Wednesday, March 15, 2006
NCAAs: Comments & Predictions
Have made my picks (several pools – no strong consensus); not too excited about it this year since I really have no dog in this fight, not even a sacrificial 1st round early-out. Nevertheless, comments and predictions::
- GW got screwed with a #8 seed. At 26-2 in the A-10; you deserve better than an 8 seed and a second round match with Duke. There isn’t a #7 through #5 seed that I’d have GW losing to.
- Boston College doesn’t make it past the first weekend whereupon their coach, Al Skinner starts whining. Full disclosure: a good part of this is wishful thinking.
- Even if BC does get out of the first weekend, Al Skinner will still whine about something.
- Hooray for Bucknell: standard bearer for the Patriot League. I think they definitely win their first game (against Arkansas) and are smart enough to possibly beat Memphis.
- Memphis is the softest #1 seed out there..
- Kudos also to the NCAA committee for giving Bucknell a #9 seed…well-deserved and by far the highest seeding ever awarded a Patriot League team
- Wouldn’t surprise me if Al Skinner is whining about that too.
- Kudos also to the committee for selecting 4 Missouri Valley teams…not because I’m a big fan of the MVC but, hey, it sure pissed off Billy Packer.
- Glad to see George Mason get in. Well-coached by a classy guy: Jim Larranaga Saw them earlier this year and I think they’re deserving. Besides, you got to root for the only school that submitted an amicus brief in SUPPORT of the winning side in the recently decided Rumsfeld v. FAIR case Maryland Conservatarian: Teaching law professors the law. (You root for George Mason but you can’t pick them: Michigan State beats ‘em in the 1st round.)
- Glad Air Force got in. 24-6 deserves a reward. I don’t know how they do it with the academy’s height restrictions and other disincentives to play basketball there but they do. They had a good team a few years ago but that team left to coach at Princeton. Apparently, Air Force kept rolling. (Princeton, on the other hand…..)
- Other teams I’m kind of rooting for: Villanova (my brother went there), Illinois (extended family has ties), Gonzaga (Aloysius is my confirmation name, fellow Jesuit school), Marquette (Jesuit, family)
- Schools that can’t get eliminated too soon to suit me: Boston College!!!!, Georgetown (yeah, I know they’re Jesuit, I just don’t think they do)
- Final Four: UConn, Villanova, Duke & UCLA (or Pitt or Kansas – I’m still wavering on that last quadrant)
- Championship Game: Duke v. UConn: UConn wins it all or Duke wins it all (I’m playing it both ways)
- Unless they’re making me money, I’m rooting against both Duke & UConn. Both coached by guys whose acts have really worn thin. In the Final, though, I’m rooting for Duke because at least they’ll play Holy Cross (next season at Cameron), something that gutless wonder Jim Calhoun refuses to do anymore.
- Final Prediction: Al Skinner will be whining about something long after the last piece of net is cut down on April 3rd
Comments:
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Glad to see you were wrong about Mason. Don't think they'll do so well today against UNC though. In a leap of faith I actually picked them to beat Mich. State.
# posted by 
: Sunday, March 19, 2006 9:18:00 AM
: Sunday, March 19, 2006 9:18:00 AM
glad I was wrong about Mason also; just didn''t think they could beat MSU without that kid suspended - with him I definitely would have picked them. Can't say I'd have picked them over UNC though - great win.
Unfortunately BC remains but on the bright side, Billy Packer is probably miserable.
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Unfortunately BC remains but on the bright side, Billy Packer is probably miserable.
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