March Madness: The Best Team in the NCAA Won

Well...the madness is over.  UConn won the National Title, and I have to say it did so in one of the most boring games I've seen.  When it comes to basketball, I need a good offensive game to be interested.  Defensive games are fun to watch in football because of the big hits and such, but in basketball, hits are frowned upon more than they are in soccer.  And defensive games generally just mean sloppy.

I mean look at some of these stats.  You can start with the final scoreline (53-41) and get an idea that the game was slow and boring.  Then you look at the shooting statistics and you realize that it wasn't just good defense, it was really bad offense.   Butler shot 12 for 64 on the night for a whopping 18.8%.  9 of those hoops were from 3-point land, meaning that in a 40 minute game, Butler only made 3 baskets inside the arc (barely over 10%).  UConn wasn't all that much better. They were 19 for 55 overall for 34.5%.  And they were less than 10% from 3-point land.

But despite the less than exciting game that ultimately decided who won the title, no one can say that Connecticut did not deserve to be National Champion.  They may not be the most talented players in the country, but they are the best team in the country.  And "team" includes the coach.  Between the coach and the players, UConn is the best team out there.  They won every tournament game they played in.  The Maui Invitational to start the season, the Big East Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament.  Hard to argue with that.

And you can't really say that Butler was a fluke either.  Despite losing by 12, they made it to the Final 2 years in a row.  That certainly doesn't happen very often, and definitely not by luck.  The problem in this game is that they absolutely got dominated inside.  They could not break down UConn's interior defense.  Mostly because they were significantly smaller.

So the game in the end didn't really live up to expectations.  But the results were deserved.  The best team in the NCAA won the NCAA tournament.

March Madness: The Final Four

So the Final Four has been set for a little while now.  And we've all had time to let the weirdness soak in.  As far as I can tell, there has never been a Final Four without a #1 or a #2 seed in it.  Plus we are guaranteed one team in the Final that will be an 8 seed or lower.  And if there's one thing that I've learned from this tournament, it's that I have absolutely no idea how to predict college basketball.  But then again, there were only 2 entries out of 6 million on ESPN that predicted VCU and Butler to both be in the Final Four.  I did however manage to pick UConn to get this far.  So with all that being said who are your picks for the Final?

So this is the matchup that has the country in a buzz.  And sadly I don't know enough about either team to really make an educated guess on this.  But I know some experts have one of Butler's players as a possible MVP of the tournament.  That combined with the experience of last year I think will take them through to the final for the 2nd year in a row.

Compared to the other game, this one isn't a surprise at all.  But a 3 and a 4 seed playing in the Final 4 together is definitely out of the norm.  When UConn won the Big East tournament everyone knew they could potentially make it this far.  The fact that Kentucky managed to beat Ohio State and North Carolina is scary to any team they play against.  Both teams are playing great, and both teams have amazing coaches.  I'm going to skip out on all the stat breakdowns and everything and just stick with my initial prediction.  I had UConn in the Final from the start, so I'm sticking with that.

March Madness: BYU Bows Out

BYU had a great run this tournament and this season.  They made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1981.  When it came down to it, Florida had the right game plan, and more stamina.  BYU played well most of the game, and according to the commentators and experts did well to "force" overtime.  I would argue that they actually allowed overtime to happen.

With 35 seconds to go in the game, it was tied and Florida had the ball.  BYU played great defense on that possession and forced a bad shot out of the Gators.  But then they did exactly what I said they couldn't afford to do: give up an offense rebound.  Had BYU gotten the rebound, they would have had time to take the ball down the court and get a decent shot.  And with Jimmer on the court, and Emery also if Jimmer is swarmed by defenders, I would have liked their chances.  However, the game went to overtime.  And that's where everything fell apart.

From the very beginnig of overtime, BYU was stone cold.  No one could really hit a shot, and Florida built a big lead.  BYU obviously got flustered and was forcing bad shots.  Shots that were even asking a lot of Jimmer.  So it really came down to the inside play of Florida.  Whether they were scoring down low, or getting doubled beneath the basket and kicking it out to a shooter.

So what are their chances next year?  Jimmer's going to be gone, which is a big loss, and who's going to step up and be the next star?

March Madness: BYU's Shot at the Final 4

So, I think it's really interesting to see the nation's view of BYU.  Earlier in the year, ESPN polled the country about the player of the year race.  And about 70% of the nation believed Jimmer deserved the Player of the Year award.

Now the poll is a little more team oriented.  ESPN wants to know who you think will win the Southeast Region (BYU's region) and go to the final 4.  Almost 93,000 people have voted, and right now the Nation believes that BYU will advance.  They hold a slight edge over Florida at the moment.  I find it very interesting to see that the Nation has so much faith in the Cougars.  So how good are their chances really?

To compete in the tournament, every team needs one star player that can lead them throughout the game, and that can be the go to guy at the end of the game.  BYU has both of those in Jimmer.  Outside shooting is also a huge key in the college game.  You have to be able to hit 3's.  BYU has certainly no problem with that.  Jimmer can hit 3's all day, and if Jackson Emery is on, then  there's another deep threat.  What BYU can't afford is for Abouo to spend the majority of the game on the bench in foul trouble.  Hartsock is playing well, but BYU needs more than just him inside.  Rebounding is going to become the issue for BYU.  They can't allow these teams that are getting better and better to get offensive rebounds and second chance points.


But all in all I like their chances.  In all honesty how good of a chance to all you BYU fans give the Cougars of making the Final Four?

March Madness: Sweet 16 Matchups

So now that my bracket is completely busted, and the teams that I'm cheering for are pretty much all out of the tournament, I can focus on picking the winners of individual games without bias.  At least mostly.  So here are the matchups:

East Region

Ohio State v Kentucky:  The way Ohio State has been strolling through this tournament it's hard to pick against them.  They've got a strong inside player in Sullinger, and several deep threats, which makes them really hard to guard.  But they also haven't played anyone as good as Kentucky yet.  It will be a much more difficult game for Ohio State, but in the end they'll be too much for Kentucky and win by 6.

Marquette v UNC:  UNC has essentially been getting through purely on offensive efficiency.  They're defense has been absolutely horrible giving up on average 85 ppg.  But they are in teh Sweet 16 despite that, and playing the 11 seed Marquette who got a big win over Syracuse to get here.  On the back of 2 upsets, Marquette will be riding high.  But they won't be able to stop UNC from scoring a ton of points, and their offense won't be able to keep up.  UNC by 12.

West Region

Duke v Arizona:  Duke is getting a huge boost by having their super freshman, Kyrie Irving, back.  But it has been Nolan Smith who has been leading the Blue Devils to this point.  They were a little lucky to escape with a win over Michigan, but Coach K will certainly have them ready for this game.  Arizona played really well against a very good Texas team, but they were also pretty lucky with that 3 point play to win the game.  Duke won't need luck in this game.  Kyrie Irving and Nolan Smith will lead them to the Elite 8:  Duke wins by 8

UConn v SDSU:  My first upset pick in the Sweet 16.  Although I'm not sure this would really count.  UConn has been on fire, and they're playing for the entire Big East Conference.  Both teams have had a fairly easy time getting to this point, but a couple of days rest will be more important for UConn after the long run of games up to this point.  SDSU will keep it close, but Kemba Walker will lead UConn to the win in the end.  UConn wins by 5.

Southeast Region

BYU v Florida:  There has been a lot of talk about how this game is a rematch from the 1st round last year.  Can BYU do one better and win a 3rd game?  They hadn't on 2 tournament games since 1981.  Of course all of the talk has been about Jimmer, but Emery and Hartsock have been playing well too.  And BYU will need more than just Jimmer to win any games they have left.  After dismantling a Gonzaga team that most thought would beat BYU, I think BYU will continue their strong play and beat Florida by 6.

Wisconsin v Butler:  This is a hard one to pick.  I don't feel like Wisconsin is a particularly good team.  They play so slow and don't score many points.  But they also don't turn the ball over and they play good defense.  If Butler can create a fast paced game they should have a chance.  But I think Wisconsin continues to play their game and game the win.  This one will be the nail biter of this round and Wisconsin wins by 2.

Southwest Region

Kansas v Richmond:  Richmond has done great to get to this point.  My 12/5 upset pick did 1 better than I expected and beat Moorehead State in their 2nd game to get to the Sweet 16.  But Kansas is a whole separate story.  I think they will overwhelm Richmond by 13 and head to the Elite 8.

VCU v Florida State:  The most intriguing matchup of the round simply because it means at least one double digit seeded team will make the Elite 8.  Most experts didn't even think VCU deserved to be in the tourney but they crushed Purdue and Georgetown.  2 big teams from big conferences.  Florida State is interesting because they play well against good teams beating Duke in the regular season and now Notre Dame.  I think VCU has been the more impressive of the 2 and they will win a close one to become the "Cinderella" of the tournament.  VCU by 4.

Those are my picks.  Considering my track record in this tournament, take them with a grain of salt.

How's Your Bracket?

Well...I think it's time to accept defeat for my March Madness Bracket.  After the 1st round I had 2 brackets that were doing great.  One was in the 99.8 percentile on ESPN.  I only missed 2 picks out of the first round.  Unfortunately one of those was Louisville, who I had going to the final 4, and another was Michigan State who I had going to the Sweet 16.  So two costly errors, but I was still looking pretty good.

Then the 2nd Round started.  That's where the disaster was.  Really there was only one problem with the 2nd round.  Unfortunately, that had a huge impact because my pick for National Champion was knocked out in the most ridiculous finish I have ever seen.  I am obviously talking about the Pitt/Butler game

So, Pitt won the regular season title for the best conference in the country.  Sure they had a couple of more losses than the other #1 seeds, but I have no doubt they deserved a #1 seed also.  ON top of that, they seemed to me to be a team built perfectly for the tournament.  Good point guard play, and good big men.  And they play physical.  So my question is, what happened to the refs swallowing their whistles at the end of the game?  You almost never see fouls like that called at the end of the game.  They're too impactful.  And while both teams kind of suffered from interesting (to say the least) foul calls at the end, the last one that sent the Butler player to the line in a tie game with no time on the clock was one of the dumbest calls I've ever seen.

I don't know...maybe I'm just bitter that Pitt underachieved in the tournament yet again, and that my National Champion pick is gone after the 2nd round.

March Madness: The Madness Gets Started Early

It certainly didn't take long to find some upsets and buzzer beaters in this years' version of March Madness.  We're not even done with the first night and some high ranked teams have already gone down.  And I would just like to point out that I was the only one of those who voted that picked Richmond to upset Vanderbilt.  So let's get a quick recap of the upsets of the day.

As I said I picked this one :)  Richmond, from what I saw had the lead for most of the second half, and while it was a close game all the way to the end, they were able to hold off Vandy and hang on to the 12/5 upset.  Does that mean the other 5 seeds are safe?  West Virginia already won their game.  That leaves Kansas State and Arizona.

I think this is the one that no one saw coming.  Louisville has had a pretty good season, and they had a good run in the Big East Tournament.  And along comes little Moorehead State.  No way Rick Pitino can let his guys get beat by them.  Think again. Moorehead State hit a 3 with about 4 seconds left to win the game by 1.


Then there were the near upsets.  #4 Kentucky only managed to win by 2 over #13 Princeton.  And Temple and Butler each only won by 2 over their opponents: Penn State and Old Dominion.  It's been a crazy night, and I'm sure we can expect more of the same.  I love March Madness!

My Initial Bracket

This comes without doing much research, so it will possibly change.  But this is my initial impression on the brackets:

Top Half

Bottom Half

Championship Game

You should be able to click on the to make them larger, and feel free to argue with my choices.  I actually welcome it.  And I'd love to hear your opinions.

The Brackets Are In!

Selection Sunday has come and gone, and the brackets are complete.  March Madness has officially begun!  Fill out your bracket here!

I just want to hit on a few topics to get the wheels turning as you consider your brackets before the games start on Tuesday.

Top Seeds

I believe the top seeds are all very deserving.  Ohio State, Kansas, and Duke all won their conference tournaments, and you can't really argue with that.  Pitt also won the regular season of their tournament.  And coming out of the Big East, that is huge.  The question is which one do you think has the best chance to win it all.  I have Pitt taking the title.  I've been a fan of theirs all season, and they are always good.  I feel like this is their breakthrough year.

12/5 Upsets

Their always seems to be a 12/5 upset.  Which will it be this year?  You have UAB or Clemson vs Kentucky, Richmond v Vanderbilt, Memphis v Arizona, and Utah St. v Kansas St.  My pick for the upset is Richmond.  They have a history of upsets in this tournament, and I really don't think Vandy is all that good.  The other 5 seeds I think are pretty legit.  Kansas St had some down time this season, but they are peaking at the right time.  Kentucky is always a solid team.  I'm not as sure about Arizona, but Memphis isn't as good as they have been since Calipari left, so I think they are fine.  So I have Richmond in the upset over Vanderbilt.

Cinderella Team

The Cinderella pick is always the most difficult for me.  The teams that actually qualify as Cinderellas I never know enough about to pick them to go a long way.  I guess the biggest surprises I have are Penn State and Michigan State going to the Sweet 16, although I don't really feel like either one of those is a Cinderella.

So that's my initial evaluation of the brackets.  I haven't had too much time to research.  I'll follow up with my full bracket and maybe some more analysis later.  Have fun filling out your brackets.  Let me know what your picks are.

It's March, Let the Madness Begin!

It's March!  And you know what that means:

It's time for the underdogs to shine; time for the mid-majors to rise up and make a name for themselves; time for buzzer beaters; and time for someone to turn himself into a superstar.  As far as basketball is concerned it's the most wonderful time of the year.  And we've already had some of these in the conference championships.

Kemba Walker made a name for himself early in the season with some staggering numbers.  But in the middle part of the season he fell off the map a bit as UConn began to struggle a little.  In the Big East Conference tournament he's putting on a show again.  They've played 3 games in the tourney so far against Depaul, #22 Georgetown, and #3 Pitt.  They have won all 3 games and Walker has averaged 26 points, 6 rebounds and over 4 assists.  Plus he knocked down a buzzer beater to claim the victory over Pitt.

Then there was the St John's v Rutgers game last night.  That was drama for different reasons than basketball.  The refs kind of killed that game.  With less than 10 seconds to go Rutgers inbounded the ball with a chance to tie or win the game.  Their was a potential foul on the inbound, but that was questionable and not called.  So St John's stole the ball and thought they finished the game.  So the player who stole it ran up the court, traveled and, stepped out of bounds with almost 2 seconds left on the clock.  All of those would have given the ball back to Rutgers with time left to take a shot, unfortunately none of them were called, so Rutgers never got the chance.  The refs have since resigned from the tournament.

Expect more drama to unfold in the next couple of days leading up to Selection Sunday.  What bubble team will end up getting knocked out the NCAA tournament because of an underdog winning their conference?  It's anyone's guess, and that what makes it so great?

By the way, when will college football catch on?