TheKilo

WEST REGION SLEEPER - Virginia Tech. In a bracket where all of the focus is on UCLA and Kansas, why not some attention to the team that swept the #2 overall seed? Not a great showing in the ACC Tournament, but a pretty talented team who should get to the Sweet 16. Illinois probably shouldn't be in the field and Southern Illinois has problems scoring points. 1st ROUND UPSET - VCU over Duke. Duke a 6 seed?? I'll get to that in a second, but has anyone ever been this unimpressed with a Duke team that made the tournament? VCU won a very competitive CAA this year (you know a mid major is competitive when the team that finished 4th has a legit beef for not making the tourny) so this just has the feeling of one of those "talented mid major beats underachieving major team" games. MOST OVERRATED TEAM - Duke. How is Duke a 6 seed? I mean, I hate Duke, but there is absolutely no way even the most diehard Duke fan can convince me that they are a 6 seed. I'd put them anywhere from an 8-10. The committee gave Coach K a break, but a don't see them making any kind of run (if they get out of the first round). REGION WINNER - Virginia Tech. One team that makes the Final Four is one that always comes out of nowhere. Looking at the brackets right now, I think Virginia Tech can really be that team. Kansas is deep, but is traditionally a disappointing tournament team. UCLA is arguably the most talented team, but two losses in a row does not inspire confidence. I think the Hokies are going to make a run and surprise a lot of people.

MIDWEST REGION SLEEPER - Winthrop. Should have beaten Tennessee last year, they use that experience to their advantage and they advance to the second round at the very least. They are a really solid all around team and should not be taken lightly at all, it's too bad they would have to face Oregon in the second round. Honorable Mention - ODU. A bit of the shine on Butler's season has been worn off, and ODU was one of the better mid-majors all year. Favorable road as Maryland has shown they could not come to play some nights (see the Miami FL game in the ACC tournament. 1st ROUND UPSET - Winthrop or ODU. I actually think both teams will win, but I have more confidence in Winthrop. MOST OVERRATED TEAM - Maryland. Athletic, a couple of nice wins down the stretch, but a 4 seed? Come on. 10 wins in the ACC is impressive, but losing to Virginia twice doesn't help much. I think this team is a 5/6 seed, but it's not too much of a gripe. i actually think the committee got this bracket right. REGION WINNER - Oregon. I love the perimeter players of the Ducks, and if they can continue their roll from the P10 tournament, they'll be a very dangerous team. Wisconsin showed some holes today, and I honestly don't think Florida wins two in a row.

SOUTH REGION SLEEPER - Long Beach State. One of those 5/12 games, and while Tennessee has looked good in some games they've looked awfully average in others. It's certainly not out of the question to think that they can get to the Sweet 16. Virginia doesn't shoot the ball all that well. Plus, Long Beach State has that one guy who just took over the game last night, Aaron Nixon. He's solid and can give people fits. 1st ROUND UPSET - Long Beach State over Tennessee or Albany over Virginia. See above for LBSU, but Albany took UConn to the limit last year and if Virginia doesn't shoot well (their guards are good but their FG% isn't great) they can be in trouble. MOST OVERRATED TEAM - Memphis. 30 wins and overrated? Yep. Who did they play of any significance? 1-2 vs. the top 50 in the RPI and they won an incredibly weak conference. Yeah, they're athletic, but aside from that I'm not impressed. I think a 2 seed is way too high for them, I would have put them at a 4. They need to play good teams before getting a seed that high. honestly would not be shcoked to see a 2nd round loss to either Nevada or Creighton. REGION WINNER - OH-IO. Oden and company take care of business.

For each region, I'll do sleeper team (dark horse - must be 5 seed or higher), 1st round upset, overrated team, and region winner. EAST REGION SLEEPER TEAM (DARK HORSE) - Michigan State. Beat Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago, beat Texas earlier in the year. There are some teams you don't feel confident in doing well in the tournament (Kansas, Pittsburgh) and then there are teams who always seem to make a run. Michigan State is one of those teams. Tom Izzo will make sure they come prepared and I like the way Drew Neitzel plays. I think they could really give UNC a run for their money in the 2nd round...I'm not sold on the youth of UNC. 1st ROUND UPSET - The 11/6 game. Vanderbilt is not the most impressive team in the world. Yeah, they beat Florida, but they lost to Arkansas twice the last two weeks and they have some really terrible early season losses. Look for GW to knock the Commodores off. MOST OVERRATED TEAM - Washington State. They had a nice enough season, but they also play in the Pac-10. Other than UCLA and Oregon, I'm not expecting any P10 team to make any semblance of a deep tourny run. At first glance it looks like they should have an easy road to the sweet 16, but I don't think they can afford to sleep on Oral Roberts. If Wazoo wins, they draw either GW or Vandy. GW has some athletes and could give WSU fits, and Vandy can shoot the 3. I expect WSU to make the Sweet 16, but they are rated a bit too high I think and will fall next weekend. REGION WINNER - Georgetown. I like the way they looked in the Big East tournament. Hibbert and Green are two legitimate stars who can take the game over, and they play excellent defense. They made a pretty good run last year, and they have really been the class of the Big East all year. I'm not sold on UNC's ability to run a half court offense, and that's exactly what GTown will make them do. I'll do the rest after I microwave a Hot Pocket.

Syracuse belongs over the likes of Xavier and Arkansas, but if 'Cuse has a beef, so does Drexel. I'll do a breakdown of each region when I look at the brackets a little closer.

Durant looks like he lacks a lot of strength. I mean, KG is lanky like Durant but he just seems stronger.

30-3 against who though? I'll take Gtown at 26-6 over Memphis at 30-3.

I really don't see Memphis as a #1....they only have one win over the top 50 in the RPI. A solid #2.

No points for Oden 13 mins in...Wisconsin can't get any offense going though.

I'm an idiot. Replace Gtown with Ohio State.

Discuss brackets, games, matchups, etc. here. #1 seeds IMO: UNC (if they win today) Florida (if they win today) Kansas (if they win today) Georgetown

Meh.

Didn't he have, you know, cancer in 2005?

Aubrey Huff? Really?

Yeah, ORS is the s***.

You calling him a candyass and questioning his desire for the game is fairly close to writing him off. It's OK though, because once he starts to do well I fully expect you to hop back on the Hansen bandwagon.

Fair enough....but Chuck Norris jokes? That's the act of a desperate man, Jacko.

I expected more from you.

f***. OF COURSE!!!111!!1

Ugh. I'd prefer Donnelly but I hope he can get the job done.

I bet he could whoop your ass.

You saying x+y+z = 29 doesn't make any sense. Have you taken into account what he has done in the minors? His numbers show a trend of power numbers, not an aberration. Last year may have been odd because he hit 58, but it really isn't out of the ordinary for him to hit 40+, especially in that ballpark of his. You are honestly saying that if Howard remains healthy and plays in a comparable number of games this year, half of which are in the same park, his HR total will be cut in half? A small drop, maybe 10-15 HRs less is logical, but almost a 30 HR drop? That doesn't make any sense at all.

You really are a f***ing moron.