Jersey Appreciation Vol. 12

I'm in Boston this week, so I think it's only fair to honor a Boston school for Jersey Appreciation Friday. With that, I want to appreciate the Boston College Eagles and their 2014 gold alternate jerseys. Usually, a team wearing gold evokes a certain flashiness, but BC manages to keep it simple while going with a unique color. Click Here

March Madness Bonanza Podcast #18 Part 3

What Am I Wearing?
Why I'm Rooting for North Carolina
Sweet 16/Elite 8 Recap
Final Four Preview

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Final Four Preview

On March 12, 2017, 68 teams were selected for the NCAA Tournament. Two weeks later, four remain. Those would be South Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon and North Carolina. Among those four, we have two teams who have never been to the Final Four, one who hasn't been in 78 years, and another who is on a revenge tour because of what happened to them in last year's championship game. While this wasn't the Final Four we necessarily expected, it certainly brings some interesting storylines to the table. 

South Carolina serves the role of the Cinderella in this year's edition. As a 7-seed from the East region, many (including myself) didn't expect them to beat Marquette in the first round. When they did that, they still had to get through Duke in the next round. I thought they had zero chance as Duke was probably the hottest team in the tournament, but the Gamecocks used a 65-point second half to propel themselves into the Sweet 16. When they got to the second weekend, they dismantled 3-seed Baylor and outlasted 4-seed Florida to punch their first ticket to Phoenix. Despite their timely offense, it has been their elite defense that has gotten them to this point. Frank Martin has a great system in place where they literally don't allow a pass to be thrown without constant pressure. It's an angry style for an angry coach. Sindarius Thornwell, the SEC Player of the Year, has led this team on the floor. The senior, who was suspended for undisclosed reasons earlier this season, has been spectacular in leading the Gamecocks. 

Their opponent, Gonzaga, boasts the most impressive roster and record heading into the Final Four. The 36-1 Bulldogs have no weakness or vulnerability. They are solid at every position with PG Nigel Williams-Goss, who is a Cousy Award Finalist (Nation's Best Point Guard), SG Jordan Mathews, SF Josh Perkins, PF Johnathan Williams and C Przemek Karnowski, who leads the NCAA in all time wins (135). They also bring McDonald's All American C Zach Collins off the bench. This team is freaking loaded, and while many are going to portray this team as the underdog, the Zags are legit and have a really good chance to win the whole thing. I hate to be so subjective here, but I really want Gonzaga to win it all. It's about time I see a mid major team win the championship, and it's about time people start giving Gonzaga the respect it deserves. They are a national powerhouse and should be treated as such. I'll admit that up until this year, I hated Gonzaga. They were right up there with Wisconsin. I thought they were an overrated program who always wins their crappy conference and never gets it done in the tournament. Then I saw this year's team play, and I realized that there is substance to all the hype. Take my word, haters because I was once among you. Gonzaga Basketball is a thing. 

My national champion was Kansas when the bracket first came out, so I was kind of pissed that Oregon beat them. But then I realized that Oregon is a damn good team and I needed to enjoy the type of run they are going on. Oregon (they will be referred to as the "Quack Attack" from here on) lost their starting center Chris Boucher right before the tournament started. That was enough to scare me and many others off from picking the Quack Attack to do anything. I actually had the Quack Attack in my Final Four up until I heard about Boucher. I really liked the Quack Attack because of their depth. Tyler Dorsey, Dillon Brooks, Casey Benson, Payton Pritchard, Jordan Bell, Dylan Ennis and Chris Boucher made up the best starting seven in college basketball. They are now the best starting six in college basketball. Jordan Bell has played out of his mind in the tournament and makes it seem like the Quack Attack doesn't  need Boucher at all. Tyler Dorsey is averaging 24 points a game in the tournament and hitting extremely clutch shots. The Quack Attack reminds me of last year's Villanova team: they don't miss. Two more games like the Quack Attack had against Michigan and Kansas, and they will be your 2017 National Champions. If that happens, I guarantee you all that I will get a shirt. 

North Carolina comes into the Final Four as the odds on favorite to it down the nets. They aren't as balanced as Gonzaga, or as hot as Oregon, or as Cinderella-esque as South Carolina, but the Tar Heels have the coaching, experience, talent and hunger to win their two games by 20 points or more. Roy Williams knows what he's doing in these Final Fours. He's won two national championships and came pretty close to a third last year. Most of North Carolina's players have experience playing in huge games. And the one that doesn't just made the shot against Kentucky that got them to the Final Four. Lastly, the bad taste left in UNC's mouth after that Villanova loss last year will propel them to a national championship. Life has a way of evening things out, and that's why it's UNC's title to lose. North Carolina has everything clicking for them at the right moment, and with the ACC Player of the Year Justin Jackson leading the way, it's hard to see North Carolina not winning the championship unless Oregon has a crazy shooting night or Gonzaga completely shuts them down on the glass, or the NCAA finally decides to punish UNC for the academic fraud scandal. So yeah, I'm placing my bet on North Carolina to win this thing.  

What I Think Will Happen: 

Gonzaga def South Carolina

North Carolina def Oregon

North Carolina def Gonzaga 

What I Hope Will Happen:

Gonzaga def South Carolina 

North Carolina def Oregon

Gonzaga def North Carolina 

What Needs to Happen In Order For Me to Win a Bracket Pool:

North Carolina wins 

So yeah, I really don't care what happens. As long as Gonzaga or North Carolina win, I'm alright with the result. I wouldn't even mind seeing Oregon win it all since I would get a cool shirt. The only team I don't want to win is South Carolina, and I don't even have anything against them either. It just has the least amount of incentives.

I'm Officially BracketBusted

Tonight was a sad night. The Douglas Bracket of 2017 has officially died. With Kansas losing to Oregon in the Midwest Regional Final, my national champion was eliminated, causing my bracket and my heart to break. I really thought I had it this year. Gonzaga (my runner up) made the Final Four today, I had a unique championship matchup and virtually everyone else's Duke, Villanova or UCLA pick went down the drain. This was going to be my year. 

And then Kansas went and screwed it all up. Looking back (because hindsight is always 20/20), I maybe shouldn't have picked Kansas. I mean half their team was in some sort of legal trouble, so there's karma. They literally had no inside presence, and they had a reputation for not getting to the Final Four when they were a high seed. The warning signs were all there, but I ignored them because someone had to win it all right?  

So with that, I don't regret my Kansas pick, and I own it. They were my pick since the beginning of the year, and they grew on me as the season wore on. Like most years, it didn't work out the way I planned it, but that's what makes this whole process so much fun. Because when you do win that pool, it's a great feeling. I have to take the successes with the failures though, and that's why 2017 will be dedicated to the Jayhawk.  

Sweet 16 MegaCap

We are officially at the halfway point of the NCAA Tournament as the Sweet 16 has concluded, and the Madness of this month finally came to pass. On the first night we had three of the four games come down to the final possession, and on the second, the first buzzer beater of the 2017 Tournament happened with Florida and Wisconsin.  Here are my takeaways from every game:

(3) Oregon vs (7) Michigan

I remember when Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. were the hotshot freshmen that led Michigan into a promising new era following their 2013 championship appearance. While they never led the Wolverines back, the seniors certainly went on one incredible run in this year's postseason. After the Louisville game, I thought this team was destined for April glory, and that's why Oregon deserves all the credit in the world. When Walton missed that game-winning shot at the buzzer, a new team of destiny rose from the ashes: Oregon. Losing Chris Boucher before the tournament seemed like a death blow to the Ducks. I had them losing to Rhode Island in the second round. But behind the heroics of Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell, Oregon now finds itself one game away from an improbable Final Four berth. I know myself and many others wrote off the Ducks early, but I now think they have a pretty good chance of actually winning this whole thing.

(1) Gonzaga vs (4) West Virginia

The Zags are real, people. Deal with it. On the heels of one of the worst last possessions in March Madness history, Gonzaga escaped West Virginia and its ravenous press to clinch its place in the Elite Eight. In all fairness, Gonzaga played its worst game of the year, and while the Mountaineers certainly had a hand in that, we have to respect the Zags for not crumbling under the pressure, as many expected they would. Gonzaga is now one win away from its first Final Four ever. This is a ride or die situation for Gonzaga: If they win, they shut up all the haters and naysayers forever. Lose, and they will pounce more fiercely than ever before. As for West Virginia, the same doubts and issues remain. Clearly, the press was effective, and they had the expected run for a 4-seed, but there will always be something missing or unfulfilled until West Virginia makes an actual deep run in the tournament. 

(1) Kansas vs (4) Purdue

They Rock, they Chalk, and they f#&kin Jayhawk. Kansas's dominant performance against Purdue on Saturday proved them as one of the heavyweights as the field grows smaller. Many people had concerns about the Jayhawks' lack of size going up against Purdue's surplus of it, but Kansas snuffed out any doubt with a 98-66 win centered around stellar guard play. I'm considering them the odds on favorite to win the championship (I had them at the beginning as well) because of Frank Mason III. There is no stopping him. He can drive, shoot and finish with the best of them. Purdue's exit leaves a lot of question marks. We don't know the fate of Caleb Swanigan, but if he decides to stay, Purdue can be a force in the Big Ten once again with Carsen Edwards and incoming freshman Nojel Eastern. 

(2) Arizona vs (11) Xavier

I'm not really about the whole conference pride thing, but the BEast reigns supreme. Xavier wouldn't even be in the tournament if they didn't beat Butler in the Big East Tournament, and now they managed to outlast both Butler and Villanova by getting to the Elite Eight. What Chris Mack has done with this team (which lost their NBA point guard Edmond Sumner for the season before postseason play) has been nothing short of remarkable.  Trevon Bluiett, JP Macura (or should we call him "Myles Fox Morrissey"), Sean O'Mara and a bunch of other dudes you haven't heard of have led this team to new heights. Now we get the losers. IT WAS ALL RIGHT THERE, MAN! Arizona had it all set up for them: an 11-seed in the Sweet 16, then a "weak 1-seed" in the Elite Eight, then the winner of a 3-4-7-8 mashup in the East. Then they lost to Xavier. And now Sean Miller will get feces hurled at him once again for not getting Arizona to the Final Four. If it didn't happen this year, then when?

(1) North Carolina vs (4) Butler

This marked the turning point of the Sweet 16, The first day was great, but then North Carolina snapped us all back to reality with a blowout win over Butler. The season obviously didn't end the way Butler wanted it to, but if anyone at the beginning of the season had Butler making the second weekend, they would have been laughed at profusely. Butler played really well and beat a lot of good teams, including Villanova twice. So yeah, it isn't all bad for Butler, they just ran into a freight train. North Carolina is currently my second pick to win the whole thing, behind Kansas. Their utilization of size and shooting makes them a feared matchup for any team, and it they shoot like they did against Butler for the rest of the tournament, there's no team that can beat them.

(3) Baylor vs (7) South Carolina

Welp. Baylor is kind of in the same boat as Arizona but to a lesser degree. They've had decent regular seasons but horrible postseasons. They were also put into a great situation to get to the Final Four, but they blew it. They were the highest seed remaining in the Region of Life, but they didn't focus and got ran out of the gym by South Carolina. As for South Carolina, what a run they've put together, eh? I consider this more of a surprise than Xavier just because the SEC is not a basketball conference whatsoever.  But hey, they got three teams in the Elite Eight so maybe we should consider the whole conference strength thing right? Anyone see that Frank Martin meltdown when his team was up by like 15 points? That's the kind of intensity you need if you want to win the championship. Something to think about. 

(2) Kentucky vs (3) UCLA

I think we can all agree in me saying that this was the most anticipated game of the Sweet 16. Despite all the pregame hype, however, this game wasn't spectacular. Kentucky dominated the entire second half behind the wizardry of De'Aaron Fox, who solidified himself as better than Lonzo Ball--you heard it here first--last night.  Throughout the game, Ball didn't seem like he was trying on defense, and his shot selection was poor.  Fox, on the other hand, was in control of the game and took what the defense gave him--everything. Not to mention that Malik Monk finally caught fire. Kentucky is finally looking like the team we all expected it to be in November, and they might just win a championship because of it. UCLA lost because they gave zero effort on the defensive end. Repetitive, but true. To be honest, that all starts with Ball. Sure he had a few mesmerizing passes, but aside from that he played terrible. Everyone is talking about his leadership skills, but yesterday UCLA looked flustered out there, and he was a major reason why.

(4) Florida vs (8) Wisconsin

The Wicked Witch of the Midwest is finally dead! Rejoice! Wisconsin lost in the most Wisconsin way possible, and I couldn't be happier because of it. The Badgers have gotten every call, every break, and every scumbag coach cover up over the past three years, and today, the struggle is finally over. Wisconsin couldn't just lose on their own, another team had to put the nail in the coffin. Florida survived a wild ride, but Chris Chiozza's buzzer beater gave them the one-point win to put the Gators in the Elite Eight. So now, we get an all-SEC Elite Eight game, which I'm not that angry at because these are two of the hottest teams in the country. And Wisconsin lost.

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 11

In the spirit of March Madness, I chose to honor a pretty successful Michigan State team for Jersey Appreciation Friday. The 2009 Spartans hold a special place in my heart because I actually got one of their jerseys as a gift, and they got to the National Championship that year. Without further ado, here they are. Click Here

Podcast #17 March Madness Part 2

What Am I Wearing?
NCAA Tournament Recap and Preview
Guest: Michael Fitzpatrick

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2nd Round Day 2 MegaCap

(2) Louisville/ (7) Michigan 

Michigan is the team of destiny! There is no denying it now. Derrick Walton Jr, Moritz Wagner and DJ Wilson shined for the Wolverines as they knocked off a dangerous Donovan Mitchell-led Cardinal squad. Michigan didn't have the best game offensively, but they showed their versatility made just enough shots to win. They are the most dangerous team in the tournament.

(2) Kentucky/ (10) Wichita State

Kentucky proved that they can win while being shut down on offense. I think we all know that this matchup  shouldn't have happened this early, but it did, and the Shockers got the worst of it. It wasn't all bad for them though; Landry Shamet proved he's the next face of the program, and Markis McDuffie will still be around as well. This is only the beginning of a new Shocker era.

(1) Kansas/ (9) Michigan State

It was close early, but Kansas ended up pounding the Spartans by 20. Izzo's Boys gave it all they had, but the talent and experience of Kansas was too much to handle. 

(1) North Carolina/ (8) Arkansas

North Carolina should have lost, and the ACC shouldn't have a team in the Sweet 16. But, Arkansas squandered a 5-point lead with 3 and a half to play, and the Tar Heels survived. They can't play like that if they want to beat Butler next week. 

(3) Oregon/ (11) Rhode Island

This was another heartbreaker. Rhode Island was up by 3 with about a minute to go, and they gave up an offensive rebound, and Tyler Dorsey buried the game-tying triple. Oregon didn't look back from that point and they got to the Sweet 16 despite losing Chris Boucher before the tournament. They have a tough game against Michigan to get to the Elite Eight. 

(3) Baylor/ (11) USC

USC fought back vigorously to take a late lead against Baylor, but couldn't hold it as Baylor got to the Sweet 16. Manu Lecomte played out of his mind and hit a clutch 4-point play to give the Bears the lead once and for all. In this wide open East region, the Bears are now the favorite to get to the Final Four. 

(2) Duke/ (7) South Carolina

Wow. Just wow. In case you didn't hear, Duke lost after allowing South Carolina to have the best half in school history yesterday. The Gamecocks couldn't miss, and Duke ended this disappointing season in a disappointing way. 

(3) UCLA/ (6) Cincinnati

I didn't catch much of this game because of the crazy Duke one, but it pretty much was a close game on the first half, and then Lonzo Ball and Company woke up and beat Cincinnati by double digits. 

2nd Round Day 1 MegaCap

(4) West Virginia/(5) Notre Dame: This is the only game I didn't watch religiously because I had to take a practice ACT (high school, am I right ladies?), but from what I heard, West Virginia had control the entire game and Notre Dame just couldn't get going. I was somewhat surprised at this, as I thought ND would have the offensive firepower to overthrow Press Virginia. 

(1) Villanova/(8) Wisconsin: 

If I was somewhat surprised at the ND result, then you know I was completely stunned by this one. Wisconsin beat Villanova, creating all sorts of nostalgia about Villanova's second round struggles. But seriously, this was more about how great Wisconsin played. They exploited Villanova's weaknesses inside, something that few teams managed to do all year, and Bronson Koenig could not miss a shot. They have a great shot at the Final Four now. 

(1) Gonzaga/(8) Northwestern: 

While Gonzaga dominated about 31 minutes of the game, the headlines will written about the Zach Collins goaltending call that well, wasn't called. It was a blown ruling that the referee should've made. It turned a should-be 3-point game into a 7 point one as Chris Collins got a technical foul arguing over the call. Despite all this, Gonzaga was clearly the superior team and deserved to move on. That said, Northwestern had one helluva year. 

(3) Florida State/(11) Xavier:

Things weren't looking great for the Big East, but then Xavier came along and steamrolled FSU by 25 points. This run is especially impressive because of the absence of Edmond Sumner, their star point guard. Trevon Bluiett, Sean O'Mara, JP Macura and Kaiser Gates have all stepped their games up and as a result, this once despondent team is now in the Sweet 16. 

(4) Butler/(12) Middle Tennessee:

I was really impressed with Butler big man Andrew Chrabascz in this game. Middle Tennessee had no answer for him as he impacted the game inside and out. Middle Tennessee did not play well either, as their starting backcourt combined for zero points. Butler's poise and experience showed in this one as they went wire to wire for the second straight game and stomped out any Middle Tennessee rally. 

(2) Arizona/ (7) Saint Mary's:

Saint Mary's played very well in the first half and took a lead into halftime, but then Arizona decided to wake up and win by nine points. Even though they lost, I thought Saint Mary's bowed out in impressive fashion. As for Arizona, they showed their versatility in tonight's win. They can play big or small, fast or slow. This type of adaptability should be beneficial in later rounds as it was tonight. 

(4) Florida/(5) Virginia:

What the hell. Virginia just got blasted by Florida. They only scored 39 points! Once again, Virginia's style screwed them in the tournament. They were down 12 at half and just never recovered. Florida, I will admit, looked really good. I didn't think they would have it in them to fly into the Sweet 16, but they proved me wrong. Now they have a good chance to get to the Elite Eight as they will battle Wisconsin. 

(4) Purdue/ (5) Iowa State:

It sucks to see Monte Morris go out like that, but man what a game. Purdue led by 19, blew that lead, and then came back to win 80-76. I'm sill catching my breath from that one. What a great way to end an entertaining day. Purdue looks legit, and they will need to stay that way if they want to get to the Elite Eight and beyond. Back to Monte Morris, this is one of the guys who has been a face of college basketball for the past four years. I'm going to miss hearing about how great his assist to turnover ratio was. Hats off to an amazing player. 

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 10

What's up everyone, I hope you've been enjoying the tournament so far. This week's Jersey Appreciation Friday goes to the Oklahoma State black uniforms that they rocked today in their loss to Michigan. They've had these for quite some time, and I've liked them since the beginning. You can never lose with black and orange..unless you play Michigan I guess. Click Here

First Round Day 1 MegaCap

The first real day of the tournament certainly didn't disappoint. While full out dramatic finishes were at a premium, we saw some good basketball throughout the day. 

I think I have to start with Northwestern and Vanderbilt considering how it ended. Six lead changes in the last 90 seconds capped off with a catastrophic Mathew Fisher-Davis foul gave Northwestern their first ever tournament victory. Obviously it's great for Northwestern, but for Vanderbilt's Fisher-Davis, that has to freaking suck. He fouled Northwestern's Bryant McIntosh with 14 seconds left when Vanderbilt had the lead by one. McIntosh made both, and Northwestern won. 

That was definitely the best game of the day, but there were a few other contenders too. Wisconsin vs Zach LeDay (Virginia Tech) was back-and-forth throughout, but Wisconsin pulled away and won. They will play Villanova, who scared many bracketers by only taking a one-point lead into halftime against Mount Saint Mary's. They got their act together and won by 20. 

Notre Dame survived a last second attempt from Princeton to advance to the round of 32, and they will play West Virginia who outlasted a decent Bucknell team.  As for the rest of the West, Gonzaga beat up South Dakota State, Xavier technically upset Maryland, but I don't see it that way, Arizona handled business against North Dakota and Saint Mary's survived a huge VCU comeback to win. Oh yeah, and Florida State won the battle of Orlando as they took out Florida Gulf Coast. Here are the matchups in the West:

1 Gonzaga vs 8 Northwestern

4 West Virginia vs 5 Notre Dame

11 Xavier vs 3 Florida State

2 Arizona vs 7 Saint Mary's

The team I was most impressed with was Middle Tennessee. They didn't rattle as they knocked off 5th-seeded Minnesota, and they showed their Elite Eight potential. I'm dead serious. This team does not allow offensive rebounds..ever. That could be crucial in a potential matchup with North Carolina in the Sweet 16. I don't have it, I'm just putting it out there. They have to get by a Butler team that looked pretty darn good in their win against Winthrop today though. 

In the Midwest we had Purdue and Vermont. I didn't catch much of this game, but I knew Vermont gave the Boilermakers all they could handle. This sets up an intriguing round of 32 matchup with Iowa State, who got by Nevada with relative ease. Based on the way Iowa State is playing, I have to roll with them to get to the Sweet 16. 

Going back to the East, Florida and Virginia survived two upset-minded squads to meet up in the second round. Florida looked solid against East Tennessee State, but Virginia waved a bit against UNC Wilmington (who have the coolest uniforms in the tournament by the way). That being said, I still like Virginia because of their experience and London Perrantes. 

That'll wrap it up from Day 1. Sorry for any typos. It's been a looooooong day. 

My Final Predictions

I haven't been shy about saying this has been the hardest bracket for me to predict, so that's why for the first time ever, I filled out two different brackets. All you loyal patrons out there can say whatever you want, but I want to win a pool, so that's what I'm doing. 

That being said, I have a primary and secondary bracket--the primary is entered into all the money pools and the secondary for all the fun ones. Here is my Final Four for the primary:

Kansas (Champion)

Gonzaga (Runner Up)

Villanova 

UCLA

I switched it up from my last prediction because I had an epiphany about Gonzaga: no one should beat them in their region. I think that this is the year that Gonzaga breaks through. They have everything a contender needs, and I think they will be rewarded. 

My secondary bracket's Final Four is 

North Carolina (Champion)

Arizona (Runner Up)

Duke

Louisville

These aren't my picks, but I needed an alternative to win a pool, as that is my primary objective. Like Gonzaga, UNC has all the right pieces to go all the way, so I thought I'd give them a bid too. 

This is it. My final pre-tournament prediction of the year. It's been fun. Hopefully you enjoyed it as I much as I did. With that, happy bracketing and Rock Chalk. 

Bracket Angst

It's about this time of the bracket season where I start looking for an overarching sign to propel me to victory. 

Well that hasn't happened yet, and I'm not confident that it will either. Even after I filled out my initial bracket Monday, I'm still lacking some assurance that what I predicted may happen. College basketball didn't speak to me through the bracket as it has in years past (for better or worse). The last time this happened was 2013, when I picked Duke to win it all based on my dog walking all over my whiteboard bracket and leaving Duke's name unscathed. That wasn't half bad as they went to the Elite Eight that year. Granted, hindsight 20/20, Louisville was the clear pick to win that year, and I missed out, but it was still an inviting proposition to pick them based on what my dog said.

I guess the moral of the story is that you can fill out your bracket any damn way you want. Because I certainly have no idea how to do it. This year I have Kansas winning the national championship. My reason comes from behind basketball. First, they were my preseason pick, and second, my dad wins $700 because of me telling him who to pick. My Final Four is rounded out by Villanova, Arizona and North Carolina just because it feels the most right. Again I'm not supremely confident in these picks, but I'm rolling with it. Basically these are the teams that I see the least amount of problems in, so I'm picking them. 

Regardless of your picks, good luck to you all this March, and hopefully you will be victorious in your pursuit of a bracket pool title. 

Rock Chalk. 

Podcast #16 March Madness Part 1

March Madness Preview
What Am I Wearing?

Guest: Michael Fitzpatrick

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I Have No Clue What I'm Doing

Another Selection Sunday is in the books. The 1-seeds are Villanova, Kansas, North Carolina and Gonzaga, and I can guarantee you that I'm not confident in any of them. In fact, I'm not confident in anyone. These regional placements are so hard to predict. I though Villanova would be a surefire Final Four team, but now I'm not sure if they'll get out of the second round. The Big Ten teams are all mysteries. I don't even know what the hell I'm doing in the South. 

Welcome to the hurricane of March Madness people. This is the craziest bracket I've seen ever. There is literally no team that has a walk to the Final Four. None. I'm sorry to those thinking that this would be a prediction post, but I just can't process this bracket yet. I am so lost right now that I can't even function. 

Deep breathe, Bobby. You can do this. 

Nope. I still have no frickin clue; I'll have my tentative predictions on my Tuesday podcast, but until then, I bid you all farewell. I'm going full bracket mode. 

Oregon's Sad Situation

My bracket preparation has just been thrown out the window. Why? Because Chris Boucher, Oregon's best big man and shot blocker, tore his ACL yesterday and is out for the remainder of the season. This just sucks. Oregon had something really special brewing, but the loss of Boucher might be too much to overcome. Boucher has also been through so much in his life (homeless as a teenager), and it's really sad to see him go out this way as a senior. 

With every injury, however, comes a backup bracket. I can't see a way where Oregon can get into the Final Four with the loss of Boucher, which means I have to do some readjusting. The Pac-12 might have the best top three in college hoops, but I don't see UCLA, Arizona or Oregon making a Final Four. UCLA doesn't play defense, Arizona doesn't seem like they care enough, and Oregon doesn't have Boucher. This should be a league that I'm super confident in, but I'm just not anymore. Hopefully one of these two teams shows me something in the second half because I don't want to kiss this league goodbye yet. 

Re-picking Conference Tournaments

Perfection hath been ruined. UCLA lost to Arizona last night, and my chances for the $3,000 and the IHOP gift cards are dashed. The good thing about being wrong on your own predictions this early is getting to make new ones, so here we go.

Big Ten 

I have Michigan beating Minnesota because that plane fiasco has seemed to make the Wolverines play better. In the other semifinal I have Northwestern beating Wisconsin. This isn't based off of anything other than I hate Wisconsin and love Northwestern. In the championship, I have Michigan winning. Again, that plane thing made them a stronger team; I'm not betting against them now. 

Pick: Michigan, Northwestern; Michigan

Big 12

I know West Virginia's defense is soooooo good, but I think Iowa State will get them this time. Monte Morris is the type of point guard who can handle the Mountaineer press, and West Virginia doesn't have enough offense (16 point first half yesterday).

Pick: Iowa State 

ACC

I'm really looking forward to this game. Duke and Notre Dame are two of the hottest teams in the country, and the loser will have all that momentum obliterated. The way Duke is playing, I can't get against them right now. I'm a huge Jayson Tatum fan, and ND doesn't have anyone to contain him.

Pick: Duke

SEC

Kentucky

Big East

Villanova got lucky in two ways this tournament: 1) They beat Seton Hall even though Angel Delgado had a wide open layup to tie it at the buzzer. 2) They don't have to play Butler today in the championship. With that, I like the Wildcats to knock off Creighton in this one.

Pick: Villanova

Pac-12

The conference that toys with my heart, the Pac-12 also brings an awesome game to the table tonight: Oregon vs Arizona. Oregon blew Arizona out of the water earlier this year, but I like Arizona. Oregon hasn't look fresh this whole tournament, and Arizona is trending up after last night's victory.

Pick: Arizona

 

Conference Tournament Friday MegaCap

So a TON of stuff went down today in the major conference tournaments, so let's recap each one:

Big Ten

Michigan upset top-seeded Purdue in the quarterfinals and will play Minnesota, who knocked off Michigan State today, in the semifinals tomorrow. On the other side of the bracket, Wisconsin handled Indiana, and Northwestern upset Maryland, giving the Wildcats their first semifinal birth ever. 

SEC

Vanderbilt solidified its place as a tournament team by beating Florida. South Carolina was also upset by Alabama, while Kentucky and Arkansas won their respective games over Georgia and Ole Miss. The results set up Kentucky/Alabama and Vanderbilt/Arkansas for tomorrow. 

Big 12

Craziness ensued yesterday after both Kansas and Baylor went down in their first games, but things somewhat came back to earth today as Iowa State pummeled TCU and West Virginia scraped by Kansas State. The final between Iowa State and West Virginia takes place tomorrow.

Big East 

In probably the most entertaining slate of games today, Villanova beat Seton Hall on a tip in by Josh Hart, and Creighton beat Xavier with Marcus Foster's game-winning three pointer. Villanova did not play their best today and are vulnerable to their second straight Big East championship upset if the trend continues.

ACC

The ACC games were probably the most anticipated as a whole going into today, and they somewhat delivered. Duke beat North Carolina after trailing by double digits in the first half, and Notre Dame dominated Florida State, setting up an intriguing championship as the Irish take on the Blue Devils tomorrow.

Pac-12

The Pac-12 games haven't even finished yet, but I want to get this out there so I can watch in peace. Oregon survived a desperate Cal team and clinched their place in the championship, and UCLA and Arizona are currently competing to join them in tomorrow's festivities. My prediction says UCLA, so let's watch. 

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 9

There are plenty of awesome games tonight, but they all take a back seat to Jersey Appreciation Friday Volume 9. For this week's edition I decided to honor the Dayton Flyers. In this uniform, the red letters on navy blue with an absence of white is a cool look, and I thought I would give some love to an A-10 team, as they are the OGs of Friday night games. Click Here

Still Sold on Kansas

Do you remember when Kansas was the surefire favorite I win the whole thing? Well I'm glad you remember because that is clearly no longer the case. Kansas lost to TCU today 85-82 in the Big 12 quarterfinals. Now the Jayhawks were without Josh Jackson, who was suspended for a traffic violation stemming from a February incident, but Kansas still has to win that game. 

They have been my pick since the beginning of the season. I had some reconsiderations, but I ultimately sided with Kansas. Now, I don't even know. Everything was all planned out for me in terms of bracketology and then they go and screw me like this. One of the biggest factors heading into the tournament is momentum, and Kansas's loss might be one of the most deflating of the year. 

But until I see the matchups or another team just blows me away, I'm still Rockin' Chalkin' and Jayhawkin' my way through this year's tournament. I'm not saying that Kansas has my complete confidence, but this year who does? Kansas, despite their loss, is just as good a team as any, so I'm not going to let this one loss push me away from the Jayhawk bandwagon. 

Besides, losses can actually serve as wakeup calls to these teams. And I'm hoping Kansas gets an ice cold bucket of water thrown on them instead of hitting the snooze button. 

There's always contenders aside from the favorite so here are my top 9 teams behind Kansas:

2. North Carolina

3. Villanova

4. Oregon

5. UCLA

6. Duke

7. Gonzaga

8. Arizona

9. Louisville

10. SMU

Gaining Perspective of NCAA Tournament Through Conference Postseason

So CBS offered this pretty cool prize for picking a perfect conference tournament bracket among the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Big East and Pac 12. You could either get $3,000 or an IHOP gift card, so it was a win-win situation. I went in thinking that picking these games would be easy as hell, but it turns out that teams like Rutgers and St John's can screw you over in a heartbeat. 

Rutgers, the worst team in the Big Ten, managed to get by Ohio State today, causing my Big Ten bracket to be shot. In the Big East, Georgetown fell to St John's, ruining my hopes of perfection there. So as it stands I'm currently looking at 1-3 IHOP gift cards, which again is no consolation prize. I'm still perfect in the Pac 12, SEC and Big 12, and usually the first day is the hardest to get through as those feature the teams that no college basketball fan really pays attention to. 

The fact of matter is that even the seemingly easiest brackets still manage to kick your butt. I thought that this would be a cakewalk, but I have been truly mistaken. These things are tough, and it goes to show that picking a March Madness bracket is a total crapshoot. I spend most of my free time watching college basketball, yet I haven't won a bracket pool since 2011. 

This shows that we are in it for the long haul because if these tournaments are impossible to get straight, the actual bracket next week will be, as always, impossible to predict.

My BIG Omission

I accidentally omitted the Big Ten from my conference tournament preview, so I'll break it down here.

I think it comes down to Purdue and Maryland in the championship. Wisconsin is overrated and not ready for the postseason, at least the Big Ten Tournament. Maryland will knock them out in the semifinals because of the home court advantage (The tournament is in Washington, DC). With that I also think they beat Purdue in the championship, as Melo Trimble will shine throughout the event. 

Podcast #15

What Am I Wearing?
Northwestern
Elite Mid Majors vs Average High Majors
Conference Tournament Preview
Championship Games Tonight

Click Here

The Distressing Reality Behind the Rule Changes

After a long and arduous journey, the regular season is officially over. This means it's time for people to start talking about these ridiculous rule changes that they want implemented. While not all are bad ideas, in fact I like some, they lead college basketball down a dangerous path.

Here's the rule I'm talking about: Resetting team fouls every ten minutes in a half. In principle, this is an excellent idea. Too many times we see games marred by excessive whistles and free throws, and this is a decent attempt to combat that. When you look closer, however, you will realize that the limit is four fouls per 10 minute segment, so really this rule will not make a difference. Along with this rule, the NCAA has decided to get rid of 1-and-1s and make every foul a two shot penalty. This will take suspense away from the game as it devalues free throw shooting. We will see though, as the NIT will be implementing this new rule in this year's version.

I'm worried about this rule because it signals that a 4-quarter game is coming, in fact it's inevitable. The women made the switch a few seasons ago, and I expect the men to do the same, much to my disappointment. The half system is what makes college basketball unique, and I don't want that to go away. The game also feels as one cohesive event rather than  segmented parts.  If it ain't broke don't fix it. College basketball has been great for a while now, so why go changing everything?

Duke/UNC A Perfect Preview of Postseason

What a great way to cap off the regular season with Duke and North Carolina. It was truly back and forth throughout the entire game, and the Tar Heels pulled out a victory to clinch the ACC title outright. Joel Berry II was phenomenal, pouring in 28 points (5-5 3PT). North Carolina proved themselves worthy of a 1 seed with tonight's performance. Duke also played well. Luke Kennard also had 28 points, and Grayson Allen made some difficult shots. 

As the tournament fast approaches, we are seeing more teams lose while playing pretty good basketball. Teams are starting to figure it out, and just playing "well" isn't going to cut it anymore. We are about to see a shift in the way games are played. The postseason is a completely different animal, and who comes out on top will be determined by who can adjust their play accordingly.

Notre Dame/Louisville Outlook

The second-best ACC matchup of the day was pretty damn good. Notre Dame and Louisville went back and forth throughout the contest, and Louisville sneaked by using Quentin Snider's shooting as the death blow. 

The only problem Louisville has is their scoring capabilities. As we saw in their loss against Wake Forest earlier this week, scoring the ball can make all the difference. The good thing is that their defense can help them get by for at least a week in the tournament as they play similar offensively challenged teams given their seeding (1, 2 or 3). Donovan Mitchell can save them in this department. The kid is electrifying in all offensive areas. He can knock down threes and throw down a crazy dunk every now and then. Of anyone in the field, he's the most likely to Kemba his team to a national championship.

As for Notre Dame, they also played really well. Here's my theory on Notre Dame, even though I won't follow through with it when doing my bracket: For the last two seasons Notre Dame has gotten to the Elite Eight by having two similar teams that play the same way. This year's team is no different from the previous two years. They have outstanding guard play in Matt Farrell and VJ Beachem, and they can all shoot the ball. Be wary of them in the tournament because they are capable of making it three straight Elite Eights. 

Illinois Representatives

Since my park district basketball season ended (we lost in the first round of the playoffs) last week, I now get to spend my weekends watching college basketball. So we saw Kentucky beat Texas A&M, Villanova stomp Georgetown and Indiana beat Ohio State after giving up a million point lead and then coming back to win. 

Then Illinois lost, ruining my day. With their loss to Rutgers (to RUTGERS), the Fighting Illini are certainly eliminated from tournament contention. 

So now we Illinoisans have to bank on Northwestern and Illinois State to represent us in the NCAAs. The state of Illinois hasn't had a tournament team since 2013, so hey it's progress, right? But that leads to another point: Illinois State is really good. They are the 1 seed in the Missouri Valley tournament (Arch Madness), and they have beaten Wichita State once. Paris Lee is a Cinderella leader waiting to explode in March, so I plead the committee to put them in even if they lose in Arch Madness. This team deserves the opportunity. 

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 8

In celebration of mid major tournaments getting underway this past week, I decided to go a little off the beaten path with this week's Jersey Appreciation Friday. Along with having one of the best mid major teams in the country, UNC Wilmington also rocks some pretty cool jerseys. I first noticed these last year when they played Duke in the NCAA Tournament. While they lost the game, they certainly won the uniform contest. Click Here

Final Four Predictions 3/2/17

The Louisville loss shook up some bracket projections today, so I thought I should give you guys my updated Final Four as we are less than 10 days away from Selection Sunday. These picks are based off the Lunardi projection as usual.

MIDWEST

(1) Kansas- Ever since my realization (check the 13th podcast), I have been extremely high on Kansas. They find ways to win in desperate situations and that's a rare and important quality come tourney time. 

EAST

(1) Villanova- They have the same quality as Kansas, but they have more offensive potential and consistent defensive effort. Villanova may be undersized, but they can beat anybody. 

WEST

(2) Oregon- Name a player on Oregon, and the odds that he can score 20 on your team is 50/50. Dana Altman's squad team is so deep, and they are led by the most clutch player  in college basketball in Dillon Brooks. Believe in the Quack Attack. 

SOUTH

(3) Arizona- I'm very thankful for this development since Baylor and North Carolina aren't accompanied by weaker 3 and 4 seeds (Florida and Butler in previous editions). Now that Arizona is in the South, this gives me an all-around confident selection for the Final Four. Arizona does everything well, and there's just a certain swagger about the PAC-12 this season. 

Northwestern is a Lock

I had the pleasure of being at the Northwestern game tonight. You know, the game where they beat Michigan on a Hail Mary buzzer beater layup, reignited the Wildcat fan base and clinched their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Yeah, that one. 

I am by no means a Northwestern fan, but I think we all have to appreciate what is going on here. This is the ONLY power conference team to have never played in the NCAA Tournament. That is a drought of 77 years. Now, in what seems to be a Chicago sports renaissance, they are most likely a lock for the tournament.