Lets see if I can pick the winners of all the games from the Sweet Sixteen to the finals and win $1M from Yahoo!
SWEET SIXTEEN
North Carolina v Washington St--UNC will roll here. I don't think they will top the 100 point mark against this stingy defense, but I also don't think Washington State can hang with the boys from North Carolina. My pick--UNC.
Tennessee v Louisville--Louisville will win in a close one. Louisville is just playing too good right now. I think they will give anybody a run for their money at this point. My pick--Louisville.
Kansas v Villanova--'Nova's run will end here. KU is a very balanced team that is playing very well right now. My pick--KU.
Wisconsin v Davidson--I think this will be a real close game. Stephen Curry will once again prove to be too much for his opponent. Davidson will win this one in either OT or towards the end of regulation. My pick--Davidson.
Memphis v Michigan State--Memphis will shoot over 50 free throws and only make about 25-30 of them. Memphis will be the first 1-seed to falter and go home. My pick--Michigan State.
Texas v Stanford--Stanford and it's twin towers, the Lopez brothers, will hold off a very good Texas team. Once again Brook Lopez hits the winning shot from the baseline. My pick--Stanford.
UCLA v Western Kentucky--UCLA will roll the Hilltoppers back to Kentucky. This one shouldn't even be close. My pick--UCLA.
Xavier v West Virginia--This will be the best game of the Sweet Sixteen. Both teams are playing extremely well. Joe Alexander will have a great game, but Xavier will pull it out in the end. My pick--Xavier.
ELITE EIGHT
North Carolina v Louisville--I think Louisville has actually been playing better as a team this tournament. Rick Pitino will lead yet another team to the Final Four. This will be the game of the Elite Eight. My pick--Louisville.
Kansas v Davidson--Stephen Curry will go off, but the Wildcats will not be able to stop Kansas. Kansas will win this game before the second half is half over. My pick--Kansas.
Stanford v Michigan State--Stanford shoots free throws better than Memphis and Michigan State will foul a lot, as is their style, and Stanford will use those free throws to advance into the Final Four. My pick--Stanford.
UCLA v Xavier--UCLA has not looked very good since the first round. Xavier will outlast the Bruins and advance to the Final Four. My pick--Xavier.
FINAL FOUR
Kansas v Louisville--Kansas will prevail here in an OT battle. Look for a last second winner from Chalmers. My pick--Kansas.
Stanford v Xavier--Stanford's twin towers will keep Xavier in check and Stanford will advance to the Finals in another squeaker. My pick--Stanford.
FINALS
Kansas v Stanford--Kansas' outside shooting will be too much for Stanford. The Lopez brothers will keep Stanford in this game to the end, but KU will prevail. My pick--Kansas.
Well, there you have it. My revised NCAA tournament picks. Hopefully I will do better than my first two rounds.
Showing posts with label March Madness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March Madness. Show all posts
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Busted Bracket League
If you would like to join my busted bracket league just follow this link, or if you prefer, just register on Yahoo and enter this group ID--1709 and leave the password field blank. Here are my busted bracket picks. HA! I will post these on Thursday after the games start. Here is a recap of what I picked in the full bracket league.
EAST
UNC v Wash St--UNC
Louisville v Tennessee--Louisville
UNC v Louisville--UNC
MIDWEST
KU v Clemson--KU
USC v Davidson--USC
KU v USC--KU
SOUTH
Memphis v Pittsburgh--Pittsburgh
Stanford v Texas--Stanford
Stanford v Pittsburgh--Pittsburgh
WEST
UCLA v Drake--UCLA
Xavier v West Virginia--Xavier
UCLA v Xavier--Xavier
Of course not all of those games are the teams that are actually playing, but those are the ones I officially picked when the brackets closed last Thursday.
EAST
UNC v Wash St--UNC
Louisville v Tennessee--Louisville
UNC v Louisville--UNC
MIDWEST
KU v Clemson--KU
USC v Davidson--USC
KU v USC--KU
SOUTH
Memphis v Pittsburgh--Pittsburgh
Stanford v Texas--Stanford
Stanford v Pittsburgh--Pittsburgh
WEST
UCLA v Drake--UCLA
Xavier v West Virginia--Xavier
UCLA v Xavier--Xavier
Of course not all of those games are the teams that are actually playing, but those are the ones I officially picked when the brackets closed last Thursday.
Round 2 Action--Sunday
Last day of games until next Thursday when the Sweet Sixteen begin.
North Carolina v Arkansas--No contest, yet again. North Carolina blows through Raleigh with back-to-back 100 point efforts. Final score--UNC 108, Arkansas 77. My pick--UNC, 1-0.
Louisville v Oklahoma--Louisville ran all over Oklahoma. They played so well that Rick Pitino just sat on the bench and watched with delight. Louisville scored 44 points in the first half---Oklahoma scored 48 for the game. Final score--Louisville 78, Oklahoma 48. My pick--Louisville, 2-0.
Tennessee v Butler--Butler should have won this game. Close game throughout with several lead changes. Tennessee hit some late free throws to ice it. Final score--Tennessee 76, Butler 70. My pick--Tennessee, 3-0.
Villanova v Xavier--'Nova took it to the Saints and kept them at bay the whole game. Siena tried to make a small comeback in the second half, but Villanova never let them mount any thing substantial. Final score--Villanova 84, Siena 72. My pick--Clemson, 3-1.
Georgetown v Davidson--Awesome baby, Awesome!!! Stephen Curry is the player of the tournament so far. 70 points in two games. Again, he decided to wait until the second half to start playing, but it didn't matter. G'Town is a great defensive team, they also shot 63% from the field, but they couldn't stop the Curry Express. Davidson forced 20 turnovers and committed just four. Final score--Davidson 74, G'Town 70. My pick--Davidson(I changed this about 1 hour after I saved my original bracket), 4-1.
Western Kentucky v San Diego--The other 12 v 13 battle(Villanova and Siena was the other). Western Kentucky use 29 points from Courtney Lee to earn their first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 15 years. Final score--WKY 72, San Diego 63. My pick--Drake, 4-2.
Texas v Miami--Miami staged a great comeback effort. They were down by 17 with just over 4 minutes left in the game. Poor ball-handling and bad shooting down the stretch almost cost Texas a Sweet Sixteen appearance. They hit a few clutch free throws to hold of the Hurricanes. Final score--Texas 75, Miami 72. My pick--Texas, 5-2.
Memphis v Mississippi State--Memphis should have been the first #1 seed to fall and almost cost themselves the game. Mississippi State scored five quick points to pull within 3 with about 20 seconds to go. Poor free throw shooting almost did Memphis in (they shot a pathetic 47% from the charity stripe). They held on to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Final score--Memphis 77, Mississippi State 74. My pick--Memphis, 6-2.
Another good round for me. 6-2 on the day and 35-13 for the tournament.
North Carolina v Arkansas--No contest, yet again. North Carolina blows through Raleigh with back-to-back 100 point efforts. Final score--UNC 108, Arkansas 77. My pick--UNC, 1-0.
Louisville v Oklahoma--Louisville ran all over Oklahoma. They played so well that Rick Pitino just sat on the bench and watched with delight. Louisville scored 44 points in the first half---Oklahoma scored 48 for the game. Final score--Louisville 78, Oklahoma 48. My pick--Louisville, 2-0.
Tennessee v Butler--Butler should have won this game. Close game throughout with several lead changes. Tennessee hit some late free throws to ice it. Final score--Tennessee 76, Butler 70. My pick--Tennessee, 3-0.
Villanova v Xavier--'Nova took it to the Saints and kept them at bay the whole game. Siena tried to make a small comeback in the second half, but Villanova never let them mount any thing substantial. Final score--Villanova 84, Siena 72. My pick--Clemson, 3-1.
Georgetown v Davidson--Awesome baby, Awesome!!! Stephen Curry is the player of the tournament so far. 70 points in two games. Again, he decided to wait until the second half to start playing, but it didn't matter. G'Town is a great defensive team, they also shot 63% from the field, but they couldn't stop the Curry Express. Davidson forced 20 turnovers and committed just four. Final score--Davidson 74, G'Town 70. My pick--Davidson(I changed this about 1 hour after I saved my original bracket), 4-1.
Western Kentucky v San Diego--The other 12 v 13 battle(Villanova and Siena was the other). Western Kentucky use 29 points from Courtney Lee to earn their first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 15 years. Final score--WKY 72, San Diego 63. My pick--Drake, 4-2.
Texas v Miami--Miami staged a great comeback effort. They were down by 17 with just over 4 minutes left in the game. Poor ball-handling and bad shooting down the stretch almost cost Texas a Sweet Sixteen appearance. They hit a few clutch free throws to hold of the Hurricanes. Final score--Texas 75, Miami 72. My pick--Texas, 5-2.
Memphis v Mississippi State--Memphis should have been the first #1 seed to fall and almost cost themselves the game. Mississippi State scored five quick points to pull within 3 with about 20 seconds to go. Poor free throw shooting almost did Memphis in (they shot a pathetic 47% from the charity stripe). They held on to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Final score--Memphis 77, Mississippi State 74. My pick--Memphis, 6-2.
Another good round for me. 6-2 on the day and 35-13 for the tournament.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Round 2 Action--Saturday
So round one had some huge upsets and some teams plugging along like these games are just more games in the season. Let s see how I did this day.
Washington State v Notre Dame--Washington State was clearly the better team today. The Fighting Irish didn't put up much fight in this game. Harangody was horrible and looked nothing like the Big East POY, which is the major reason the Irish were never in this game. Final score--Wash St 61, Notre Dame 41. My pick--Wash St, 1-0 today.
Kansas v UNLV--UNLV kept it close until halftime and only trailed by five going into the second half. KU stopped toying with the Runnin' Rebels and put this game out of reach early in the second half. Of course UNLV made it easier with tow of it's 10 players fouling out with around 9 minutes left in the game. Final score--KU 75, UNLV 56. My pick--Kansas, 2-0 today.
Wisconsin v Kansas State--Michael Beasley did his best to keep K-State in this game. He scored 23 of the Wildcats 55 points. Too bad Wisconsin scored 72. K-State never really got into this game as the Badger D kept them out of rhythm the whole game. Final score--Wisconsin 72, K-State 55. My pick--USC, 2-1 today.
I would have picked K-State if I had picked them to win the first round game.
West Virginia v Duke--Duke was way over-seeded in this tournament. They had a good year, but they should have been a 4-5 seed, where they probably would have been upset in the first round the way they played. WVU had no trouble sending Duke back to North Carolina to watch the rest of the tournament from their couches. Final score--WVU 73, Duke 67. My pick--WVU, 3-1 today.
Xavier v Purdue--Good close game throughout. Xavier hit some clutch free throws and shot 54% from the field for the game to edge the Boilermakers. Final score--Xavier 85, Purdue 78. My pick--Xavier, 4-1 today.
UCLA v Texas A&M--The Bruins survive their second round match-up and I do mean survive. They trailed by three at halftime and had to rely on a key block to keep the Aggies from sending the game into OT. A&M almost beat the number one seed despite shooting only 43% from the charity stripe and having their shots blocked eleven times. UCLA's Kevin Love had 7 blocks on the game, many coming towards the end of the game. Final score--UCLA 51, Texas A&M 49. My pick--UCLA, 5-1 today.
Pittsburgh v Michigan State--DAMMIT!!!!! Son of a bitch. Michigan State out rebounded the Panthers and help Pitt to a dismal 12% shooting from behind the arc and just 33% from 2-point land. Neitzel couldn't be stopped in the closing minutes as he helped the Spartans hold off a late Panther rush. Final score--Michigan State 65, Pitt 54. My pick--Pittsburgh, 5-2 today.
DAMMIT all to hell!!!! I had Pitt going all the way to the finals. Nothing like having one of your favorites lose early to fuck up your bracket.
Stanford v Marquette--The Cardinal rallied to force OT then waited until the last second to finish off a tough Marquette team. Brook Lopez finished off an amazing night by hitting the go ahead jumper from the baseline with about 1 second to go. Trailing by 6 at the half and without their coach for the second half and OT, the Cardinal climbed aboard the Lopez train and rode it to the finish. Final score--Stanford 82, Marquette 81. My pick--Stanford, 6-2 today.
Aside from the Pittsburgh debacle I did rather well today. 6-2 today and 29-11 overall.
Washington State v Notre Dame--Washington State was clearly the better team today. The Fighting Irish didn't put up much fight in this game. Harangody was horrible and looked nothing like the Big East POY, which is the major reason the Irish were never in this game. Final score--Wash St 61, Notre Dame 41. My pick--Wash St, 1-0 today.
Kansas v UNLV--UNLV kept it close until halftime and only trailed by five going into the second half. KU stopped toying with the Runnin' Rebels and put this game out of reach early in the second half. Of course UNLV made it easier with tow of it's 10 players fouling out with around 9 minutes left in the game. Final score--KU 75, UNLV 56. My pick--Kansas, 2-0 today.
Wisconsin v Kansas State--Michael Beasley did his best to keep K-State in this game. He scored 23 of the Wildcats 55 points. Too bad Wisconsin scored 72. K-State never really got into this game as the Badger D kept them out of rhythm the whole game. Final score--Wisconsin 72, K-State 55. My pick--USC, 2-1 today.
I would have picked K-State if I had picked them to win the first round game.
West Virginia v Duke--Duke was way over-seeded in this tournament. They had a good year, but they should have been a 4-5 seed, where they probably would have been upset in the first round the way they played. WVU had no trouble sending Duke back to North Carolina to watch the rest of the tournament from their couches. Final score--WVU 73, Duke 67. My pick--WVU, 3-1 today.
Xavier v Purdue--Good close game throughout. Xavier hit some clutch free throws and shot 54% from the field for the game to edge the Boilermakers. Final score--Xavier 85, Purdue 78. My pick--Xavier, 4-1 today.
UCLA v Texas A&M--The Bruins survive their second round match-up and I do mean survive. They trailed by three at halftime and had to rely on a key block to keep the Aggies from sending the game into OT. A&M almost beat the number one seed despite shooting only 43% from the charity stripe and having their shots blocked eleven times. UCLA's Kevin Love had 7 blocks on the game, many coming towards the end of the game. Final score--UCLA 51, Texas A&M 49. My pick--UCLA, 5-1 today.
Pittsburgh v Michigan State--DAMMIT!!!!! Son of a bitch. Michigan State out rebounded the Panthers and help Pitt to a dismal 12% shooting from behind the arc and just 33% from 2-point land. Neitzel couldn't be stopped in the closing minutes as he helped the Spartans hold off a late Panther rush. Final score--Michigan State 65, Pitt 54. My pick--Pittsburgh, 5-2 today.
DAMMIT all to hell!!!! I had Pitt going all the way to the finals. Nothing like having one of your favorites lose early to fuck up your bracket.
Stanford v Marquette--The Cardinal rallied to force OT then waited until the last second to finish off a tough Marquette team. Brook Lopez finished off an amazing night by hitting the go ahead jumper from the baseline with about 1 second to go. Trailing by 6 at the half and without their coach for the second half and OT, the Cardinal climbed aboard the Lopez train and rode it to the finish. Final score--Stanford 82, Marquette 81. My pick--Stanford, 6-2 today.
Aside from the Pittsburgh debacle I did rather well today. 6-2 today and 29-11 overall.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Round 1 Action--Second Day
Day 2 provided some good games and some bad ones. Lets see how the games turned out.
North Carolina v Mount St Mary's--North Carolina eeked out a close one here. Final Score--North Carlina 113, Mount St. Mary's 74. My Pick--North Carolina, 1-0 on the day.
Indiana v Arkansas--Sampsonless Hoosiers were no match for the Razorbacks who ran all over them. Final Score--Arkansas 86, Indiana 72. My Pick--Arkansas, 2-0 today.
Oklahoma v St Joseph's--I thought this was going to be a better game. OU ended up being too much for St Joseph's. Godbold picked this game to start becoming a force. Final Score--OU 72, St Joe's 64. My pick--St. Joe's, 2-1 today.
Louisville v Boise State--Louisville looked better than they have all year in this rout of Boise State. A deep bench will put Louisville far into the tournament. Final score--Louisville 79, Boise State 61. My pick--Louisville, 3-1 today.
Butler v South Alabama--This game was a blowout from the beginning. Butler never let South Alabama get into a rhythm and moved on to the second round. I thought this game would have been closer. Final Score--Butler 81, South Alabama 61. My pick--South Alabama, 3-2 today.
Tennessee v American--American was trying to pull off the huge upset. They actually had a chance in this game and were down only one with around 4 minutes to go. Then they just disappeared. I hate to see these underdog teams play great for about 35 minutes then turn to shit the final 5 and let the score get out of hand. This game was a lot closer than the score indicates. Final Score--Tennessee 72, American 57. My pick--Tennessee, 4-2 today.
Clemson v Villanova--What can I say upsets were in the air in Tampa. 'Nova ends the nightmare for the higher seeded teams by beating Clemson and becoming the fourth lower seed to win in Tampa on the day. Final score--'Nova 75, Clemson 69. My pick--Clemson, 4-3 today.
Vanderbilt v Siena--Siena destroyed Vanderbilt. The Saints led from start to finish and proved that the Commodores can't shoot away from their home arena. Final score--Siena 83, Vanderbilt 62. My pick--Siena, 5-3 today.
Gonzaga v Davidson--Stephen Curry baited the Bulldogs into thinking he was just going to have a mediocre game, he had 10 points at halftime. He exploded for 30 fuckin' points in the second half. He was raining three's and any other shot he took in the second half and helped Davidson pull off the mild upset over Gonzaga. Final Score--Davidson 82, Gonzaga 76. My pick--Davidson, 6-3 today.
Georgetown v UMBC--UMBC had thoughts of an upset and actually led in the game about 5 minutes in. Then they realized they were playing a 2-seed and started playing like a typical 15-seed. Georgetown pulled away from there and won. Final Score--G'Town 66, UMBC 47. My pick--G'Town, 7-3 today.
Memphis v TX Arlington--Another one seed blowout. Final score--Memphis 87, TX Arlington 63. My pick--Memphis, 8-3 today.
Mississippi St v Oregon--This game could have gone either way. Oregon blew their chance to advance to the second round by not playing defense in the second half. The Ducks had a 10-point halftime lead and let the Bulldogs outscore them by 17 in the second half. Final score--Mississippi State 76, Oregon 69. My pick--Mississippi State, 9-3 today.
Miami (FL) v St. Mary's--St. Mary's led by 5 at the half. They decided they didn't need to play any defense in the second half and let Miami drop 51 points on their ass in the second half. They lost. Final Score--Miami 78, St Mary's 64. My pick--St. Mary's, 9-4 today.
Texas v Austin Peay--Blowout city. Texas led from start to finish. Final Score--Texas 74, Austin Peay 54. My pick--Texas, 10-4 today.
Drake v Western Kentucky-- Un-fucking-believable. Western Kentucky pulls the huge upset over 5-seed Drake. Drake fought back from a 16-point deficit to force overtime. They had a 1-point lead with 2 seconds on the clock. How the hell do you let a team get the ball all the way down the damn court to just outside the arc? Ty Rogers hits the game winning three to give WKU the dramatic win in OT. Final Score--WKU 101, Drake 99. My pick--Drake, 10-5 today.
UConn v San Diego--You have got to love the underdog. Tampa saw all four underdog team win their games. San Diego was the second team to take out a higher seed on the day. They followed Western Kentucky's win over Drake with their own shocker. UConn forced OT and De'Jon Jackson gave the upstart Torero's a upset win at the buzzer in OT. Final score--San Diego 70, UConn 69. My pick--San Diego (another pick I changed at the last minute), 11-5 today.
11-5 on the day and 23-9 for the first two days. Not bad, but it is far from first in my bracket league. The UConn loss helped since at least one person had them in the finals.
North Carolina v Mount St Mary's--North Carolina eeked out a close one here. Final Score--North Carlina 113, Mount St. Mary's 74. My Pick--North Carolina, 1-0 on the day.
Indiana v Arkansas--Sampsonless Hoosiers were no match for the Razorbacks who ran all over them. Final Score--Arkansas 86, Indiana 72. My Pick--Arkansas, 2-0 today.
Oklahoma v St Joseph's--I thought this was going to be a better game. OU ended up being too much for St Joseph's. Godbold picked this game to start becoming a force. Final Score--OU 72, St Joe's 64. My pick--St. Joe's, 2-1 today.
Louisville v Boise State--Louisville looked better than they have all year in this rout of Boise State. A deep bench will put Louisville far into the tournament. Final score--Louisville 79, Boise State 61. My pick--Louisville, 3-1 today.
Butler v South Alabama--This game was a blowout from the beginning. Butler never let South Alabama get into a rhythm and moved on to the second round. I thought this game would have been closer. Final Score--Butler 81, South Alabama 61. My pick--South Alabama, 3-2 today.
Tennessee v American--American was trying to pull off the huge upset. They actually had a chance in this game and were down only one with around 4 minutes to go. Then they just disappeared. I hate to see these underdog teams play great for about 35 minutes then turn to shit the final 5 and let the score get out of hand. This game was a lot closer than the score indicates. Final Score--Tennessee 72, American 57. My pick--Tennessee, 4-2 today.
Clemson v Villanova--What can I say upsets were in the air in Tampa. 'Nova ends the nightmare for the higher seeded teams by beating Clemson and becoming the fourth lower seed to win in Tampa on the day. Final score--'Nova 75, Clemson 69. My pick--Clemson, 4-3 today.
Vanderbilt v Siena--Siena destroyed Vanderbilt. The Saints led from start to finish and proved that the Commodores can't shoot away from their home arena. Final score--Siena 83, Vanderbilt 62. My pick--Siena, 5-3 today.
Gonzaga v Davidson--Stephen Curry baited the Bulldogs into thinking he was just going to have a mediocre game, he had 10 points at halftime. He exploded for 30 fuckin' points in the second half. He was raining three's and any other shot he took in the second half and helped Davidson pull off the mild upset over Gonzaga. Final Score--Davidson 82, Gonzaga 76. My pick--Davidson, 6-3 today.
Georgetown v UMBC--UMBC had thoughts of an upset and actually led in the game about 5 minutes in. Then they realized they were playing a 2-seed and started playing like a typical 15-seed. Georgetown pulled away from there and won. Final Score--G'Town 66, UMBC 47. My pick--G'Town, 7-3 today.
Memphis v TX Arlington--Another one seed blowout. Final score--Memphis 87, TX Arlington 63. My pick--Memphis, 8-3 today.
Mississippi St v Oregon--This game could have gone either way. Oregon blew their chance to advance to the second round by not playing defense in the second half. The Ducks had a 10-point halftime lead and let the Bulldogs outscore them by 17 in the second half. Final score--Mississippi State 76, Oregon 69. My pick--Mississippi State, 9-3 today.
Miami (FL) v St. Mary's--St. Mary's led by 5 at the half. They decided they didn't need to play any defense in the second half and let Miami drop 51 points on their ass in the second half. They lost. Final Score--Miami 78, St Mary's 64. My pick--St. Mary's, 9-4 today.
Texas v Austin Peay--Blowout city. Texas led from start to finish. Final Score--Texas 74, Austin Peay 54. My pick--Texas, 10-4 today.
Drake v Western Kentucky-- Un-fucking-believable. Western Kentucky pulls the huge upset over 5-seed Drake. Drake fought back from a 16-point deficit to force overtime. They had a 1-point lead with 2 seconds on the clock. How the hell do you let a team get the ball all the way down the damn court to just outside the arc? Ty Rogers hits the game winning three to give WKU the dramatic win in OT. Final Score--WKU 101, Drake 99. My pick--Drake, 10-5 today.
UConn v San Diego--You have got to love the underdog. Tampa saw all four underdog team win their games. San Diego was the second team to take out a higher seed on the day. They followed Western Kentucky's win over Drake with their own shocker. UConn forced OT and De'Jon Jackson gave the upstart Torero's a upset win at the buzzer in OT. Final score--San Diego 70, UConn 69. My pick--San Diego (another pick I changed at the last minute), 11-5 today.
11-5 on the day and 23-9 for the first two days. Not bad, but it is far from first in my bracket league. The UConn loss helped since at least one person had them in the finals.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Round 1 Action
The first 16 games are in the books. Some close ones and some disappointments for me. Lets break the games down a little.
Notre Dame v George Mason--Notre Dame jumped on George Mason early and never looked back. This one was never really close as Notre Dame finally wins a first round game. Final score--Notre Dame 68, George Mason 50. My pick--ND, I'm 1-0 so far.
Washington State v Winthrop--Someone forgot to tell Winthrop that there was a second half. After going into halftime tied at 29 the Winthrop Eagles score a pathetic 11 points in the second half and get blown away by Washington State. Final Score--Wash St 71, Winthrop 40. My pick--Wash St, 2-0.
Kansas v Portland State--KU became the first team to hold off the upset. They jumped all over Portland State right from the start and held on to win by a measly 24 points. Final Score--KU 85, Portland State 61. My pick--KU, 3-0
UNLV v Kent State--The real Kent State left Ohio late and they had to pull 5 guys from the stands to play the first half for them. The result....a 31-10 halftime deficit. By the time the real team showed up, the UNLV players were relaxing in a hot tub back at their hotel. Final Score--UNLV 71, Kent State 58. My pick--Kent State, 3-1.
USC v Kansas State--Who the fuck is Bill Walker? I know, I know...he averaged 16 points during the season, but was never talked about. All anybody ever talked about was Michael Beasley. Beasley wins this contest against Mayo. Next time they play each other will be in the NBA. USC was never in this one thanks to Walker in the first half and Beasley in the second. Final Score--KSU 80, USC 67. My pick--USC, 3-2.
Hhmmm...USC was a team I had beating Wisconsin in the next round....shit.
Wisconsin v Cal St Fullerton--Wisconsin played some tough D and took control of this one early. One of the many yawners of the day. Final Score--Wisconsin 71, Cal St Fullerton 56. My pick--Wisconsin, 4-2
Michigan State v Temple--Michigan State keeps Christmas from coming to early for Temple in Denver. They keep the Temple star from being even a remote factor in this game and rough up the Owls. Final Score--Michigan State 72, Temple 61. My pick--Temple (I switched to Temple just before the brackets closed...dammit), 4-3
Pittsburgh v Oral Roberts--Rough and tumble Pittsburgh man-handled the Golden Eagles. Oral Roberts was out-played from beginning to end. Final Score--Pitt 82, Oral Roberts 63. My pick--Pitt, 5-3
Good thing Pitt looks like the Pitt from the beginning of the year since I have them going to the Finals.
Marquette v Kentucky--Kentucky made it close behind the fantastic play of Joe Crawford. It wasn't enough as Marquette hit their free throws late in the game and hold off a feisty Kentucky team. Final Score--Marquette 74, Kentucky 66. My pick--Marquette, 6-3
Stanford v Cornell--YAWN!!!!! What a terrible game. Cornell tried hard, but couldn't keep up with Stanford. Final Score--Stanford 77, Cornell 53. My pick--Stanford, 7-3
UCLA v Miss Valley St--There was absolutely no doubt in this one. MVSU might as well have saved there bus money as they score a paltry and pathetic 29 points. That is the fewest points in like 50 years and the fewest in the shot clock era. UCLA looked good. Final Score--UCLA 70, MVSU 29. My pick--UCLA, 8-3
BYU v Texas A&M--Texas A&M rode the play of Josh Carter to the second round. They held off a spunky BYU team with some late free throws. Final Score--Texas A&M 67, BYU 62. My pick--Texas A&M, 9-3
Xavier v Georgia--Xavier looked ugly in the first half and trailed Georgia by 9 at halftime. They composed themselves and came out a different team in the second half and dominated Georgia, who couldn't keep their magical run going. Final Score--Xavier 73, Georgia 61. My pick--Xavier, 10-3
Purdue v Baylor--Baylor ran a lot of teams into the ground during the regular season, while Purdue use a good back-court game to control the pace. Purdue decided to play Baylor's style of game and ran away from the Bears from the get go. Final Score--Purdue 90, Baylor 79. My pick--Baylor, 10-4
This loss sucked. I really thought the Baylor Bears had a better team than this.
West Virginia v Arizona--West Virginia wore down the under-manned Wildcats. Final Score--WVU 75, Arizona 65. My pick--WVU, 11-4
Duke v Belmont--WOO HOO!!!! What a game. By far, the best game of the first day. Belmont blew the chance of a fucking lifetime. They led by 1 with about 20 seconds remaining. However, they could not close the deal and allowed Gerald Henderson to go end-to-end for an easy layup to give Duke the victory. Final Score--Duke 71, Belmont 70. My pick--Duke, 12-4
Too bad, I would have taken the loss to see Duke get upset as a 2 seed in the first round.
So my record through the first 16 games is 12-4. Hopefully the second set of 16 games will be better for me.
Notre Dame v George Mason--Notre Dame jumped on George Mason early and never looked back. This one was never really close as Notre Dame finally wins a first round game. Final score--Notre Dame 68, George Mason 50. My pick--ND, I'm 1-0 so far.
Washington State v Winthrop--Someone forgot to tell Winthrop that there was a second half. After going into halftime tied at 29 the Winthrop Eagles score a pathetic 11 points in the second half and get blown away by Washington State. Final Score--Wash St 71, Winthrop 40. My pick--Wash St, 2-0.
Kansas v Portland State--KU became the first team to hold off the upset. They jumped all over Portland State right from the start and held on to win by a measly 24 points. Final Score--KU 85, Portland State 61. My pick--KU, 3-0
UNLV v Kent State--The real Kent State left Ohio late and they had to pull 5 guys from the stands to play the first half for them. The result....a 31-10 halftime deficit. By the time the real team showed up, the UNLV players were relaxing in a hot tub back at their hotel. Final Score--UNLV 71, Kent State 58. My pick--Kent State, 3-1.
USC v Kansas State--Who the fuck is Bill Walker? I know, I know...he averaged 16 points during the season, but was never talked about. All anybody ever talked about was Michael Beasley. Beasley wins this contest against Mayo. Next time they play each other will be in the NBA. USC was never in this one thanks to Walker in the first half and Beasley in the second. Final Score--KSU 80, USC 67. My pick--USC, 3-2.
Hhmmm...USC was a team I had beating Wisconsin in the next round....shit.
Wisconsin v Cal St Fullerton--Wisconsin played some tough D and took control of this one early. One of the many yawners of the day. Final Score--Wisconsin 71, Cal St Fullerton 56. My pick--Wisconsin, 4-2
Michigan State v Temple--Michigan State keeps Christmas from coming to early for Temple in Denver. They keep the Temple star from being even a remote factor in this game and rough up the Owls. Final Score--Michigan State 72, Temple 61. My pick--Temple (I switched to Temple just before the brackets closed...dammit), 4-3
Pittsburgh v Oral Roberts--Rough and tumble Pittsburgh man-handled the Golden Eagles. Oral Roberts was out-played from beginning to end. Final Score--Pitt 82, Oral Roberts 63. My pick--Pitt, 5-3
Good thing Pitt looks like the Pitt from the beginning of the year since I have them going to the Finals.
Marquette v Kentucky--Kentucky made it close behind the fantastic play of Joe Crawford. It wasn't enough as Marquette hit their free throws late in the game and hold off a feisty Kentucky team. Final Score--Marquette 74, Kentucky 66. My pick--Marquette, 6-3
Stanford v Cornell--YAWN!!!!! What a terrible game. Cornell tried hard, but couldn't keep up with Stanford. Final Score--Stanford 77, Cornell 53. My pick--Stanford, 7-3
UCLA v Miss Valley St--There was absolutely no doubt in this one. MVSU might as well have saved there bus money as they score a paltry and pathetic 29 points. That is the fewest points in like 50 years and the fewest in the shot clock era. UCLA looked good. Final Score--UCLA 70, MVSU 29. My pick--UCLA, 8-3
BYU v Texas A&M--Texas A&M rode the play of Josh Carter to the second round. They held off a spunky BYU team with some late free throws. Final Score--Texas A&M 67, BYU 62. My pick--Texas A&M, 9-3
Xavier v Georgia--Xavier looked ugly in the first half and trailed Georgia by 9 at halftime. They composed themselves and came out a different team in the second half and dominated Georgia, who couldn't keep their magical run going. Final Score--Xavier 73, Georgia 61. My pick--Xavier, 10-3
Purdue v Baylor--Baylor ran a lot of teams into the ground during the regular season, while Purdue use a good back-court game to control the pace. Purdue decided to play Baylor's style of game and ran away from the Bears from the get go. Final Score--Purdue 90, Baylor 79. My pick--Baylor, 10-4
This loss sucked. I really thought the Baylor Bears had a better team than this.
West Virginia v Arizona--West Virginia wore down the under-manned Wildcats. Final Score--WVU 75, Arizona 65. My pick--WVU, 11-4
Duke v Belmont--WOO HOO!!!! What a game. By far, the best game of the first day. Belmont blew the chance of a fucking lifetime. They led by 1 with about 20 seconds remaining. However, they could not close the deal and allowed Gerald Henderson to go end-to-end for an easy layup to give Duke the victory. Final Score--Duke 71, Belmont 70. My pick--Duke, 12-4
Too bad, I would have taken the loss to see Duke get upset as a 2 seed in the first round.
So my record through the first 16 games is 12-4. Hopefully the second set of 16 games will be better for me.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Let the Madness Begin!!!!!
The greatest sporting event, at least of March, is upon us. I don't really watch college basketball during the regular season, but I do follow and keep up with the teams. The following is the bracket I have entered into my online tournament league.
Click the title of the post if you would like to join us--the more the merrier. Group ID is 60640 and leave the password field blank.
Here are my picks within this league.
EAST REGION
First Round Winners:
North Carolina--Duh!
Arkansas--I hate Indiana, but I think the Razorbacks are the better team as well.
Notre Dame--I hate Notre Dame, but they have a good enough team to make it out of the first round. They should be able to ride Harangody, Big East POY, a few rounds at least.
Washington State--Had a horrible conference record but were lights out outside their conference. Going 13-1.
St. Joseph's--The Sooners are hurting and the Hawks are deadly from outside.
Louisville--Rick Pitino. Good coaching of a good team is always good for at least one win. Granted the Cardinals are a really good team. Should have no problem with Boise State.
South Alabama--I think these teams are pretty evenly matched so I picked the upset just to be different. Either one (South Alabama or Butler) is good for only one win anyway.
Tennessee--The Vols are hot and are the only team to beat Memphis so far this year. Very good team.
Second Round Winners:
North Carolina--UNC is probably the tournament winner in a majority of the brackets. Could be a good game as Arkansas did take out Tennessee in the SEC tournament.
Washington State--I hate Notre Dame. Washington State's shooting takes the advantage of Harangody away.
Louisville--Rick Pitino. St Joe's run ends against the Cardinals. Louisville is too tough defensively.
Tennessee--South Alabama or Butler should not be a problem for the hot Vols. Yes they lost in the SEC tournament, but that was a fluke.
Regional Semi Winners:
North Carolina--Washington State will not be able to answer for Hansbrough.
Louisville--This will be a great defensive game. I think Louisville's offense is just better enough to pull this game out.
Regional Finals Winner:
North Carolina--The best team of the region earns their trip to the final four.
MIDWEST REGION
First Round Winners:
Kansas--Duh!
Kent State--Evenly matched teams, but if UNLV gets cold from downtown, then it will be over quick. Kent State produces a lot of turnovers.
Clemson--Nova has had some good runs, but they should not be in this tournament. They got here on name only. The Tigers will have there way with the Wildcats.
Siena--My Cinderella team. Vandy can't shoot the ball away from their home court and Sienna doesn't turn the ball over. Should be a good game.
USC--Beasley is the best in the nation hands down, but he can only do so much. No help from his teammates will equal an early exit for K-State.
Wisconsin--I'm not too keen on the Badgers but they have a solid team and should handle CSU Fullerton with ease.
Davidson--Davidson is better than people realize and should pull off a mild shocker against Gonzaga.
Georgetown--The Hoya's should have won the Big East, but they ran into the buzzsaw that is Pittsburgh. They will fare better in this tournament.
Second Round Winners:
Kansas--Kansas should have no trouble keeping Kent State grounded. Their superior defense and offense will prevail.
Siena--The Saints will pull off their last upset in beating Clemson. Tigers are one of the best rebounding teams though, so if the Saints mis the mark too much I will be wrong.
USC--The Badgers will not be able to contain Mayo who will light them up and lead his team into the Semis.
Georgetown--The Hoyas should take the wind out of the Wildcats' sails. Davidson didn't really play anybody outside their conference so a powerhouse like G'Town will be a big problem.
Regional Semi Winners:
Kansas--The best team in the bracket will not have any trouble with Siena or Clemson or Villanova or Vanderbilt.
G'TownThe Mayo era at USC comes to a close with the Trojan's loss to Georgetown.
Regional Finals Winner:
Kansas--They are too balanced for the Hoyas to keep up.
SOUTH REGION
First Round Winners:
Memphis--Duh!
Mississippi State--Good match-up here could go either way. Oregon could just as easily win this game as the Bulldogs.
Michigan State--Temple is a decent team, but Tom Izzo is one of the best tournament coaches of all time.
Pittsburgh--My sleeper of this bracket. The Panthers have their two best players back from injury and are playing their best basketball of the year right now.
Marquette--Another Big East team. Kentucky will be a crowd favorite, but they just do not have it this year.
Stanford--The Cardinal should send the Ivy League rep (Cornell) packing easily. Ivy League teams have not won a tournament game in a long time.
St. Mary's--St. Mary's is great at stopping the three and Miami is good at shooting them. Stopping or at least altering shots is easier than making them....St. Mary's will win.
Texas--Beat Tennessee, UCLA, and Kansas(once). Shouldn't have any trouble with Austin Peay.
Second Round Winners:
Memphis--Ducks or Dogs....doesn't matter. The Tigers will eat them alive (as long as they don't have to win it from the line).
Pittsburgh--Here come the Panthers. Rough style will be too much for the Spartans.
Stanford--The Cardinal and their twin towers (Brook and Robin Lopez) will be too much for the under-sized Eagles.
Texas--Texas is too good to lose this early.
Regional Semi Winners:
Pittsburgh--I always liked Panthers better than Tigers. The physical style of Pittsburgh will keep Memphis at the line. Memphis sucks from the line. Game to Pittsburgh.
Stanford--The twin towers will prove the difference. Defense will be the key and Stanford had one of the best D's inside the arc.
Regional Finals Winner:
Pittsburgh--Again, the physical style of Pitt will get the twin towers into early foul trouble making it easier for the Panthers to score.
WEST REGION
First Round Winners:
UCLA--Duh!
BYU--Pick'em game between BYU and Texas A&M. Another 8v9 match-up that is way to close to call.
Drake--Drake is lights out from beyond the arc. Even with some cold shooting they should be able to make it past the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky.
UCONN--San Diego is no match for UConn. UConn is the #1 blocking team in the country and plays some tough D.
Baylor--Fluke loss to Colorado in the Big 12 tourney. Baylor is much better than their 11 seed.
Xavier--Georgia played WAY above themselves in the SEC tourney. The Minutemen will shoot their bubble out and bring them crashing back to earth.
West Virginia--WVU is the better team and will keep Arizona from playing in Phoenix later in the bracket.
Duke--Coach K.
Second Round Winners:
UCLA--The Bruins will run over whoever they face in this round.
Drake--UConn plays great D against the short stuff, but Drake will bomb the Huskies right out of the building.
Xavier--Minutemen are well balanced and should end Baylor's run. Probably will be a pretty high scoring game.
West Virginia--Joe Alexander will dominate the boards and any pathetic body Duke gets close to him. Duke relies too much on their 3's and has no defense what-so-ever. They also have absolutely nobody to challenge Alexander in the paint.
Regional Semi Winners:
UCLA--Too much for the Bulldogs of Drake. Drake may be able to rain the 3's on you but they also have to stop the multi-faceted offense of the Bruins....something that won't happen.
Xavier--The Minutemen are more balanced and more disciplined than the Mountaineers. Close game that will go Xavier's way in the end.
Regional Finals Winner:
UCLA--Dominant team that will dominate. Even more balanced than Xavier. Will move into yet another Final Four.
FINAL FOUR
Game 1:
Kansas--Kansas will finally end their futility against North Carolina. Defense will be the key to the Jayhawks win. The Jayhawks play better D than the Tar Heels and have a good enough offense to out score North Carolina in the end.
Game 2:
Pittsburgh--The beast from the Big East will pound the Bruins into the ground. As long as the ref's don't hand the game to UCLA (like they did in the PAC-10 tourney) then Pitt will grind the Bruins down over the course of 40 minutes.
FINALS
Kansas--Kansas will play the rough style of Pitt and still beat them. The Jayhawks are the best in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Click the title of the post if you would like to join us--the more the merrier. Group ID is 60640 and leave the password field blank.
Here are my picks within this league.
EAST REGION
First Round Winners:
North Carolina--Duh!
Arkansas--I hate Indiana, but I think the Razorbacks are the better team as well.
Notre Dame--I hate Notre Dame, but they have a good enough team to make it out of the first round. They should be able to ride Harangody, Big East POY, a few rounds at least.
Washington State--Had a horrible conference record but were lights out outside their conference. Going 13-1.
St. Joseph's--The Sooners are hurting and the Hawks are deadly from outside.
Louisville--Rick Pitino. Good coaching of a good team is always good for at least one win. Granted the Cardinals are a really good team. Should have no problem with Boise State.
South Alabama--I think these teams are pretty evenly matched so I picked the upset just to be different. Either one (South Alabama or Butler) is good for only one win anyway.
Tennessee--The Vols are hot and are the only team to beat Memphis so far this year. Very good team.
Second Round Winners:
North Carolina--UNC is probably the tournament winner in a majority of the brackets. Could be a good game as Arkansas did take out Tennessee in the SEC tournament.
Washington State--I hate Notre Dame. Washington State's shooting takes the advantage of Harangody away.
Louisville--Rick Pitino. St Joe's run ends against the Cardinals. Louisville is too tough defensively.
Tennessee--South Alabama or Butler should not be a problem for the hot Vols. Yes they lost in the SEC tournament, but that was a fluke.
Regional Semi Winners:
North Carolina--Washington State will not be able to answer for Hansbrough.
Louisville--This will be a great defensive game. I think Louisville's offense is just better enough to pull this game out.
Regional Finals Winner:
North Carolina--The best team of the region earns their trip to the final four.
MIDWEST REGION
First Round Winners:
Kansas--Duh!
Kent State--Evenly matched teams, but if UNLV gets cold from downtown, then it will be over quick. Kent State produces a lot of turnovers.
Clemson--Nova has had some good runs, but they should not be in this tournament. They got here on name only. The Tigers will have there way with the Wildcats.
Siena--My Cinderella team. Vandy can't shoot the ball away from their home court and Sienna doesn't turn the ball over. Should be a good game.
USC--Beasley is the best in the nation hands down, but he can only do so much. No help from his teammates will equal an early exit for K-State.
Wisconsin--I'm not too keen on the Badgers but they have a solid team and should handle CSU Fullerton with ease.
Davidson--Davidson is better than people realize and should pull off a mild shocker against Gonzaga.
Georgetown--The Hoya's should have won the Big East, but they ran into the buzzsaw that is Pittsburgh. They will fare better in this tournament.
Second Round Winners:
Kansas--Kansas should have no trouble keeping Kent State grounded. Their superior defense and offense will prevail.
Siena--The Saints will pull off their last upset in beating Clemson. Tigers are one of the best rebounding teams though, so if the Saints mis the mark too much I will be wrong.
USC--The Badgers will not be able to contain Mayo who will light them up and lead his team into the Semis.
Georgetown--The Hoyas should take the wind out of the Wildcats' sails. Davidson didn't really play anybody outside their conference so a powerhouse like G'Town will be a big problem.
Regional Semi Winners:
Kansas--The best team in the bracket will not have any trouble with Siena or Clemson or Villanova or Vanderbilt.
G'TownThe Mayo era at USC comes to a close with the Trojan's loss to Georgetown.
Regional Finals Winner:
Kansas--They are too balanced for the Hoyas to keep up.
SOUTH REGION
First Round Winners:
Memphis--Duh!
Mississippi State--Good match-up here could go either way. Oregon could just as easily win this game as the Bulldogs.
Michigan State--Temple is a decent team, but Tom Izzo is one of the best tournament coaches of all time.
Pittsburgh--My sleeper of this bracket. The Panthers have their two best players back from injury and are playing their best basketball of the year right now.
Marquette--Another Big East team. Kentucky will be a crowd favorite, but they just do not have it this year.
Stanford--The Cardinal should send the Ivy League rep (Cornell) packing easily. Ivy League teams have not won a tournament game in a long time.
St. Mary's--St. Mary's is great at stopping the three and Miami is good at shooting them. Stopping or at least altering shots is easier than making them....St. Mary's will win.
Texas--Beat Tennessee, UCLA, and Kansas(once). Shouldn't have any trouble with Austin Peay.
Second Round Winners:
Memphis--Ducks or Dogs....doesn't matter. The Tigers will eat them alive (as long as they don't have to win it from the line).
Pittsburgh--Here come the Panthers. Rough style will be too much for the Spartans.
Stanford--The Cardinal and their twin towers (Brook and Robin Lopez) will be too much for the under-sized Eagles.
Texas--Texas is too good to lose this early.
Regional Semi Winners:
Pittsburgh--I always liked Panthers better than Tigers. The physical style of Pittsburgh will keep Memphis at the line. Memphis sucks from the line. Game to Pittsburgh.
Stanford--The twin towers will prove the difference. Defense will be the key and Stanford had one of the best D's inside the arc.
Regional Finals Winner:
Pittsburgh--Again, the physical style of Pitt will get the twin towers into early foul trouble making it easier for the Panthers to score.
WEST REGION
First Round Winners:
UCLA--Duh!
BYU--Pick'em game between BYU and Texas A&M. Another 8v9 match-up that is way to close to call.
Drake--Drake is lights out from beyond the arc. Even with some cold shooting they should be able to make it past the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky.
UCONN--San Diego is no match for UConn. UConn is the #1 blocking team in the country and plays some tough D.
Baylor--Fluke loss to Colorado in the Big 12 tourney. Baylor is much better than their 11 seed.
Xavier--Georgia played WAY above themselves in the SEC tourney. The Minutemen will shoot their bubble out and bring them crashing back to earth.
West Virginia--WVU is the better team and will keep Arizona from playing in Phoenix later in the bracket.
Duke--Coach K.
Second Round Winners:
UCLA--The Bruins will run over whoever they face in this round.
Drake--UConn plays great D against the short stuff, but Drake will bomb the Huskies right out of the building.
Xavier--Minutemen are well balanced and should end Baylor's run. Probably will be a pretty high scoring game.
West Virginia--Joe Alexander will dominate the boards and any pathetic body Duke gets close to him. Duke relies too much on their 3's and has no defense what-so-ever. They also have absolutely nobody to challenge Alexander in the paint.
Regional Semi Winners:
UCLA--Too much for the Bulldogs of Drake. Drake may be able to rain the 3's on you but they also have to stop the multi-faceted offense of the Bruins....something that won't happen.
Xavier--The Minutemen are more balanced and more disciplined than the Mountaineers. Close game that will go Xavier's way in the end.
Regional Finals Winner:
UCLA--Dominant team that will dominate. Even more balanced than Xavier. Will move into yet another Final Four.
FINAL FOUR
Game 1:
Kansas--Kansas will finally end their futility against North Carolina. Defense will be the key to the Jayhawks win. The Jayhawks play better D than the Tar Heels and have a good enough offense to out score North Carolina in the end.
Game 2:
Pittsburgh--The beast from the Big East will pound the Bruins into the ground. As long as the ref's don't hand the game to UCLA (like they did in the PAC-10 tourney) then Pitt will grind the Bruins down over the course of 40 minutes.
FINALS
Kansas--Kansas will play the rough style of Pitt and still beat them. The Jayhawks are the best in the nation in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
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