Realized this is 3 days before heading to Vegas for opening weekend. Had a good year that year betting a bunch of the upsets I commented on below--
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Had to Tivo it and just watching it Monday night
Thoughts going in – this years 1’s are real strong (and real obvious – last year if you remember all the presumptive number 1’s lost in their conf tourney – this year, UNC, Memphis and UCLA made it easy on the committee, as did Kansas at the end), and 2 through 12 are a crapshoot in my opinion. Everyone’s saying it’s top heavy, and I agree but only at the tippy-top. As much as I love Texas and like watching Tenn, either losing in the 2nd round won’t shock me and Duke and G'Town will definitely lose earlier than great 8
Gotta think moneyline makes a comeback this year after an ABYSMAL showing in first round last year with chalk holding way too much
The level of play this year has been outstanding – the first half ot he Kansas-Texas final game Sunday was NBA quality basketball.
In saying that, the first half of the big ten championship was horrific to watch, and I’ll be shocked if the Big Ten isn’t a huge disappointment this year
On to the show
- The “committee” has really taken on a level of self/media fed importance over the last 5 years I just don’t remember previously. They are a combination of the Star Chamber and American Idol judges. Not sure why it just started to get the airtime, but a ‘behind the scenes scandal’ is due any day now
- I like the kid’s heart (although not his game for the next level), but I’m already sick of Tyler Hansborough..and have another full season of him if he has a brain (all he needs to do is look at Josh McRobert’s stellar NBDL career if he’s thinking of going pro this year)
- I think before they start, they should show the “experts” record in picks from last years tourney – all I remember is Kellog and Davis being REALLY wrong on upsets.
- Memphis has won 33 games in three straight years – that’s a ridiculous stat…and yet at 58% from the line, probably won’t get 6 more again this year (they are the Shaq of the college world-minus his 3 rings)
- Heard a great line about Kevin Love and his little ‘line beard’ – what happens if he slips while he’s shaving that? Would seem at least once that would happen – does he just go with a little ‘dash’ in his beard or have to scrap it…
- Kansas plays like they did Sunday, they won’t lose….but no college team can play that well very often
- Glad to say they got the directions right this year
- Who’s that leprechaun next to Jim Nantz….oh, that’s Billy Packer – he looks like a character in a Mike Myers movie
- Man, I hope one of those schools they have cameras at doesn’t make it and they can show all the players pissed (think I say that cause W&M will never make it…)
EAST Region
- The play-in teams are kindof double edged – yea, they are headed for an absolute pounding in first round, but they get to play a good competitive game first…so what if half the brackets don’t even bother putting the team names and just go with “playin winner”
- IU at 8 – what a fall in such a short period of time. Not 3 weeks ago it feels like we were looking at a solid 2 seed here, now down to 8 and if they can get by Arkansas (they should), a meeting with UNC….they gotta have the biggest floor to ceiling in the tourney though – could be a final four team or could go out first round, and neither should be a huge shock
- I’d like to go against Notre Dame first round, but George Mason is not good
- Winthrop can play REALLY well for stretches – not sure it’s enough against a decent WSU team, but worth looking at
- Tenn – bet the over….remember that crazy Tenn-LBSt game last year….I had LBSt, and looked up and saw Tenn with something like 67 in the first half – not a good feeling
- Butler at a 7 – kindof interesting seed for a team ranked 10th right now- in theory could motivate them but I think just deflates them a bit – I like South Alabama there possibly
- Any chance Pitino breaks out the white suit he wore against G’Town earlier this year – if the Big East is as good as I think, Louisville should win 2 easy
- Watched a bit of St. Joes…they are not that good. Neither is Oklahoma really, but OK should roll there
- Going back – Butler is ranked 10 in the AP and is 25th at best in the tourney….really odd
- And Sth Alabama in Birmingham…liking that more and more
MIDWEST Region
- Kansas in Omaha….has big win (and boring…) written all over it
- Everytime I see UNLV, I think “they are good….oh wait, it’s not 1989 anymore” – love the 7 second tape delay when they cut over to these teams – everyone just sitting there and Gumbel counting in his head, hoping there’s not further delays so he has to fill time
- Clemson-Villanova – that should be a really good game
- Any chance the MAC Siena team takes out Vandy….Vandy can play but they aren’t worldbeaters
- Said it two months ago, 1 month ago and Saturday – I love Georgetown, but they can’t win a tournament the way they play…and Knight was right about Hibbert – why that guy doesn’t dominate college games is beyond me – should be getting 20/10/5 blocks every night
- Read an article today that Gonzaga didn’t have a single black player in a 6 year stretch they were studying for graduation rates…not sure it means much considering the location and type of school, but did find it surprising
- Davidson started 4-6 then ran off 22 straight?!? How is this not a bigger story. You have to like them here regardless of who they beat. It’s like the Rockets – you don’t win 22 in a row without being damn good
- Wisconsin’s trophy better read “best of a bunch of crap teams”
- My new favorite team – Cal St Fullerton – reason? They are watching this in a bar!!! I love it – Bud Light sign in the background, obvious bar tables….you know the beers are under the table – didn’t need a reason to bet against the big 10, but there’s a good one
- I’ve heard more talk about the USC than anyone last two days and I don’t know why – watched them a few times and they aren’t that good. Neither is K-St, but considering they have almost identical records, the 5 seed spread is a bit much
- A “strong” number 9 seed for Kent St according to kellog? Umm, when you are on the ‘away’ side of the bracket, there’s nothing strong about yours seed.
- Kiss of death there for Siena – Seth Davis picked them over Vandy, and that guy can’t pick an upset to save his life…and then he goes and screws my Davidson pick by taking them as well
- Now why in the world do I want to enter the worlds largest bracket competition – I can’t win the 10 person bracket pools I get in..so what shot to I have in a 10,000 person pool
SOUTH Region
- Memphis looks either bored or stoned….i’ll go with the latter
- If the Pac10 is as good as everyone says, Oregon should take it to Miss St…not sure I believe the West is Best hype, but probably ride that one
- Mich St couldn’t do crap on the road – question is does Denver count as a road game when playing Temple? Think I’ll stick with my anti-Big 10 moneyline here
- Pitt will destroy Oral Roberts by 30 easy – Pitt-Memphis is almost a guarantee in this group of 8 and Pitt will put Memphis on the line so could be interesting
- DJ Augustin had one heck of a game on Sunday – couldn’t miss first half including a few ridiculous shots, then couldn’t buy a basket in the 2nd half and was really forcing it – reminds me of me – happy to shoot team into the game with three nice shots, then happy to shoot team right out of it with 14 straight bad ones chasing that three shot streak again
- Odd to me all these very large men on a lot of these teams are sitting almost on each others laps – Miami had about 12 guys on one long couch….you’d think they’d want some space
- The Saint Mary’s Gaels against the Miami Hurricanes – if that ain’t a culture clash of a game, I don’t know what is….give me St Mary’s there
- Now I really like them since it looks like they are in a church – man, any chance they can meet Cal St Fullerton to prove the place you watch the game is a factor
- Did Stanford win an important game this year – that’s an all SAT game with Cornell they have there
- You gotta like Kentucky to win a couple just the way they bounced back (plus Marquette did not impress down the stretch)
- Seth Davis is KILLING ME – he’s picking every upset I like….
- These ‘general scholarship fund’ things kill me only cause they seem to be the same level they were 20 years ago. “The player of the game will get a $100 general scholarship donation in his name” – great, some poor kid can now get half a textbook and thank Tyler Hansborough
- Did they just show a whole damn stadium waiting on Drake’s name to be called?
WEST Region
- Miss Valley St has to look at this and think “we gotta go all the way across the country to get our asses handed to us essentially in a UCLA home game – they better be comping some Disneyland passes”
- I saw BYU play – they aren’t good
- I did see an entire stadium for Drake – I don’t even know where that is, but wonder if they’ll travel well to come here to Tampa
- Play Western Ky – that should be a good game
- UConn peaked early and could get beat by San Diego easy
- Said it 2 months ago – Duke is NOT built for the tourney – I’m sure they’ll beat Belmont, but West Va has a good shot to take them down
- WVU is dancing around, but it’s cause Huggins just told them “strippers coming after the telecast” – he’s just a slimeball
- Arizona is not good…I’d be shocked if they can stay within 15 of WVU
- UGA gets Xavier, who has to be pissed for blowing the A10 – Georgia should want the tourney to start tomorrow considering the roll they are on
- Purdue at a 6 is way too high – another team that peaked early and looked much better in Jan than in Feb/Mar
- Baylor gets the “most excited award” – they went nuts….not sure what that counts for, but I’ll take them over Purdue
- Drake over UConn according to Seth Davis and Duke overrated…I do hope he’s right more than he was last year…
8 teams from Big East and only 4 from Big 10...sounds right. SEC got an extra one in there with UGA. ACC with only 4 is surprising, but can't really argue - Va Tech I'm guessing is 5th and they simply aren't that good. If Xavier had rolled through the A10, wonder if not only they don't get 3 but possibly only get the 1
Non-power getting only 6 seems wrong again, but I complained last year and they crapped the bed, so that had to factor in
No one can really complain much considering records and RPI/SOS
Oh good, Billy Packer again....kill me - "UNC is playing well" - tks for the insight. Does Jim Nantz just hold his breath the whole time, cause Packer has to stink...
Number 1 seeds have lost 3, 1, 2 and 3 I think...that's crazy. Chalk won't hold, but that's gotta be a record for fewest losses among the 4 teams
Damn, another guy picking Davidson....everyone's sleeper isn't a sleeper
the difference between Drake (had to be 3000 people in an arena watching) and Xavier (10 guys, half lying on the floor of a small apt it looked like) was startling in terms of how they celebrated getting the bid....give me the guys lying on the floor knowing getting in is just step 1
Wait, the chairman is a George Mason guy...the CAA finals were fixed!!!! Give the slot to William and Mary - forget the 2 for 100 shooting, they deserve it
What a bunch of crap - "we don't know what conferences are going in"...really? you're whole job is college athletics and it wouldn't be real obvious real fast how many ACC teams there are on your list
Why pick all number 1 seeds Clark...may happen, but that's just boring. And why is a 16 ever going to beat a number 1 - yea, it probably will happen, but there's no guarantee it does