Tournament Time is Here...

Some notes as I fill out my bracket:
BYU over Syracuse (Round 1): Easy pick; you have to support your alma mater, regardless of whether you really think they're going to win. Not picking them will cheapen your enjoyment if they do win, because it will have messed up your bracket.

Boston College over Utah (Round 1): And, of course, the opposite applies here. When would I ever want to root for the Utes?

Pacific over Providence (Round 1): There's always a 12-5 upset, and just in case BYU doesn't come through for me, Pacific's my team. Providence hasn't looked good in weeks...

Texas Tech over Charlotte (Round 1): Bob Knight's teams never do well in the tournament, do they? And Charlotte's highly underrated. But since when does conventional wisdom ever hold true in the tournament? Since my 'logical' picks never seem to work out, how about an 'anti-conventional wisdom' pick?

Wisconsin over Pittsburgh (Round 2): Pittsburgh, once considered a possible 1 seed, is underseeded at 3, and has quickly become a 'fashionable' Final Four pick. You know what happens to 'fashionable' picks, though...early round exit. Wisconsin is under-rated and under-seeded as well, and the game happens to be played in Milwaukee. Hmmm....

Arizona over Duke (Round 2): Cheering for Duke is like cheering for the New York Yankees; they always win so it's no fun. So what if the game is being played in Raleigh? Let's pick Duke for an early exit, that's a lot more fun...

UNC over Texas (Round 2): North Carolina is one of those infuriatingly inconsistent teams that could make it to the Final Four just as easily as lose in the first round. Fortunately, Texas is too; and they get outplayed more regularly than UNC who has lost a lot of close heartbreakers. (Now, watch, UNC will lose by 1...)

Wake Forest over St.Josephs (Round 3): I'm not a St.Joe's basher: they've earned their 1 seed and will play better than people think. Still, their weaknesses are lack of a inside presence and rebounding, which they've managed to overcome all year through good shooting and guard play. That will be enough against Texas Tech, but not against Wake...

Georgia Tech over Gonzaga (Round 3): I just don't see Gonzaga playing good enough defense to stop the Yellow Jackets. A good comparison would be Gonzaga's game against Stanford, which they lost. GT will do just about the same thing...

UConn over Stanford (Round 4): UConn has been 'my' team since they justified my love in picking them over Duke in the 1999 title game. They've underachieved all year until the Big East tournament, and Okafor's back is still worrisome, but I'm not abandoning them now. Another 'anti-conventional wisdom' pick...

Kentucky over Georgia Tech (Round 4): Kentucky will breeze through the opening rounds where the best opponents will be a (weak) Kansas team or a (weaker) Providence team. (whoops...did I just jinx myself?) I see UK winning a close one over the tough Yellow Jackets for a trip to the Final Four.

Oklahoma State over Wake Forest (Round 4): OSU has a 'team of destiny' look, and although you might say that any team that lost to BYU isn't Final Four material, history is in OSU's favor: the last time they went to the Final Four (1995), they also lost to BYU.

UNC over Cincinnati (Round 4): There's always one 'where did they come from?' Final Four team, and since we already have a 1,2,and 2 seed in, it will have to come from this bracket. (Sorry, Miss.State!) Since we've already eliminated Duke, let's assume North Carolina and Cincy will battle it out for the 'dark horse' pick with the Tar Heels coming out ahead.

National Champion: UConn--well, I can't abandon them now, can I? If they can beat Stanford and everyone's healthy, they can avenge their regular season loss to UNC and take out the UK/OSU winner, can't they?

We're ready for March Madness! (Now watch me get beaten by my wife again...)