>I was doing pretty well until Kansas blew me out of the water. Based on their fast finish (23-3 in their last 26 games) I picked them to go to the Final Four. All I forgot was the conference they won those 23 games in ;-(. Dissing the Big Ten in my pool has worked well so far. Too bad I wasn't smart enough to diss the Big 12 also.
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>I'm a big KU fan, and I thought they'd go to the final 4 as well. I really thought they were the real deal, though I'm shaking my head that Brandon Rush was even considering entering the NBA draft going into last night's game.
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>It seems teams that win 'upset' victories in their conference tourneys wind up getting blown out of the water in the 1st round (Syracuse!!!). Bradley is certainly a respectable team, but Kansas really laid an egg last night.
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>I don't ever recall so many close games in the first round.
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>That leaves the 'Zags, Villanova and WVa to root for.
>

You've still got those three, although Nova had to eke through for the second game in a row (along with the other top-seeded Big East team, UConn). I agree with you that the most striking thing about the first two rounds was how competitive most of the games were. It used to be the top seeds, one through three let's say, could more or less just show up the first weekend. 40 point blowouts galore, thanks for stopping by, Southwest Whatever The Hell State You Are. No more. Mid-majors like the MAC -- so-called mid-majors -- made a statement. Teams from those "other" conferences that typically get only a courtesy invitation for the conference champion to be first round cannon fodder, they made a statement, too. (George Mason made the field with an at-large bid; that impressed me enough to pick them to knock off a listless Michigan State team that never quite found itself this season). And of course there was the less than stellar performance of the so-called major conferences, epitomized by the Big Ten's six team flameout. Maybe money is too entrenched in college sports for things to really change but I hope the selection committee will treat the big conference, big money programs with less genuflection next year.

I think next year I'm going to do my tourney pool with darts. With two of my final four, Kansas and Carolina, already duck soup, I can let go of my ego and enjoy the rest of the show. Go, George Mason! Go, Bradley! Go, Gonzaga!

Who am I cheering for at this point? Heck, I don't know. If it comes down to one game for the championship and Duke is in it, I will probably cheer for them. Despite my underdog tilt here, I have always respected Coach K and the way the Duke program is run. They recruit good kids with good heads on their shoulders. Here is one detail I love: the upperclassmen drive the underclassmen to practice. The underclassmen were high school hotshots, among the most highly recruited players in the country, and most of them probably never knew a moment of doubt or humility in their lives before arriving on campus. It must be a heck of a wake-up call. The sense I get is yeah, you're good, but prove yourself all over again now, against the best. Other than them winning so often, the college hoops version of the New York Yankees, what's to dislike?

The "tweener", so to speak, is Gonzaga. They aren't sneaking up on anyone any more but it's still pretty cool that this relatively unknown school keeps bubbling near the top of the national basketball rankings. That John Stockton went there used to be the answer to a trivia question, some anomaly. I am a huge Adam Morrison fan, even though he can't play defense at the Division 1 level any better than I could, and I'm 49 ;-). He's got a freeminded spirit and the retrofit floppy hair that reminds me of the greatest ever in that category, Pistol Pete. He can shoot the lights out -- yeah, yeah, yeah, he didn't in Gonzaga's second round win -- and can do it with a defender draped all over him. From an NBA POV, a guy like Morrison who can create his own shot has way more upside than a guy like J.J. Redick of Duke, who is accustomed to four guys setting picks for him. It sure won't be like that in the NBA.

It's been a fun, intriguing tournament so far. I can't wait until Thursday. Enjoy!