Bracket Breakdown Part ii: East and South

So Monday I dissected the Midwest and West Brackets, today I’ll do the same with the East and South brackets. Let’s dive right in.

East:

16. Eastern Kentucky – I feel bad for EKU, I really do. If they were a 14 or 15 seed and got hot from behind the arc they’d have a legit chance to make a game of it with a higher seed. Yet they’re a 16 seed set to play UNC. They’re tallest player is 6-8 and they will get demolished by Tarheels’ frontline.

15. Belmont – Famous Belmont alums include Trish Yearwood, Brad Paisley and Lee Ann Womack. I feel like that fact alone should disqualify them from ever partaking in the NCAA tournament. But they’re in, mainly because they hit twelve 3’s in the first half of their conference championship game. If they shoot that well then they just might make a run at Georgetown.

14. Arkansas – The Razorbacks don’t deserve to be in the tournament, at all. I’m not even going to waste my time telling you why they should be headed to the NIT. But I do like their coach Stan Heath, he’s a got a very spherical head.

13. Vanderbilt – So apparently all you need to do is beat Florida to get a decent seed in the tournament. I’m sorry but Vanderbilt is not very good, as evidenced by their 1-4 mark on the road in the SEC. And while I know it was early in the year they also lost to Furman (15-16), at home. While Vanderbilt should be included in the tournament it’s hard to argue with their extremely weak schedule and low rpi that they deserved better then a double-digit seed. I penciled Vanderbilt in for a first round exit before I knew absolutely anything about their opponent, George Washington. After doing some research on GW I feel extremely good about their chances to send the Vandals packing(more on this in a few paragraphs).

12. New Mexico State – I think the Aggies would have been a great upset pick if they weren’t facing Kevin Durant in the first round. However the future is bright for NMSU as long as they can keep Reggie Theus around. Theus has gotten this eclectic group, which consists of 7 D-I transfers to play together. I think he’s going to be an excellent coach in the near future.

11. Marquette – As much as I like Peter Parker look-alike Tom Crean and Dominic James, the Golden Eagles have been flat-lining for the past few months. Wins against an overrated Pitt squad have helped to hide that fact from the general public. Unless James finds his shot Marquette is headed for their second first round exit in as many years.

10. Boston College – In what should be a great first round game, the 7-10 match up in the East should come down to coaching. And who do you want to side with, Bob Knight or Al Skiner? Yeah I’m going with Knight too.

9. Oral Roberts – A lot of people think ORU has a legitimate shot at upsetting Washington State in the first round. Those same people have either not see Washington State play this year or subscribe to the idea that you have to have great athletes to have a great team. Oh well, enough about Wazzu. Let’s get back to the awkwardly named Oral Roberts. Yes I realize they’re named after an semi-famous evangelistic, who by all accounts was a shady mofo. All I’m saying if your first name is Oral you shouldn’t have anything named after you. Period.

8. Michigan State – The Spartans tourney fates is one of the hardest for me to decipher. Tom Izzo is an excellent coach and has proved time and again that he’s one of the best tourney coaches in the business. However his team, not unlike the Big 10, is terrible. Anyways I think Izzo gets past Marquette in the first round before losing to UNC by about 30.

7. George Washington – Let’s see the rap sheet on the Colonials is that they like to play at an extremely fast pace and they struggle mightily when they have to play at a slow pace. If GW upsets Vanderbilt like I think they will their second round match up will be against Washington State. Wazzu is a team that slows the pace down, rarely turns the ball over and makes you work for 25-30 seconds on both ends of the floor. Needless to say I don’t see thinks ending well for the Colonials (against Wazzu that is).

6. Texas Tech – Keep two things in mind when reading my critique of the Red Radiers: 1.) I absolutely love Bobby Knight and 2.) Jarrius Jackson is one of my favorite players in college basketball. I think Tech should beat Boston College and then give Georgetown all it can handle in one of the best second round games. Tech has proven it can beat top flight teams this year, with wins over Kansas and Texas A&M (2). They also proven they can play down to anyone’s level, as show by puzzling losses to Nebraska, Oklahoma and Baylor. I think the Red Raiders are a legit sleeper team that almost no one is talking about. Anyhow I have them losing to Georgetown in a game that should go down to the wire.

5. USC – As an Arizona fan I’m hoping the Trojans go on a deep tourney run so Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt go to the NBA as oppose to coming back next year and teaming up with OJ Mayo. However I don’t think ‘SC has a single player capable of slowing down Kevin Durant. However Tim Floyd will coach circles around Rick Barnes so the game should be close.

4. Georgetown – I’ll admit something, I like Georgetown. I enjoy watching them play. They’re an extremely well coached team who plays hard every night. That said, I’m not buying them as a 2 seed at all. Going 13-3 in the Big East is impressive, but not this year. They lost to the two best teams in their non-conference schedule (Oregon and Duke) and didn’t really hit their stride until they started playing in the Big East. And even in the Big East they have suspect loses to Villanova and Syracuse (by 14). And while I like their team, their coach and love shots of Patrick Ewing in the stands, I don’t think they’ll get by Wazzu. However their game against Wazzu should be great and cause any non-basketball fan to claw their eyes out. Both teams play a very deliberate style of basketball that can be painful for just about anyone to watch. First one to 45 wins the Wazzu/G-town game.

3. Kevin Durant – Every one with a pulse knows that Kevin Durant is the best player in college basketball. Most people who have watched Texas play this year also know that his teammates are young, don’t have the highest basketball IQ and that his coach is pretty much incompetent. A lot of people are assuming that Durant is too good not to get his team to the Final Four. I disagree with this logic. While Durant is absolutely unbelievable, I don’t like the North Carolina draw for them. I think the Tarheels are just too deep and too talent for Durant and Co. And before I go on to the next team I’d like to talk about Texas’s shooting guard AJ Abrhams. This guy is something else, you absolutely have to watch him in the next couple weeks. He has absolutely no conscience. He’s like the guy you play pick up with who shoots every time he touches it and annoys the hell out of everyone on his team. You hate it when you have to play with him and it nearly kills you every time you have to pass him the ball. However he always has that one game in which he can’t miss, hits 6-7 threes and propels your team to victory. Well I think the only way Texas beats UNC is if Abrahams has one of those games. Personally the only think I’d like more then Arizona making a deep tournament run is for Durant to make it to the Final Four and face off against Greg Oden. I just don’t think it will happen, for either of them.

2. Washington State – Maybe I just have a bias towards the Pac-10, but I think Wazzu is going to surprise a sh*t ton of people this March. They’re a great team that forces you to play at their pace and they rarely beat themselves. The teams that gave Wazzu trouble this year are teams that are supremely athletic* or teams that play extremely smart. Luckily for Wazzu they don’t face any of those type of teams until the Sweet 16. I like the Cougars more then Georgetown because I think there resume is better and that the Big East isn’t that good(read: I’ve seen Washington State more then I’ve seen Georgetown). Anyways, I think UNC is a terrible match up for the Cougars and will end their season on a sour note.

1. North Carolina – I’m not sold on this North Carolina team at all. However with every one picking Texas as there ‘sleeper’ Final Four team, and me not trusting the majority, I feel that Tarheels have the best chance in this bracket. I like Washington State as a sleeper pick, but I fee like picking them would just be me being an uber Pac-10 homer. I think the winner of the UNC-Kevin Durant game is going to the Final Four. And I trust Roy Williams over Rick Barnes, that and UNC is much deeper and more talented then Durant’s team. Maybe I’m just being selfish. I desperately want UNC to make a deep tourney run because I want to see shots of Tyler Hansbrough in his face mask for as long as possible. Now that dear readers is high comedy.

South:

16. Central Connecticut State – CCSU is the only team from Connecticut in this year’s tournament. They’re also the only team with the Blue Devils nickname that it’s acceptable to root for. Sadly though, the Blue Devils’ first game will be put out of reach 15 minutes after it starts.

15. North Texas – While the Eagles are facing the worst 2 seed (maybe ever) in Memphis, they don’t have enough talent to beat the Tigers. On the upside though North Texas is making their first tournament appearance since 1988. So there’s that.

14. Albany – A lot of people feel that Albany is a closer to a 16 seed then a 13. I have no opinion on the Great Danes, aside from the fact that their nickname sucks. Anyhow I think they’ll lose to Virginia in the first round.

13. Penn. – From everything I’ve heard and read, the Quakers are actually a really good team and should be a tough out for anyone. Unfortunately for Penn they’re playing Texas A&M, who just so happens to be one of best teams in the country.

12. Xavier – I don’t have an opinion on the Xavier, so instead I’d like to use this space to point out the American Idol’s Melinda Doolittle looks almost identical to Shrek.

11. Long Beach State – Neither the 49ers or their first round opponent Tennesse has a lot of size. Because of this people assume it will be a close game and LBSU has a great shot at an upset. People who think this have apparently failed to notice that the 49ers play absolutely no defense. They give up 73 points a game. I think there’s a pretty good chance that Chris Lofton may get 50 in this game.

10. Louisville – Louisville is about a year away from making a serious run at the Final Four, assuming all their young players stay in school. However this year they aren’t very good and I’m allowing my Pac-10 bias to decide their match up with Stanford.

9. Nevada – Nevada is my choice for this years team that whines about how they should have been a higher seed so much that they fail to show up for their first game. That and I think Creighton’s a better team then them. This is another first round match up in which it appears the committee didn’t want mid-majors to upset BCS schools.

8. BYU – The Cougars aren’t known for their defense, especially their interior defense. They have a second round date with Greg Oden. This probably won’t end well for the Mormons.

7. Memphis – DJ Gallo made a great point in ESPN’s A.M Jump on Monday suggesting that the term “Paper Tiger” be replaced with “Memphis Tiger”. Yes Memphis owns a 22 game winning streak and yes they ran through Conference USA, but my rec league team would have finished no worse then third in Conference USA. Memphis’ athleticism should be enough to get them by North Texas, but I think they’ll fall to Creighton in round two.

6. Virginia – While the Cavaliers boast one of the best backcourts in America, they’re not a very good team. If they were playing a better team then Albany in the first round I’d pick them to bow out even earlier. Virginia lost 3 of their last 5, all to non-tourney teams. If you can’t stop players on Miami, Wake Forest and NC State then you’re not stopping Chris Lofton.

5. Stanford – Most tournament previews talk about Stanford’s mascot in their did you know section. This is all well in good considering that everyone always wonders how a Cardinal can be a tree (it’s actually the color Cardinal). However I believe a more interesting tidbit would be that Stanford’s head coach, Trent Johnson, bares a strong resemblance to Satan. Seriously the guy scares the bejesus out of me. Do keep small children away from the television during ‘Furds first round upset and second d round exit against Texas A&M.

4. Tennessee – In case you haven’t noticed yet, I’ve got a man crush on Chris Lofton. I think he’s clearly one of the top 5 scorers in college basketball. Looking at his pod I think Lofton alone can get Tennessee to the Sweet 16. Also I want as many Bruce Pearl interviews as possible, so I’m pulling for the Vols.

3. Creighton – It’s always a good idea to have one MVC team in the Sweet 16, because one makes it almost every year. Anyhow I like this Creighton team and I think they got one of the better draws of the tournament. Creighton’s a better team then Nevada and they’re pressure defense should give Memphis fits. I don’t think Creighton has what it takes to get by Texas A&M though. Run should end at the Sweet 16, unless Kyle Korver still has some eligibility left with his alma mater.

2. THE Ohio State University – Greg Oden and Company should cruise to the Elite 8 and own paper the Buckeyes appear to be the best team in this bracket. There’s really only one thing standing in their way from a Final Four: Acie Law IV. I think OSU should win their first three games before falling in a classic to the Aggies. I really don’t have much more to add about the Buckeyes, except for that I hope Mike Conelly stays in school another year, because he’s going to be something special if he does.

1. Texas A&M – As little as a month ago I wasn’t entirerly sold on the Aggies, then I some them lose to Texas. In that game Acie Law IV hit every big shot imaginable. This guy is f*cking nails. He’s truly amazing. With the game on the line there’s no one, not even Christ’s son Kevin Durant, you’d rather have taking the final shot. I really believe that Law will carry TAMU to the Final Four, after that things get a little shaky. Well I’m starting to get carpal tunnel, so let’s just get to my Final Four picks.

Final Four: Florida over UCLA, UNC over Texas A&M.

Final Game: Florida over UNC.

Until We Meet Again
* Right now every Arizona fan is saying “Hey we’re athletic and they swept us!”. Actually U of A isn’t that athletic, tough as that is to swallow. Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger are both superb athletes, but every other player that plays is an average athlete at best. This is another reason why this is one of the worst U of A teams of the Lute Era.