What a year this has been. Really no way to predict this tournament. First, let's go over what I said last blog and what I got right and wrong.
(2) North Carolina - (4) Kentucky was a well fought game by both teams. I thought it was a toss up and NC would win a tough one, but Kentucky ended up hitting huge shots and draining 3s to kill whatever momentum NC was trying to get. - Wrong
(2) Florida - (8) Butler was said to be a close game. I was right in that regard, but Florida didn't come out on top. I stated that I wanted to predict Butler to win, but I had hyped Florida up too much coming into the came I couldn't turn my back on them. Whatever. I'm saying I was half right on this one.
(3) UConn - (5) Arizona. The Wildcats definitely surprised me this game and had two solid looks at the end to win the game from downtown. I said UConn would "mop the floor" with Arizona. Obviously that didn't happen at all, but at least UConn came out with the W. Half right again.
(1) Kansas vs (11) VCU. Well, I'll say I couldn't have been more wrong here, but let's be serious. Who outside of Richmond, VA, thought VCU was going to win this game, let alone in the style they did it in. Absolutely crushed Kansas. - Wrong. I should get negative points for this one.
Discussion
The lowest seed in the final four is a 3-seed. Unreal tournament. An 8 and 11 facing each other in the Final Four? Who would've guessed. Both teams have been playing great, especially Butler. Lots of people were complaining that VCU was even in the tournament, but they're really showing that when a team gets hot, no matter what team, they're hard to stop. Kansas learned that the hard way, so let's talk about the Jay Hawks for a second. They had perhaps the easiest road to the championship out of any team of all time. Here is a list of seeds they played against: (16), (9), (12), (11). That's an average of a 12-seed. Had they beaten VCU they would've played (8) Butler to earn a spot in the title game. The fact that they couldn't take advantage of having the highest seed played against be (8) is absolutely inexcusable for this team. They really couldn't have asked for an easier path and I'm sure Kansas fans couldn't have been more excited whenever top seeds kept being taken down by these nobodies. They had the easiest road I've ever seen and couldn't even make the Final Four? What a choke by the Jay Hawks. Yes, the teams they faced got that far for a reason, but when you're a 1-seed there is no reason to lose to an 11-seed, especially the way they did. It wasn't close in the slightest. UConn, on the other hand, is still dancing behind Kemba Walker and will test their talents against a young Kentucky squad who has been looking great. The winner of that game will face the winner of (8) Butler and (11) VCU, posting the lowest combined seeding total for a Final Four matchup at 19. Despite the winner, there will be a chance that there will be a team that can potentially lay claim to the lowest seed ever to win the title. (8) Villanova in '85 is currently the lowest seed, and clearly (8) Butler can tie that and (11) VCU will top it.
Final Four
(3) UConn vs (4) Kentucky
(8) Butler vs (11) VCU
UConn and Kentucky is pretty much a toss up again. I feel that Kentucky has a better team, but UConn has the game changer on their side. I believe that in some cases superstars can definitely override a team in college ball, but seeing what Kentucky did today to UNC's Harrison Barnes and Dexter Strickland, I think they can stop UConn. This call is a brain-heart decision. My brain says Kentucky, but my heart says UConn, who has been streaking since that Big East tournament start. I'm picking UConn, probably because I'm blinded by my desire for them to win, but whatever. I'm sticking with it. It'll definitely be a close game though.
Butler wants to get back to the title game and redeem themselves from their narrow loss to Duke last season. They'll win this one against VCU. It feels like Butler is the heavy favorite in this one since they were runner-ups last season. This has got to be the first time in a long time that Butler feels like the Goliath in a battle of this magnitude. VCU is last season's Butler and Butler is coming into this game as big brother. They've been here before. They wont be caught off guard by the Rams because, in essence, they are the Rams. Butler was in a similar position as them last year so they know that VCU could be the next Butler. Too much determination from the Bulldogs though and they take the game easily. Seems like I just cant give VCU any respect. I don't think it'll even be that close.
Title Game
(3) UConn vs (8) Butler
More to come after the Final Four.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
March Madness Sweet 16
Here we go again.
Though there were only 8 games played these past couple days, that didn't stop the remaining teams from posting multiple upsets.
First, (2) Florida and (3) BYU put up a nice OT game. Jimmer struggled, especially from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team was almost able to bail him out and take the game. Again, I'm liking Florida and expect to see them in the Final Four.
(3) UConn took out (2) SDSU with probable POY Kemba Walker leading the charge. This team is playing amazingly, especially considering the fact that had to run through 5 games to win the Big East Tournament with 0 days rest inbetween and then hop right into the Big Dance. Fatigue doesn't seem to be an issue for this team so far, but there's still a ways to go. This team has all the momentum and confidence in the world, though, so I doubt it'll be a factor. Another team I expect to see in the Final Four.
(8) Butler continued their hot run by eliminating (4) Wisconsin. Solid team play all around for the Bulldogs and strong defensive showing as well. I expect them to fall to (2) Florida, though, in the Elite Eight. I wouldn't be shocked if they win, but I really don't think they can hang with Florida right now.
(5) Arizona absolutely manhandled (1) Duke. The defending champ's POY candidate Nolan Smith really didn't show up to the game. Seemed like he was inconsistent for Duke down the stretch, but Kyle Singler had a nice game as he tried to carry the team. This Arizona team coming out of nowhere, though, proved too tough. I had them losing to (12) Memphis in the first round so needless to say I'm impressed with this squad. They wont get past (3) UConn, though.
My big upset pick, (11) Marquette over (2) North Carolina didn't really work out. North Carolina played well as a team and they're going to need to keep it up if they want to beat (4) Kentucky next round, who looked damn good in their win today.
(4) Kentucky upset (1) Ohio St.behind Brandon Knight's 30 points. With a 62-60 final score, Knight accounted for nearly half his teams points. Ohio St. struggled to shoot the ball, as they shot 32.8%, but still almost came out with the W in the end. I didn't know much about this Kentucky team heading into the tournament and I'm extremely surprised to see them this far. With the win over the #1 overall seed, though, they've got to be feeling good about themselves. Bad news for North Carolina.
(1) Kansas decimated (12) Richmond. Don't really know what to say here. Kansas played like a 1-seed and Richmond played like a 12-seed. All was right with this one. Their journey ends.
(11) VCU, on the other hand, is still going forward after squeaking out an OT victory over (10) Florida St. Exciting game from two evenly matched teams. Now, VCU's reward is a date in the Elite Eight with Kansas and their depth and athleticism.
The Matchups:
(1) Kansas vs (11) VCU
(2) North Carolina vs (4) Kentucky
(2) Florida vs (8) Butler
(3) UConn vs (5) Arizona
The Verdict:
Kansas will easily handle VCU. No contest really here from the eventual national champs.
There's no way to predict the North Carolina - Kentucky game. It'll just come down to which team is playing better on that day, plain and simple. Both teams have been playing well leading up to the game, so the determining factor will be consistency. Which team will be able to continue their solid play? I think North Carolina comes out with this one. Too much experience on the team to let a slip up happen this deep in the tournament. Kentucky can definitely come out blazing and catch NC off guard though, but I just think NC is too tough.
I think Florida - Butler will be a close one. Butler knows what it takes to get to the finals and they definitely have the talent to get them there. As I'm typing this I want to say Butler is going to win, but since Round 3 I had Florida in my Final Four, so there's no turning back now. Florida is taking this game.
UConn will mop the floor with Arizona. There's no player in the nation like Kemba Walker and I don't think Arizona will be well equipped to defend him. Again, I picked Arizona to lose the first game they played, and doesn't seem like I'm going to give them any respect yet. They're still just a fluke team in my book. If they go out there and beat UConn, I'll be damn impressed.
Predicted Final Four matchups:
(2) NC vs (3) UConn
(1) Kansas vs (2) Florida
That's it for this blog. I'll be back after the Elite Eight.
Though there were only 8 games played these past couple days, that didn't stop the remaining teams from posting multiple upsets.
First, (2) Florida and (3) BYU put up a nice OT game. Jimmer struggled, especially from beyond the arc, but the rest of the team was almost able to bail him out and take the game. Again, I'm liking Florida and expect to see them in the Final Four.
(3) UConn took out (2) SDSU with probable POY Kemba Walker leading the charge. This team is playing amazingly, especially considering the fact that had to run through 5 games to win the Big East Tournament with 0 days rest inbetween and then hop right into the Big Dance. Fatigue doesn't seem to be an issue for this team so far, but there's still a ways to go. This team has all the momentum and confidence in the world, though, so I doubt it'll be a factor. Another team I expect to see in the Final Four.
(8) Butler continued their hot run by eliminating (4) Wisconsin. Solid team play all around for the Bulldogs and strong defensive showing as well. I expect them to fall to (2) Florida, though, in the Elite Eight. I wouldn't be shocked if they win, but I really don't think they can hang with Florida right now.
(5) Arizona absolutely manhandled (1) Duke. The defending champ's POY candidate Nolan Smith really didn't show up to the game. Seemed like he was inconsistent for Duke down the stretch, but Kyle Singler had a nice game as he tried to carry the team. This Arizona team coming out of nowhere, though, proved too tough. I had them losing to (12) Memphis in the first round so needless to say I'm impressed with this squad. They wont get past (3) UConn, though.
My big upset pick, (11) Marquette over (2) North Carolina didn't really work out. North Carolina played well as a team and they're going to need to keep it up if they want to beat (4) Kentucky next round, who looked damn good in their win today.
(4) Kentucky upset (1) Ohio St.behind Brandon Knight's 30 points. With a 62-60 final score, Knight accounted for nearly half his teams points. Ohio St. struggled to shoot the ball, as they shot 32.8%, but still almost came out with the W in the end. I didn't know much about this Kentucky team heading into the tournament and I'm extremely surprised to see them this far. With the win over the #1 overall seed, though, they've got to be feeling good about themselves. Bad news for North Carolina.
(1) Kansas decimated (12) Richmond. Don't really know what to say here. Kansas played like a 1-seed and Richmond played like a 12-seed. All was right with this one. Their journey ends.
(11) VCU, on the other hand, is still going forward after squeaking out an OT victory over (10) Florida St. Exciting game from two evenly matched teams. Now, VCU's reward is a date in the Elite Eight with Kansas and their depth and athleticism.
The Matchups:
(1) Kansas vs (11) VCU
(2) North Carolina vs (4) Kentucky
(2) Florida vs (8) Butler
(3) UConn vs (5) Arizona
The Verdict:
Kansas will easily handle VCU. No contest really here from the eventual national champs.
There's no way to predict the North Carolina - Kentucky game. It'll just come down to which team is playing better on that day, plain and simple. Both teams have been playing well leading up to the game, so the determining factor will be consistency. Which team will be able to continue their solid play? I think North Carolina comes out with this one. Too much experience on the team to let a slip up happen this deep in the tournament. Kentucky can definitely come out blazing and catch NC off guard though, but I just think NC is too tough.
I think Florida - Butler will be a close one. Butler knows what it takes to get to the finals and they definitely have the talent to get them there. As I'm typing this I want to say Butler is going to win, but since Round 3 I had Florida in my Final Four, so there's no turning back now. Florida is taking this game.
UConn will mop the floor with Arizona. There's no player in the nation like Kemba Walker and I don't think Arizona will be well equipped to defend him. Again, I picked Arizona to lose the first game they played, and doesn't seem like I'm going to give them any respect yet. They're still just a fluke team in my book. If they go out there and beat UConn, I'll be damn impressed.
Predicted Final Four matchups:
(2) NC vs (3) UConn
(1) Kansas vs (2) Florida
That's it for this blog. I'll be back after the Elite Eight.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
March Madness Round 3
This surely has been an excited Round 3. As stated in the last blog, the skill gap between the top teams to the bottom clearly isn't as big as people expected. The lower ranked teams are putting up a hell of a fight if not winning the games, other than George Mason who was just the next victim in Ohio State's wake of destruction.
(4) Kentucky and (5) West Virginia put up a decent game to start the round.
(11) Marquette and (3) Syracuse played out to be a good Big East game with Marquette moving on, as predicted in the last blog.
(7) Washington almost came out on top over heavily favored (2) North Carolina.
(8) Michigan gave all (1) Duke could handle, as predicted in the last blog as well.
(5) Arizona edged (4) Texas with a controversial call.
(2) San Diego St and (7) Temple had an exciting double OT finish.
(8) Butler was the first team to take down a 1 seed, as Pitt was defeated.
(2) Notre Dame was surprised by (10) Florida St.
The MWC, which sent 2 teams, has two teams in the Sweet 16: (3) BYU and (2) San Diego St
The Big East, which sent 11 teams, has two as well: (3) UConn and (11) Marquette
Disappointing tournament by the Big East so far. With the exception of Big East teams that lost to another Big East team, the other 7 teams have lost to non Big East opponents and 5 of them have lost to a lower seed, (9) Villanova and (5) West Virginia being excluded as they lost to (8) George Mason and (4) Kentucky, respectively. Seems like the only way to salvage the tourney for the conference is to have (11) Marquette and (3) UConn in the Final Four. (11) Marquette has a difficult path, as they have to face (2) North Carolina and then most likely (1) Ohio State afterwards. (3) UConn and Kemba Walker have been hot since the start of the Big East tournament so they'll have a shot going up against (2) San Diego St and most likely (1) Duke after.
UConn has to beat SDSU. They can't lose to a mid major. Too many Big East teams have done that already. (1) Pitt, (4) Louisville, (6) St Johns, (6) Georgetown, and (9) Villanova have all done so. That's 5 loses to mid majors, 2 to Big East, and 2 to major conferences. That doesn't look good for a conference regarded as the best in the country. They can't be losing to small name schools. UConn has to show SDSU that they're simply not at the same level as Big East competition. The rest of the Big East sure as hell has convinced the nation otherwise unfortunately.
Going back to my last blog, I thought (11) Gonzaga would take down (3) BYU through their size. Well, the Zags out rebounded them 34-23 while grabbing 8 more offensive boards with a 10-2 spread, but it didn't translate to a win like I expected. They didn't do much with their second chance opportunities. Oh, and too much Jimmer. Gonzaga kept it close most of the first half, but the last few minutes consisted of Jimmer running down the court and tossing up a quick 3 and going in. It'll be fun watching them play a damn good (2) Florida team no one seems to be talking about. They've been winning convincingly, as they should be, which not a lot of teams have been doing lately. I'm pretty much thinking Final Four for them. Their path doesn't seem too difficult with BYU and either (8) Butler or (4) Wisconsin in their way.
(11) VCU continues to surprise. They absolutely decimated (3) Purdue. I haven't watched either of their games this tournament but I'll be sure to watch them if they get past (10) Florida St. Who would've guessed we'd have an (11) vs (10) matchup in the Sweet 16? The Southwest bracket has a (1), (10), (11), and (12) seed remaining. Unreal.
Notable upsets for the Sweet 16:
(11) Marquette over (2) North Carolina
That's pretty much it I guess. As far as seeding goes, I have (3) UConn over (2) SDSU. Doubt that's actually classified as an upset, though.
I'll be back after the Sweet 16.
(4) Kentucky and (5) West Virginia put up a decent game to start the round.
(11) Marquette and (3) Syracuse played out to be a good Big East game with Marquette moving on, as predicted in the last blog.
(7) Washington almost came out on top over heavily favored (2) North Carolina.
(8) Michigan gave all (1) Duke could handle, as predicted in the last blog as well.
(5) Arizona edged (4) Texas with a controversial call.
(2) San Diego St and (7) Temple had an exciting double OT finish.
(8) Butler was the first team to take down a 1 seed, as Pitt was defeated.
(2) Notre Dame was surprised by (10) Florida St.
The MWC, which sent 2 teams, has two teams in the Sweet 16: (3) BYU and (2) San Diego St
The Big East, which sent 11 teams, has two as well: (3) UConn and (11) Marquette
Disappointing tournament by the Big East so far. With the exception of Big East teams that lost to another Big East team, the other 7 teams have lost to non Big East opponents and 5 of them have lost to a lower seed, (9) Villanova and (5) West Virginia being excluded as they lost to (8) George Mason and (4) Kentucky, respectively. Seems like the only way to salvage the tourney for the conference is to have (11) Marquette and (3) UConn in the Final Four. (11) Marquette has a difficult path, as they have to face (2) North Carolina and then most likely (1) Ohio State afterwards. (3) UConn and Kemba Walker have been hot since the start of the Big East tournament so they'll have a shot going up against (2) San Diego St and most likely (1) Duke after.
UConn has to beat SDSU. They can't lose to a mid major. Too many Big East teams have done that already. (1) Pitt, (4) Louisville, (6) St Johns, (6) Georgetown, and (9) Villanova have all done so. That's 5 loses to mid majors, 2 to Big East, and 2 to major conferences. That doesn't look good for a conference regarded as the best in the country. They can't be losing to small name schools. UConn has to show SDSU that they're simply not at the same level as Big East competition. The rest of the Big East sure as hell has convinced the nation otherwise unfortunately.
Going back to my last blog, I thought (11) Gonzaga would take down (3) BYU through their size. Well, the Zags out rebounded them 34-23 while grabbing 8 more offensive boards with a 10-2 spread, but it didn't translate to a win like I expected. They didn't do much with their second chance opportunities. Oh, and too much Jimmer. Gonzaga kept it close most of the first half, but the last few minutes consisted of Jimmer running down the court and tossing up a quick 3 and going in. It'll be fun watching them play a damn good (2) Florida team no one seems to be talking about. They've been winning convincingly, as they should be, which not a lot of teams have been doing lately. I'm pretty much thinking Final Four for them. Their path doesn't seem too difficult with BYU and either (8) Butler or (4) Wisconsin in their way.
(11) VCU continues to surprise. They absolutely decimated (3) Purdue. I haven't watched either of their games this tournament but I'll be sure to watch them if they get past (10) Florida St. Who would've guessed we'd have an (11) vs (10) matchup in the Sweet 16? The Southwest bracket has a (1), (10), (11), and (12) seed remaining. Unreal.
Notable upsets for the Sweet 16:
(11) Marquette over (2) North Carolina
That's pretty much it I guess. As far as seeding goes, I have (3) UConn over (2) SDSU. Doubt that's actually classified as an upset, though.
I'll be back after the Sweet 16.
Friday, March 18, 2011
March Madness Round 2
Well, after the 2nd round of March Madness play, there have been plenty of upsets.
(12) Richmond took down (5)Vanderbilt
(13) Morehead St squeaked by (4) Louisville
(11) VCU slaughtered (6) Georgetown
(11) Gonzaga crushed (6) St. Johns
(11) Marquette destroyed (6) Xavier
Other matchups were very close as well, such as (13) Oakland vs (4) Texas, (12) Memphis vs (5) Arizona, and (8) George Mason vs (9) Villanova.
People were saying before the Dance started that there was a huge skill gap between the top tier teams and the rest of the field, but the amount of upsets that have already occurred and the fights the other lower seeds put up seems to disprove that thought. The Big East isn't having as great a showing as expected, as they went 7-4 in their first games of the tourney. 3 of the 4 lost to teams ranked considerably lower than them, with the exception being Villanova who lost another tough game to George Mason. I still believe the Big East can do big things to further prove they are the best conference in the country, and I think Marquette (East), Pitt (South East), Notre Dame (South West), and UConn (West) have the best chances to do that.
Now, with my National Champion team Villanova already out, that leaves me to pick a new team to win the title. I think it will come down to Pitt and Kansas. The winner of that matchup in the Final Four will win the whole thing. I think Kansas will win that game and go on to take it. That doesn't mean I wont be surprised if they lose that game or even get upset along the way. All it takes is for one team to get hot at the right time and blaze through the field.
As far as Round 3 goes, here are some more notable upsets and reasons:
(11) Gonzaga over (3) BYU --- Gonzaga torched St Johns on the boards in their first game, and with Davies gone for BYU I don't see Jimmer being enough to stop the size and strength of the Bull Dogs.
(11) Marquette over (3) Syracuse --- I think Marquette is the team that is going to get hot and do big things and bust some brackets. I feel like people are sleeping on them and they can come out of no where to shock some teams.
Not saying it will happen, but don't be surprised if (8) Michigan takes down (1) Duke. I definitely expect them to give the Blue Devils a scare, and almost expect them to push them right to the brink after that hot play against Tennessee. Michigan is just another team I can see catching fire.
Pretty much the rest of Round 3 I have going to the higher seed.
I'll be back to discuss the results and give more predictions for the Sweet 16.
(12) Richmond took down (5)Vanderbilt
(13) Morehead St squeaked by (4) Louisville
(11) VCU slaughtered (6) Georgetown
(11) Gonzaga crushed (6) St. Johns
(11) Marquette destroyed (6) Xavier
Other matchups were very close as well, such as (13) Oakland vs (4) Texas, (12) Memphis vs (5) Arizona, and (8) George Mason vs (9) Villanova.
People were saying before the Dance started that there was a huge skill gap between the top tier teams and the rest of the field, but the amount of upsets that have already occurred and the fights the other lower seeds put up seems to disprove that thought. The Big East isn't having as great a showing as expected, as they went 7-4 in their first games of the tourney. 3 of the 4 lost to teams ranked considerably lower than them, with the exception being Villanova who lost another tough game to George Mason. I still believe the Big East can do big things to further prove they are the best conference in the country, and I think Marquette (East), Pitt (South East), Notre Dame (South West), and UConn (West) have the best chances to do that.
Now, with my National Champion team Villanova already out, that leaves me to pick a new team to win the title. I think it will come down to Pitt and Kansas. The winner of that matchup in the Final Four will win the whole thing. I think Kansas will win that game and go on to take it. That doesn't mean I wont be surprised if they lose that game or even get upset along the way. All it takes is for one team to get hot at the right time and blaze through the field.
As far as Round 3 goes, here are some more notable upsets and reasons:
(11) Gonzaga over (3) BYU --- Gonzaga torched St Johns on the boards in their first game, and with Davies gone for BYU I don't see Jimmer being enough to stop the size and strength of the Bull Dogs.
(11) Marquette over (3) Syracuse --- I think Marquette is the team that is going to get hot and do big things and bust some brackets. I feel like people are sleeping on them and they can come out of no where to shock some teams.
Not saying it will happen, but don't be surprised if (8) Michigan takes down (1) Duke. I definitely expect them to give the Blue Devils a scare, and almost expect them to push them right to the brink after that hot play against Tennessee. Michigan is just another team I can see catching fire.
Pretty much the rest of Round 3 I have going to the higher seed.
I'll be back to discuss the results and give more predictions for the Sweet 16.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
March Madness
Villanova is gonna shock the world upsetting #1 overall ranked Ohio State in the second round. Ohio St. is completely overrated and the Wildcats are playing angry with a chip on their shoulder.
Final Four Matchups:
Villanova vs UConn, Kansas vs Pittsburgh
Notable Upsets:
(11) Marquette over (6) Xavier
(11) Marquette over (3) Syracuse
(11) Marquette over (2) North Carolina
(12) Memphis over (5) Arizona
(13) Oakland over (4) Texas
(11) Missouri over (6) Cincinnati
(10) Michigan St over (2) Florida
(11) Gonzaga over (6) St. Johns
(11) Gonzaga over (3) BYU
(12) Utah St over (5) Kansas St
(12) Utah St over (4) Wisconsin
(6) Georgetown over (3) Purdue
CASH
Final Four Matchups:
Villanova vs UConn, Kansas vs Pittsburgh
Notable Upsets:
(11) Marquette over (6) Xavier
(11) Marquette over (3) Syracuse
(11) Marquette over (2) North Carolina
(12) Memphis over (5) Arizona
(13) Oakland over (4) Texas
(11) Missouri over (6) Cincinnati
(10) Michigan St over (2) Florida
(11) Gonzaga over (6) St. Johns
(11) Gonzaga over (3) BYU
(12) Utah St over (5) Kansas St
(12) Utah St over (4) Wisconsin
(6) Georgetown over (3) Purdue
CASH
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