If you had gone into a coma 2 weeks ago and saw who was playing in the Final Four before the 2010 NCAA Tournament started, I'd be forced to wait for you to come out of another coma. Quick recap: Kansas didn't make the Sweet 16, Butler dominated the top 2 teams in the Midwest Region, the Terps-Spartans clash had the most exciting 20 seconds to finish off a tournament game since Arizona and Gonzaga played a classic in 2002, we saw a world record number of "upsets", ESPN used the word "parody" an inornate number of times and did I mention that Northern Iowa defeated Kansas in Round 2? Northern Iowa beat Kansas in Round 2, I repeat, Northern Iowa defeated Kansas in Round 2, and now I will use my couch as a hat and go to the mall. Lets face it, this is the biggest upset since Villanova over G'town in the 1985 NCAA championship game. I know that a 15 seed has beaten a 2 seed, but this is way wilder. Kansas was a complete juggernaut and a team from the Missouri Valley Conference knocked them out. If you haven't guessed yet, I .bet heavy on Kansas to win it all and I still can't believe they lost. I need to move on before I try my potent poison that's in my fridge for this occasion.
Our Final Four for this year consists of 2 number 5 seeds in one matchup, and a more conventional number 1 vs a number 2 in the other game. Game one features Butler vs Michigan State. This is where the coma comes into play, Butler is actually playing for a chance to go to the Championship game. I'm not kidding! Look it up if you don't believe me! Game two is a more conventional ACC Champion Duke vs Big East Tournament Champion West Virginia. For the record, I hate Duke, I'm not alone here, I wish my buddy Rich Corcoran were here to ram this point home for me.
Let's break down this first matchup: Butler vs Michigan State, Butler's road was much more difficult than anyone else's by far in the WTF Four. They defeated UTEP(my first round pick), Murray State, Syracuse and Kansas State. This may shock you, but Murray State gave Butler the hardest game of the four, that might be the most shocking of all the stats so far. Michigan State had to run through New Mexico State, Maryland, Northern Iowa and Tennessee. None of those teams are too impressive, but Michigan State manhandled all of these teams(a great trait for any Final Four team.) Butler is a favorite in this game to advance to the National Championship game. Does anyone else find this insane? Could you imagine if Boise State was a favorite against Alabama in this past year's championship game? That seems ridiculous yes? Also, Butler seems to thrive in larger staged games and they are playing at home. I think the facts point to Michigan State to win this game though, better coaching and last year's team made the championship game. I'd take Tom to the Izzo if I had to pick a winner, not that I'll be betting on anyone.
Thirty minutes after our first Final Four game, we get to watch Duke play West Virginia. What a treat it is to watch Duke's mascot fire up the crowd AND coach the Blue Devils. I do not like Coach K, I'm sorry for the bias(that's not true, I really don't like Duke). I like Bob Huggins, he's all business all the time. He always makes sideline reporters uncomfortable and has Jimmy Johnson quality hair. Plus he loves the state of West Virginia(the media is shocked by this for some reason.) Duke is the favorite here and the favorite to win it all. I have a feeling if the Devils win the championship, it would be the first time there would be rioting out of hatred for a team, instead of a celebration, just a hunch there. I personally like West Virginia(shocking!) because of the fact that they always play better in the second half of games. Ask Kentucky, they saw it first hand, although they might shoot a 3 pointer that obviously wouldnt go in and hit you in the face. Scratch that thought.
The only thing leftover to say is that this is the best tournament I can remember watching in years. Although I'm pretty sure that, just like in 2006, when George Mason unbelievably went to the FInal Four, and 2002 when talentless Maryland defeated the Indiana Non-Bob Knights. I think the quality of the games has been off the charts but the quality of the teams is a 2 on a 1-10 scale. Either way, I'm rooting for more underdogs, although I'm not so sure that anyone is considered one anymore.
Mar 30, 2010
Mar 20, 2010
Casually Late to the dance
I know I'm a few days late to the NCAA party but I've been on vacation for the past week...so suck it! And I mean that in the nicest, most proverbial way possible, I love everyone. I just feel like dropping some bracketology knowledge on someone so I might as well drop it on the world. And by 'the world' I mean the 14 people that actually read this thing. I think big, what can I say?
I didn't have the best opening round ever, but 22-10 ain't bad. More importantly, I have 14 sweet 16 teams still alive. And, since Georgetown forgot how to play basketball for the most inconvenient 40 minutes of their season, I'm pretty sure everyone would potentially max out at 15 of 16.
Everyone picks differently, but me...I use my brain.
I picked Murry St. over Vandy in the opening round. Actually, I was 1 of only 4 people in a pool of 23 friends to pick Murry St. so the Racers made me look like a genius for a day. Let me start by saying: 'WOW! What a finish!' More or less, I got lucky on this one. Murry St. simultaneously hit a game winner and a bracket saver for me as time ran off the clock. But why did I pick the 13th-seeded Racers over an experienced, 4th-seeded Vanderbilt team who, by the way, comes from the much more prestigious SEC? Probably for the same reason I picked Houston and Montana...come to think of it, I should probably never mention those picks again...
Moving on, if you do some research, you'll see that Murry St. has one of the most balanced offenses in the entire country. Albeit somewhat small, they have 6 guys averaging 10 ppg...So mathematically, the starters alone will give them 50 ppg with a strong option coming off the bench...that's huge in college basketball. The have a respectable RPI at 59 and they've only lost 4 times all year for God's sake! So if you have to pick some upsets, why not start with Murry St?
Another solid upset pick: Cornell. On a personal note, I was the only 1 out of 23 to pick both Murry St. and Cornell in the first round so obviously I'm way smarter than all my peers.
I picked Cornell because they are one of the best shooting teams in the nation. If you go to Cornell and play basketball, I'm pretty sure the only thing you can do with a basketball is shoot it. I don't see many upper-middle class white boys practicing dunks on their garage basketball hoops while driving through my neighborhood. That being said, these Big Red guys must have spent hours in their driveways practicing shooting form because they shot the hell out of the ball on opening day! Add in the fact they have a 7-footer to gobble up any missed shots under the rim and you have the recipe for an upset or 2, or 3. Call me crazy, but I have Cornell in the sweet 16.
In general, my strategy is to look for mismatches in experience and/or shooting vs defense. I also like to pick teams with a stud to win against most any other team because on a big stage such as the NCAA tournament, I want to give them a chance to shine. Aubrey Coleman and Anthony Johnson are the reasons I picked Houston and Montana. They must not have gotten my memo to step up their games...I guess I was having trouble with my TPS reports this week.
On a side note, I just want to point out the obvious...so far this has been a great tournament. One of the best opening rounds of recent memory. I can only hope the upcoming games are half as entertaining.
By the way...I'm writing this as I'm watching the Gaels make Villanova look like a JV squad. My bracket says: "this is embarrassing!" 10 points for anyone who can tell me what a Gael is without looking it up.
I didn't have the best opening round ever, but 22-10 ain't bad. More importantly, I have 14 sweet 16 teams still alive. And, since Georgetown forgot how to play basketball for the most inconvenient 40 minutes of their season, I'm pretty sure everyone would potentially max out at 15 of 16.
Everyone picks differently, but me...I use my brain.
I picked Murry St. over Vandy in the opening round. Actually, I was 1 of only 4 people in a pool of 23 friends to pick Murry St. so the Racers made me look like a genius for a day. Let me start by saying: 'WOW! What a finish!' More or less, I got lucky on this one. Murry St. simultaneously hit a game winner and a bracket saver for me as time ran off the clock. But why did I pick the 13th-seeded Racers over an experienced, 4th-seeded Vanderbilt team who, by the way, comes from the much more prestigious SEC? Probably for the same reason I picked Houston and Montana...come to think of it, I should probably never mention those picks again...
Moving on, if you do some research, you'll see that Murry St. has one of the most balanced offenses in the entire country. Albeit somewhat small, they have 6 guys averaging 10 ppg...So mathematically, the starters alone will give them 50 ppg with a strong option coming off the bench...that's huge in college basketball. The have a respectable RPI at 59 and they've only lost 4 times all year for God's sake! So if you have to pick some upsets, why not start with Murry St?
Another solid upset pick: Cornell. On a personal note, I was the only 1 out of 23 to pick both Murry St. and Cornell in the first round so obviously I'm way smarter than all my peers.
I picked Cornell because they are one of the best shooting teams in the nation. If you go to Cornell and play basketball, I'm pretty sure the only thing you can do with a basketball is shoot it. I don't see many upper-middle class white boys practicing dunks on their garage basketball hoops while driving through my neighborhood. That being said, these Big Red guys must have spent hours in their driveways practicing shooting form because they shot the hell out of the ball on opening day! Add in the fact they have a 7-footer to gobble up any missed shots under the rim and you have the recipe for an upset or 2, or 3. Call me crazy, but I have Cornell in the sweet 16.
In general, my strategy is to look for mismatches in experience and/or shooting vs defense. I also like to pick teams with a stud to win against most any other team because on a big stage such as the NCAA tournament, I want to give them a chance to shine. Aubrey Coleman and Anthony Johnson are the reasons I picked Houston and Montana. They must not have gotten my memo to step up their games...I guess I was having trouble with my TPS reports this week.
On a side note, I just want to point out the obvious...so far this has been a great tournament. One of the best opening rounds of recent memory. I can only hope the upcoming games are half as entertaining.
By the way...I'm writing this as I'm watching the Gaels make Villanova look like a JV squad. My bracket says: "this is embarrassing!" 10 points for anyone who can tell me what a Gael is without looking it up.
Mar 4, 2010
CAA Tournament Preview
As you may know already, we're from Richmond, Virginia and our town gets to host the CAA Tournament. We all pull for VCU since they're the local team, and for some reason, they always come through. They didn't do as strong as predicted so they get to play an extra cupcake, er, game this year in the tourney. Unfortunately, there are a couple of other good teams in the conference that may ruin the same celebration that we attended last year at the Richmond Coliseum. I'm here to offer a preview of this tournament, and during the next few days, other conference tournaments that will enhance the sports world before the Masters puts us to sleep without Tiger Woods.
Enough rambling... on to the predictions:
Friday 12:00: (7)UNC-Wilmington vs (10)Towson - For starters, the attendance at this game might not reach 1000 fans at tip-off, as the VCU game starts at 2:30-2:45, and fans should be showing up midway thru the second half. Hecklers: you've been warned, you will be heard by coaches and players. On to the game, where, according to my CAA Basketball guru/genius Tevin points out that "Wilmington will shoot lights out if Towson plays the same crappy D they've played all year." Well then, maybe basketball is that simple, if you can't stop the team that shoots really well, you will probably have a long night and a short tournament. If they do hope to stay in the game, they will need to rely on the play of Robert Nwankwo, who almost averages a double-double and also doesn't possess the name of my next child. Chad Tomko will make sure this one stays out of reach with his shooting and overall point guard play.
Prediction: Wilmington wins and if you watch, you will be asleep by the 15 minute mark of the second half.
Friday 2:30: (12)Delaware vs (5)VCU - The Coliseum will be a little more full for this one, as the hometown team makes an appearance for the first time. VCU is led by Larry Sanders and Joey Rodriguez, whose inside/outside combo should completely take Delaware out of this one. Deleware is led into this fire, er, game by Jawan Carter who is a one man band who might need to score40 points to keep this one competitive.
Prediction: VCU should roll at home, and on to a rematch from last year's championship game with George Mason.
Friday 6:00: Georgia St. vs Hofstra - Our CAA guru Tevin thinks that this will be a defensive struggle with both teams having lots of senior leadership to keep this game close either way. I'll agree, but then again I would have agreed with anything he had to say in reference to a CAA game. These teams should be familiar with each other, since they played this past Saturday with Hofstra winning by 13 in a faster paced game. Also, the guru wants you to watch out for Charles Jenkins(ppg - 20.4), who could have a coming out party during this year's tournament. Joe Dukes is the stud for Georgia State, leading the Panthers in points, assists and is second in rebounding.
Prediction: Hofstra for three reasons, Charles Jenkins, lack of non-home wins by Georgia State, and Tevin told me to. Seems logical.
Friday 8:30: James Madison vs Drexel - Right off the top, the guru thinks that this is the best game of the day and I couldn't agree more(since he's the genius and I'm an ACC fan.) James Madison has a dominant post player in Denzel Bowles, who made Larry Sanders look like Garry Shandling in their last meeting. However, Drexel swept James Madison during the regular season winning by 21 at Drexel and by 3 at home vs the Dragons. James Madison doesn't close games well, as indicated by their lowly 4 conference wins, and they have a tough time spelling the word defense.
Prediction: Call me crazy, or irrational, or an idiot, but I'm taking the Dukes in a major upset. I have no good reason except for the fact that they will have the dominant player on the floor, which is always enough for me.
Enough rambling... on to the predictions:
Friday 12:00: (7)UNC-Wilmington vs (10)Towson - For starters, the attendance at this game might not reach 1000 fans at tip-off, as the VCU game starts at 2:30-2:45, and fans should be showing up midway thru the second half. Hecklers: you've been warned, you will be heard by coaches and players. On to the game, where, according to my CAA Basketball guru/genius Tevin points out that "Wilmington will shoot lights out if Towson plays the same crappy D they've played all year." Well then, maybe basketball is that simple, if you can't stop the team that shoots really well, you will probably have a long night and a short tournament. If they do hope to stay in the game, they will need to rely on the play of Robert Nwankwo, who almost averages a double-double and also doesn't possess the name of my next child. Chad Tomko will make sure this one stays out of reach with his shooting and overall point guard play.
Prediction: Wilmington wins and if you watch, you will be asleep by the 15 minute mark of the second half.
Friday 2:30: (12)Delaware vs (5)VCU - The Coliseum will be a little more full for this one, as the hometown team makes an appearance for the first time. VCU is led by Larry Sanders and Joey Rodriguez, whose inside/outside combo should completely take Delaware out of this one. Deleware is led into this fire, er, game by Jawan Carter who is a one man band who might need to score40 points to keep this one competitive.
Prediction: VCU should roll at home, and on to a rematch from last year's championship game with George Mason.
Friday 6:00: Georgia St. vs Hofstra - Our CAA guru Tevin thinks that this will be a defensive struggle with both teams having lots of senior leadership to keep this game close either way. I'll agree, but then again I would have agreed with anything he had to say in reference to a CAA game. These teams should be familiar with each other, since they played this past Saturday with Hofstra winning by 13 in a faster paced game. Also, the guru wants you to watch out for Charles Jenkins(ppg - 20.4), who could have a coming out party during this year's tournament. Joe Dukes is the stud for Georgia State, leading the Panthers in points, assists and is second in rebounding.
Prediction: Hofstra for three reasons, Charles Jenkins, lack of non-home wins by Georgia State, and Tevin told me to. Seems logical.
Friday 8:30: James Madison vs Drexel - Right off the top, the guru thinks that this is the best game of the day and I couldn't agree more(since he's the genius and I'm an ACC fan.) James Madison has a dominant post player in Denzel Bowles, who made Larry Sanders look like Garry Shandling in their last meeting. However, Drexel swept James Madison during the regular season winning by 21 at Drexel and by 3 at home vs the Dragons. James Madison doesn't close games well, as indicated by their lowly 4 conference wins, and they have a tough time spelling the word defense.
Prediction: Call me crazy, or irrational, or an idiot, but I'm taking the Dukes in a major upset. I have no good reason except for the fact that they will have the dominant player on the floor, which is always enough for me.
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