Four: UNC (East), Kansas (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA (preseason pick)
MOP: Darren Collison

Top Sleeper: Oral Roberts
Under the Radar: Michigan State
Underrated: Davidson
Overrated: Oklahoma

1^st -Round Upset I Love : St. Joseph's over Oklahoma
2^nd -Round Matchup I'm Craving : Tennessee v. Butler/South Alabama
Final Comment : I'm not terribly enthused about this tournament field. I expect upsets to be few and far between in the 1st round, allowing for more upsets to occur in the later rounds. Though history deems it unlikely, this will be a tournament dominated by the elite teams. If that is the case, UCLA - a team with Final Four pedigree - finally has a dominant interior force to balance their fantastic guard play.

Clement’s Picks
Final Four: UNC (East), Wisconsin (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: North Carolina
MOP: Ty Lawson

Top Sleeper: George Mason (duh)
Under the Radar: Kent State
Underrated: Michigan State
Overrated: Clemson

1^st-Round Upset I Love: Boise State over Louisville
2^nd-Round Matchup I’m Craving: Pittsburgh v. Michigan State
Final Comment: This is a boring boring boring bracket. Note to the committee: stop servicing the ratings and big-wigs and STOP pairing mid-majors early in order to eliminate as many as possible before the second weekend.

Note: This is the first year in the nearly a decade I haven't taken my pre-season pick (this year it was Kansas) to cut down the nets in April. Honestly, I can't take a Bill Self-coached team in April (I still don't know how I did it back in October). I just can't!

Armin’s Picks
Final Four: UNC (East), Vanderbilt (Midwest), Memphis (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA
MOP: Kevin Love

Top Sleeper: St. Joseph’s
Under the Radar: Butler
Underrated: Western Kentucky
Overrated: Georgetown

1st-Round Upset I Love: George Mason over Notre Dame
2nd-Round Matchup I’m Craving: Duke v. Arizona
Final Comment: This tournament is RIPE with potential upsets, but the top seeds will prevail.

Sum’s Picks
Final Four: Tennessee (East), Kansas (Midwest), Texas (South), & UCLA (West)
National Champions: UCLA
MOP: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

Top Sleeper: St. Joseph’s
Under the Radar: Mississippi State
Underrated: Arkansas
Overrated: Duke

1st-Round Upset I Love: Mason over Notre Dame (What can I say? I'm a homer!)
2nd-Round Matchup I'm Craving: St. Joe's vs. Louisville
Final Comment: With such a top-heavy tourney, if anyone other than a 1 or 2 seed wins it all, that'll be an upset.

The majority of our staff is CAA-biased. Obviously.
However, we're also steadfast in taking Mason over the Harongodys.
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Want to chime in your own opinions??? Well GO FOR IT!!!! COMMENT!

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Six Thoughts on the Field of 65: Pay & Clement Vent

Here were our final bracket projections
We were proud of our work (63 out of 65), but less than enthused with several unfair major-biased outcomes and several odd-seedings.

Chris Wright might be the most talented player NOT in the field,
but his injuries were not a reason Dayton should have been allowed in the field.
Credit: ViewImages

1) Mid-Majors Get the Rawest of Deals

34 at-large bids. 28 go to “Majors” and 6 go to “Mid-Majors”. How sweet! Sadly, ESPN’s Jay Bilas (picking the four #1 seeds, pansy) openly stated during ESPN's watered-down Bracketology 101 that mid-majors get a break on their schedules (please, who will schedule 95% of them?) while CBS’s brilliant duo of Nantz/Packer (hah!) believe the mid-majors are going to continue to lose steam as conferences continue to expand. I'm asking this to all parties involved: explain to me how Illinois State isn’t getting half the pub of half-runs like Dayton, UMASS, Virginia Tech, and even UAB (since when was Conference USA reputable in the least bit?) as being snubbed? Point is: ESPN needs to cancel Bracketbusters. They don’t matter. It just excites those of us who support the little guys and boosts established mid-majors in that particular season (i.e. Kent State, Gonzaga, Drake, and Butler.) VCU’s win at Akron (or winning the CAA by 3-games) was useless and the MVC (8-2 in Bracketbusters) couldn’t land a second team in the field while the Sun Belt got 2 and the WCC 3 (Illinois State again, anyone?)

2) Sheet of Integrity: Who Cares!

I’m not going to hide my emotions. I’m far from excited about this bracket. It’s going to be #1-team heavy in most Final Four predictions, experts and novices (not me though!). UNC, Kansas, and UCLA will be in at least 75% of most bracketeer’s Final Fours. Is Memphis, as a #1 seed, truly a wild-card? At least Bob Knight picked Pittsburgh to win the while thing. With so few mid-majors present (go Mason!), Oregon a 9-seed, several rather ludicrous seedings (Kansas State all the way down to #11, Kent State a 9-seed, and USC only a 6-spot?) and plenty of undeserving teams (nearly every seed 10 through 12)…how can I be excited??? Nice try tournament committee matching up UNC/Indiana potentially and offering up Beasley/Mayo in the opening round. Pay and I instantly realized that both were simply TV-based matchups. Those typically don’t work out, either. I have to fairly admit though, a small portion of my skepticism is rooted in the fact that my childhood team is the Orange and I am an alum of VCU.

3) Last Two Out?

I’m ecstatic Ohio State (2-10 vs. the RPI Top 50) and Virginia Tech (1-7 against the RPI Top 50) didn’t ride overrated final weeks to get in. As inspiring as Seth Greenberg (who I love) tried to be following Tech’s 2-point last-second loss to the Heels, Greenberg yelled and screamed because his team didn’t have the credentials to lay out for anyone. You don't get into the tournament for "almost-beating" anyone either. No matter how close it seems or where the game is played. As for the Buckeyes, two home wins against Big Ten squads just ain’t enough. My frustration with Oregon’s #9 seed is only quenched minimally with the exclusion of the Buckeyes and Hokies.

4) Switching Around a Few Things…

Interesting, to say the least, to see Georgetown acquiesced so much (first for not being able to play in DC and for Texas not being able to be grouped in the same region as Texas). In fact, they might’ve moved down two full rankings and allowed Kansas a much easier pass to the Final Four (remember who coaches them though) and an easier path for them to the Elite Eight against Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk. Tennessee was arguably the 5^th or 6^th overall seed and is now in the same bracket as overall #1 UNC. Is this fair? Probably not.

5) An Arizona Argument Not Involving John McCain

Arizona proved how mighty a fantastic (#2 overall) SOS is. While the RPI had to matter behind closed doors, it’s clear conferences and conference marks didn’t (according to the tourney chairman, at least). That’s the only reason I can conceive ASU (who swept Arizona and owns a win versus Stanford which Zona doesn’t) was the first Pac-10 team out and Arizona was the last Pac-10 team in (again, don’t get me STARTED on Oregon). Arizona State had a putrid out-of-conference schedule. Then again, it is their fault LSU and Illinois stunk up the joint? ASU also won against #3-seed Xavier by 22 points! I knew Arizona would be in, but I don’t like it at the expense of ASU, no matter how many RPI Top 100 opponents they had. (I also HATE Arizona. Yeah, I said it.)

6) Predictions and Projections

For the last eight years, I have taken my pre-season champion pick immediately after I first see the field of 64/65. At least when it’s humanely possible. At the beginning of the season, here was my Final Four: North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, and Michigan State (whoops). I won’t reveal who I picked as my pre-season champs; however, it’s fair to say they will be a popular pick to cut down the nets in San Antonio. Oh yeah, MJ didn’t play there. There’s one clue.

Note: The four-letter network has angered me a lot over the past few weeks. However, their special 'Black Magic' (Documentary about athletes who attended black colleges and universities, specifically during the Civil Rights Movement) is powerful and moving. It should be mandatory viewing in ALL classrooms (and will be in my own).

…Pay will be up shortly to rant and rave much more effectively…

Clement has cited many of the bones that I was to pick, so to avoid being redundant, I will mention some other things on my mind following the Tournament Selection Show.

1) Bracket Results

As Clement stated, we successfully picked 63 of 65 teams in correct fashion. Here are the unofficial bracket metrics:

Correct Teams: 63/65

Exact Seeds: 32/65

Within One Seed: 52/65

In sum, I am not too happy with the results given the amazing work that both Clement and I put in. Did I mention humility was among my strongest attributes? While I am not surprised by the inclusion of either South Alabama or Oregon (they were our last two out), their seedings remain curious. This leads us to ...

2) What On Earth Were You Thinking?

As a fan, I love that George Mason (my alma mater) is in a pod with Notre Dame (i.e. the team that every mid-major wants to play) and Washington State. As someone who projects brackets, I was shocked. Up until Arkansas choked, WASU was our top #7 seed and was immediately ousted from the conversation for a #4 seed. Why? Try 0-5 against the conference brass. If you don't buy that one because UCLA and Stanford are really superb, why don't you consider their 4-7 mark against the RPI Top 50? Were the road wins versus Boise State, Baylor and Gonzaga in non-conference play more important than a 10-8 finish?

3) Do Vanderbilt's Wins at Memorial Gymnasium Count As Neutral Court Victories?

That's the only way they deserve a #4 seed. Yes, I understand that they defeated mighty Tennessee. So did the team that forgot how to play basketball, Arkansas - not to mention, they did it on an actual neutral court. Oh wait. They also defeated the Commodores twice. I laud Kevin Stallings for his amazing coaching job the last two seasons and his ability to craft a schedule that largely avoids facing off against the lower-third of Division I college basketball. With that said, the bulk of Vandy's results were within the friendly confines of Memorial Gymnasium (a very underrated home court advantage). They sustained 3 losses of 16 points or more away from home, two of which were against non-tournament teams. I apologize if I sound hostile. I just provide the facts, rather than some distorted, politically correct hogwash.

4) While I Love Blake Griffin, I Am Not In Love With Oklahoma's #6 Seed

Since January 27, you have had floor seats to my somewhat unhealthy man crush on Blake Griffin. Though the Sooners sustained injury after injury (by the way, their medical team deserves an award) this season, they had 11 losses, went 6-8 against the RPI Top 50 and were a meager 8-8 on road and neutral settings. Oklahoma had zero signature victories and had its best victory (by the seedings) in Charleston against West Virginia. Meanwhile, Phil Martelli has to be licking his chops with this favorable matchup and a veteran team led by Pat Calathes. If the team that beat Xavier twice comes out, then this may be decided by the third media timeout.

5) Let's Not Fake The Funk

Over the course of a few months in which you become familiar with team resumes, it's comical to think that conference affiliation is not brought up. It's irrelevant. Why? Because if you actually know the resumes of teams, then you know their credentials. If you still have a few brain cells remaining, you can extrapolate the conference in which the team plays. Since everyone knows exactly who is being discussed, let's talk about conference affiliation. Let's bring up the records of double-digit seeds from major conferences in years past. Let's just be honest and lay it all out there. Then, we can all have our ice cream celebrating your informed decisions.

6) Penalize Conferences That Play Their Tournaments on Home Courts Of Non #1 seeds

I'm talking to you, Mountain West and West Coast Conferences. UNLV earned a #8 seed with two home wins against BYU (only wins against the RPI Top 50), the second leading to an automatic bid. Mind you, the Runnin' Rebels required late-game heroics against basketball giants Texas Christian and benefited immensely from the home crowd against a determined yet considerably weak Utah squad. In the West Coast Conference, we all know about San Diego. If you watched the tournament, you could not have scripted better choke jobs from St. Mary's (15-2 run to end regulation forcing overtime) and Gonzaga (they fell two seed lines for not showing up entirely). As a result, the tournament selection committee made an unprecedented decision to include three teams from the 14th-rated conference in what was a perfect storm scenario - both Gonzaga and St. Mary's are legit. In addition to punishing conferences that play tournaments on the home court of a team that did not win the regular season, let us punish teams that lose their conference tournament on their home floor (South Alabama), especially when it's not to the team that wins the automatic bid.

2008 NCAA Projections - March 10, 2008

Christmas: Easily one of Philly's finest

Credit: Fans Only

(Editor's Note: This bracket does not reflect the result of the St. Mary's - San Diego game)

Last week, we held off on putting UNC as the #1 overall seed because they lacked that signature win. On Saturday, they got that win at Cameron Indoor Stadium, spoiling senior night for Duke, and for DaMarcus Nelson in particular. As for UCLA, they remained a #1 seed despite having two games which they probably should have lost. As a result, the gap between overall #4 and #5 teams on the big board has tightened.

In the Big East, Georgetown overcame Louisville to win the Big East regular season championship. Though Clement has a feeling that UConn may take the spoils at MSG, we project that the Hoya faithful will tell us exactly who they are when the clock shows three zeroes.

Moving to the fourth seed line, though we include MVC champ Drake, we really see them as a #5 seed; however, everyone else lost a game that they really should not have. On the seventh seed line, Marquette is a squad that can jump leaps and bounds with a superb showing at MSG, but we just don’t see it happening.

Meanwhile, let’s take a detour to the bubble.

- We have Ohio State as a #10 seed. Are they in? Not quite yet. Why are they so high? Perhaps, it’s because the Selection Committee loves to overrate quality March victories. This seeding may be one that we may need to review after their game against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament.

- In deciding upon either Baylor or West Virginia for the final #10 seed, Baylor’s ability to the Big East #3 on a neutral court was more valuable than any single win that the Mountaineers had.

- In the PAC 10, we like seven teams as of right now. If Oregon loses by double digits against Washington State, then they will likely be out of the equation. Though Arizona finished 8-10 in conference, their #2 SOS nationally and a season sweep of the Cougars makes them more than viable.

- In the conference otherwise known as the A-14, we see Temple having the best opportunity to be the team that faces (and loses to) Xavier in the final. With their huge win against Xavier, St. Joseph’s claims the 34th at-large bid, outlasting VCU who lost a shocker to William & Mary. Of course, a sweep over UMass and a blowout win over Villanova never hurt. Despite winning both games this week, Dayton is now #8 seed, meaning that if they defeat St. Louis in the 1st round, they will face Xavier in the quarterfinals. Neither Clement nor myself felt brave enough to make that prediction regardless of whether Chris Wright plays.

- As stated for weeks, we expect UNLV to win the Mountain West Tournament on their home court. In doing that, we see them defeating both BYU and New Mexico, which shall help their resume.

- In the ACC, an expected loss for Virginia Tech and an unexpected one for Maryland (although Clement would have never put money on that game) meant doom and 4 seeds for now.

- Lastly, who is the best candidate to be this year’s Arkansas? That would be Ole Miss, who won its last three conference games to finish 7-9. Meanwhile, they are 5-3 against the RPI Top 50, which is a rarity. Additionally, they can avoid Tennessee until the finals.

That’s all for now. If you have any questions, comments, or just wish to send a shout, shoot me a line at phashemi@gmail.com.

The Seedings
1: North Carolina (ACC), Tennessee (SEC), Memphis (C-USA), UCLA (PAC-10)
2: Kansas (Big XII), Texas, Duke, Georgetown (Big East)
3: Wisconsin (Big Ten), Louisville, Xavier (A-10), Stanford
4: UConn, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Drake (MVC)
5: Purdue, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington State
6: Indiana, Gonzaga (WCC), Butler (Horizon), Pittsburgh
7: Marquette, Clemson, Kansas State, Mississippi State
8: Kentucky, St. Mary’s, BYU, Kent State (MAC)
9: Miami-FL, Arizona State, South Alabama (Sun Belt), Oklahoma
10: Arkansas, Ohio State, Baylor, West Virginia
11: Arizona, Davidson (Southern), UNLV (MWC), Illinois State
12: Texas A&M, Villanova, Temple, Oregon
13: St. Joseph’s, George Mason (CAA), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Oral Roberts (Summit)
14: Cornell (Ivy), Siena (Metro Atlantic), UC Santa Barbara (Big West), New Mexico State (WAC)
15: American (Patriot), UM-Baltimore County (America East), Belmont (Atlantic Sun), Winthrop (Big South)
16: Portland State (Big Sky), Austin Peay (Ohio Valley), Sacred Heart (Northeast), Morgan State (MEAC), Alabama State (SWAC)

Last Four In: Villanova, Temple, Oregon, St. Joseph’s
Last Four Out: VCU, UMass, Syracuse, UAB
Next Four Out: Dayton, Maryland, Florida, Ole Miss

IN: Ohio State, Villanova, Temple, Oregon, St. Joseph’s, George Mason, UC Santa Barbara, Winthrop, Sacred Heart
OUT: VCU, Maryland, UMass, Southern Illinois, Dayton, Florida, Cal State Northridge, UNC-Asheville, Robert Morris

Seeding Summary(Multi-Bid Conferences Only in Order of Percentage)

Pac-10: 7/10
Big XII: 6/12
SEC: 5/12
Big East: 7/16
ACC: 4/12
Big Ten: 5/11

West Coast: 2/8
Mountain West: 2/9
Missouri Valley: 2/10
A-10: 3/14

College Basketball Saturday: Hourly Streaming Updates!

C-C-Check it today for plenty o' updates.
Wait, what did I just say?

Psycho T and the #1-Heels are in Durham...in case you didn't know.

Who do YOU got?
Credit: Yahoo! Sports

Here are a few quick hits at 3:45...
-UNC/Duke @ 9 for the ACC regular season championship? We like!
-Pay was at Georgetown/Lousville (Hoyas won) and hopefully has some fantastic insights.
-William & Mary started their quarterfinal matchup with Old Dominion by shooting 0-13. They also shot 17 three-balls in their opening 23 attempts. They lead 24-23 at the half.
-Dayton has a double-digit lead over St. Joe's with less than 4 minutes to play. Did the Hawks get in though after beating Xavier earlier in the week?
-Memphis stomped UAB. No surprise they finished their conference play undefeated.
-Stanford (USC) and Vanderbilt (Alabama) both trail with less than 5 minutes to go. A Commodore comeback seems much more likely. Interesting...

Returning at 6:30...
-UNC/Duke is still at 9 tonight. Don't worry. I love this rivalry. However, I'm still ranking it behind Yanks/Sox. Sorry Mike Wilbon.
-Winthrop locked up a predictable Big South championship over 7'7 Kenny George and UNC-Asheville. No surprise here as the Eagles have won 8 of the last 10 Big South championships; breaking through in the NCAA Tournament with an impressive upset over Notre Dame last year. [Editor's Note: Except that we predicted Asheville because they swept Winthrop during the regular season :( ]
-Syracuse (where are the road wins that matter?) won impressively by 15 over Marquette at home. This only illuminates how painful their chokejob against Pitt last Saturday was. A good week though for the Orange, with wins @Seton Hall and over #20 Marquette. One Big East win probably won't be enough for the Orange, who are at least still in the talk of the last four out (or at worst, next four out...as noted below).
-FSU upsets Miami. I'll say it again: Miami WILL be the easiest first-round loser to select come bracket time.
-I believe VCU (who shot a putrid 36% from the field, 4-23 from the 3, and 17-30 on FTs in a shaky W against #9-seed Towson) dodged a bullet avoiding nemesis-ODU in the CAA semi-finals. Pay reminds me to beware of the perimeter shooting of the Tribe.
-I don't know how UCLA pulled that one out. Josh Shipp with the horse shot of the year. Ryan Anderson of Cal (do you want to be the 'next' Austin Croshere...or just have his monster contract?) locked up being a 1st-round pick in June. Who gets the calls late if Georgetown & UCLA meet up in the tourney?
-USC might be able to position itself firmly into a 5 or 6 seed after winning their third straight, this time over Brook Lopez and the Cardinal. USC will be the wild card squad in the Pac-10 tournament.
-Who owns the nation's longest winning streak? Defending Southern Conference champs Davidson, that's who. Several at-large squads NEED them to win their postseason tourney, big time. They are going to be a brutal out, maybe in the second-round come March Madness.
-Wisconsin clinches at least a share of another Big Ten-title. Was hiring Bo Ryan brilliant or what? No titles since '47 and suddenly they win them with and without Alando Tucker.
-Kansas State gets to ten Big 12 wins while Kansas awaits the Texas-finale tomorrow after shellacking 8-8 in-conference A&M to try and secure an outright Big 12 regular season title.
-Miss. St. (they LOVE to block shots) rallies in the 2nd half v. LSU in the SEC. Collective sigh of relief out of Starkville.
-UNLV earns a much-needed W. Will the same be said for Arizona State, New Mexico, Illinois State, Arkansas, and Utah State?
-Who else is considering Oregon an at-large underdog if they take out Arizona (#1 SOS) and make a deep run in the Pac-10 tourney? (Their RPI, in the high 50s, might disagree most.)

Whew. Plenty more to go too. Especially that pesky game in Durham. Not to mention, things have kicked off in the MAAC and we may earn a much-desired UNC-W vs. George Mason semi-final in the CAA Tourney tonight (unless Delaware and/or Northeastern can change that).

Today, "Fake" Lunardi had St. Joe's, Florida, Syracuse, and Western Kentucky as his four last teams out. His last two-in were ACC teams Virginia Tech (schedule?) and Maryland (is a W @ UNC all they need?). Nearly the entire Gameday crew for the four-letter network disagreed.

Pay checking in at 7:45pm ...
- I had an opportunity to attend the Louisville/Georgetown. What stood out to me was the gamble that JT3 took by having Roy Hibbert stay at the 3-point line on defense against the high-ball screens set by David Padgett. Though it disrupted Louisville's flow from behind the arc, the Cardinals had opportunities to exploit mismatches but did not for the most part. This was largely due to Jeremiah Rivers, Patrick Ewing Jr. and Jonathan Wallace successfully fronting Louisville players who had a few inches on the Hoyas not named Roy Hibbert. As an aside, I enjoyed the battle that took place between Padgett and Hibbert.
- UNC-Wilmington is well on its way to booking a ticket to the CAA Semis on Sunday. They'll face the George Mason/Northeastern winner. Thankfully, they'll not be playing this one in a freezing cold gym. Two questions will determine Mason's fate. First, will they contest all shots? Second, will they avoid settling for open jumpers (to the credit of some defenses, they force double teams on Will Thomas)?
- Illinois State faces Drake tomorrow in the Arch Madness Final. The former is IN the tournament. The wild card is Creighton. My hunch is they are out.
- Congratulations to Austin Peay. They won the Ohio Valley. I'm certain that Murray State fans are rioting somewhere.
- Arizona State (RPI: 71) defeated PAC-10 sewage Oregon State to finish 9-9 in conference. With an out of conference victory against Xavier, they are to be considered among the top 30 at-large bids (i.e. not in the infamous "Last Four In").
- I already know right now that the A-14 minus Xavier will give Clement and myself a migraine when conducting the bracket projections.

Pay returning at the first media timeout of UNC/Duke ...
- Unlike most fans, I can admit that the ball was in the cylinder when Deon Thompson tipped it in. The difference between the first matchup and this one (so far) is that Carolina is winning the hustle battle.
- At the under 12:00 timeout, Ellington/Green have already surpassed their output from the last game. Meanwhile, Hansbrough has not operated very well out of the double and triple teams. Early foul trouble for Duke's bigs may actually be a blessing in disguise. Only time will tell. In other action, UMass and Washington State in tight games late. The alma mater (George Mason) is up 13 at halftime. If you're familiar with the Patriots, you'll know that we love giving up double-digit leads, but I don't see it happening tonight because they are flexing their defensive muscles.

At 930pm
- The Tar Heels are doing exactly everything they didn't do in the first matchup. I smell a Duke run before the half.
- Kudos to Belmont in taking home the Atlantic Sun Championship. UMass avoids defeat and Washington State has forced OT but is down 3 at home against in-state rival Washington.

At the half
- Duke is shooting 31% from the field, DaMarcus Nelson is scoreless and Duke is only down 11. It really could be much worse. Is Brian Zoubek Matt Christiansen reincarnated? Danny Green is on a parallel universe right now.
- George Mason's 17-point lead is down to seven against Northeastern with nearly 12 minutes remaining. So much for coasting to victory.

Checking in at 10:40
- Admittedly, my attention diverted to a tense few minutes in Richmond, but Mason pulled away. In Durham, the Blue Devils had an early run to bring the game to within a basket. They've done so by exploiting mismatches and taking the Tar Heels off of the dribble. Tied at 66 with 6 minutes to go.

- With a minute to go, Duke has the ball down 72-68. GREAT STEAL by Lawson. Danny Green tips in the missed layup at one end and swats Scheyer at the other. Carolina is going to spoil Duke's senior night for the second time in three years. With shaky play from Tennessee and UCLA, the Tar Heels are in pole position to stake claim to the #1 overall seed now that they have a signature wins.

Friday Night Tournament Previews

Last night, the chalk held and I remain disgusted by Tennessee's inability to put away Ohio State. Tonight, we might be in store for the same, which is good for college basketball's elite as well as the ratings for the Elite 8 games.

Clement and I are splitting up the regions. He's got Georgetown/Vanderbilt and Oregon/UNLV and I've got the two #1 seeds versus the upstart #5 seeds.

East Region Game #1
#2. Georgetown vs. #6. Vanderbilt
It's tough to pick directly against your Cinderella, but I expect the Hoyas to dictate every piece of this game on Friday. While Hibbert often seems entrenched in granite, he has looked smooth enough thus far, alongside Jeff Green (who always seems to play well when it matters most). The key may be role players like Sapp, Ewing Jr., and Summers if the Hoyas plan to take the wind out of the sails of the Commodores. Speaking of which, don't underestimate what it took to take down Washington State in double overtime. Often the hardest part of advancing deep into the tournament are those difficult early games. Derrick Byars is an insane talent who demands the ball when it matters (which coaches always love). While Vandy has a lot going against them, the SEC has upset the Big East before in similar surprising fashion (ala Alabama over the Orange in 2004).

Players to Watch: Patrick Ewing Jr. [Georgetown] & Shan Foster [Vanderbilt]
Moment of Truth: If Vandy falls down 6 or 8 within a few minutes, will they attempt to shoot the gym out with poorly-placed threes…or work the ball through the Georgetown defense and take smartly-placed threes? We shall see.

East Region Game #2
#1. North Carolina vs. #5. USC
When analyzing this game, one question immediately comes to mind. Okay, about three. Does USC have enough bodies to compete with North Carolina for the last 10 minutes of the game? Can USC get a repeat performance of Sunday from both Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett? Did Lodrick Stewart really have a root canal on Tuesday or are they just trying to soften up the Heels? One thing Tim Floyd can exploit is the relative weakness of Carolina's swingmen. Nick Young is a stud. Ellington is young and Reyshawn Terry is struggling with potential strep. Gabe Pruitt and Ty Lawson are expected to entertain.

Players to Watch: Daniel Hackett [USC] & Reyshawn Terry [North Carolina]
Moment of Truth: If Carolina is down late, who will be the player to step up alongside Tyler Hansbrough? How will Tim Floyd counteract the depth of Carolina, especially in the frontcourt?

Midwest Region Game #1
#1. Florida vs. #5. Butler
Another contrast in styles in store for this game, but not to the extent of Kansas and Southern Illinois last night. The Gators score 80 per game while the Bulldogs only give up 57, so expect Butler's ball-handlers to slow this game down. If Butler wins this game, it will be because of their ball security courtesy of Graves and Green, their ability to get to the free throw line, and of course, the trifecta. The annoyance factor must come into play as well for Butler. Florida has to be good for 30-35 minutes to be certain of victory and be resolute in their decision making. They must also take advantage of the hefty size disparity between the national champion and the mid-major. If Taurean Green can hold his own and find Humphrey, then Florida should be playing on Sunday against the Oregon/UNLV winner.

Players to Watch: Taurean Green [Florida] and Pete Campbell [Butler]
Moment of Truth: Butler's poise and ability to make open shots will determine whether this one will be decided in the final 5 minutes. If such is the case, chalk may finally not hold.

Midwest Region Game #2
#3. Oregon vs. #7. UNLV
An underrated game to say the least…in fact it's the one I'm dying to see. You might snicker, but the coaches are talented [Kent & Kruger] and the teams are filled with talented player who are fun to watch [i.e. Tajuan Porter & Kevin Kruger]. Both teams have been a little fortunate to face sub-par shooting [especially UNLV], yet both teams capitalize on opponent's mistakes and have performed well when their leads appear to be shrinking to nothing. In fact, it's this back-and-forth style which makes this game so intriguing. It could definitely be worth of an overtime session…or two.

Players to Watch: Wendell White [UNLV] & Bryce Taylor [Oregon]
Moment of Truth: UNLV has been a team of spurts, runs, and often droughts this season. Oregon could be the hottest team in the country right now. So in essence, UNLV needs to start well during the first 4-6 minutes. I'm not saying they need to be up 12, but they better not be down 12.

Livin’ on a Prayer

Saturday gave us plenty to talk about.
Bubble teams saw too much go wrong and very little go right.

Memphis marched closer towards a 2-seed by dispatching Houston. Vermont choked away a golden opportunity vs. Albany (horrid coaching). UNC whipped up BC. (Did Dudley intentionally hit Hansbrough?) Oden and OSU took care of Purdue, as expected. Kansas held on vs. pesky Kansas State. Va Tech slipped up AGAIN, this time vs. NC State. The state of Mississippi took a step back off of the bubble with Ole Miss losing to Florida handily and Arkansas outgunning and outrunning Miss State. Oklahoma State’s season ended vs. Kevin Durant and Texas. Illinois became the penultimate big-name bubble team with a bad loss to Wisconsin. GW stamped a ticket from the A-10. Miami (OH) got the luckiest shot of the day to advance to the dance. UNLV had just enough against BYU and is hot entering March Madness. Hang Time alum Reggie Theus led New Mexico St. to the dance out of the WCC. Georgetown pummeled Pitt and an overwhelmed Aaron Gray to capture the Big East title. Florida A&M provided memorable late-second drama, Jackson State is back dancing again, and Long Beach State took home a late-night ticket. Most surprising to me though had to be Oregon annihilating USC from start to finish.

Deep breaths. Quite a day!

Sweating it out most heavily has to be the likes of: Drexel (CAA), ODU (CAA), Stanford (Pac-10), West Virginia (Big East), Air Force (MWC), Alabama (SEC), Appalachian State (SoCon), Kansas State (Big 12), Purdue (Big 10), Oklahoma State (Big 12), Missouri State (MVC) Texas Tech (Big 12), Illinois (Big Ten), Xavier (A-10), and Florida State (ACC). [I know I forgot a team or two…]

Perhaps Arkansas (supported by some and forgotten by others) is the only true bubble-team still playing tomorrow. Sorry Michigan fans…you’ve been TKO’d ever since Friday afternoon. Although you had to know that.

Problem is: Sunday may have even more in store for the true bubble teams. [Arkansas, Stanford, Air Force, Illinois, Drexel, ODU, Purdue, Missouri State, Florida State, and Xavier…in my humble opinion)

Here’s the lineup…

SEC Championship Game: 1:00 pm in Atlanta, Georgia
Florida Gators vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
Pick: Gators by double-digits.

ACC Championship Game: 1:00 pm in Tampa, Florida
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Pick: Tar Heels pull away late.

Big Twelve Championship Game: 3:00 pm in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Texas Longhorns
Pick: Durant and co. fall short at the buzzer vs. Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk.

Big Ten Championship Game: 3:30 pm in Chicago, Illinois
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers
Pick: Oden and Conley Jr. pace the Buckeyes past Tucker in another ugly matchup.

There’s also one minor bid up for grabs, from the 1-bid conference known as the Southland Conference, in which Texas A&M C.C. faces one of last year’s tourney darlings Northwestern State.

So while the committee remains hard at work, much of the country will be tuned into a spectacular quartet of games. Question is, will they be watching them or just hearing updated scores here or there?

Quick Thoughts
-Arkansas isn’t an at-large yet, but you have to believe even a close showing here might be just enough to sneak them in due to “how well they’re playing RIGHT now”.
-Florida is playing for a 1-seed in the South in my opinion. This is no time to waste this opportunity.
-North Carolina could win and still not earn a 1-seed. However, I see them winning AND acquiring one of the four 1-seeds.
-NC State isn’t in…but they’ve beaten Carolina before this season (albeit in Raleigh). Anything can happen with a jacket like Sidney (not Suge Knight) Lowe's in the St. Pete Time's Forum.
-Kansas may be the hottest team in the country, yet still seems incredibly venerable at times to me. It’ll be interesting to see if Durant can stay 100% the entire game.
-Texas will be one of the sexier picks to make a deep run, perhaps even as champs, within numerous brackets. If they win this game, most media pundits will put them in their Final Four.
-Ohio State will secure the overall #1-seed, and continue a massive winning-streak, if they can pull a win here.
-Wisconsin needs a win to become a #1, potentially replacing Ohio State (especially if the committee wants to keep UCLA as the #1 out West and push Wisconsin past the Buckeyes in the Midwest or South). Kammron Taylor must be related to Chris Rock, right?

Drama galore. It should be great.
Obviously EVERYONE on the bubble is rooting for the Tar Heels to dismantle the Wolfpack EARLY and for Arkansas to be toppled by the Gators in easy fashion. Of course, it never seems to happen that way.

Final Thought: If the CAA ends up being a one-bid conference…the entire committee should be fired instantaneously. Bias or not…it’s true to me.

See you at 6pm…