The Brackets have now been out for just over 48 hours, time for me to digest it all and start seriously analyzing…
First, I would like to see a mid-major in place of Arizona. And probably a couple other teams, but I’m thrilled that the Big Ten has 7 teams, so I won’t say too much. Beyond acknowledging that I am openly biased.
Second, although I really don’t like some of the regions and matchups and travel, I must admit that there’s tons of potential for fantastic games from the first tip of the first game.
Third, I’m ashamed to admit that my first crack at picks is annoyingly chalky. It’s the upsets that make the tournament so much fun, but since I pick more on personal preference than anything out, I end up chalky. At the moment, I don’t have all the 1-seeds in the Final Four, but that is subject to change in the next 36 hours.
I wish I could guess who will be a Davidson or George Mason this year, but because of the parity in the field, I actually expect the Elite Eight and Final Four to hold to the seeding fairly well. All things considered, the teams at the top of the brackets earned those spots. However, the first and second rounds could belong to anyone.
Although I firmly believe that a 16 will win someday, I don’t think that’s very likely this year.
A few rambling thoughts, by region:
East: Given the pairings, it’s hard to see options beyond Pitt here. Duke probably earned their 2-seed, but they aren’t that strong. I don’t expect many shocking upsets here, although I’m picking a 12-5 upset just for Big Ten respectability.
South: As much as it pains me to admit, UNC looks good. However, Oklahoma with a healthy Blake Griffin is a force to be reckoned with. My Illini are popular picks for a 12-5 upset, and I understand that. I’ve said all season that the Sweet Sixteen would be overachieving for Bruce Weber’s club. However, they have exceeded expectations all year, so out of loyalty, I’ll take them that far. However, that sets up a rematch against UNC, and I’m not sure I could bear that… Syracuse is another interesting possibility here. Any club that competes in 5 games in 4 days deserves respect. The Orange played Louisville tough in the Big East Championship game, and Flynn deserved the tourney MVP.
Midwest: There are some intriguing possibilities here. Wake Forest is a popular pick, and given the number of separate sources that have verified that Wake is an offensive firepower, I’m inclined to agree. However, Tom Izzo consistently has his team ready to go in mid-March, regardless of the personnel. He’s hard to pick against. Although Bill Self has improved, NDSU could prove to be a Bucknell or Bradley (or maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part). And yes, Louisville is very good.
West: This region is a bit more wide open, in my opinion. Conneticut hasn’t been the same since Jerome Dyson got hurt. They could make a run, but they could also bow out early. Memphis is a great team, but they will have to prove they can play anyone — they haven’t done that just yet. I like Purdue, a team that is finally healthy and playing their best. Mizzou is also interesting (and they lost to Illinois and now have a respectable coach, a few things in the favor in my rating system).
But really, once the games start, I can’t help but cheer for exciting games and good basketball. Bring on the Madness!
Posted by TheCleverOne 
Posted by TheCleverOne 