Ok, here we go, 2 hours until the madness, mayhem, chaos and general disarray begins. I've filled out 5 brackets on ESPN.com, 1 on Yahoo! and multitudes in my head, but I filled out the last one on paper that The Dish will be using to take it to the house! Here we go, region by region...
First for the play-in game, I'm taking Morehead State. I always take Morehead State, I love the name AND it's where my boyhood idol Phil Simms went to school. Someone on ESPN called them "The Morehead State Phiting Phil Simms". I mean, the notable alumni section from Wikipedia.com has listed Phil at the top among some bowlers, former D-level MLB players, some country music singers, Billy Ray Cyrus (Miley's dad), Baltimore Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh and Chuck Woolery. I'll take Phil Simms for the love connection, Chuck. Not bad for a school from Kentucky - speak of the devil, I wonder if Gillespie will get fired from the "main campus" after his first 2 seasons. I hate when the analysts talk about Kentucky and Indiana (and now Arizona) like the basketball programs BELONG in the tournament year after year. It's all about coaching and recruiting. Once your star coach is gone, the program reverts - see Bruce Pearl leaving UW Milwaukee (who?).
Anyway, on to the brackets:
Midwest:
Louisville will come out. I have all the top seeds advancing throughout except for: Sienna over Ohio State (1st Rd 9 over 8), USC over BC (1st Rd 10/7). Thus Louisville, Wake Forest, Kansas and Michigan State in the Sweet 16, and Louisville and Rick Pitino in his white suit beating Tom & Jerry Izzo in the Elite 8. Kansas and Arizona could throw a wrinkle in the bracket, but I'm pretty confident in that they've lost too much. Louisville Cardinals move on - from Kentucky.
West:
Memphis shows its worth to advance - 29 straight heading into the National Semifinal. All top seeds advance except: Texas A&M over BYU (1st Rd 9/8), Mississippi State over Washington (1st Round 13/4), Maryland over California (1st Rd 10/7). In the second round, UConn (1), Memphis (2), Missouri (3), and my Cinderella to the Sweet 16 - Mississippi State (13 seed) move on. UConn and Memphis in the final, Memphis flexes its muscles and John Calipari is in the National Semifinals again with a different Freshman point guard.
South:
UNC pulls through with an ailing Lawson. I don't want it to happen, but this could be a story book year for Hansborogh in his last year. All top seeds advance except: Temple over Arizona State (1st Rd 11/6), Clemson over Oklahoma and Blake Griffin (2nd Rd 7/2). UNC (1), Gonzaga (4), Cuse (3) and Clemson (7) in the Sweet 16. UNC and Syracuse advance to the Elite 8 on coaching and guard play, with UNC, Roy Williams and Crazy T going to the Final 4.
East:
This one is all messed up as Nova moves on to the Final 4 on team chemistry and the road through Philly. Lots of crazy stuff here: Pitt advances against Tennessee (over Oklahoma State - 1st Rd 9/8). Xavier holds seed as does Florida State, though Florida State over Xavier (5/4) in the 2nd Round. Tennessee beats Pitt as foul trouble hinders their big man and Fields comes up short - 9 over 1 in 2nd Round up top. Tennessee and Florida State in the Sweet 16 up top. Down low, VCU pulls the upset over UCLA in the 1st Rd (11/6) and Nova (3), Texas (7) and Duke (2) hold on in the first round. Nova (3) and Duke (2) pull to the Sweet 16 matchup. Nova and Tennessee pull the upsets (3/2 and 9/5). Villanova and the sharply dressed Jay Wright advance to the Final 4 - just so you know, Giorgio Armani wears Jay Wright suits.
Final 4:
Villanova (3), UNC (1), Memphis (2) and Louisville (1) make it to the big show. Louisville pulls it out over Memphis ending their 29 game win streak - the bigger conference experience helps down the stretch. Villanova pulls it out over UNC ending the reign of "the greatest men's hoops player of all time" - Tyler Hansbrough - however you spell it. It's an all-Big-East finale - Louisville and Villanova, AGAIN, and unfortunately, again Louisville takes the Title - this one for all the enchiladas - 75 to 69. Louisville Cardinals - the overall #1 seed from the best conference, wins.
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