Sorry to disrupt the endless string of war posts, but it's NCAA TOURNEY TIME!!!
IMO, UK owns the Midwest bracket. Pitt is a good team, but Kentucky is peaking like a 16 year-old girl on 3 beans at a Crystal Meth show.
The West is much more challenging, with Duke, Zona, Kansas, and the Illini all very close, talent-wise. Personally, I pick Duke to emerge from the dogpile, mainly because Coach K. is a god.
In the South, you have Texas, the Gators and everybody else. I'm thinking Gators all the way here, with the Terps over Xavier in round 2 as an upset special.
In the East, I have a feeling that Pitino's Cardinals have the juice to make a run past Oklahoma and Wake. I'm not putting the Sooners down, as they had a great season, but Ricky P. knows what championships are made of.
Bracketology
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Midnyte_Ragebringer
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much <8 for the big dance
Masteen I too have Louisville beating OU. I have Wake beating Louisville though. Wake is the best rebounding team in the nation, and they have 2 quality scorers. Josh Howard is the man. They will lose in the final 4 though.
To quote Hunter S. Thompson though, "Kentucky uber alles"
Masteen I too have Louisville beating OU. I have Wake beating Louisville though. Wake is the best rebounding team in the nation, and they have 2 quality scorers. Josh Howard is the man. They will lose in the final 4 though.
To quote Hunter S. Thompson though, "Kentucky uber alles"
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Pherr the Dorf
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Midnyte_Ragebringer
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Damn, that West is a nasty zone. I'll still go with the Arizona Wildcats.
Makora
Too often it seems it is the peaceful and innocent who are slaughtered. In this a lesson may be found that it may not be prudential to be either too peaceful or too innocent. One does not survive with wolves by becoming a sheep.
Too often it seems it is the peaceful and innocent who are slaughtered. In this a lesson may be found that it may not be prudential to be either too peaceful or too innocent. One does not survive with wolves by becoming a sheep.
Kentucky is the obvious favorite in the midwest, but I think the region is better than most think. Pitt is a tough, physical, tested team, and UK will not be able to grind them down like they do against others. Marquette is also a very good team. I personally think that C-USA is a better conference than the ACC this year, and maybe better than the Big 10. Marquette has beaten quality competition, and will be a tough out for anyone. The Pitt/Marquette matchup, especially Dwayne Wade vs Julius Page, will be classic, if it comes to that. Then, of course, you have Alabama, who has the potential to be last years Missouri.
The west is a tough bracket, but I'm not sold on it. We all know how successful Kansas has been in the tourney for the past decade or so, and I'm not convinced that Hinrich and Collison have the necessary toughness to pull it out. The injury to Wayne Simien hurts, too. As for Duke, Coach K may be amazing, but his team isn't. They have lost to some sub-par competition this year, and got lucky in the ACC tournament by not having to face either Maryland or Wake. Illinois and Notre Dame are major question marks, too, with Notre Dame slumping and Illinois playing weak competition. Arizona is the number 1, but I'd give serious consideration to Creighton making a run.
Texas got lucky picking up a number one seed which should have gone to Kansas or Pitt, and then getting put into the easiest of the regions. Florida is slumping heavily, although they still could pull it together. Xavier is over-ranked as a three seed, considering their conference. Stanford is solid, but not at all scary. I've heard lots of people picking UConn or Maryland to come out of that region, which is a possibility. UConn has played a weak schedule, though, and got both outplayed and outefforted in the Big East Championship. Maryland could go on a run and win some games. I can't see any team from this region getting out of the final four.
The east is good, but I'm bored of typing, so leave it at that.
The west is a tough bracket, but I'm not sold on it. We all know how successful Kansas has been in the tourney for the past decade or so, and I'm not convinced that Hinrich and Collison have the necessary toughness to pull it out. The injury to Wayne Simien hurts, too. As for Duke, Coach K may be amazing, but his team isn't. They have lost to some sub-par competition this year, and got lucky in the ACC tournament by not having to face either Maryland or Wake. Illinois and Notre Dame are major question marks, too, with Notre Dame slumping and Illinois playing weak competition. Arizona is the number 1, but I'd give serious consideration to Creighton making a run.
Texas got lucky picking up a number one seed which should have gone to Kansas or Pitt, and then getting put into the easiest of the regions. Florida is slumping heavily, although they still could pull it together. Xavier is over-ranked as a three seed, considering their conference. Stanford is solid, but not at all scary. I've heard lots of people picking UConn or Maryland to come out of that region, which is a possibility. UConn has played a weak schedule, though, and got both outplayed and outefforted in the Big East Championship. Maryland could go on a run and win some games. I can't see any team from this region getting out of the final four.
The east is good, but I'm bored of typing, so leave it at that.
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masteen
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The 5-12 seeds...
Statistically, if you pick every 12 seed to upset the 5 seed in round 1, you are more likely to make money than on any other upset.
In the Midwest, West, and East brackets, I have no problems picking the 12's over the 5's. Weber St. and Butler had to claw their way into the tourney, and I think that Miss St. and Wisconsin are soft. I hate ND enough to pick anyone over them, so Wisc-Mil gets the nod as well.
My problem lies in the South bracket with the U Conn/BYU matchup. BYU had a good year, but U Conn almost never sucks. They almost always have a good NCAA run, and don't have soft schedules. I want to take all the 12's, but I just can't put my faith in BYU to knock off the Huskies.
Am I wrong? Are the Huskies ripe for the picking?
In the Midwest, West, and East brackets, I have no problems picking the 12's over the 5's. Weber St. and Butler had to claw their way into the tourney, and I think that Miss St. and Wisconsin are soft. I hate ND enough to pick anyone over them, so Wisc-Mil gets the nod as well.
My problem lies in the South bracket with the U Conn/BYU matchup. BYU had a good year, but U Conn almost never sucks. They almost always have a good NCAA run, and don't have soft schedules. I want to take all the 12's, but I just can't put my faith in BYU to knock off the Huskies.
Am I wrong? Are the Huskies ripe for the picking?
ALABAMA TO WIN IT ALL!
What, they were ranked #1 at one point this season. I mean, polls are always right aren't they?
Kentucky, Zona, Florida, Louisville
Thats my final four.
All SEC Final game, with Tubby getting the well deserved credit for being the best coach in the nation this year after UK mops up the gators. It is Kentuckys Tournament to lose Imo.
Rick P is the man, but I dont think Louisville wins it all. Maybe in 2 seasons. He has to be one of the single best motivators in collegiate basketball. Too bad Pro athletes have no heart or sense of team. He is a good coach.
Upset specials?
I will say Bama over Indiana then Pitt. Being a long time Tuscaloosa Native.
I also like Tulsa in the Sweet 16. They are always Tourney tough.
What, they were ranked #1 at one point this season. I mean, polls are always right aren't they?
Kentucky, Zona, Florida, Louisville
Thats my final four.
All SEC Final game, with Tubby getting the well deserved credit for being the best coach in the nation this year after UK mops up the gators. It is Kentuckys Tournament to lose Imo.
Rick P is the man, but I dont think Louisville wins it all. Maybe in 2 seasons. He has to be one of the single best motivators in collegiate basketball. Too bad Pro athletes have no heart or sense of team. He is a good coach.
Upset specials?
I will say Bama over Indiana then Pitt. Being a long time Tuscaloosa Native.
I also like Tulsa in the Sweet 16. They are always Tourney tough.
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Gurugurumaki
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You are Right. Wins over #1 Seed Oklahoma, #3 Seed Xavier not to mention the conference wins over quality teams.
So they end the year in a downward spiral
They are still my team.
Every year a team that deserves to get in gets shafted, while others squeak by. I personally feel like Bama got the curtesy nod because two years ago they were headed to the NIT even though they deserved a NCAA bid. Granted they are not the strongest of teams in the field of 64, they arent the weakest either.
So they end the year in a downward spiral
They are still my team.Every year a team that deserves to get in gets shafted, while others squeak by. I personally feel like Bama got the curtesy nod because two years ago they were headed to the NIT even though they deserved a NCAA bid. Granted they are not the strongest of teams in the field of 64, they arent the weakest either.
Bards Really do have more fun...
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Gurugurumaki
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They are hit or miss really, Okofor or whatever his name is...is pretty tough...other than that, nada clue (runonsentenceownsyou).masteen wrote:I've still seen no replies regarding the U Conn Huskies. Are they for real or ripe for upset? I didn't get to watch a single game of theirs this season, so I'm just going from scores and history...
Uconn is on a decent hot streak right now. Historically, teams who finish as strong as Uconn did, fair well in the tournie.
My money is on Xavier. They have the best player in the country (West), and are in the weak South bracket...with Uconn...
And on the "talent pool" subject...yeah, the NBA drafts out of high school here or there...but those kids never stay more than a year or two in college anyways. I hate the NBA...but love college hoops. Every March you see 64 teams full of young people that have no future as a professional basketball player...so, all they do is play their hardest. It shows the best in these teams...and it is just plain fun to watch.
My money is on Xavier. They have the best player in the country (West), and are in the weak South bracket...with Uconn...
And on the "talent pool" subject...yeah, the NBA drafts out of high school here or there...but those kids never stay more than a year or two in college anyways. I hate the NBA...but love college hoops. Every March you see 64 teams full of young people that have no future as a professional basketball player...so, all they do is play their hardest. It shows the best in these teams...and it is just plain fun to watch.
If the Gators make it that far, I like Texas to beat them with the inside game and defense. So long as Texas makes it past LSU, they scare me with their 3 point game.
I like many of the analyzers wish that Arizona and Kentucky could meet in the Champ. game instead of possibly meeting in the Semi-Final. But I'll pick Texas and Kentucky in the Final with the Cats winning it all. Texas should be favorites next year as pretty much the whole team will be returning.
Oh yeah, if you haven't seen him, watch T.J. Ford.
I like many of the analyzers wish that Arizona and Kentucky could meet in the Champ. game instead of possibly meeting in the Semi-Final. But I'll pick Texas and Kentucky in the Final with the Cats winning it all. Texas should be favorites next year as pretty much the whole team will be returning.
Oh yeah, if you haven't seen him, watch T.J. Ford.
