I know almost nothing about college basketball this year. So my bracket will probably win my family's tourney challenge for once! Har de har, ain't that always the truth.
I was going to leave it at that, and let y'all have at it in the comments, but I think I need to say something. College hoops have been on pretty much every time I turned on my TV, so I've probably seen a little more college basketball this year than I have in the past. I just haven't seen the right teams. Anyway, here goes:
- All hail North Carolina! Since they're a No. 1 seed and my favorite team, they're the clear Hole Punch pick for the national championship, even though I'm a little surprised they're a top seed.
- I look forward to Kansas becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose in the first round.
- Remember when people said Duke was on the bubble? Now they're a 6th seed, which isn't bubble-level at all. Remember, kids: if you're in a major-enough conference, you only need to be one of the top six or so teams to have a shot at being the absolute best team in the country. That certainly makes sense to me.
- Seriously, just so no one thinks I ran from my earlier predictions: Duke is going home very soon.
- I don't know if I'm supposed to call BYU one of my alma maters-I went there as a freshman but transferred-but as a blogger, I'm contractually obligated to mention they got a No. 8 seed. Yeah, baby! You don't mess with the Cougars! Actually, messing with them is the blueprint for destroying a BYU team in any sport-just be a little physical. This is why the championships they factored in around the time I studied there were volleyball and cross country.
- The play-in game is a really stupid idea.
- This is bad, but...I look forward to seeing Kevin Durant in extended action for the first time. (And I call myself a basketball fan.) Texas is a No. 4 seed, so they should make it to the Sweet Sixteen, I guess. If Texas loses in the first round or two, though, I wouldn't read too much into it. Being the best player on the floor doesn't have as big of an impact on winning in college basketball as it does in the NBA. Yes, I remember Dwyane Wade taking an unsung Marquette team to the Final Four, but I also remember Tim Duncan's Wake Forest squads doing minimal tournament damage.
- Texas A&M has the highest seed (No. 3) of my family's teams (Texas and BYU are the others), so congrats to them. They also have the best team and should advance the deepest. In other words, only Dave should feel humiliated if his team loses first. (Also, bro, congratulations!)
- Props to the team at SI.com, which thankfully noted "All Times Eastern" on the pdf bracket I just printed out. There are no times listed on the bracket.
I was going to leave it at that, and let y'all have at it in the comments, but I think I need to say something. College hoops have been on pretty much every time I turned on my TV, so I've probably seen a little more college basketball this year than I have in the past. I just haven't seen the right teams. Anyway, here goes:
- All hail North Carolina! Since they're a No. 1 seed and my favorite team, they're the clear Hole Punch pick for the national championship, even though I'm a little surprised they're a top seed.
- I look forward to Kansas becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose in the first round.
- Remember when people said Duke was on the bubble? Now they're a 6th seed, which isn't bubble-level at all. Remember, kids: if you're in a major-enough conference, you only need to be one of the top six or so teams to have a shot at being the absolute best team in the country. That certainly makes sense to me.
- Seriously, just so no one thinks I ran from my earlier predictions: Duke is going home very soon.
- I don't know if I'm supposed to call BYU one of my alma maters-I went there as a freshman but transferred-but as a blogger, I'm contractually obligated to mention they got a No. 8 seed. Yeah, baby! You don't mess with the Cougars! Actually, messing with them is the blueprint for destroying a BYU team in any sport-just be a little physical. This is why the championships they factored in around the time I studied there were volleyball and cross country.
- The play-in game is a really stupid idea.
- This is bad, but...I look forward to seeing Kevin Durant in extended action for the first time. (And I call myself a basketball fan.) Texas is a No. 4 seed, so they should make it to the Sweet Sixteen, I guess. If Texas loses in the first round or two, though, I wouldn't read too much into it. Being the best player on the floor doesn't have as big of an impact on winning in college basketball as it does in the NBA. Yes, I remember Dwyane Wade taking an unsung Marquette team to the Final Four, but I also remember Tim Duncan's Wake Forest squads doing minimal tournament damage.
- Texas A&M has the highest seed (No. 3) of my family's teams (Texas and BYU are the others), so congrats to them. They also have the best team and should advance the deepest. In other words, only Dave should feel humiliated if his team loses first. (Also, bro, congratulations!)
- Props to the team at SI.com, which thankfully noted "All Times Eastern" on the pdf bracket I just printed out. There are no times listed on the bracket.
Comments
Duke to me is basketball's version of Notre Dame football - no matter how badly they suck, they still get more pub than they deserve. Which is why the Irish spend every January getting pummeled by a vastly superior team in a BCS game and Surechefski's squad will be lucky to make it out of the first round this year.
Durant is a complete stud to watch, and the fact that he does it with the likes of such an inexperienced squad around him speaks volumes.
Also, I should have said something about Ohio State. Greg Oden looks like he's forty, am I right people? People? Like he's got a beard and...never mind.
how do you see the bruins doing?
I like UCLA to make the Final Four . . . but beyond that I don't know what to expect.
Looking at the stats, etc., though, I'm a little concerned. For one, since they got off to such a great start, I wonder if their 26-5 record (13-5 in 2007) is a bit deceptive. Plus they've lost their last two.
Here's the thing, though-all the other major teams have question marks, too. Florida hit a rough patch, Ohio State only loses when they play a good team, and Kansas is Kansas come tourney time. I think UCLA deserves its No. 2 seed, but I'd be a little surprised if they get back to the title game.
also:
how about some spring training coverage up in here?
a cry to deaf ears, i know.