NCAA Tournament Time

Okay, it's close to that time.  The NCAA tournament kicks off today and for the rest of March we will all be mad.  Yes, I'm a little old school in saying that the tournament kicks off today even though there have been games already played.  If you aren't a parent of those kids or attend any of those schools, you really don't care and know today is THE day. 

I've joined a few different online pick'em pools and I hope that the Yahoo pool allows me to win that $5M for the perfect bracket.  Check out these links for chances to join the following pools:

@Lizzs_Lockeroom here  

@theSFjournal here

Hurry up, it's not too late to join, but you gotta get movin!!!  For your viewing pleasure, here are some of my brackets and yes, it hurts me to pick UNC. 

Who you got?!?!?!

Catching Up - NCAA Tournament (3-29-11)

It's been a minute or two since my last post, but wow, this has been a great tournament.  Let's touch base on some items:

1) It hurt to see my Dukies lose to Arizona, but I knew that they would have problems with Tristan Thompson or Derrick Williams in one of those matchups.  Williams D-E-S-T-R-O-Y-E-D the Blue Devils all over the court and dare I say (this hurts) that the Blue Devils qu, it's hard to write this,...the Blue Devils quit.  I've never seen a Coach K team just pack it in, but I got that feeling watching the game (they basically pulled a Jay Cutler).  All of the people that say that Nolan had a bad game because of Irving on the floor, I just don't buy.  Nolan just had a bad game, at the worst possible time. 

2) Shaka Smart has this VCU team looking like world beaters.  Their last game against Kansas was just hard to put into words.  It was like watching a heavyweight fight and the favorite (Kansas) came out and got a few jabs in early (their 6-0 lead) and then challenger (VCU) landed like a 6 punch combination.  Kansas was stunned for the entire rest of the first half.  They played better in the second half but they were just too far behind.  VCU is going to have to pony up some money to keep Smart and we'll soon see how much money that will be. 

3) While VCU is the darling this year, please don't forget about Butler.  They find a way to win or at least they put themselves in the position to win.  I do think that Florida gave the game away in regulation and we won't talk about that Pitt game.  How do you not get a better shot than a fade-away 3 pointer when you had over 20 seconds left on the clock and the game is tied?  Arrrrrggghhhhhh.  All I could do was to talk to my son about what to do in that situation and that the kid could have gotten that 3 point shot anytime he wanted to during that game (with probably the same result).  Nevertheless, Butler has to be the favorite going in to this game and maybe they win it all this year.  They only missed it by about 4 inches last year.  We'll see.

4) John Calipari has a chance to win it all.  This Kentucky team is loaded and they are athlethic and long enough to cause each of these other 3 teams problems.  I'm wondering when Jones will turn it back on to the way he was playing earlier in the year.  Harrellson has been the piece for the Wildcats, and I would imagine that him stepping up makes missing Enes Kanter all that much easier.  Our prayers go out to Coach Cal and his family as he is dealing with his father and their loss of Cal's mom. 

5) K-E-M-B-A.  This guy is actually carrying a team and has done this for a while.  He's in such a groove and seems to have command of the Huskies offense and their ability to win.  Funny story, one of my guys (yes T-Rell) saw Kemba working out this summer with Tim Grover and came away VERY VERY unimpressed.  He didn't see why this kid was garnering any attention.  Suffice it to say, T-Rell has eaten those words since Kemba beat his cousin, Dion Dixon, and the Bearcats in the second round of the tournament.  But back to Kemba, he can get the Huskies all the way there, he's that good.  We'll see what happens from here. 

6) The Fab Five, Jalen Rose, Grant Hill, and Duke.  Yes, I watched the ESPN documentary on the Fab Five.  Didn't know until the end that Jalen was the producer.  Man, I remember when that team hit the scene and man, those were some bad dudes.  I do understand what Jalen was saying about not being recruited by Duke and the perceived lack of 'soul' of brothers that went to Duke. 

(Several stories here)  My cousin went to an HBCU in Durham, NCCU and dated a young black girl that went to Duke.  She often encountered the stigma associated with being black and going to Duke and how it made you less of 'black' person.  With that said, she was smart and wanted to be a doctor (which she is today) so she made the best choice for her when it came to schooling. 

I ran track for a local Durham track team (do the Durham Striders still exist?) and we were always over at Wallace Wade Stadium for practice and meets.  I took courses during the summer (while in high school) at Duke, and was all ready to play for Steve Spurrier at Duke but he left for greener pastures (Florida) in 1990.  But the stigma I encountered (and I never enrolled at Duke) was that I was trying to be 'white' by going there. 

So the perception was there about blacks that attended Duke.  With that said, I think Jalen would have done himself a service by saying that 'when I was 17 or 18 I thought this way, but now that I'm older and wiser I see the error of my ways'.  I think this would have allowed him to keep it real and also let everyone know that we all grow and evolve.  Without doing that Jalen, and rightfully so, caught a lot of backlash from not only Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley, Coach K, and a whole bunch of other people.  I don't think that Coach K recruits in certain households and not others, I think he recruits the best talent.  Coaches gotta win.  Jalen was a left handed, 6'8" point guard who wasn't really a defensive player and wasn't a great shooter.  Think of the guys on those Duke teams: Hurley, Brian Davis, Thomas Hill, Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Antonio Lang, Bill McCaffrey, etc.  Jalen wasn't going to get Hurley's spot and he also wasn't going to be happy with coming off the bench. 

Hopefully this all goes away and we can get back to talking about basketball and how it brings all people together for the common good.  Jalen, write an apology letter or something and finally make this go away. 

The only odd thing is that as good as that Fab Five team was they lost to the ACC's best in back to back years ('92-Duke, '93-UNC). 

2011 NCAA Tournament - Brackets

Ok, it's that time, yes, it's Shamrock Day (officially St. Patrick's Day), but it's also the start of the NCAA Tournament.  And yes, I don't fall for this 68 teams with teams playing earlier this week to get into the field of 64, the tournament starts today!!!!  With that said, I have done several brackets and no one at work wants to put money on those brackets this year after I took everyone's money last year with my Dukies becoming the National Champions.

With that said, I am willing to put these two brackets up for your perusal and please feel free to vilify me if you got jokes.  I'm standing by my picks though!!!!


So here is my best take on the brackets:

Here's my other one:

Who you got?!?!?!?  Let the games begin.

North Carolina, NCAA National Champs

Well, it's over, the tears have been shed, the nets have been cut, and the North Carolina Tarheels have won the National Championship. This wasn't pretty as Carolina ran out to a 20+ point lead in the first half and basically coasted all the way in. Michigan State couldn't hit a shot in the first half but the thing that lead to their doom was their ball handling. The Spartans had 21 turnovers which Carolina turned into points. Goran Suton seemed to be the only Spartan that showed up, leading his team with 17 pts and 11 rebs (on 7 of 10 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3). Ty Lawson had a terrible shooting night (3 of 10) but still ended up 21pts, 8 stls (a NCAA record), 6 asts, and 4 rebs. Not sure how Wayne Ellington got MVP of the game. He did have 19 pts (7 of 12, including 3 of 3 from 3) and 4 rebs, but it seems like he didn't take any shots in the second half.

In the end, Carolina had too much talent and too much height for Michigan State. Roy Williams has his second title since coming to UNC, Tyler Hansbrough goes out a winner (and he actually performed in this game, not like that game against OU), and all is happy on Franklin Street. Congrats to the Champs, and all on the same day that Michael Jordan was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Note: My only issue is what the hell is wrong with Mike Copeland? He had the ball in his hands when the clock ran out and he threw it up into the air and ran off somewhere? What was he thinking? In the Ebay world we live in, that's good for a few thousand.

NCAA Championship Game

Ok, this is it. This is the final men's NCAA basketball game of the season. We have the Michigan State Spartans going up against the North Carolina Tarheels for all the marbles. Can we call this one 'The Throwdown in Motown'? This NCAA tournament didn't provide a lot of surprises until the end, so will it provide us any more? The Tarheels are widely favored by many as the team to beat. The Spartans have been the under dogs for the majority of the year and especially now. Although, they have the one thing that many teams don't in this tournament for the final game, home court advantage. Let's take a look at this matchup.


Coaching: Roy Williams vs. Tom Izzo

Both coaches are good/great. Some might say that Tom Izzo has done more with less than many other coaches. The other day, my father-in-law and I had a discussion about the number of Michigan State Spartans in (or have played in) the NBA that Izzo has coached. Charlie Bell, Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson, and Alan Anderson are some of the first that come to mind. Other than that, there aren't the high profile guys that have come out of the Michigan State Program. Roy Williams on the other hand has coached at Kansas and has 10 of his Kansas players go in the first round of the NBA draft. So maybe Izzo gets the slight edge here because he gets the most out of his kids than Williams.

Advantage: Even

Point Guard: Ty Lawson vs. Kalin Lucas

Everyone knows about Ty Lawson. When he's on, he's one of the best point guards in the NCAA and a sure fire 1st round pick in the NBA Draft this summer. He has worked on his shot from the 3 and he has also worked on being a little bit more in control. He has a great first step and can find his teammates easily to get them going. When UNC needs it, he takes over the game. Kalin Lucas has shown us through the tournament that he is as quick as Lawson. He can score, he runs his team in the half court sets well, and he can hit a shot when his team needs it. This is going to be the showdown of the game. Which ever point guard plays better, in mind estimation gets the win. If they play even, then the balance shifts to UNC because of the talent.

Advantage: UNC

Shooting Guard: Wayne Ellington vs. Durrell Summers (you can switch Travis Walton here also)

Wayne Ellington did him self justice by returning to UNC last year instead of heading to the NBA. He has shown a better shooting stroke (catching fire as of late) and the ability to take the ball to the rack. Durrell Summers has shown the ability to shut down people in the tournament, while at the same time he has been a pretty consistent 10 point a game scorer. He's probably the most athletic player the Spartans have and he could switch between guarding Ellington or Danny Green. I think they go with him on Ellington because they are about the same size (6-4).

Advantage: UNC

Small Forward: Danny Green vs. Travis Walton (you can switch Durrell Summers here also)

Danny Green may be the lynch pin to this Carolina team. He has been known to catch fire from the 3 point line and just be an a do it all kind of player. Green doesn't wow you by any athletic means, but he always seems to be there when you need him. A three here, a rebound there, a put back, whatever you need. Travis Walton has been a stopper for the Spartans. He has done a great job in the tournament and he gets the opportunity to continue this job against Danny Green (or Ellington).

Advantage: UNC

Power Forward: Deon Thompson vs. Raymar Morgan

This is going to be a battle. Thompson has turned himself into a 3rd banana of sorts. He can score around the basket and block shots. He's always ready to get the ball when he sees Lawson driving to the basket. He plays good defense and could be a star in another system (Coach K, this is the type of big man you need at Duke,...sorry for that note, yeah a little off track). Raymar Morgan is a smaller big man, but he has the heart and he can score around the basket or on the perimeter. He may be able to pull Thompson away from the basket.

Advantage: Even

Center: Tyler Hansbrough vs. Goran Suton

This ought to be a good matchup. Hansbrough has all of the accolades to back him up. He can score in the paint, rebound, and has a decent jumper that can extend to the three point line. I will go on record to say Hansbrough is overrated, but he hustles and he does the dirty work for his team. If you fall into that Hansbrough being overrated, he'll kill you. Suton has been a beast in the tournament. He has shown that euro game, a big man that can space the floor and hit jumpers from all over the place. He can rebound and has a bit of a mean streak in him that may serve him well during this matchup. He definitely won't back down from Hansbrough.

Advantage: UNC

Bench: UNC vs. Michigan State

The Tarheels have a deep bench with all different kinds of attributes: Frasor (shooting, guard play), Zeller and Davis (another big who can score and rebound), and Larry Drew II. The Spartans go 10 deep and they can bring scoring (Lucious and Allen), hustle and rebounding (Delvon Roe).

Advantage: Even

Intangibles: Michigan State is playing at home and they have been on a roll. Carolina has guys that were there last year and decided to come back in order to win the big one.

Advantage: Even


Outcome: I'm sticking with the ACC on this one. This Carolina team is too deep and too talented. Michigan State will play and keep this one close, but look for Carolina to puts some distance at the end and run away with this one.


Who you got? Does Michigan State have a chance?

Sweet Sixteen - Part 1

Ok, the first weekend is over and people have had a chance to calm down a little. What did you do with your bracket after the first weekend? Are you happy with your picks? Is your team still alive? There really haven't been that many upsets in the NCAA Tournament (unless you're an ACC fan). We have 4 games tonight and so we'll take a look at those.

7:07 PM EST

Purdue vs. Connecticut - This isn't going to be interesting. I like the way Purdue has played defense and they have found the basket from all over the court. Robbie Hummel has stepped up his game and he and JaJuan Johnson have formed a rather imposing duo. E'Twaun Moore has played good ball over the first two games of the tournament also. This team woke up from their Big Ten slumber.

Connecticut is being hounded by this recruiting scandal that just came out now. Why now? It just doesn't sound right, someone had to do this on purpose. Anyway, this team needs no more motivation, but it seems as though they've gotten it. Calhoun will rally his troops and I expect that they will dominate this game tonight.

Projected Winner: Connecticut

7:27 pm EST

Xavier vs. Pittsburgh - Talk about close calls. I think that Pittsburgh should already be home. They have played terribly in their two first round games and barely held on in each. Some people call that knowing how to win and doing it. At the end of the day they do it with DeJuan Blair and Sam Young. I'm not sold on Levance Fields, at least not yet. I would take Eaton from OK State over him. Nevertheless, Blair is a beast. A throwback of sorts. He's not jumping out of the gym, but when he gets rooted in the paint, you can hang it up.

Xavier is led by B.J. Raymond. Along with that, Xavier brings size, something Pittsburgh lacks. They have 5 guys that they can play on Blair that are 6-8 or taller. We'll get a chance to see how Blair does against this height. Derrick Brown and C. J Anderson have to play well and they may need someone else to step up in order for Xavier to win.

Projected Winner: Xavier

9:37pm EST

Missouri vs. Memphis - This is going to be a track meet. There will be more athletes on the floor tonight than we've seen in any one game. Missouri traps in order to speed up the game and they normally score off of defense. One thing to watch is DeMarre Carroll who twisted his ankle in practice this week.

Memphis is doing the same. Led by Antonio Anderson, the Memphis Tigers can out athlete anyone in the country. Roburt Sallie showed everyone that he can score when given the opportunity and a hot streak. But in my mind, Memphis doesn't have shooters. They can pressure you and do a lot of things, but shooting isn't one of them. That Achilles heel won't hurt them in this game. I expect a big game from Robert Dozier who has been asleep at the wheel for the first two games.

Projected Winner: Memphis

9:57pm EST

Duke vs. Villanova - This is the toughest game to pick. Duke comes in off of a tough win against Texas and they had a showing from their big men (yeah, close your mouth now). I was talking to someone about this and I'll say it here, if Brian Zoubek can get 10 and 10 for the next 3 games, Duke will win the National title. No I haven't been drinking. Zoubek played well against Texas and was able to get some boards, but he hustled and did something besides waste height. Duke has scorers with Henderson, Singler, and Scheyer, and guys that play defense like Smith, Williams, and McClure. If Paulus comes in and plays well, it's on to the Elite 8.

Villanova has the one thing that I think Duke needs, active big men. These guys are small, only one person over 6-8, but they rebound the ball. Dante Cunningham scares the $*%( out of me. I just see him getting Singler in foul trouble. Scottie Reynolds leads this team and sometimes Duke has problems with good/great point guards. This ought to be a good game that comes down to the team with the last shot.

Projected Winner: Duke

We'll see what happens tonight and I'll follow this one up with my picks for the games for the rest of the weekend.


Am I too much of a homer with Duke? Do you see Pitt getting upset? Is Memphis beatable?

Tournament Time

Ok, if you don't have your brackets done by now, you have about 2 hours left before the first game. I am ready, hopefully you are. We all know that the #1 seeds are UNC, Louisville, UConn and Memphis. I really think that it could go any way this year. I personally made 5 different brackets on ESPN, and I'll have to post at least one of them here to see if I know what I'm talking about. For those of you that are working today, I'll update as I watch some of the games. Here's my take on the games today:

12:20pm EST - Butler vs. LSU - This ought to be a good game. LSU is athletic and they have a lot of horses, but I think I like Butler in this game. Butler should win this one close.

12:25pm EST - Cal State Northridge vs. Memphis - No question here, Memphis should run away with this.

2:30pm EST - Northern Iowa vs. Purdue - I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I like Purdue. They have a tough team and I like (for some reason) Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson.

2:50pm EST - Radford vs. UNC - We all know Radford has no chance even without Ty Lawson. Lawson's toe is only painful and won't become an injury that should hurt his career, so I expect him to play in the second round.

2:55pm EST - Maryland vs. California - This is ACC vs. Pac 10. No contest. Maryland and my main man Greivis Vasquez should make it out of this one.

3:00pm EST - Chattanooga vs. Connecticut - I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this ought to be close early. At the end, the Huskies' size with Thabeet, Adrien, and Robinson will prevail.

5:00pm EST - Mississippi State vs. Washington - I like the Bulldogs here. They are a tough team and I think they got the shaft on their ranking. Watch Barry Stewart in this game.

7:10pm EST - Michigan vs. Clemson - I love the ACC, but Clemson has been so up and down lately. They should win this game, but there's a chance Michigan can win. I'm going with the home conference, Clemson, don't let me down.

7:10pm EST - Minnesota vs. Texas - Minnesota comes out of a bruising conference and they get Texas. We all know Abrams can shoot, but the difference will be Texas big man Dexter Pittman. If he plays like he has over the last 10 or so games, Texas will be a surprise to some.

7:20pm EST - American University vs. Villanova - Nova just is too good in their backcourt for this one. Looks for the Wildcats to win this one.

7:25pm EST - Akron vs. Gonzaga - Akron vs. America's team. Gonzaga has disappointed in the last year or so in the tournament, but I've watched them play this year and I like what I see. They are balanced and have some bigs that can ball. Look for the Bulldogs to win this one.

9:40pm EST - Binghamton vs. Duke - (breathe) Ok Duke, this is it. This is your chance. Someone grow a few inches and get in the paint and rebound. If Zoubek doesn't have a double double he should pay for his scholarship this year. Duke wins.

9:40pm EST - Morgan State vs. Oklahoma - No contest, although I hope that Morgan State at least makes a showing.

9:50pm EST - VCU vs. UCLA - Collison is hurting and he gets the upset minded VCU Rams and Colonial Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Eric Maynor. Upset alert.

9:55pm EST - Western Kentucky vs. Illinois - This Illini team has been flying under the radar all year long, but I think that they can pull this off. I'll go ahead and go with them, although I never trust the Illini.