Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Elite Eight

Buddy Hield has carried Oklahoma back to the Final Four

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room.

GAME OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Kansas. Whenever the top overall seed goes down, it's a big deal.  This was a real good one.  The Wildcats looked like they were looking good early, then the Jayhawks predictably took the game over.  But Nova took it right back.  Their defense and timely shooting got them back into the Final Four.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Syracuse vs Virginia. Again ... how was Syracuse even in this tournament?  Doesn't matter since here they are -- one of the Final Four.  Virginia was cruising along when the Orange decided to press and trap their way back into the game.  Just a shocking turn of events.  Now Syracuse is the first No. 10 seed to make it to the Final Four.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC was guaranteed two teams in the Final Four and one of them a spot in the National Championship game before the Elite 8.  They will be joined by a Big East and a Big 12 squad ... so all three leagues should be proud.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: ACC. Well, two of them lost too.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Oklahoma vs Oregon. While three of the No. 1 seeds lost in this round, Kansas and Virginia at least were in the game.  Oregon was blown out by Buddy Hield and the Sooners.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: North Carolina. No team has imposed their will on opponents this tournament more than the Tar Heels.  Either they hit all their perimeter shots or they will just rebound them and stick them right back in.  Give up a 12-0 run and the lead?  Just go on a 12-0 run of your own immediately afterwards.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Rocked Chalk. When the Elite 8 started, we had all four No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds alive.  Three of the top seeds fell and we have a No. 10 seed nestled in there.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*North Carolina opens up the Final Four as heavy favorites.  They are a 4-5 shot to win the National Championship. 

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Sweet 16, Day 2

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Notre Dame vs Wisconsin. Hey, today we at least have a game to pick from (heck, we have two).  This was a back and forth game that the Badgers seemingly had the game late.  However, two great steals by Demetrius Jackson swung the game to the Irish.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Syracuse vs Gonzaga. Even though the Orange were the better seed, the Zags were the favored team.  Syracuse, despite many people thinking they shouldn't even be in this tournament, is now in the Elite 8.  Wow.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC won all four games on Friday.  All.  Four.  That means, on the right side of the bracket, you will see two games featuring two ACC teams playing against each other.  So the ACC is guaranteed two teams in the Final Four and one of them a spot in the National Championship game.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Big Ten. Indiana and Wisconsin were eliminated today which ends the Big Ten's time in this dance.  Three Big Ten schools lost in the Sweet 16.  

DUD OF THE DAY: North Carolina vs Indiana. The much hyped matchup in the Sweet 16 was never in doubt.  The Tar Heels jumped all over the Hoosiers early and kept a safe distance all game long.  UNC even hung 101 on Indiana.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: North Carolina. The Heels shot the ball insanely well, which really isn't fair.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: The ACC. Not to beat a dead horse, but it is quite remarkable that one league literally owns one half of the bracket in the Elite 8 .

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The ACC has 4 teams left.  Everyone else?  Big 12 (2), Big East (1), Pac-12 (1). 

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Sweet 16, Day 1

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Kansas vs Maryland. Well, this one was close at the half.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Miami. There were no upsets today.  Not even close.  But it is a suprise that Miami got handled like this.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big 12. Kansas and Oklahoma each advanced to the Elite 8.  One more win and we would get Round 3 of an epic Jayhawks-Sooners series.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: ACC. The ACC has been rolling in this tournament.  Not anymore.  Miami and Duke were soundly beaten giving the conference a rare egg during the tournament.  Four more members play tomorrow.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Miami. This had the feel as the best game of the day and it didn't happen.  Nova jumped all over the Hurricanes and didn't let up.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Villanova. The Wildcats made this a laugher with their outstanding shooting  Villanova looks like a legit title contender.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Blowout. Every game was won by at least 14 points and most weren't even competitive in the second half.  Funny in a season label as "parity" that we will see the No. 1 vs No. 2 seeds face off on Saturday.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The ACC has 4 teams left.  Everyone else?  Big 12 (3), Big Ten (2), Big East (1), Pac-12 (1), WCC (1). 

*Mike Krzyzewski is in the wrong for scolding an Oregon player for showboating.  This is the head coach for Duke talking.  The coach who is so apologetic for Grayson Allen's trippings and the Cameron Crazies annoying behavior.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Second Round, Day 2

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Texas A&M vs Northern Iowa. With about 40 seconds left in this game, this certainly didn't look like a candidate for Game Of They Day.  Yet, it is.  How did Northern Iowa lose this?  How do you lose a 12 point lead with 40 seconds left to play?  I have never seen this kind of meltdown in my life.  It was amazing.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Wisconsin vs Xavier. This was the lone true upset.  Xavier was the only lower seed to lose today, which is odd since these were the guys who had that wild Friday.  Wisconsin's three pointer at the buzzer to win was rather shocking since many had Xavier as a sleeper title team.  

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC is now 12-1 in the NCAA Tournament and have locked in a record six of the Sweet 16.  Oddly, there is an outside chance that all six could make the Elite 8.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Atlantic 10. The A-10 is no more.  Both VCU and St. Joseph's put up valiant efforts against Oklahoma and Oregon, respectively, but they fell late.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Villanova vs Iowa. The hard thing about this is that it was the lone game on when it tipped off around noon.  Iowa, who was ranked No. 3 in the nation a little over a month ago, never was in this one and the Hawkeyes were soundly spanked.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Villanova. This is a school that has underperformed in the tournament of late, so the way the Wildcats just dismantled Iowa early and made this game a laugher.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: A bit of chalk. Again, only one upset today.  All No. 1 seeds have survived to the Sweet 16.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*The ACC has 6 teams left.  Everyone else?  Big 12 (3), Big Ten (3), Big East (1), SEC (1), Pac-12 (1), WCC (1). 

*So Indiana plays North Carolina on Friday.  At 10:00pm.  In Philadelphia.  Ridiculous.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - Second Round, Day 1

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Indiana vs Kentucky. Two schools who have a fierce rivalry that don't play during the regular season anymore.  Kentucky threw some good punches, but Indiana had a steadier array of jabs.  It was a great atmosphere where both fanbases were loud, both teams battled and stars shined.  However, Kentucky just didn't have enough horses to stem the Hoosier tide and stopped the Wildcats typical magical tournament stay.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Gonzaga vs Utah. It isn't a surprise that Gonzaga beat Utah, but how badly they beat them.  The Bulldogs had a 30 point lead at one point and the Utes just looked horrible.  With the Zags on to play the winner of Syracuse-Middle Tennessee, they have a legit shot at a Elite Eight appearance.  And this is their down year?

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC is now 10-1 in the NCAA Tournament and on Saturday locked in four spots in the Sweet 16.  Yeah, 4 of the 8 spots in the Sweet 16 are already occupied by ACC.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Big East. Let me pause from dumping on the Pac-12 some more (you too, Utah?), and say the Big East had a bad day.  Both Butler and Providence ended their tournament runs as they ran into No. 1 seeds.  Nothing to be ashamed of, but still a tough one.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Iowa State vs Arkansas-Little Rock. The Cinderella run of Little Rock is over.  And we didn't hear much about it.  The Cyclones jumped on the Trojans and didn't let up.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Gonzaga. The Zags defense was outstanding in this one as they shut down Utah.  Again, it wasn't so much the upset of Utah but how badly they beat them.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: A bit of order. Per usual, order was restored.  Of the eight games today, only two were won by the lower seed ... and one was No. 5 Indiana ousting No. 4 Kentucky which isn't a big upset.  All three No. 1 seeds advanced.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*Virginia is having its road to the Final Four just beautifully paved.  No. 2 seed Michigan State went down on Friday, No. 3 Utah was spanked on Saturday.  The Cavaliers play No. 4 Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and then either a No. 10, 11 or 15 seed in the Elite Eight. 

*That Des Moines pod was pretty remarkable today.  You had Kentucky (8 titles), Indiana (5), UConn (4) and Kansas (3).

*Man Doug Gottlieb has a weaselly voice.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - First Round, Day 2

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Northern Iowa vs Texas. The night session had a few great games.  The St. Joe's-Cincinnati and Notre Dame-Michigan games were awesome.  But the Panthers and Longhorns had a back and forth affair that had a big shot by Texas to tie the game ... but a half-court buzzer beater to win it.  In my life ... and I am nearly 41 years old ... I don't remember a half court shot to win a game during the NCAA tournament.  Stunning.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Middle Tennessee vs Michigan State. Despite being a No. 2 seed, Michigan State was most likely the 2nd or 3rd favorite to win this tournament.  They were experienced, they had a POY candidate, they have Tom Izzo and his historically great tournament resume.  But they just didn't do what they needed to today and became just the 8th No. 2 seed to lose to a 15-seed in tournament history.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: Big East. A day after Seton Hall was upset, the Big East had a pretty good day.  Villanova and Xavier flexed their muscle and put away their opponents.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Pac 12. Another tough day for the Pac-12.  California and Oregon State both lost as the better seeds.  They weren't alone, though.  The Big 12 had the same thing happen (West Virginia, Texas).  

DUD OF THE DAY: Texas A&M vs Green Bay. People were giving Green Bay some run as a team that could be a possible Cinderella.  Well, they really didn't come close to that against an Aggies team that seems dialed in.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Oregon. The Pac-12 may be crumbling in the Dance, but Oregon, ya know that weakest No. 1 seed, pounded Holy Cross to easily advance.  In a day filled with upsets and close calls, the Ducks swam right by.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Upsets. Yesterday I said that it wasn't shocking to see the 7 "upsets".  Well, today was a bit more shocking.  Michigan State losing in the first round?  What?  I mean, seriously?  Then West Virginia ... another team I thought would go far ... gets taken out by Stephen F Austin.  Hawaii wins their first ever NCAA Tournament game by beating a Cal team that has NBA players on it?  Then Syracuse, who many thought shouldn't make the tournament, goes out and pounds Dayton.  What a couple of days!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*THANK YOU NCAA for changing up the floors.  I have complained for years that these blue and black plain floors were horrible on television and it was so difficult to tell where you were watching a game.  I love the floor plans and the colors and the city name prominently displayed.  My only gripe now is that I wish the color scheme matched the arena, city or host team.  Take Raleigh, for example.  The floor colors are purple, dark blue and light blue.  If you live in Raleigh, those are the worst colors imaginable.  Purple represents rival East Carolina, dark blue reps Duke and light blue ... well that's the hated Tar Heels.  Have it red for them.  Maybe Des Moines could have had a gold color for host Iowa State and even the nearby Hawkeyes.  Providence could have used the black and Denver could have the light blue. 

*The ACC is 6-1 right now, with only Pitt losing (and that was a close one to Wisconsin).  UNC, Duke, Miami and Virginia play again tomorrow and all should be favored.

*Man Doug Gottlieb has a weaselly voice.  

Sportz' NCAA Tournament Recap - First Round, Day 1

Was it really an upset when Yale beat Baylor?

Just a quick recap of what I saw in my Sportz Room -- filled with TVs that I can watch all four games going on at the same time.

GAME OF THE DAY: Providence vs USC. There were so many candidates, but I'm going here because the entire game was compelling.  It was close throughout and the ending was a bit shocking.  The Friars looked cooked, but USC just couldn't make free throws and made other questionable decisions.  Providence took full advantage and won on a layup after a missed defensive assignment by the Trojans.

UPSET OF THE DAY: Arkansas-Little Rock vs Purdue. This was up there for game of the day, but the "game" of it really happened with about five minutes left.  UALR went on a huge run to send the game into overtime, including the shot of the day to tie it.  Josh Hagins' 31 electric points will be remembered for years.

CONFERENCE OF THE DAY: ACC. The ACC went 4-0 today, with North Carolina, Virginia, Miami and Duke all winning.  That isn't to say that there wasn't some drama in those games, but the ACC is moving on.

CONFERENCE WITH A BAD DAY: Pac 12. The Pac-12 went 1-3 on the day with only Utah advancing.  Arizona were busy being blown out by Wichita State while USC was coughing up a win to Providence.  Colorado lost to UConn, meaning there were three seed upsets suffered by the Pac-12.  

DUD OF THE DAY: Kentucky vs Stony Brook. It happens, but with the mid-majors putting up fights everywhere else you'd think Stony Brook would at least stay in the game by halftime.  They didn't.

DOMINANT PERFORMANCE OF THE DAY: Kansas. The top overall seed did what it was supposed to do and flushed away Austin Peay.

UNDERLYING STORYLINE OF THE DAY: Really, this is what we thought. There were 7 seed upsets today ... but were there any real shockers?  I mean, this is what we kinda thought was going to happen.  All over the place, Yale, Arkansas-Little Rock and Wichita State were looked at as good bets for "upsets".  Gonzaga was also looked at as a good team to win their game.  Plus three of the upsets were 9-seeds over 8-seeds.  All the big dogs we've been advancing with ease on our brackets won.  So was this all that big a shock?

FINAL THOUGHTS:

*THANK YOU NCAA for changing up the floors.  I have complained for years that these blue and black plain floors were horrible on television and it was so difficult to tell where you were watching a game.  I love the floor plans and the colors and the city name prominently displayed.  My only gripe now is that I wish the color scheme matched the arena, city or host team.  Take Raleigh, for example.  The floor colors are purple, dark blue and light blue.  If you live in Raleigh, those are the worst colors imaginable.  Purple represents rival East Carolina, dark blue reps Duke and light blue ... well that's the hated Tar Heels.  Have it red for them.  Maybe Des Moines could have had a gold color for host Iowa State and even the nearby Hawkeyes.  Providence could have used the black and Denver could have the light blue. 

*I am really convinced that the play-in games give teams a bit of advantage.  They are tournament warm, so to speak.  Today, Wichita State looked dominant at times against Arizona while Florida Gulf Coast caught a sleepy North Carolina squad in the first half of their game.  It will be interesting to see how Holy Cross and Michigan come out on Friday.

*On my Bubble Watch, I was really skeptical of the Pac-12.  They did a great job fluffing up their RPI so they looked good to the committee.  It worked.  But you got to play the games.  USC looked like they were trying to lose at the end of their game with Providence.  Arizona didn't even look like they came to play against Wichita State.  UConn really took it to Colorado in the 2nd half of their win over the Buffs.  Now, everyone's quick conclusion is that Oregon is a really week No. 1 seed and that isn't true.  However, they better understand how.

*I really hate that the Ivy League is starting a 4-team conference tournament.  I mean, whatever, but I think the reason the Ivy has done so well in the NCAA Tournament is that it does send its best team to the dance every year.  Imagine this tournament if UAB, Valparaiso, Monmouth, Akron, San Diego State and St. Mary's also got to join the party?

Sportz Assassin's Midwest Region Preview

Chicago's "Bean"

TEAM TO BEAT: Virginia. The Cavaliers are the only No. 1 seed to not win either a regular season or conference tournament title (they finished 2nd to North Carolina in both instances).  But the Cavs have one of the most efficient offenses in the country to go along with that stout Pack Line defense.  Malcolm Brogdon has had one of the best seasons in the nation and is so tough to guard.  With limited amount of time to prepare, teams will have a tough time against the Cavs. 

TEAM THAT WILL WIN THE REGION: Michigan State. Sparty won the Big Ten tournament title and has possible POY candidate Denzel Valentine.  Michigan State is notoriously known as a tough tournament squad and Tom Izzo one of the best tournament coaches.  This is a great shooting team that passes well and plays tough.

TEAM TO WATCH FOR (LESS THAN A NO. 3 SEED): Purdue. The Boilermakers are tough, physical and big.  They are also not scared of a team like Virginia or Michigan State.  

YOUR CINDERELLA: Gonzaga. The irony is that the Zags may be more dangerous when no one expects anything from them.  Mark Few still is a pretty darn good coach and Kyle Wiltjer is still a pretty darn good player.  The Bulldogs have less room for error than usual, but they can pull off a few upsets and get to the Sweet 16.  

WORST SEEDING ERROR: Syracuse. I am not sure they should even be in the tournament, but here they are.  The fact that they are a No. 10 seed is stunning.  How are they not in a First Four game?  The Orange have lost 5 of 6 with a shaky resume yet somehow made it in.    

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Michigan State. Well, there are some interesting home deals.  Virginia in Raleigh and Utah in Denver.  But when this thing gets to Chicago, that's where Michigan State, Purdue and Iowa State will shine.  Still, I think the mix of St. Louis and Chicago is the best here.

MUST WATCH GAME: Seton Hall vs Gonzaga. Gonzaga is my Cinderella, but Seton Hall is also a team who could make an unlikely run in this region.  They are a really, really, really good team who can do some damage.  There are next level players in this one and Gonzaga could have a better fan advantage in Denver.

MUST WATCH (POTENTIAL) SECOND ROUND GAME: Iowa State vs Purdue. Purdue's big front line against Georges Niang.

Sportz Assassin's South Region Preview

Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, KY

TEAM TO BEAT: Kansas. The Jayhawks have been among the top of the rankings all year long.  They have everything you want in a champion.  Experience, athleticism, frontcourt, backcourt.  They aren't an NBA-talent heavy team, but they play so well together.  A team will have to beat them to advance; Kansas won't beat themselves. 

TEAM THAT WILL WIN THE REGION: Kansas. There are some good teams in the South, but none of them are Kansas.  Well, except for, ya now, Kansas.

TEAM TO WATCH FOR (LESS THAN A NO. 3 SEED): Maryland. Talent wise, this may be the best team in the region.  Diamond Stone can be a beast.  Melo Trimble can take over games.  Guys like Rasheed Sulaimon and Robert Carter can wreck havoc.  The Terps can be all or nothing in this tournament.  

YOUR CINDERELLA: Temple. This bracket has a few nominees, but the Owls are my pick.  Temple won the AAC regular season title (even over heavy favorite SMU).  They won key conference games (sweeping Cincinnati and UConn during the season) and have played North Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin and Butler. They get Iowa first who have lost 5 of 6 and are struggling mightily.  If the Owls can win that, they could get Villanova in a huge Philly matchup.   

WORST SEEDING ERROR: Hawai'i. Hawai'i comes in as a 13th seed, yet are 27-5 with two of those losses to Oklahoma (by just 3) and Texas Tech.    

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Kansas. Really, no one has a great homecourt advantage here.  Villanova and Temple play up the road in Brooklyn, but then would travel to Louisville.  So KU's trek to Des Moines and Louisville makes them the home favorites.

MUST WATCH GAME: Colorado vs UConn. Does anyone want to miss a UConn game right now?  The Huskies are a firecracker.  But Colorado is that fundamentally sound team that won't make the kind of mistakes that UConn feeds off of.

MUST WATCH (POTENTIAL) SECOND ROUND GAME: California vs Maryland. The Miami-Arizona game would be nice too, but Cal-Maryland may have more NBA talent on the floor at once in the entire region.  Heck, maybe the nation.  .

Sportz Assassin's East Region Preview

Philadelphia hosts the NCAA East Regional Final

TEAM TO BEAT: North Carolina. The Tar Heels were the preseason No. 1 team and while they've had a bit of a rocky season, they still ended up with a top seed.  The Heels ended the season winning at Duke, then demolishing Notre Dame in the ACC tournament semifinals before beating fellow No. 1 seed Virginia for the ACC crown.  A very experienced team that owns the paint, the Heels could give Roy Williams his third national championship.  

TEAM THAT WILL WIN THE REGION: North Carolina. North Carolina have been a great rebounding team who dominates the paint.  The roll with seniors Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson, while guys like Joel Berry, Isiah Hicks and Justin Jackson are coming up big in their roles.  However, their recent attention to defense may vault them to a national championship.  The way they dominated Notre Dame and slowed down ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon makes this a scary team.

TEAM TO WATCH FOR (LESS THAN A NO. 3 SEED): Kentucky. Mock John Calipari all you want, but he tends to have his Wildcats surging heading into the tournament.  Their backcourt may be the best in the nation.  The key is that frontline.  There's talent there, but it doesn't always show.  With teams like Indiana, North Carolina and Xavier possibly standing in their way to yet another Final Four, Kentucky must have these guys show up.  If they do, they are one of the better teams in the country.  

YOUR CINDERELLA: Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks haven't lost a game in 2016.  They went 18-0 in Southland play.  Sure, none of their 27 wins were against anyone of note, but they can score (81 ppg).  If they can find a way to upset West Virginia, then they can topple either Notre Dame (who we last saw getting pummeled by North Carolina) or the Michigan/Tulsa winner.  

WORST SEEDING ERROR: Kentucky. Kentucky should have been a No. 3, and while it doesn't seem like a big deal that they are a just one seed down, it really is.  Instead of being in the lower half of the East bracket, Kentucky will have to likely face Indiana (who is also seeded wrong) and then North Carolina.  As a No. 3, they would have had Notre Dame/Michigan/Tulsa in the second round and the Xavier in the Sweet 16.  Quite a bit of difference.    

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: North Carolina. Really, no one has the advantage when they get to Philadelphia, outside of maybe Pitt, so UNC's first weekend trip down the street to Raleigh is huge.  No other East Region school is near their pod site, but Carolina is a county over.

MUST WATCH GAME: USC vs Providence. This one is great.  USC has six guys averaging double figures.  Providence has NBA talent in Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil.  Should be a great game between two teams that had higher hopes for this season but get a shot at each other.

MUST WATCH (POTENTIAL) SECOND ROUND GAME: Indiana vs Kentucky. The last time we saw these two play was a couple of years ago when Indiana hit a buzzer beating three pointer to topple the Wildcats.  Since then, some bad blood between the programs and their series ended.  You know both fanbases will be looking forward to this.

Sportz Assassin's West Region Preview

Disneyland in Anaheim, CA

TEAM TO BEAT: Oregon. The Ducks are probably the least known of the No. 1 seeds.  They won the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles.  They are athletic and have weapons all over, including forward Dylan Brooks. 

TEAM THAT WILL WIN THE REGION: Oklahoma. The Sooners will go as far as Buddy Hield will take them.  I think that is to the Final Four.  Their road to the Elite 8 is doable, and they have the horses to down Oregon or Duke in that round.  Get to Houston and they have a puncher's chance at cutting down the nets.

TEAM TO WATCH FOR (LESS THAN A NO. 3 SEED): Duke. What?  Yeah, this is region full of hit or misses.  Duke is the ultimate high risk/reward team.  There is a ton of talent ... just not a very deep stable of it.  Grayson Allen is tough to defend as is Brandon Ingram. The key is how tired is this team?  They are really only six deep and have huffed and puffed to the finish line.  However, they can score so efficiently and have the know-how to go deep in this dance despite people writing them off.  

YOUR CINDERELLA: VCU. Shaka Smart may not be there anymore, but the Rams still can stifle teams.  Oregon State is a team that can be forced into bad shots and bad turnovers.  Just the kind of ingredients for an upset.  Now, could they do the same thing against Buddy Hield?  

WORST SEEDING ERROR: Oregon State. The Beavers went from a tenuous bubble situation to a No. 7 seed?  How?  Because the Pac-12 knew how to fluff up their RPI numbers and OSU got a huge benefit from it.    

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: Oregon. There are only three west coast teams in this West Region (Oregon, Oregon State, Cal St Bakersfield).  Bakersfield would love to be in Anaheim, but they won't get there.  Sure Oklahoma gets to play in OKC for the first weekend, but Oregon gets to hang in Spokane before going down to SoCal.  Plus the arena that the Region finals will be play is home of the NHL Ducks.  I like the Ducks' situation.

MUST WATCH GAME: Baylor vs Yale. You are dying for a 12-5 upset, and this could be it.

MUST WATCH (POTENTIAL) SECOND ROUND GAME: Texas vs Texas A&M. If this was a football game, there would be more pub.  But like a possible Indiana-Kentucky game in the East, this would feature two fierce rivals who saw their rivalry end with the conference realignment.  Add into the fact that this game would be in Oklahoma City and you'll have both fanbases at it.

Tournament Selection Committee Sure Didn't Like the Big Ten

We can all bitch, piss and moan about the NCAA tournament bracket.  How is Tulsa in?  What does Monmouth have to do?  Oregon and Virginia are No. 1 seeds?  How is Tulsa in?  Syracuse wasn't too bubbly?  How is Tulsa in?  And How is Tulsa in?

One thing that is clear is that the committee didn't like the Big Ten too much, but sure loved some Pac-12.  Sure, the whole Oregon got a No. 1 seed instead of Michigan State is the marquee, but it rolls down the line.

Here is the major six conferences and their seeding:

ACC
1-North Carolina
1-Virginia
3-Miami
4-Duke
6-Notre Dame
10-Pittsburgh
10-Syracuse

BIG EAST
2-Villanova
2-Xavier
6-Seton Hall
9-Providence
9-Butler

BIG 12
1-Kansas
2-Oklahoma
3-West Virginia
4-Iowa State
5-Baylor
6-Texas
8-Texas Tech

BIG TEN
2-Michigan State
5-Indiana
5-Maryland
5-Purdue
7-Iowa
7-Wisconsin
11-Michigan

PAC 12
1-Oregon
3-Utah
4-California
6-Arizona
7-Oregon State
8-USC
8-Colorado

SOUTHEASTERN
3-Texas A&M
4-Kentucky

Look at the Big Ten.  Not only did Sparty not get a top seed, but the rest of the conference is lower than expected.  Indiana, Maryland and Purdue are all No. 5 seeds.  I always try to think of it as the top seeds are the 1-4 best teams, the 2 seeds are 5 thru 8, and so on.  So that means those Big Ten schools are about the 17th thru 20th best?  Sorry, but I'm not buying it.  I don't even like the Big Ten but it was obvious that the committee really didn't like them.

The Annoying Things That Bracket People Do ...

It is bracket time again, so people all across our great land are taking pen or pencil to brackets at hoping for the best.  They reason, they debate, they flip a coin.  Most of all, they think they are correct.  They go to blogs and websites to get that last bit of info to make their selections.

This isn't that post.

This is for those people who collect the brackets.  Those people who tirelessly print the brackets, make copies, convince people to enter a sheet in, chase people down for their money and enter in all the results into some sort of program ... or do the scoring themselves.

Here are the people you are likely to deal with this week and this is just to let you know, you're not alone.

WHAT'S THIS?:  I love when you hand someone a bracket and they respond this way.  If you don't know by now, you never will.  

THE "FLORDIA" PEOPLE:  I love when people cannot spell Florida.  It is sometimes "Floirda" or "Florda" but usually I see "Flordia".  First off, you should be able to spell every single state with the exception of Massachusetts and Connecticut with relative ease.  Plus, it is only printed in type in the line right next to your dumb spelling.  

THE NUMBERS PEOPLE: I love those people that refuse to write the names of the teams in the lines but instead write their seedings.  So you  get those 1s and 5s and 12s all over the place so it is awesome when you get to enter that sheet into a database.  Plus I love when they have two #1s facing off in the Final Four and write "1" as the winner.  Thanks.

I'LL GET THE MONEY TO YOU ... :  We all know this.  Those people who just never have the $5 or whatever to pay.  It is the Final Four and you are still telling me to wait until payday?  Great.  God forbid they actually have a shot to win because they'll just hang onto their money with the ol' "well, you'd be giving it back to me anyway" jive.  Oh, and those late payers are usually the ones who are up your butt when they do win and complainin when all the money hadn't been collected yet.  

2016 Sportz' Bubble Watch: Selection Sunday

Today is the day when we find out the 2016 NCAA Tournament bracket which will consume our lives over the next three weeks.  Who got in?  Who got snubbed?  What was the committee thinking?  Are the No. 1 seeds correct?  Who got the easiest road?  What is the toughest region?

So what are we looking at tonight?

BUBBLE WATCH

Which teams get in?  According to my bubble, these are the last six in:  South Carolina, St. Bonaventure, Pittsburgh, Temple, St. Mary's and Monmouth.  Just missing is Syracuse, Vanderbilt and Michigan.

This is a tight bubble.  South Carolina could see themselves on the way out due to their sluggish end to the season and horrid non-conference schedule.  St. Mary's and Monmouth may miss due to their mid-major statuses holding them back.  Vanderbilt was a pretty solid team until the last week or so.

Still, I see as the matchups in the First Four as Pittsburgh-Monmouth and Temple-St. Mary's.

All I know is that each of these teams is rooting for UConn to beat Memphis in the American Athletic Conference championship today or there will be one less spot for them in the dance.

TOP SEEDS

The only thing known here is that Kansas and North Carolina will be No. 1 seeds.  Both won their regular season and conference tournament titles and are locked at the top.  The other two seeds come down to a three team race.  Michigan State should be the third No. 1 seed, provided they win the Big Ten tournament title today.  They may still see a top seed even with a loss, though.  Oregon won the Pac-12 regular season and conference titles as well.  They will be looked at very closely.  So will Virginia, who finished 2nd to the Tar Heels in the ACC regular season and tournament title.  I feel that the Ducks and Cavaliers will both be in the West Region, with Oregon getting that top seed.

POD SYSTEM

The pods should be very kind to teams this year ... except Michigan State.

Of the possible No. 1 seeds, Kansas will get to play in Des Moines, North Carolina and Virginia will go to Raleigh and Oregon goes to Spokane.  But Michigan State?  Will it be St. Louis?  Not really a close city.

Go a little further down and Utah will go to Denver, Oklahoma to Oklahoma City, Villanova to Brooklyn and Xavier to St. Louis.