March Madness

It's that time of year again. That's right, March Madness which is the time of year when I have a birthday party every weekend. And also it's time for the NCAA basketball tournament. Last year the tournament was won by UNC (I did go to school there, but I'm not gloating). This year it really does seem like anyone can win, but as usual the winner will probably come from a Number #1 or #2 seed. I'm just going to give a brief rundown of the teams that I think actually have a shot to win this thing. I will make a pick at the end of this article, which of course is the kiss of death for that team.

The Number #1's are all flawed. Duke is not deep and if you can shut down either Williams or Redick, then you have a good chance to beat them. They can be out muscled down low and I can't see them advancing beyond the sweet sixteen. Connecticut and Villanova are good teams, but they seem to give inconsistent efforts. One night they can be dominant and the next night they look like the teenagers that they are. Unfortunately, to win the tournament, you have to on for 6 games in a row. I'm not sure either one of these teams is capable. Memphis just hasn't played anybody. The Big East raided conference USA and in the process created the monster that is Memphis. They had practically no competition in their own league and therefore ended up with over 25 wins and a #1 seed. They are actually my pick for the first #1 seed to be eliminated. I think the second round could be the end of the road for them.

By the way, how did Tennessee get a #2 seed? I don't think anyone would have pegged them as one of the top 8 teams in the country. Anyway, I could go into further analysis of the teams, but there will be enough of that on ESPN. My pick to win it all is... (Drum roll, please) The Ohio State University Buckeyes! Why you ask. Why not! They won both the regular season and tournament championships in a tough Big Ten conference. They are playing very well right now. They are battle tested. They have a good inside, outside game and they have a "The" at the beginning of their name. What more do you need?

If you're looking for a dark horse, I'll give you three. UNC, LSU, Boston College, two out of the ACC and one out of the SEC and all three are very capable of making it to the final four. Well there you have it, I've doomed at least four teams to ignominious failure. Of course if any of them actually do win the tournament, I'll be here to proclaim my brilliance.