Brackets

Brackets. My favorite time of year (sports wise anyway). I would submit that the NCAA Tournament is the greatest sporting event in all of existence. There really is nothing else like it. It almost always lives up to the hype, and how many other things can you say that about? Upsets, Cinderellas, buzzer-beaters, and incredible story lines. Today is the day it all starts. So, like any other ass clown, here are my picks:

MIDWEST REGION:

Winner: Kansas--They are just too good, watch out for Georgetown though.

Sleeper(s): Tennessee, Georgia Tech, and Michigan State. The Vols have a great coach in Bruce Pearl and real guts were displayed after the loss of their best player, Tyler Smith to legal issues. Paul Hewitt's Georgia Tech team underachieved all year, but enters the tournament with some real momentum. Tom Izzo is one of the finest tournament coaches alive. Were it not for an injury to best player, Kalin Lucas, MSU would probably have been a 2 or a 3 seed. Lucas is back, and the Spartans could really challenge Kansas in the round of 16.

Upset Specials: Mark it down, 10 seed Georgia Tech will beat 7 seed Oklahoma State in the first round. And Ohio State better be ready for Tech in round two or they could see an early exit.

Best (potential) Game: Kansas vs. Georgetown in the round of 8. Both teams are loaded and playing well headed into the tournament. Big man Greg Monroe and guards Freeman and Wright could cause big-time match up problems for Bill Self's Jayhawks.

WEST REGION:

Winner: Syracuse (although with some hesitation). If the 'Cuse doesn't get Center Arinze Onuaku back from injury before the sweet sixteen, they will be in trouble. Coach Jim Boeheim has a short bench, and the lack of depth could spell trouble if Onuaku is out for longer than expected. However, at full health, the Orangemen are the clear class of this region.

Sleeper: I don't know if it's fair to continue to refer to the Butler Bulldogs as sleepers anymore, but when you watch them play and see their overall lack of athleticism, it's hard not to wonder how they keep doing it. If Syracuse is short handed in the round of 16, Butler could be poised for a huge upset.

Upset Specials: Murray State over Vanderbilt. The Racers from Kentucky won 30 games this year, and 20 of their last 21. They are under seeded as a 13, and 4th seeded Vanderbilt should have been a 6. Minnesota over Xavier. The 11th seeded Gophers hit the tournament playing their best ball of the season, and Tubby Smith is a GREAT (not good) coach who has taken three separate schools to the sweet 16.

Best (potential) Game: Pittsburgh vs. Kansas State. Two tough ass coaches with tough ass teams in a big time slug fest. Whoever wins will be seriously depleted heading into the elite eight.

EAST REGION:

Winner: Kentucky. No school in this region has better talent or a more successful tournament coach than the Wildcats. While their penchant for playing down to the competition makes me nervous, I've got a feeling that the big stage will bring out the best in Wall and Cousins, and if it does, they will be in the final four. Hands down.

Sleeper: Washington. The Pac 10 champion Huskies enter the tournament on a 7 game winning streak and are only seeded at 11. They have a big time player in Quincy Pondexter, and despite all the complaints about the weakness of the Pac 10 this year, I think Lorenzo Romar's team has a great shot at the sweet 16.

Upset Specials: Washington over Marquette in a round one nail biter. Marquette is notoriously hard to blow out, but they don't slap anyone around either. They will keep UW in the game and lose by a bucket or two. Washington over New Mexico in round 2. As I said before, I like the Huskies chances. While Steve Alford's New Mexico team has played well all year, they are coming off a loss in their conference tournament final to San Diego St.

Best (potential) Game: Kentucky vs. West Virginia. West Virginia should have been a 1 seed over Duke. Huggins' Mountaineers against Calipari's Wildcats sets up the ultimate showdown in mercenary coaches.

SOUTH REGION:

Winner: Texas A & M. Yeah, you read that right. The South is easily the weakest region of the four, and if the tough as nails Aggies get to the sweet 16, they'll be playing in Houston. Which last I checked is still located in Texas.

Sleeper: Louisville. It has been a tough personal and professional year for Coach Pitino and his 9th seeded Cardinals, but there are few better tournament coaches. Not to mention that Louisville beat Syracuse twice when the Orange were at full strength.

Upset Specials: Siena over Purdue. Purdue has been a shell of themselves since the loss of star forward, Robbie Hummel for the year. Anyone who saw the 27 point shellacking that Minnesota handed them in the Big Ten Tournament knows that the Boilermakers are very vulnerable. Louisville over Duke* in round 2. This match up should really get Pitino going. A chance at revenge against the Dukies and that turnaround jumper heart breaker by Christian Laettner over Pitino's former Wildcats that you see in ever March Madness promo will prove irresistible to a guy like Rick.

Best (potential) Game: Duke vs. Louisville.

Final Four Games: Kansas over Syracuse. Too much depth and talent for the Jayhawks to lose.
Kentucky over Texas A & M. After taking out West Virginia, Cal's Cats catch a break in Indianapolis.

Championship Game: Kentucky over Kansas. In a squeaker. With apologies to Syracuse, these have been the two best (and most talented) teams all season. Calipari vs. Self in a rematch of the 2008 championship (where Self's Kansas squad beat Cal's Memphis team in an overtime thriller) will have delicious story lines. Marquee coaches, huge talent, the youth of Kentucky vs the relative experience of Kansas, and the best point guard match up of the whole tournament (Wall vs. Sherron Collins). Don't be surprised if this one ends up going to extra sessions as well. In the end however, I think Kentucky has more talent, the Indianapolis location will turn the stands into a sea of Wildcat blue, and I'm not betting against John Wall.*

My overall impression of this year's tournament can be summed up by one word: Chaos. I expect more low seeds than ever will advance into the second round. Almost no one is safe. Parity, in all it's forms will be turning amateur prognosticator's brackets into shredder testing devices. And I think that's great.

Sumo-Pop
March 17, 2010

*Full disclosure: I am a life long Kentucky fan and a long time Duke hater. So take that into consideration when reviewing my picks. Still, I think I'm right (but then, I always do).