I generally do not like to toot my own horn but last year’s 65 Pieces of Silver got a lot of publicity and a lot of people complimented me on that piece of work. So I’m back again for another go around at 65 names, teams, coaches, or whatever people should be looking for as the NCAA Tournament gets rolling. Seriously, if you don’t love this time of year then you are a loser. Let’s stop beating around the bush. Take some notes, well actually don’t, just enjoy because I’m not here to give anyone advice on their brackets. I’m just here to give the readers some things to look for. Yo dj, drop that beat.
Cornell is the first team to go dancing. They knocked off the Brown Bears in dominating fashion. This is Cornell’s third straight trip to the dance. They have lost in the first round as a 14-seed the past two years but three years ago almost upset #1 seed Kansas. Look for Cornell to stroke it from deep. They hit 20 of 30 from downtown against Brown. They are deep and experienced and could provide teams a little bit of trouble come dance time.
Winthrop is dancing after beating Coast Carolina on their home floor for the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Winthrop’s smothering D is key to their success. Not trying to hate on the Eagles, but they only have one guy averaging in double digits and that guy only averages 10.4. However, like I said, it’s their D that is key.
The Bucs from ETSU are back dancing. This is their second straight appearance in the big dance. Pretty impressive if you ask me as they lost three starters from last year’s squad from either graduation or injury.
The Racers of Murray State are dancing. Check this out, they have 30 wins! They are 30-4. Murray State is no stranger to the dance as this is their 14th appearance however; it’s their first since 2006. Not sure if they are gonna do the things or not, but look for them to be slinging on the hardwood.
Out of the giant killer conference that is the Missouri Valley Conference comes Northern Iowa. They topped the Shockers of Wichita State to grab the automatic bid. Wichita State needed the win more than Northern Iowa, so now they are going to have to wait an agonizing week to see their fate. UNI used a 25-3 run in the second half to help grab the W. Their suffocating D held the Shockers without a field goal for over 12 minutes. It was once again Kwadzo Ahelegbe who laid pipe. Look for Northern Iowa to cause some trouble in the tourney. Teams out of the MVC are the real deal; people should take them more seriously.
The Monarchs are in the mix! Out of the Colonial Athletic Association come the Monarchs of Old Dominion University. Check it, little known fact, the alma mater of my boss! I’ll tell you what though. As much as I want to give this team props, it’s hard for me to say they are a team that can get a win in the NCAA tournament. They struggle to make free throws and only average four made three-pointers a game. To me that’s two very important categories. If a team wants to sit in a zone on ODU and ODU isn’t hitting from deep then I just don’t see them advancing. I will say that they rebound like a bunch of crazed banshees, so that there is an important category when it comes to advancing. Throw them in as a 10-seed and they could make a little noise.
The giant killers are back. Siena. Out of the MAAC, Siena is coming strong. They were down by as many as 17 and 15 in the second half. They battled back and gutted out an overtime victory in front of the home crowd. Let me break it down for you about Siena. First of all, they beat Ohio State last year so that should send enough shockwaves across Bracketville. Secondly, over the past four years the program has 96 wins, which is comparable to 115 wins over four years at a place like UNC. Siena is a team that other teams use as a resume builder so everything comes earned. They have a group of seniors who have scored 4,000+ combined points over their careers as well. So you have to think Siena is in the mix to make big time noise. As always, I have to give a big shout out to my main man Bob Gavagan. Dude was a manager at Xavier with me but moved on to lay it down at Siena and if there is one thing I know Bob does, it’s hang banners and sling bling. I see you Bobby G!
The Wofford Terriers from the SoCon are dancing. This is there first ever dance. Shoot they have only been a D1 program since 1994 so this is big time. They jumped out early on Appy State and then used lock down D to shut App State out of the dance. It should be noted that Mark Prosser is on staff at Wofford and that Wofford is on the schedule for X next year. So take note, another NCAA tournament team on the schedule for next year. See that Dayton, when you schedule teams who make the tournament you set yourself up to be dominant late in the season. I don’t really see Presbyterian in the mix this year.
Out of the West Coast Conference is St. Mary’s. Don’t worry, Gonzaga will be in, but St. Mary’s grabs the automatic bid, one they just missed out on last year when they really probably deserved an at large bid. But you know what, no sympathy for this team this year. In fact I’ve reversed my feelings on this team this year. I was all about them and Paddy Mills last year. This year, not so much. They have this tool who plays down low that I really could care less for. Omar Samhan. Not a fan of this guy or his game. His numbers are solid but not a fan of him regardless. Dude you’re really annoying and no one gives a damn about how much of a “beast” you proclaim yourself to be. I’m not picking them to win a game in the tournament.
Looming on the Horizon of a deep run in March is Butler. They ran the table in the Horizon League and kept running it in the conference tournament. Impressive enough is the unblemished run in conference but this little team that could has been dancing 7 times in the last 11 years which is a testament to them knocking the mid-major label of their back. They were ranked all season long and won some big games while doing so. This team is very easily a team in my mind that can go to at least the second weekend of the tournament if not further. Between Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward on the perimiter and Matt Howard down low they have the tools to be dangerous. Did I mention they’ve won 20 games in a row? I will also say that Butler matched Xavier for conference wins (15) but couldn’t beat Xavier’s margin of victory in a championship game (26). Xavier still getting work done.
Oakland is dancing out of the Summit Conference. Besides IUPUI and IPFW I have no idea who else is in this conference. Completely irrelevant. I mean Oakland has their last names below the number on their jerseys for pete’s sake. Stupid. Their coach rocks like a mock turtle neck during games. Bad. They have a bunch of wiggers on the team. Awful. Don’t count on this team to win a game in the tourney. Just not feeling this team. Derick Nelson did drop 36 points for them in the title game though, with a broken nose. Pretty fresh. This is their second dance too. Limited experience leads to limited advancement.
Ah yes, North Texas out of the perennial powerhouse Sun Belt conference. The Mean Green, former employer of @hehateme183 aka @dclark183, is dancing thanks to the late game heroics of Josh White. They are currently riding an 11 game win streak and that can be attributed to the amount of POISE they show. As we all know POISE is very key to making runs in March. While I’m not saying to pick the Mean Green just remember POISE is the key.
Robert Morris is dancing out of the Northeast Conference. They took down Quinnipiac at Quinnipiac to punch the ticket. Bob Morris is lead by an unlikely character in Karon Abraham. Dude is a pure freshman and can flat out play. He jumped into the mix after the cat in front of him went down to an injury and has really been doing it since late December. Better keep your eyes on this 5’10” baller. Secondly, their coach has been around the block and has learned under plenty of high level mentors including Jamie Dixon and Phil Martelli.
Certainly Duke is Duke. On TV more than Leave it to Beaver re-runs. Duke won the ACC. Blah blah blah. Not surprising here. They are dancing. The team America loves to hate is back to their old tricks. This Duke team will frustrate you with their fundamentally sound play and stiff D. They have guys who can stroke from deep and bang down low. Really, they have all the mixings to challenge for a title. But I just don’t think they will win it all. Final Four if they’re lucky, but I’m thinking more like Elite 8.
Vermont came out of the America East Conference. The last time Vermont was dancing they knocked off Syracuse. So they are certainly looking to find that magic again. Vermont is lead by Marques Blakely who is an all around guy who can absolutely sky.
Temple got the automatic seed out of the A-10 after beating Richmond. Temple loves going to Atlantic City as they have won the 3 of 4 tournaments in that dump of a city. Boardwalk Hall is a dump. The Pirate ship that is painted on the one wall is just weird. Temple is going to be a tough out for anyone in this tournament. They dominated the A-10 and played Kansas very well back in January.
Speaking of Kansas, they got the automatic bid out of the Big 12 conference. Ever since UNC was holding the trophy up last year I said Kansas would be the team to win it all this year and I’m sticking with that. I love what Bill Self has built at Kansas. This team in particular is laden with veterans and talent. They defend and can score in bunches. I just love everything this Kansas team brings to the table. The only guarantee I have when it comes to this bracket is that I’m going to put Kansas on the champion line as soon as I fill out a bracket.
West Virginia won the Big East tournament. What a heck of a league and conference tournament. Year after year the Big East continues to impress me. The amount of talent and skilled basketball is awesome. You have to like West Virginia’s chances to go deep this year solely based on their body of work. They were ranked in the top 10 all season long, they played the toughest schedule, and they were successful in playing the toughest schedule. All of those factors make for a great March. I like West Virginia this year. Bobby Huggins is back up to his old tricks.
Montana won a sick game in the Big Sky to grab the automatic bid. Just when Weber State thought they had the game in the bag Anthony Johnson decided to show up. Dude went straight medieval on Weber State who led by 22 in the second half. Johnson finished with 42 and single handedly tore apart Weber State. Just for this ballsy effort I gotta like the Grizz. Plus their nickname is the Grizz……..nice.
Ohio State is coming out of the always tough Big Ten. It took a little magic early to help the Buckeyes propel themselves through the tournament. Michigan gave the Bucks a little scare and Evan Turner, soon to be player of the year, answered the prayers of Buckeye nation as he hit a half courter for the win. Blame the Michigan staff for not having anyone guard the inbounder (see Christian Latener). Unbelieveable. Ohio State maybe goes 6 deep but that starting five is pretty leathal and built for a run. Evan Turner is a beast. He leads the team in every category. David Lighty has morphed from a lock down defender to an offensive threat. William Bufford is just the man. If Jon Diebler is feeling it from deep then teams will pay the price. Dallas Lauderdale is just a force down low, a true low post player. I think the Bucks could make a potential case for the Final Four.
UC Santa Barbara won the automatic bid out of the Big West. First of all their nick name is The Gauchos. Second of all it’s the alma mater of Jim Rome, cue karma. They may be destined for a little magic. This is their first dance since 2002. I don’t know too much about these guys, therefore I think I’ll see them exiting stage left in round one. Sorry Gauchos.
Houston is back out of Conference USA. Whle Houston is lead by journeyman Tom Penders, this is their first bid in 18 years. Not to mention they had the 7 seed in the C-USA tourney. I guess you could say they are poised for a run. But I’m going to go with my better judgment and just say this is a team that got hot when they needed to. I don’t see the Cougars rekindling the fire of Phi Slamma Jamma.
The Bobcats of Ohio University are dancing out of the MAC. Good old John Groce and rebirthed Armon Bassett are dancing. They certainly were not predicted to win the MAC, but good for these guys. Groce comes from the Matta line of coaches, so you gotta be happy for this guy. Bassett is one of the handful of guys displaced after the fiasco at Indiana under Kelvin Sampson. Bassett is definitely a force and I’m sure he’ll be putting the team on his back in the tournament, I just don’t know how much this team has to make a run. Party on OU.
What do you know about Morgan State and the MEAC?! I really don’t know too much but I do know they beat South Carolina State for their second straight MEAC Title. The Bears are playing inspired basketball as they have dedicated their season to redshirt freshman Anthony Anderson has leukemia and watched from home in Baltimore receiving chemotherapy. Certainly a nice story line and inspired play always makes for exciting games.
My main man Steve Fisher and the Aztecs of San Diego State are dancing out of the Mountain West. They are lead by freshman phenom Kawhi Leonard. Dude put out 16 and 21 in the championship effort. As a freshman he averages 13 and 10, so that’s pretty impressive. I like SDSU as a sleeper pick in my bracket only because this team has been on the rise and no one really knows what they bring to the table.
The Pac-10 was really weak this year but the Huskies from Washington are dancing. Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas are the leaders for this Husky team. Lorenzo Romar is a decent coach too. This team was a bubble team so obviously they had a resume worthy of dancing. I like for this team to grab a win or two in the tournament.
Lehigh grabbed the Patriot League title. I seriously thought their mascot was a pigeon, but it’s actually a mountain hawk. Same difference I guess. This is their fourth appearance but first since 2004.
It wouldn’t really be March without a little Kentucky action. Kentucky secured an automatic bid by beating Mississippi State in the final of the SEC tournament. It also wouldn’t be March without John Calipari. It wouldn’t be March without the best freshman to be dancing, literally and figuratively. The John Wall dance is captivating hoops fans everywhere. Plus his play is just as captivating as the tiny but athletic point guard demands attention because he’s that good. In fact the entire freshman class at UK is that good. Demarcus Cousins is a freak down low but his hot head can get him in trouble sometimes. Then you have Horton and Bledsoe too. Everyone seems to forget about Patrick Patterson. These are guys that even attracted my main man LeBron James to a game in Rupp Arena. Pretty special and arguably the most talented team in the country but will their youth and plain dumb-ness catch up with them? Only time will tell. Do the John Wall. Do the John Wall. Do the John Wall.
Out of the Southland Conference is Sam Houston State. Not to be confused with the Cincinnati Bearcats who are not dancing these BearKATS are dancing. That’s right BearKats. Jeff Van Gundy provided inspiration via text for the Bearkats, telling them to, “ATTACK.” Easily one of my favorite motivational tactics, ATTACK. Attack and finish, right LooneyBunch?
Arkansas Pine Bluff is dancing out of the SWAC. Pow pow pow. Besides knowing little to nothing about this team, I’m loving that they’re dancing because I used to play as them in NCAA Football. For what reason, I can’t tell you, but I was pretty nasty. So I gotta think they are due for a little action in March. Well maybe not really, but congrats as it is their first ever NCAA bid.
New Mexico State surprised the favorite, Utah State to grab the automatic bid out of the WAC. Point guard and tournament Jamhar Young willed his team to victory after visualizing the team dancing. He said, “after watching other teams win all afternoon, I could just picture us winning and going dancing.” Pretty nice to see it happen and then it comes true.
You know a team is making strides when you see UNLV back in the mix. It’s so refreshing to see them back dancing. I believe they danced last year but they really set out this year with a tough schedule and the Mountain West was pretty strong in itself. I expect UNLV to be prepared and I definitely like them as a team to make a little noise.
Wake Forest received an at large bid. The ACC was fairly competitive this year but Wake kind of fell off toward the end. Certainly getting smashed by Georgia Tech in the first round of the tournament didn’t make things better but may have lit the fire under this talented team. Ish Smith is one of the quickest dudes in all of college basketball and an absolute play maker when it comes to point guard ability.
We can’t say March without mentioning Michigan State and Tom Izzo. Year after Year Sparty is competing at the highest level. To remind you, they lost to UNC last year in the title game. Everyone knows I love Izzo and State. While they had ups and downs this year, don’t count them out, especially when it comes to tournament time. Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan are two guys very capable of taking over games and dominating both outside and inside.
Texas. Wow. What more can you say? This team was once ranked #1 in the country. Since then it seems like they haven’t been able to get back on track. I see them winning one maybe two games, but no more than that. Just by watching them play over these last few weeks I have been less than impressed. No hooking of horns this year. No sir. Bad karma ever since Colt McCoy got smashed in the title game out in Pasadena.
Arguably one of the hottest and most dangerous teams coming into this boogey down is Maryland. But man, I really hate Vasquez. That guy is all talk. Dude gives a fore-arm shiver everytime he goes to make a move. Be a man and don’t cheat tool. I have to give this team credit, they are playing really well when it really counts. Maybe that beat down in the ACC tournament was a rude awakening? Sweet 16 potential.
Wisconsin, the buzzcuts, the team everyone hates in the Big Ten. Certainly the Kohl Center is a tough place to play. But seriously, how annoying is it when you get beat down by a bunch of dudes flossing flattop lettuce? Really annoying. Trevon Hughes is legit though. I certainly expect Bo Ryan to have the fellas coached up and ready to go. But due to my allegiances and grudges I hold, I don’t see myself giving this team a lot of respect.
Tennessee is dancing. This means Bruce Pearl is in the house. I’ve warmed up to him and this team because of someone finally getting control of the thuggery that was going on down there. Dudes with guns blazing the hemp, just out of control. I think everyone got refocused after that incident. Shoot, they beat Kansas, my favorite to win it all. That kind of says something right? They do like to run and gun and press and trap. Reckless play leads to reckless results.
Marquette is in the mix. Certainly not a surprise as they played pretty well in the Big East this year. I can’t decide if they flew under the radar this year or just didn’t do much to have people talking about them? The Big East was loaded this year and it seems like Marquette just kind of flew below the radar while the Syracuses’ and West Virginia’s stole the show? Lazar Hayward is pretty nice. I like what he brings to the table.
The Hoyas of Georgetown are in my opinion the hottest team coming into the Dance. They too flew below the radar, but at the national level this year. They got the job done in the Big East but never really got the national attention Villanova, Syracuse, Duke, Kansas, or Kansas State was getting. I like this team for the inside and outside presence. Plus, John Thompson III is a pretty damn good coach. Hoyas run deep in March.
Steve Alford has New Mexico dancing. The Lobos actually made legit statements this year. If you don’t know basketball then this is definitely a pick for a sleeper type run in your pools. I love them for the sole fact they beat Dayton (how’s that NIT feel suckas?).
Oklahoma State is dancing. James Anderson is a BEAST. Travis Ford is young and good. What more can you say about the Cowboys? Their uniforms are sick too. James Anderson is arguably the best two guard in the country and if your best defensive player doesn’t show up to play against him be ready for a clinic.
Mike Anderson and the Tigers of Missouri are back in the mix. This team is funny to me. Again, I felt like everytime I saw they they were losing so they never really garnered my interest. But they did play in a tough Big 12 and they did get an at large so they must be worth something. I’m just not so sure how much they are worth it. Their pressure D can cause problems and as we saw last year, they made a decent run because of their athletic ability.
Georgia Tech made a late season surge to go from bubble to dancing. Gani Lawal is the real deal. Derrick Favors is a freshman phenom that a lot of people outside of the ACC are unaware of. Paul Hewitt is still getting it done. I think the job he did this year probably bought him some more time at the North Avenue Trade School. The sole fact that they got hot in the ACC is a good sign that they are ready to rumble later this week.
Another ACC squad is Clemson. This team had a lot of high expectations early one and then fizzled or like I’ve said about other teams, they just lost my attention. That’s not to say they’re not good because they do have talent. Take Demontez Stitt for example. Baller. Trevor Booker is also a guy you should probably keep your eyes on. Pure play maker.
Syracuse fans about had massive heart attacks when Onuaku went down in the losing effort of their Big East tournament game. However, all signs point toward a return if they make the sweet 16. They certainly have the talent. Andy Rautins can stroke it from deep and Wes Johnson is a legit POY candidate. If they make it to the round of 16 and Onuaku returns then look for them to make a late season surge toward Indianapolis.
Cal barely squeaked in. Had it not been for their ambitious schedule then they would be flossing NIT status. But, they built their resume and here they are. The Pac-10 was pretty horrific this year. Cal lost to Washington in the Pac-10 Title game. As much as I want to be a believer in Cal, based on the overall badness of the Pac 10 I don’t have a lot of faith in them or the Huskies.
By now March and Gonzaga are basically one in the same. Gonzaga has tossed the Cinderella name aside and are now legit every year which I think is a huge testament to Mark Few. Matt Bouldin is your typical Gonzage point guard. Very fundamental, can beat you in a variety of ways, and loves getting his teammates involved. You can thank John Stockton for the long line of point guards to come from Gonzaga. I wasn’t too impressed with their play against St. Mary’s but that being said, Gonzaga still doesn’t get the respect they truly deserve which is why I think they have a shot at advancing to the second weekend of March.
Louisville is in which means Rick Pitino is in the mix. Somehow Louisville secured big time wins in a tough tough conference to help propel themselves to the dance. Edgar Sosa is pretty bad though. I’m not really a fan of him. Samardo Samuels on the other side of things is a force down low. I like what he brings to the table.
The Seminoles are dancing. I’m really beginning to wonder how so many ACC schools got in. I didn’t think the conference was overly impressive this year. Florida State doesn’t bring anything sweet to the table other than some black jerseys. You must be reminded that they did challenge for the ACC title last year so experience plays a role in deep runs in March. Experience and poise, very key to runs in March.
Texas A&M is another team out of the Big 12. All year long they battled and got big wins when they had to. I have to think with the possibility of playing in nearby Houston is a huge motivator for these guys to make it to the second weekend. If that happens then who knows what may happen. A home town crowd is always helpful to runs.
UTEP is easily my biggest dark horse in the tournament this year. I just love what they have going on down there in El Paso. Remember Derrick Caracter? The guy who disappeared from Louisville. Well he’s resurface down in El Paso badder than ever. Big hoss daddy down low. Not to mention his athletic partner in crime, Randy Culpepper. Seriously, I’m down with UTEP and I like them to make big noise.
The Aggies of Utah State are dancing. They were one of those teams that built a strong resume and RPI to assist them in their selection to the tournament. This team’s ability to do more things right than wrong and do them well will be a big factor in their chances at advancing.
Vanderbilt is in out of the SEC. Here is a team with run potential as well. Kevin Stallings is a heck of a coach. I really like the versatility of Ogilvy. He reminds me a lot of Dirk Nowitzki. If there was a team that you wanted to go out on a legit limb to go to the Final Four this is the team. Not only do they have play makers but their team defense is pretty solid too.
Purdue is in. I loved this Purdue team until Robbie Hummel went down. What a crushing blow to lose him. With him, Moore, and Johnson you had a trifecta ready to do damage. I think it’s going to be tough for Purdue to make the Sweet 16. If they do make it that far things will only become more difficult.
Xavier is dancing. First of all they went out and scheduled a schedule worthy of a team to go dancing. There are 9 teams in the NCAA tournament who Xavier played this year. Pow Dayton. The A-10 was also surprisingly strong this year and Xavier won title #4 in a row. Pow Dayton. Coach Chris Mack is the only first year coach to be in the dance too. I think that speaks to his ability to coach a team. I think this team is as good as they come. You have a point guard who has a big game mentality and won’t back down to anyone. Rob Lowery you suck. Next you have arguably one of the most explosive scorers in all of basketball in Jordan Crawford. He’ll make you pay from deep or he’ll go mixtape on you and set you up for a nasty finish, fade away basline J, or just a basic mid range J. From there you look at the vocal leader in Dante Jackson, a guy who’s been there before. Then you have big Jamel McClean who only gets better everytime he sets foot on the court. He goes up and gets any rebound in his radius, he finished emphatically, and he plays with heart and soul. Speaking of heart and soul, Jason Love it eh engine on this train. I still think Xavier goes as Jordan Crawford goes but Jason Love is the main guy here. He is the career winning leader at Xavier, he is a true post presence with moves to both his left and right hand, he’s the hardest working player in all of college basketball, and the guy is just a winner. Seriously, four A-10 Titles, a game for the ages back in 2007, an Elite 8 run, a Sweet 16 run, and whatever this year holds. All in all I certainly think this team has second weekend potential and when they’re on they are one of the better teams out there. But its going to come down to effort on the defensive end, attention to detail and smart basketball offensively, and an overall play to win attitude. Attack and finish. Do what we do. Play to win.
Notre Dame is heating up at just the right time. It must be nice to have Luke Harangody back and coming off the bench and straight owning fools. You also have Jackson at the point who only drops sick dimes. I’m personally not a Notre Dame guy, but I have to give this team credit. They are playing well when it counts and I think they are Sweet 16 material.
Minnesota snuck in, certainly a team that barely made it. They have the most losses of any at large team in the tournament. But they do have Tubby Smith coaching them and that’s a pretty big advantage anyway you look at it. They also have some size down low. I think they’re magic has come to a crashing halt though.
Baylor is another team from the Big 12 and another one of those teams that has deep run potential. Lacedarius Dunn is a prime time player. Tweety Carter is a big time point guard with silly quicks and silly handles. He also may torch you from deep if your not careful. Then there is Ekpe Udoh downlow who sends your shot back if you come weak. I like the Bears to make mega noise in the tournament this year.
Pitt is back in the tournament. Should we be surprised? Jamie Dixon just gets W’s at Pitt. He literally lost almost everything from a talented senior class last year. But, he came back this year and played with the cards dealt him and damn near almost got himself a Big East ring. A very dangerous team but also a very beatable “big-name” team.
The Richmond Spiders are the third team out of the A-10. They are one of the more sneaky teams in the tournament. I will give credit where credit is due. Kevin Anderson is a very solid player and one of the most underrated guards in the entire country, the guy gets no publicity and only continues to put up big time numbers. Davd Gonzalvez has ice in his veins and is liable to ruin a lot of people’s days and brackets. Heed the warning.
The Mormons are coming strong in the form of BYU. Let me introduce America to Jimmer Fredette. The guy can straight score and do it from anywhere on the court. Just ask Arizona, he torched them for 40+ earlier in the season. This guy is certainly one of the names I expect to hear throughout March as putting up big time numbers. But seriously, who names their kid JImmer?
Villanova has had one of the biggest falls from grace, not as bad as Texas’ though. This team has really fell on hard times lately. But I wouldn’t count a team with Scottie Reynolds on it out quite yet. I think they are poised to make a run. Shoot, they were in the Final Four last year. Jay Wright knows how to prepare the team for a March run.
Florida snuck in out of the SEC. This breaks a three year drought for the Gators. They certainly had a resume to make the tournament but almost blew their way into the NIT. I like Florida and their team but I just don’t know if they have anything left in the tank. I’ll be rooting for them but I don’t see them making big time noise.
Kansas State is a team that everyone has been talking about. But are they really all they are cracked up to be. My answer is no. Sure they have some talent and sure Frank Martin is one of the most intimidating dudes in all of college basketball. But I think they peaked a little too early as I thought they were playing their best back in late January. I think they have lost site of the prize of late and that could prove costly in March. Still a Sweet 16 potential though. Jacob Pullen and his beard are nice.
That concludes my NCAA Tournament Preview for 2010. I haven’t filled my bracket out yet, but I’m going to do so before going to bed tonight. The only thing I can be sure of is I will be putting Kansas on the National Championship line. Outside of that, I’m going on pure gut feeling this year when making selections. I’m going to look at the match-up and simply deduce by what I’m feeling who’s surviving and advancing. It’s my favorite time of year. Get ready to hunker down and post up. Let the dance begin.
-‘Killa