Linksville 3/17

Finals will be consuming my life for the next week, so posting will be very limited. I hope to get back to consistent posting next week, but while I'm on here, a quick analysis of the bracket is in order.

First thoughts:

• The East region is definitely the toughest; North Carolina is the top overall seed, but is paired with the top team in the RPI (2nd seed Tennessee) and Louisville, one of the best all around teams in the country, with David Padgett controlling the perimeter, and Edgar Sosa distributing. Notre Dame (5th) and Butler (7th) are both very dangerous low seeds that are capable of making a run. Luke Harongody is a beast for the Irish; he does everything Tyler Hansbrough does, averaging over 20 and 10 a game. The Big East Player of the Year has been underrated all season, but can really become a national name in the Tournament. Butler is one of the most experienced teams in the field, and was handed a seven seed with 29 wins.
• Arizona State got a really raw deal from the Tournament Committee. I understand it's unfair to directly compare two teams when there's so much involved in selection, but there's no way Arizona should have been included over the Sun Devils. Sure, they battled injuries, Lute Olsen's absence, and had a strong strength of schedule. But, ASU handled Arizona in both meetings and beat Xavier, who happens to be a 3 seed. For all the scheduling the Wildcats did, their most impressive win was against Texas A&M, an eight. Arizona shouldn't get credit for playing the big boys when they lost them all. The Sun Devils put much less on their plate in non-conference and still came away with a more quality win. Did I mention that they beat Arizona both times they played? Arizona finished with a 9-11 conference record (including Pac-10 tournament), which becomes much worse because three of those wins were against winless Oregon State.
• UCLA, with Florida finally out of the picture, is looking like a great bet to do some considerable damange. Final Four participants two years running, the only thing on their mind is a title. The West Region sets up nicely for them, with the Bruins playing their subregional in cozy Anaheim and the regional in Phoenix. They didn't really get too many scary opponents like the Tar Heels did, with Duke, Xavier, and Connecticut all suffering early exits in their conference tournaments. Still, UCLA hasn't played their best up late, struggling with slow starts and bizarre finishes. But, this team is equipped with everything to win the title this year.
• Georgia's run to the SEC Championship was simply amazing, and represents why conference tournaments exist. Yes, they stole a bid from more deserving teams like the aforementioned Arizona State and Virginia Tech, but every team in the nation -- except for the Ivy League -- has that one last shot for glory once Championship Week rolls around and the Bulldogs seized that opportunity. The manner in which they did it, winning 4 games in 4 days, including a doubleheader on Saturday, was even more impressive.
• Without a doubt, the marquee game on the slate for the crazed first two days is the matchup between USC and Kansas State in Omaha on Thursday night. Kansas State has struggled down the stretch, especially at home, but it has not been without the wonderful play of Michael Beasley. Outside of fellow freshman Bill Walker, Be-Easy has received next to no production from the rest of his teammates. The Trojans, meanwhile, have shown flashes of brilliance, but their own star freshman, O.J. Mayo, is playing his best ball at the right time. Both these teams are young and short on depth, but each is very talented and capable of messing up your bracket.
• Second Round matchups I'm praying for: Tennessee/Butler; Davidson/Georgetown; Drake/Connecticut

Here's some great links to get you through St. Patrick's Day.


A fellow blogger's first take on the bracket......................(Compete Sports)

Gus Johnson is just a really great announcer..................(Signal To Noise)

A recap about how those expert Bracketologists did on their final bracket...............(Vegas Watch)

Stud quarterback Terrelle Pryor is finally expected to announce where he's going next year...we hope............(Waiting For Next Year)

And finally, there's still time to join my Tournment Pick 'Em group on Yahoo, if you haven't already done so. A shot at bragging rights is at stake. Click here, and you're all set.