2007 NCAA Tournament

Well, I've done this the last couple of years and I wasn't about to start disappointing, despite the late hour. It won't be as extensive as I would like it, but I'll cover the basics.

First, let's take a look back at the beginning of the year to see how I did:

• All 4 of my ACC picks made it, I just forgot about Maryland and Va. Tech among others.
• St. Louis, ouch.
• Syracuse should've been in over Arkansas. That pick was a joke. How does Arkansas from the really bad SEC West get an at-large?
• Illinois was lucky to get in. I have them, Purdue, Michigan St., and Indiana all losing in the 1st round. The Big 10 was painful to watch all year. Illinois can't score. 41 points against Wisconsin?!?!
• 35 of my preseason 65 made the cut. 14 of my preseason Sweet 16 made it (c'mon LSU and Alabama).

Now, a quick look at my thought process in picking my bracket, starting with the Midwest:

• Florida's best is better than everyone else's best. They reappeared at the SEC Tournament, they're the team to beat.
• Arizona plays no defense and has little team chemistry. Plus, Marcus Williams is thinking about the NBA.
• Butler is not the Butler of November.
• Notre Dame can score, but they can't stop anybody and you have to be able to stop people at this time of year.
• Winthrop gets their 3rd chance at winning an NCAA game this year with their core group of players. Besides being able to shoot the 3 well, they can dump it inside to Craig Bradshaw for easy hoops.
• Oregon's Pac-10 tournament run wasn't that impressive considering who they beat: Arizona (see above), Cal (emotionally drained from their win over UCLA), and USC (thanks in part to Bryce Taylor's 11/11). And remember last year, Iowa, Syracuse, and Kansas all had impressive conference tournament runs. Then they all lost in the 1st round.
• UNLV isn't as good as the experts have been saying all week.
• Wisconsin can't score without Brian Butch.

Florida beats Winthrop in the regional final. Notre Dame won't be able to stop Winthrop. Winthrop matches up perfectly with Oregon. Winthrop gets their rematch with Wisconsin and beats them because Brian Butch won't be there to score 17 points like he did in the 1st meeting and the game isn't in Madison.

Ok, to the West:

• Kansas plays to the level of their competition. They struggle with the lesser teams, they play great vs. the great teams.
• Kentucky hasn't beaten anyone good in my opinion.
• Which Virginia Tech will show up? Lucky for them, they get offensively challenged Illinois.
• Southern Illinois/Holy Cross will be close, but Holy Cross has trouble manufacturing points down the stretch in big games. I like SIU over Va. Tech, another rematch from earlier in the year when SIU beat Va. Tech at DisneyWorld.
• Duke has trouble against athletic guards. VCU has athletic guards who can shoot and defend. I like VCU.
• Pitt/Wright St. will be close until the last 10 minutes. Pitt has Final 4 talent, but they haven't shown it all year.
• Indiana did great in their first game vs. Big Ten opponents. But during the 2nd go-round, teams started to catch on and they struggled. I like Gonzaga.
• UCLA, despite the end of the year, has been consistent all year. Plus, they don't have to leave California.

UCLA beats Kansas in the regional final. Kansas has been very good defensively, but so has UCLA. UCLA has better point guard play and has a go-to guy for the end of the game, Kansas doesn't.

Ok, the East:

• North Carolina has trouble against teams that make them shoot the 3 and can match their athleticism and depth.
• I can't believe all of the people picking Michigan St. to win 2 games?!?!!? Neitzel will have to score 40 for them to beat Marquette.
• Texas has trouble finishing games because of their young guards. Augustin and Abrams are good, but they dominate the ball too much at the end of games. They forget they have the nation's best player on their team. I thought about taking them over Carolina, but Carolina is deeper and will be able to penetrate their D. Texas will also struggle against New Mexico St. in the 1st round.
• Washington St. will slow Vanderbilt and make them shoot jumpers. Vanderbilt's big wins were all at home.
• Boston College is mentally tougher than Texas Tech. And they will give Georgetown fits in the 2nd round.
• But Georgetown is hot, their only loss being at Syracuse's Senior Night, the Monday after they knocked off Pitt to win the Big East. They will make Carolina shoot 3s and can match their athleticism and depth.

Georgetown over Carolina in the regional final.

The South

• Ohio St. is overrated. They're not shooting the ball well and they don't get Oden enough touches. They'll go as far as Ron Lewis and Jamar Butler take them.
• Tennessee/Long Beach St. will be a good 1st round game. Tennessee will win, but closer than the experts think.
• I really wanted to take Albany over Virginia because there's no way Virginia should be a 4. But Albany isn't that good, and Virginia's guards can neutralize Jamar Wilson. Albany got destroyed by UConn at the beginning of the year even though Albany had more returnees from the rematch in which Albany led for 30 minutes vs. the #1 team.
• Texas A&M has become a really good offensive team, and if they play the kind of defense they're capable of, they can make a deep run, and I think they will.
• Nevada is all reputation. Creighton is playing really well and Josh Dotzler is healthy. I like Creighton, they'll be more ready to play.
• I like the way Memphis shares the ball, but they still don't have enough shooters. They turn the ball over too much for my liking also.

Texas A&M over Tennessee in the regional final. OSU/Tennessee: another rematch, but I think Tennessee is playing better than they were at the time of the first meeting. Plus, the game isn't in Columbus, and you have to think Tennessee, despite being a bad free throw shooting team, will do better than 5/11. The Buckeyes have had trouble scoring, I think Tennessee gets them. Texas A&M will have a homecourt advantage in San Antonio. They'll play some D and be able to score because Tennessee isn't a great defensive team. Plus, Acie Law will do his thing in the last 10 minutes.

Florida over UCLA. Florida only loses when their guards are forced into turnovers and UCLA's guards won't be able to do that.

Georgetown over Texas A&M. Georgetown is hot and they can beat A&M at their own game.

Florida over Georgetown 67-61. Georgetown was very close to knocking them out last year, and the Hoyas are better this year than last. But Florida's best is still unbeatable and I think they'll get it done. Watching the SEC Tournament, the fire is back in their eyes and they want it. And they're good enough to do it.

I wish I could write more, but I can't. Enjoy the games!!!!

And how about those Miami Redhawks, I can't forget?!?! Dancing in style after that Doug Penno Saturday night deposit after the glass. That's how to do it fellas. They're going to have trouble slowing Oregon down, but nothing's impossible with the Professor, Charlie Coles at the helm.