>Too bad, University of Memphis is #1 in fan polling and #3 in the real ones! Go Tigers!!!!!
>
>Actually, I think they're #2 now....I believe Duke fell to #3.
>
>I put teams like Memphis in the same category as George Washington and Gonzaga - great records and fun to watch, but didn't have to face the kind of competition that other conference leaders had to (UConn, Ohio State, Texas, etc.).
>
>Memphis' biggest win was probably over the 'Zags, who haven't beaten a ranked team since last November.
>
>But, you can only play the teams on your schedule - we'll find out soon enough how good they are!
>

I can't wait for the tournament. I never can. With the (not every year) World Cup soccer tournament and the (not every year) Olympics, it is my favorite sports event.

Being from the Big 10 myself and watching more of their games than those of any other conference, I have to say I think this is a down year. I don't think Ohio State is that good, or Illinois, or Michigan State (something like 10 losses?! -- some picked them as national champs), or any of the rest. They all play banger style, below the rim, and that is not rewarded in the tourney. This flies in the face of recent history but I don't think many if any of them will make it into the round of 16.

Adam Morrison is probably the best pro prospect in college basketball, aside from that freshman kid at UNC, but you're right, not enough around him.

If I had to pick right now? Before the conference tournaments and the brackets, mind you, which can change a lot -- I say go with the ACC and Big East teams in general, UConn, Duke, and Carolina in particular. But what do I know? I was like 5000th in ESPN's contest last year, out of over 100,000. Percentage-wise that wasn't bad but having 5000 people do better put it in perspective.

Should we start a UT tourney pool after the brackets are announced on Sunday? I'm game. (Damn, Dick Cheney just shot me).