Brackets

Chances are you've spent every waking hour since the selection show aired trying to devise the best scheme to win this years pool. But before you go and fill out you're bracket you might just want to check out some of these ramblings. Who knows, maybe I'll inspire you to victory.



Chicago Region:

#1 Illinois
#2 Okla St.
#3 Arizona
#4 Boston College
#5 Alabama
#6 LSU


First round upset special: #13 Penn over #4 Boston College. Not so long ago the Eagles were talking about an undefeated season and a #1 seed. But closing the season 4-4 (1-2 against tournament teams) does not bode well for BC heading into the Big Dance.

Sleepers: #5 Alabama and #6 LSU. Its too bad these two are in the same regional because each could make some noise and even take up a Final Four spot. But that doesn't mean these teams won't make their presence known. Alabama could get a shot at Illinois in a possible Sweet 16 matchup. LSU will have to likely go through Arizona AND Oklahoma state, but the Tigers have won 8 of their last 10 taking down Alabama and Florida and losing to Kentucky by 1 in OT in the conference semifinals.

Final Four : Illinois

Albuquerque Region :

#1 Washington
#2 Wake Forest
#3 Gonzaga
#4 Louisville
#5 Georgia Tech
#6 Texas Tech

First round upset special: #12 George Washington v #5 Georgia Tech. This one is really a toss up. The Colonials have sputtered in the first half all through the A-10 tournament and if they do the same, they'll find themselves on the losing end of this matchup. But if GW keeps it close in the first half, it shot 62% in the 2nd half during the A-10 tourney on its way to taking home the tournament championship. Tech played well in the ACC tourney losing to Duke in the championship game and it has the experience going to the NCAA title game last season. But this year's team just doesn't play as well as last year's; and in the always dangerous 5 v 12 matchup I'm taking the 12.


Sleepers : #9 Pittsburgh and #7 West Virginia. Both these teams hail from the Big East - the strongest and most physical conference in college basketball. Pitt's Chevy Troutman and Chris Taft of each average about 15 pts per game in the front court. If the Panthers get past Pacific in the toss-up #8 v #9 game the Panthers present an serious challenge to the #1 seed Washington Huskies. Talk about 2 teams with opposite styles. Washington averages 86 points per game while Pitt holds teams to 63 points per game.

West Virginia could also make some waves in this region. The Mountaineers are coming off a solid run in the Big East tournament taking down Boston College and Villanova before losing to Syracuse in the championship game. If WVU gets by Creighton in the first round, watch out Wake Forest. Before last season's trip to the Sweet 16 where they lost to St. Joseph's, the Demon Deacons had bowed out in the first weekend in its last 4 trips to the Big Dance. Wake joins Cinci and Florida in the tournament choke team category. The Mountaineers rely heavily on the 3 but also have a solid inside game with Kevin Pittsnogle. This guy not only has the coolest name in college basketball but he averages 11 points and 4 rebounds per game, is solid down low and can shoot the 3. Don't be surprised if WVU sends Wake home early again.

Final Four pick : #4 Louisville - If this bracket breaks down the way it could, the Cardinals
may find themselves in St. Louis without really realizing how they got there. Louisville closed the season strong winning 9 of its last 10 on its way to the conference USA tournament championship.

Syracuse Region: This is going to be a mess. Best chance is to go with the numbers and have UCONN and UNC face off in the elite 8.

#1 UNC
#2 UCONN
#3 Kansas
#4 Florida
#5 Villanova
#6 Wisconsin

First round upset special: #13 Ohio OVER #4 Florida. Sometimes the brackets just have a mind of their own. And since blowing its chance at a national title in 2000 , Florida has not made it out of the first weekend. The Gators get the same distinction as Cincinnati and Wake Forest as tournament choke teams. Either way, the winner of this game will lose to the winner of Villanova v. New Mexico.


Sleeper: Villanova. The #5 Wildcats have a tough first round matchup with New Mexico but if 'Nova gets by its first game it should find its way to the Sweet 16 against North Carolina. Let the ACC v Big East talk begin. I like NC going the distance in this bracket, but the Wildcats have shocked earlier this season. And the Tar Heels were flat throughout the ACC tournament. The combination of Allen Ray and Curtis Sumpter along with Kyle Lowry and Mike Nardi pitching in could give the most explosive team in the country a run for its money.

Final Four: UNC


Austin Region:

#1 Duke
#2 Kentucky
#3 Oklahoma
#4 Syracuse
#5 Michigan State
#6 Cincinnati

First round upset special: #11 Iowa over #6 Cincinnati. Cinci is one of the founding fathers of the choke team category and once again it looks like they might as well not make the trip. The Bearcats have gotten to the sweet 16 only twice in its last 10 tournament appearences (Cinci has gone to the Big Dance in each of the last 10 seasons). Of the other 8 it has been a 2 seed twice a 3 seed twice, a 1 seed once, a 4 seed, a 7 seed and an 8 seed. Perfect, they're a 6 seed this year. And they face an Iowa team that lost its leading scorer to burglary charges in the middle of the season but still made it to the semifinals of the Big Ten conference tournament.


Sleeper: #4 Syracuse - Yes, I labeled them as most likely to dissapoint about a week ago. But then the team that Syracuse has had the potential to be all season decided to show up for the Big East tournament and win. So as of now I sit corrected and ready to put some faith in the Orange. The biggest reason - it beat the hottest team in the country, Connecticut, on its way
to the Big East tournament crown. Also SU has tournament experience. Josh Pace, Gerry McNamara, Craig Forth and Hakim Warrick all were on the championship team in 2003. The best lineup the 'Cuse can put out there is Pace and McNamara up top with Warrick and sophomores Daryl "Mookie" Watkins and Terrence Roberts down low. Coach Jim Boeheim has said that this team will go as far as the sophomores take them and that looks to be the case with Roberts starting and Watkins making significant contributions off the bench. The other factor that goes along with these two is rebounds. Syracuse has been outrebounded in every game it has lost. The energy and physicality these two bring to the court helps the Orange tremendously on the glass. Syracuse should make a run to St. Louis, taking out Duke on the way in another ACC v Big East showdown.

Final Four : Syracuse

St Louis:

Syracuse v UNC Illinois v Louisville

UNC v Illinois

Illinois - maybe next year Roy Williams