AL West

Anaheim Angels –

Season Outlook – I love the Angels pitching staff. I know they are not being talked about that much, but I really do like them. Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana have at least 15 win potential. Scott Kazmir might have some left in the tank and Joel Pineiro has shown he can be a good pitcher. That is five solid starters. None are great, except maybe Weaver or Haren if they put a whole season together, but all are good. The lineup is alright, but not great. The outfield should provide a lot of pop with the Vernon Wells pickup. I don’t know why they took on that contract, but what’s done is done. Torri Hunter is always trusty. Peter Bourjos is a question mark, but he is only 23 years old. The infield is going to get a lot better when Kendry Morales comes back from injury. Adding him to the lineup with Abreu, Wells and Hunter is very solid. I think they get back to the top of the AL West.

Pros – Outfield hitting, starting rotation, angels in the outfield

Cons – Rodney as a closer, their really long name, Vernon Well’s contract

MVP – Vernon Wells. As much as I have made fun of his contract, he has the chance to be the new Vlad Guerrero to this lineup. He could be just what the Angels need to help out Hunter, Abreu and Morales in the middle of the order.

MIP – Ervin Santana. I feel like everybody knows what they are getting from Weaver and Haren. Santana has been real off and on in his career. If he is on, the Angels will be real good.

X – Peter Bourjos. If Bourjos can perform solidly, the Angels will not have much of a chink in their armor. If he hits under .250, then they might have a gaping hole in center field.

Best thing- The best thing about the Angels is the big rock in center field. That thing looks so cool on TV, but I feel like if I saw it in person it would be boring as shit. It is just a waterfall that can be seen as any miniature golf course built after 1999, but yet, I like it.

2010 Record – 80-82

2011 Prediction – 90-72

Oakland Athletics –

Season Outlook – Billy Beane is back at it. The pitching staff on the A’s looks dangerous. I think I read somewhere that they lead the majors in ERA after the All-Star break last year. I have seen Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez all listed as potential fantasy sleepers this year. That doesn’t include Mr. "Perfect Game on Mother’s Day" Dallas Braden. The downfall of the pitchers? Brian Fuentes is closing. Come on, Oakland, can’t someone else like Craig Breslow close? Fuentes is the Hispanic version of Joe Borowski. Sorry starting staff. Better throw a complete game to get a win. The lineup isn’t going to provide them with a lot of support either. I do like David DeJesus and Coco Crisp, but that’s about it. Hideki Matsui came over as a DH, which wasn’t a bad signing. Just not a lot of fire power in this lineup. But, then again, Moneyball doesn’t care about fire power. Get a bunch of walks and win a world series. Oh wait, they haven’t even came close. Crap.

Pros – Gio Gonzalez, Brett Anderson, Dallas Braden’s Grandma

Cons – Fuentes, bad hitting lineup, Fuentes

MVP – David DeJesus. Coco Crisp will get on base and steal some bases. He isn’t exactly Ricky Henderson, but he is solid. What he needs is someone reliable to hit him in. DeJesus needs to be that guy.

MIP – Fuentes. I have knocked him, but he is incredibly important to this team. They remind me of a poor man’s 2010 San Francisco Giants from across the bay. Very young and talented pitching staff, good defense and sub-par lineup. The main difference is that Brian Wilson was lights out last year, Fuentes can’t be that good this year, even though he needs to be.

X – Hideki Matsui. Matsui will play most games as the DH. He is getting up there in age, but everybody knows Asian man age gracefully. Jackie Chan is still kicking ass at like 55 years old. Matsui has a good chance to liven up this lineup.

Best thing- The best thing about the A’s is the white cleats. They are so awful and look so much like thay should be playing coach pitch, that they are awesome, in a nostalgic sort of way. They remind me of easier times when we were kids and bought shoes that were immediately dirty the next day, and we didn’t care. Billy Beane probably just spray paints the cleats white every day to save a few pennies.

2010 Record – 81-81

2011 Prediction – 85-77

Seattle Mariners –

Season Outlook – Ah, what has happened to the Mariners? I admit, I thought they were going to be good last year. I thought the Cliff Lee and Chone Figgins signings were great. I was wrong. Seattle was abysmal last year. I am not sure they are going to be a whole lot better this year. Ichiro is still there of course, but the lineup suffers after him. Figgins struggled last year, Franklin Gutierrez is streaky, Brendan Ryan and Jack Wilson are both light hitting up the middle and Miguel Olivo and Michael Saunders are not going to give you anything. Jack Cust as a DH is shaky, and Milton Bradley is apparently washed up. Justin Smoak is a solid young prospect, but is very unproven. Not a good lineup. The pitching staff is shallow after King Felix. Jason Vargas, Doug Fister and Erik Bedard are unreliable at best. The wild card is rookie starter Michael Pineda. If he performs well, they could have a nice 1-2 punch. The bullpen isn’t anything to write home about. David Aardsma is barely walking, meaning Brandon League will be the closer. Is he reliable? I really don’t know. Going to be a long year for the Mariners. Maybe they will move to Oklahoma City. Kidding, Seattle.

Pros – King Felix, Ichiro, Safeco Field

Cons – David Aaaaaardsma, the Ryan-Wilson combo, rain

MVP – Ichiro. He is the table setter extraordinair for the Mariners. If he struggles at all, forget about it.

MIP – King Felix. He needs to have another Cy Young year to give the Mariners any chance of a winning record.

X – Justin Smoak. If Smoak can be the prospect many thought he was in Texas, he will be a great compliment to Ichiro.

Best thing- The best thing about the Mariners is Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball for Super Nintendo. I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with the 2011 Mariners, but I love that game.

2010 Record – 61-101

2011 Prediction – 65-97

Texas Rangers –

Season Outlook – The defending AL Champs come back without Cliff Lee to defend their pennant. I am not feeling the Rangers this season. A lot of hype is being put on the Rangers and especially the pitching staff, sans Cliff Lee. Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson, Derek Holland and Brandon Webb is not exactly a scary pitching staff. They are not bad by any means, but are they good enough for another pennant? I don’t think so. If they can just get to the ninth, I do love Neftali Feliz as a closer. The 2011 version of the Rangers reminds me more of the 2009 version than the 2010 version. The lineup will be awesome. Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz are all candidates for the best hitter at their respective position. Julio Borbon and Elvis Andrus are coming off break out seasons and could take the next step. Mitch Moreland had a monster postseason and hopes to carry that over to 2011. And as always, don’t forget about Michael Young (at least until he is traded). The Rangers will score a lot of runs, just like in 2009. The Rangers will be very injury prone, just like in 2009. The Rangers will not repeat as AL Champions, just like in 2009.

Pros – Power hitting, Feliz as a closer, Ron Washington jokes

Cons – Starting pitching questions, Injury concerns, Hamilton relapsing

MVP – Josh Hamilton. It is very obvious that the Rangers can not make it through a prolonged Josh Hamilton injury. They can live through an injury to other players, such as Ian Kinsler or Nelson Cruz, but not Hamilton. It is not a good thing that he is so injury prone. Cocaine is a hell of a drug. Just ask Ron Washington.

MIP – C.J. Wilson. The Rangers are banking on Wilson as a staff ace. Risky business if you ask me. He is a very good number two or three starter, but as a number one? I just don’t know.

X – Elvis Andrus. In the playoffs last year, Andrus was the spark plug for the Rangers. If Andrus was getting on base, the Rangers looked like world beaters. When he didn’t get on base, there were problems scoring runs.

Best thing- The best thing about the Rangers is Nolan Ryan. I love when grumpy old men treat kids like they imagine they were treated back in the day. Nolan Ryan thinks pitchers should be able to throw 150 pitches an outing. He thinks he used to throw 500 pitches a week. I often use sarcasm, but in this case I am not. I really do love Ryan’s tough love. Suck it up pitchers. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the tear in your rotator cuff.

2010 Record – 90-72

2011 Prediction – 89-72

Ohhhh Kemba.

I played a lot of video games when I was younger. I was a pro at Nintendo and Super Nintendo. I still think I could beat anybody in the world in a seven game series of Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball for Super Nintendo (Bing it onnnn, Griffey!). Now a days, I’m not a gamer. Not enough time and not enough money to keep up with the new games. I am thankful of my old habits though. Not just because I am awesome at Mario, DK Country and Super Techmo Bowl, but because it started a love affair with one of my “backup” teams.

I have what some might call “backup” teams. They are not really back up teams though, because no matter what, I will always cheer for the Indians, Vikings, Pacers and Hawkeyes over anybody else. There is a couple teams, however, that I like a little less, but still follow very closely for other reasons. I like the Dodgers because my dad grew up a Bums fan. I like the Colts because of my many trips to Indianapolis as a kid to see Pacers games. And, I like the Uconn Huskies men’s basketball team because of some old college basketball video game for Super Nintendo. I liked the Husky logo. I always wanted a husky, and the Uconn team became the next best thing. My Mom actually got me German Sheppard, which we named Yukon. I grew up watching Ray Allen, Donyell Marshall and that little tub-o-lard Khalid El-Amin. If they ever play Iowa, I am 100% Hawkeye. But, it is nice to be able to cheer for the Huskies to win, knowing I have been a fan since the days of two button gaming controllers. The reason I tell you this (besides not being labeled a bandwagoner), is that I have gotten so much joy out of watching the Huskies this year. I've been showered with this joy for one reason: Kemba Walker.

In their preseason college basketball preview issue, Sports Illustrated didn’t even put Uconn in the field of 68. Then Maui happened. Kemba took a team of unknowns to wins over Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky to the Maui Invatitional Title. I thought it could have been a fluke and teams would look at tape and figure out how to stop Kemba, and therefore stop the Huskies. It didn’t happen. They went on to beat teams such as Harvard and Texas in the non-conference, and then went 9-9 in the Big East. 9-9 isn’t eye-popping, but it isn’t bad considering the youth of the team and the strength of the conference. The downside of 9-9 is that it forced Uconn to play the first day of the Big East Tournament.

Before the tournament started, Uconn had senior day. It was their last game of the regular season against Notre Dame. The Huskies lost the game, but that wasn’t the story. The story was that the team that starts one junior, one sophomore, and three freshmen had one of their starters, and their star, being recognized for senior day. How could this happen? Because Kemba Walker will graduate in May with his degree in only three years. Kemba not only carried this team all year while setting a good example on the court, he also did it in the classroom. Not a bad lesson for a young team.

First day of the Big East Tournament was no problem. The Huskies stomped DePaul, and then made Georgetown know their role. The Pitt game, also known as the game where Kemba broke Gary McGhee’s ankles for the game winner, was the game that opened the nation’s eyes that maybe the Huskies could make history. In the semis, they beat Syracuse in a grueling overtime game. National talking heads thought they would lose the title game to Louisville because of fatigue. Kemba wasn’t having any of it. After carrying the scoring load for four games and most of the Louisville game, he made the biggest play of the night on a drive and wrap around pass to secure the Big East Championshp for the Huskies. The performance was immediately dubbed as historic. It was a wild ride through the Big East gauntlet, and still, people thought Uconn was too young or tired to be a real threat in the Big Dance.

Kemba wouldn’t allow a first round upset as he led the Huskies over Bucknell in impressive fashion. I would argue that Uconn looked more impressive in the first round of the Dance than any other team in the nation. In the second round, they drew conference rival Cincinnati. Kemba was in obvious pain. His leg was bothering him. He gutted it out, like a true team captain does, and went on an 8-0 run by himself to will the Huskies to victory. The Cincinnati game was a microcosim of the season for Uconn. The younger guys struggled and looked inexpirenced and overmatched, and then their leader took over and led them to victory. He showed the young pups how to win. He led by example.

Uconn goes into this weekend with a tall task. First they have to take on the #2 seed San Diego State. The Aztecs are an incredibly athletic team, and they have expirence. If Uconn gets by them, then they will likely play the defending national champions: Duke. (I realize Arizona could beat Duke, but Duke will be favored). Even though Uconn is one of the most decorated basketball programs of the last 15 years, they are the David of the region. Uconn, starting the young guys who were not highly touted out of high school (except maybe Jeremy Lamb) and Kemba against the defending champs from Duke and possibly #1 overall pick Kyrie Irving is a David and Goliath matchup. It may not be Duke vs. Butler, but it would be some story if Uconn could knock them off.

Regardless of what happens this weekend, Kemba Walker has taken all the Uconn fans on a great journey this year. He took a team that was supposed to be near the cellar of the Big East and got them a Big East Tournament title, a #3 seed and a Sweet Sixteen appearance. He has set a great example for the kids at Uconn now, and the ones coming to the program in the next few years, both on and off the court. He has put a team on his shoulers and danced into late March. Maybe someday I will finally get that husky puppy I’ve always wanted. If I have already had a child, which is what I will use the name “Reggie Miller Estes” on, then maybe I’ll save the name Kemba Estes for my pup. Has a nice ring to it.

This year's Butler?....Butler.

Sweet 16 picks

(1) Ohio State vs. (4) Kentucky – Kentucky is your typical Coach Cal team. They have the young talent to beat anybody, but they are undisciplined enough to be beat by anybody, as Princeton almost proved. I still like Ohio State to beat them, but Kentucky has the horses to make the game interesting. This game worries me for my Buckeyes National Championship pick, but I trust Lighty and Diebler to play like they did against George Mason. Pick - Ohio State

(2) North Carolina vs. (11) Marquette –

Marquette has looked tough so far. It seems like they have been more fired up during these games than some of the mid-major teams. There is just a lot of energy coming from that bench. They completely shut down Tu Holloway, and got the stops when they needed against Syracuse. Can they do it against Carolina, who has seemingly been scoring at will, is the question. Carolina’s offense has looked awfully good, but let’s not forget they played two absolutely terrible defensive teams in Long Island and Washington. Also, if Washington had not played like 6th graders the final 30 seconds, we may be seeing a #11 vs. #7 matchup here. Pick - North Carolina

(1) Duke vs. (5) Arizona –

The Wildcats have won a couple wild games so far. Beating Memphis in the last seconds thanks to a Derrick Williams block wasn’t all that impressive, but the win over Texas was impressive. Texas is a very good team and the Wildcats took them out of their game. With that being said, if Texas, led by none other than Rick Barnes, did not manage the game like idiots for the last 15 seconds, they would have won. Texas and Washington both should have won, but both deserved to lose. Duke didn’t look much better. They just got by Michigan. Michigan isn’t a bad team, but they are not good enough for the Blue Devils to only be beating them by two. I would like to see Aizona score the upset here, but I think with Kyrie Irving back, the Blue Devils will have too much firepower in the backcourt for Arizona to hang. Pick – Duke

(2) San Diego State vs. (3) Uconn –

Man, did Kemba Walker put this team on his shoulders against Cincinnati. He was obviously in pain, and went on 7-0 and 8-0 runs all by himself. The Huskies have looked every bit the part of Big East Champions. While we are on the subject of the Big East Tournament, will everybody please put to rest the idea that Uconn will be tired from the five games in five days? They are a very young team. They are made up of people ages 18-21. THEY ARE FINE. If they lose to SDSU, or to Duke in the ensuing round, please just accept that they got beat, not that they have tired legs. This isn’t the Celtics or the Lakers. They are not old and creaky. They are young Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors in college. They are quite alright. Don’t forget, they probably work as hard, or harder, conditioning-wise, in practice than in games. So maybe the five games in five days saved them some grueling practices.
With that being said, I think Uconn wins this game. My original pick was San Diego State, but I have since changed my mind. The Aztecs have not impressed me in the least. They certainly have the athletes to beat anybody, but Leonard has been unimpressive and their offense looked stagnant when it shouldn’t have been against Temple. The Aztecs could pull this off, but I think my Huskies move on to another round. Pick – Uconn

(1) Kansas vs. (12) Richmond –

Was anybody a bigger winner last weekend than the Jayhawks? They are sitting in their region with the #10 seed Florida State, the #11 seed VCU, and the #12 seed Richmond. See ya later Louisville, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Georgetown and Notre Dame. It will be a colossal upset if Kansas doesn’t make the Final Four. As for Richmond…good run. It is over. Pick – Kansas

(10) Florida State vs. (11) VCU –

Nobody saw VCU coming. This was the team that was supposed to be like a #3 seed… in the NIT! They beat USC, who people really liked. Beat Georgetown, with Chris Wright back, and then beat Purdue in Chicago. The strange thing is how impressive they have been doing it. They have manhandled all three teams. Florida State has been impressive also. I guess Texas A&M made a run at them, kind of. Florida State has been in control for pretty much all 80 minutes they have played. All of this has been done without the services of Chris Singleton for the most part. He should be able to see more playing time against VCU. Their defense has been stifling, and Leonard Hamilton looks like Bunny Colvin from the Wire, which is just awesome. It is strange to think one of these two teams will be playing for a Final Four berth, but both have earned it. Should be a good game. Pick – Florida State

(4) Wisconsin vs. (8) Butler - My girlfriend picked Wisconsin to win the championship. I told her it was stupid. I still think it is a long shot, but it sure seems a lot smarter now than it did a week ago. Wisconsin is a fantastic defensive team, but so is Butler. I don’t think this will be another 36-33 game, like Wisconsin vs. Penn State, but I will be amazed if either team scores 70. I would like to pick Wisconsin to support the Big 10, but I just can’t pick against Brad Stevens and Butler. They just keep on winning. Butler is good for college basketball. I need to go to a game at Hinkle Fieldhouse next year. Pick – Butler

(2) Florida vs. (3) BYU – Florida has looked better than I have them credit for. I admit, they have looked like a #2 seed. BYU has also looked better than they did in the MWC Tournament. This is a real toss-up game. Obviously, if BYU wants to win, Jimmer will have to score at least 30. I think he will get 30, but ultimately the Mormons will go down. Pick – Florida


Elite Eight

(1) Ohio State vs. (2) North Carolina –

This was the dream matchup I picked for this region. I think it could be a great game with a lot of future draft picks lighting it up. Ultimately, I think Sullinger and Lauderdale and control Henson and Zeller on the boards, which has been a big advantage of Carolina, and the Buckeyes can go to Houston. Pick – Ohio State

(1) Duke vs. (3) Uconn – This was also the dream matchup I picked. Things are working out for CBS’s ratings. I love the Huskies, but I don’t think the young pups can keep up with Duke. Too much depth and options for Duke, and too little depth for the Huskies. See you later Kemba. Thanks for the memories. Pick – Duke

(1) Kansas vs. (10) Florida State –

Really? Florida State? Florida fucking State? Their shorts are sweet looking. That’s about it. Kansas wins. Pick – Kansas

(8) Butler vs. (2) Florida – Florida is the better team. Florida has more talent and plays better competition all year. On paper, Florida wins by double digits. But, Butler is Butler. Even if I wanted to pick Florida, which I do, I can’t pick against Butler. Or can I? maybe if I do, they will continue to prove me wrong and I can enjoy another Final Four with the Bulldogs. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Pick - Florida

Down to 16

Thoughts on the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament


It seems like the Clemson vs. West Virginia game was a microcosm of the last 10 years for Clemson basketball. They start off strong, and then people realize they are not that good and they lose.


To quote the immortal Dennis Green, Clemson “WAS WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!”


Why did I pick against Butler? Don’t pick against Butler unless it is a lock. I should know this by now.


Would anybody be real surprised if Butler beat Pitt? I could see it. (Yes, I wrote this Thursday. I promise)


Louisville started that game like an Iowa team coached by Todd Lickleiter.


Kenneth Faried is fun to watch. Could be the next Ben Wallace, except not near as big of douche. I still blame Wallace for the Malice at the Palace. Well, him and the voices in Ron Artest’s head.


Knowels getting hurt is going to kill Louisville. He has been everywhere on defense.


Peyton Siva really took that game over at the end. Could he have looked off the defender at the end and hit the guy under the hoop who was wide open? Hard to tell.


Taylor Battle finally gets national attention. Good for him.


Wow, Fernandez from Temple was totally trapped and made that game winner by the defense letting up.


Damn Kentucky. Thought Princeton would have the upset of the tournament. Wasted all their magin on Harvard.


Wow, Uconn looked absolutely great against Bucknell.


There are three teams I never ever bet on, unless they are a top three seed: Vanderbilt, Clemson, and Utah State. This has been my rule for a few years, and has worked wonderfully.


How much does the big guy from UCLA weigh? I liked him.


Worst year in Izzo’s tenure at Michigan State. There were deeper problems on that team than just what we saw on the court. Glad I picked against them.


I always pick against Xavier and they always do the opposite of what I pick. IF I ever bet on Xavier or Villanova, they will inevitably screw me, and it would be wise for everybody else to do the opposite of me.


Tennessee looked just awful. Pearl may be on his way out. That would be a shame for Tennessee basketball. Wonder where he will go? It won’t take long for him to find a job I can guarantee you that.


There is usually one game a year that makes me glad I spent so much time watching regular season basketball because I feel like I know something the casual fan doesn’t. What was that game this year? Gonzaga vs. St. John’s. The Johnnies have played to their competition all year, and were not a great team. And Lavin has never been a good tournament coach. Thank you Zags.


Arizona vs. Memphis is what all first round games should be. Exciting.


Jesus Christ Illinois.


Nobody, I repeat NOBODY, saw VCU getting to the round of 32. Apparently the Vegas “sharps” were feeling USC. Missed that one. The big winner of the VCU vs. G-Town game was the Tournament Committee.


On to the Second Round


I m not liking this scheduling the NCAA did. I am not in favor of the single games during the day and then overloading the games at night. It has its advantages, but overall I’d rather have them staggered throughout the day.


Kentucky has some talent, but I wasn’t overly impressed with either team. West Virginia was not a great team this year and really hung with the Wildcats.


Florida vs. UCLA was pretty boring, until the end. Nice ending.


Is anybody else not impressed with Kawhi Leonard? He looked very sub-par against Temple. Reggie kept saying how he should be the one with the ball, and he didn’t see it at the end of regulation or overtime. SDSU didn’t impress.


Morehead State just couldn’t shoot well enough to hang with Richmond.


OHHHHHH BUTLER!!!!


I will never bet against Butler, I will never bet against Butler, I will never bet against Butler.
It is easy to say someone like Reggie Miller is my idol, but in reality, I was never going to be an NBA superstar. At this point in my life, even though I get ideas some days, I am not striving to play in the NBA. Brad Stevens is my actual idol. I aspire to be Brad Stevens.


Ref’s made the right calls in the Butler game. Dumb play by Mack, and dumb play under the basket by Pitt.


I think everybody needs to stop grilling Jamie Dixon for having the Pitt guys on the line for the missed free throw that Howard was fouled on. If Pitt had a lead, of course they wouldn’t have been there, but, the game was tied with, what, 1.8 left? Missed free throw and put back wins it. Those guys have to be smart enough to not foul 90 feet from the basket. I would have kept them there too.


Jimmer is the player of the year. BYU looked good.


Kemba is the player of the year. He carried the young Huskies again. Sorry Jimmer.


Kemba’s performance was inspiring. He was a warrior tonight. I haven’t had a man crush on a college basketball player like this in a long time. More on him later this week.


Wisconsin keeps hitting the shots they need. Any of the four teams in the Southeast could go to the final four and I wouldn’t be surprised. The funny thing is that all four of those teams might have already been eliminated had them been placed in a different region.


Washington may have just played the worst final 30 seconds of a game ever. First the inbounder telegraphs his pass horribly. Then they threw up that “shot” from half court with three seconds left. Just awful. I hate North Carolina.


Michigan just hangs around.


I liked the look that Morris got to tie the game for Michigan, but, if you are Michigan, who has already overachieved this year and have a chance for a three to beat the defending champs, don’t you have to go for the W? I would have liked to see Hardaway or Novak get a shot for the win. Either way, John Beilein is a great coach.


Ohio State looks good. Keep it up Buckeyes. Make me look smart.


I have a lot of thoughts on the Texas/Arizona game. 1) Rick Barnes teams are never prepared for anything. 2) Derrick Williams is good, but he needs to look to actually score more, instead of drawing touch fouls. 3) Terrible use of timeouts for Texas. The five second call lost the game for them. 4) Why did Texas walk the ball up with nine seconds left? Get a shot with like three or four seconds left so there is still a chance for put back, or a foul. Arizona had no time outs left. Stupid Texas.


Purdue, what the fuck?


Purdue and Syracuse going down within an hour of each other to two #11 seeds was incredibly damaging to my hopes of scoring over 78 points on my OldChicago bracket and getting a free pizza. In other words, Matt Painter and Jim Boeheim owe me roughly $15.


Even though I hate the Illini, I gotta cheer for the upset. Just to shake things up.


FSU got off to a hot start, but I won’t be surprised if the Irish make a comeback. Perks of being senior-heavy.


Butler vs. VCU Final Four? Yes, Please.


Final thought on opening weekend: I LOVE the NCAA Tournament. It is the best sporting event there is. The problem is that I am competitive. Really competitive. I spend so much time watching and studying basketball from November until March, and I want that to pay off in the form of a winning bracket. It never does. And I accept that. I really do realize that bracket pools are for fun and someone who hasn’t watched more than five games all year wins it. What angers me, is having to talk to these people and justify why they got a game right and I didn’t. I don’t have to defend my picks to them. Acting like they know stuff about Richmond. I could give them three names, let’s say Dino Flinstone, Jamal B Jammin, and Justin Harper, and ask which one actually played for Richmond, and most would get it wrong. But when it comes to pulling an upset out of their ass, they are experts on college basketball. No, dude, it was your year to get lucky. Congratulations. I really am happy the cards fell your way. But, just keep in mind, if this was like those old ESPN “knowledge” commercials, where the peoples “knowledge” was a fur ball thing, mine would be the Andre The Giant to your Mary Kate Olson from Full House. (Or Ashley if you prefer). So please just accept your winnings, admit it wasn’t really because of your expertise, that maybe, just maybe, you knew some stuff, but some stuff just kind of worked out (Fucking Pittsburgh), and move on. Brag all you want about winning, but don’t act like you knew Purdue and Georgetown would lose to VCU. You won, I lost. Congrats. See you next March when you watch basketball again. I’ll let you know if the rims are still 10 feet high.

Game By Game Exact Right Picks For The Tourney. I Promise.

This college basketball season has been extremely underrated. The parity has been fantastic. Ohio State made, what I thought, was a legitimate run at being undefeated. They lost two games in the regular season, both on the road, to two teams that just don’t lose at home. The Big East got 11 teams into the tournament. 11 teams! Not many people expected to see UConn, St. John’s or Cincinnati in their bracket at the start of the season. BYU is a top ten team. Love the Mormons or hate the Mormons, they have the most skilled player in the nation, and have done this while recruiting…MORMANS! How hard would it be to recruit guys to “honor” their honor code in this day and age? And to be a top ten team? Unbelievable. There were hundreds of other storylines this season, and they made for a great year.

The problem with parity comes now. Filling out the bracket is a real pain in the ass this year. I didn’t know who to pick. Do I overanalyze everything like I usually do, thinking all the hours of college basketball that I watched, and everybody else in my pool didn’t, will benefit me? It usually doesn’t. I could break down every matchup in the tournament, while some of my friends couldn’t name five players in the tournament. Total. But yet, they still beat me more often than not. I just keep hoping my rationale of watching games every night from November until March pays off in the form of a wining bracket. This is that winning bracket. (Until Thursday, when it is done for.)

East Regional

(1) Ohio State vs. (16) UT San Antonio/Alabama State - I was going to take Alabama State in this game, then I remembered that 1) They would be tired from the play-in game. And 2) Tarvaris Jackson went there. Pick – Ohio State

(8) George Mason vs. (9)Villanova – This game is interesting. I really think Villanova is still good. Maybe I am naive. I realize they have lost 10 of their last 15 games, but I don’t really care. I am just not that crazy about George Mason. Plus, I just read the book Cinderella about their final four run, and it bored me to tears. Could have been a great book, but wasn’t. For that, I am bitter and will ride Corey Fisher. Come on Nova. Pick - Villanova

(5) West Virginia vs. (12) UAB/Clemson – West Virginia played really well at home this year. But that is about all I can say about the Mountaineers. The good news is that they play either UAB or Clemson. I think Clemson wins that game, and although they looked really good in the first half against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament, they are notorious for caving in big games. Playing West Virginia in the “second round” (which I refuse to call it from here on out. It will be called the Round of 32), is a big game. Take me home, country roads. Pick – West Virginia

(4) Kentucky vs. (13)Princeton – I hate this matchup for Princeton. Not that I was leaning towards picking them anyway, but I think this is a case of too much athleticism. I hate Coach Cal and Kentucky, so I will pick them. Pick - Kentucky

(6) Xavier vs. (11) Marquette – This game has been a real flip-flopper for me. I immediately liked Marquette but have since changed my mind. The reason goes back to last year. I picked Minnesota, the 11 seed to beat the six, Xavier. Then I picked the six seed Marquette to beat the 11, Washington. Both Xavier and Marquette proved me wrong, and I feel I owe it to Xavier to give them a chance. Terrible rationale. Oh God. Pick - Xavier

(3) Syracuse vs. (14) Indiana State – Is Larry Bird playing? No, but Jake Kelley is. Big whoop. Orange roll. Pick - Syracuse

(7) Washington vs. (10) Georgia – I am a notorious SEC hater. I liked the way Washington played in the Pac 10 Tourney. I don't think Georgia should have even have made the tournament, so I am sticking with the Huskies. Pick - Washington

(2) North Carolina vs. (15) Long Island – Man would I love the Blackbirds to pull off this upset. But, it won’t happen. I don’t care how fast LIU plays, they can’t hang with the Tar Heels. Pick – North Carolina

Round of 32

(1) Ohio State vs. (9) Villanova –

I have loved Ohio State all year, and I don’t think they let me down this early. Sullinger will be too much for Nova inside. Pick – Ohio State

(4) Kentucky vs. (5) West Virginia - Rematch of last year, with drastically different looking teams, but same looking hair styles for the coaches. I don’t love either team, but Kentucky does have talent. They may be young, but they are talented none the less. I like Kentucky to avenge last year’s loss. Pick – Kentucky

(6) Xavier vs. (3) Syracuse – The loss to UConn may not be a terrible thing for Syracuse. It gave them an opportunity to heel up after a brutal schedule this season. I think they have flown under the radar a little bit this year, and I think they will continue to fly under it right into the Sweet Sixteen. Pick – Syracuse

(7) Washington vs. (2) North Carolina – I so much want to pick U-Dub to upset UNC, but I just can’t do it. Washington has been just too inconsistent this year. I think Carolina has too much fire power for this one, but, if they fall behind the Huskies like they did Miami and Clemson last week, a comeback will be much harder against a solid Washington team. Pick – North Carolina

Sweet Sixteen

(1) Ohio State vs. (4) Kentucky –

This is the game that the balance and experience of the Buckeyes pays off. Kentucky could hang with Ohio State, but they are so young and inexperienced. I think the Buckeyes have just too many weapons to lose this one. It will come down to how Kraft and Diebler manage the game. Ohio State defiantly has an advantage with Sullinger, Lauderdale and Lighty, but the guards going against Brandon Knight will decide the game. Pick – Ohio State

(3) Syracuse vs. (2) North Carolina – This is where I think Carolina meets their match. They have feasted on less talented teams all year, but have struggled against teams that have as much firepower. I think the Orange take them down and send Harrison Barnes on his way to the NBA. Pick – Syracuse

Elite Eight

(1) Ohio State vs. (3) Syracuse – What a game this could be. Big East and Big Ten powers battling it out. I watched the UConn vs. Syracuse game the other night, and I liked what I saw from the Orange, but, I don’t think they have the scoring options to keep up with the Buckeyes. I am riding the Bucks to the Final Four. O-H-I-O. Pick – Ohio State.



West Region

(1) Duke vs. (16) Hampton – Remember when Hampton as a #15 seed beat the #2 seed Iowa State? That was awesome. Don’t get any ideas though. Pick - Duke

(8) Michigan vs. (9) Tennessee – At the start of the year I picked Michigan to finish last in the Big Ten. Wow did they prove me wrong. Tim Hardaway Jr. turned out to be fantastic. But, I still don’t think Michigan has enough options on offense. Tennessee could wear down the Wolverines with their press. I like Bruce Pearl to get a shot at Duke. Pick - Tennessee

(5) Arizona vs. (12) Memphis – Tigers vs. Wildcats. Memphis isn’t very good. They were lucky to get by UTEP in the awful Conference USA. I do like Derrick Williams and Arizona. Sean Miller has that program back in the right direction. Pick - Arizona

(4) Texas vs. (13) Oakland – I think I am on the same page as a lot of people when I thought Oakland would be a Cinderella this year. Then, I saw their first round draw and changed my mind. Remember, Texas was battling for a #1 seed like a week ago. Pick - Texas

(6) Cincinnati vs. (11) Missouri – I went back and forth on this game, just like I did with the Xavier/Marquette game. In the end, I decided to go with Missouri, in hopes their frantic style of play causes problems for Cincinnati. Pick - Missouri

(3) UConn vs. (14) Bucknell – What a run last week for UConn. For those that don’t know, growing up I had some college basketball video game for Super Nintendo, and started to like UConn, solely for their logo. My Mom knew this and got me a dog and we named it Yukon. I will always be a Hawkeyes fan first, but I follow UConn very closely and love to see them win. So, obviously, I love Kemba Walker. He will take the young pups into the round of 32. Pick - UConn

(7) Temple vs. (10) Penn State – I think Taylor Battle is one of the most overlooked players in college basketball. He has been a solid point guard for Penn State since his freshman year, and this is his first chance to show it on the big stage. Too bad I think Temple is too good for Penn State. Pick - Temple

(2) San Diego State vs. (15) No. Colorado – Steve Fisher with a #2 seed. Think the Fab Five will be in attendance? After seeing the documentary the other day, I could see four of them being there, with Weber probably not anywhere to be found. Great documentary by the way. Just riveting. Oh, right, the game. I like the Aztecs. Pick – San Diego State


Round of 32

(1) Duke vs. (9) Tennessee – Don’t sleep on Tennessee. They are not a great team, or even a team capable of a Final Four run, but they are a team capable of beating any team on any given night. I would be about 80% surprised if they won, but that’s not 100%. I still like the Dukies. Pick – Duke

(5) Arizona vs. (4) Texas – Seems like Arizona is the trendy pick here, but I am bucking the trend and sticking with the Longhorns. I don’t really know why, I just think the Pac 10 was weak and Arizona will struggle with the Big 12's Longhorns. Pick – Texas

(3) UConn vs. (11) Missouri – Two years ago, when Kemba Walker was a freshman, UConn played Missouri in the Torunament. He has seen the Missouri style of play before. It may surprise the rest of the young Huskies, but not Kemba. If he gets ANY help from Napier, Lamb or Smith, they should hold on. Pick – Uconn

(7) Temple vs. (2) San Diego State – Both strange teams from “sort of” Mid-Majors. I don’t know what to think of this matchup. I just have to go with the athleticism, and that is San Diego State. In Latin that means Whale’s Vagina State. Pick – San Diego State


Sweet Sixteen


(1) Duke vs. (4) Texas – Great matchup here. I want to pick Texas so bad, (spoiler alert!) mainly to avoid have four #1’s in the Final Four. I am still up in the air about it. After all the good games Duke has played in a tournament format over the last 12 months, I feel like it is time for something to go wrong. But Texas just isn’t that great. If Texas wins this, I will be incredibly angry. Incredibly. Pick - Duke

(3) UConn vs. (2) San Diego State – Another interesting matchup for the Huskies. San Diego State may be a #2 seed, but the Huskies would likely be favored to win this matchup and certainly wouldn’t be intimidated. That may not bold well for UConn. It seems like they play better as underdogs. I feel like one bad game by Kemba and the Huskies are done. San Diego State already learned their lesson with BYU, shutting down the other four players and letting Jimmer get his. This may be the key to beating the Huskies too. Either shut down Kemba, or shut down the other four. This is a “hedge” game. If San Diego State wins, then I got my pick right, but if UConn wins, they I am thrilled. I think the Aztecs move on, although it hurts my heart to say it. Pick – San Diego State


Elite Eight

(1) Duke vs. (2) San Diego State – San Diego State is a surprise to get this far. I don’t care what their seed is, they are San Diego State. Now is the time for Fisher’s boys to go home. Duke is too mighty. Dukies to Houston. Pick - Duke



Southwest

(1) Kansas vs. (16) Boston U – I went to Boston last summer and had an absolute blast. One of the best times of my life. It also made Sam Adams my favorite beer. You ever associate some type of food or drink with some event or place and it makes it taste just so much better? I think that’s why I like Sam Adams so much. Oh, yeah, Boston will lose by 30. Pick - Kansas

(8) UNLV vs. (9) Illinois – Man, do I hate Illinois. I didn’t think they were a Big Ten title contender at the beginning of the season like some people thought. Turns out I was right. Once again, the Illini underachieved under Bruce Weber. When will people realize he is no different than Ron Zook? Good recruits, bad coaching. I still think they have enough talent, led by Demitri McCamey, to beat the Runnin’ Rebels. Pick - Illinois

(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) Richmond – It seems like every year I want so badly to pick against a higher seeded Vandy team against a 11-14 seed. The thing is, so far, it has done me pretty good. I’ll stick with the trend. Let’s hope Richmond doesn’t lay a turd like last year. Pick - Richmond

(4) Louisville vs. (13) Morehead State– Am I the only one who came away really impressed with Louisville from the Big East Tournament? I loved their backcourt of Knowels and Siva. The interior game of Louisville is suspect, but the Pitino press just wears teams down. Morehead St. is in the same boat as Oakland for me. I wanted to pick them, until I saw their draw. I gotta stick with Louisville. Pick - Louisville

(6) Georgetown vs. (11) USC/VCU – I think it will be Georgetown against USC, since VCU has no business in the tournament at all. I also think Georgetown will beat USC. With Chris Wright, they are once again a Final Four contender. John Thompson Jr. is due for a big NCAA Tournament run isn’t he? Nope, I didn’t think so either. Pick - Georgetown

(3) Purdue vs. (14) Saint Peter’s – I picked Purdue to win the Big Ten Tournament. Man, did that look stupid. They looked as good as any team in the country before their game in Iowa City two weeks ago. Since then, they have lost to Iowa and Michigan State and looked discombulated. I still have faith that they will turn it around and “Boiler Up” against Saint Peter’s. Pick - Purdue

(7) Texas A&M vs. (10) Florida State – I think these two teams are a lot alike. I look at both as a team that can win one game in the tournament, but that’s it. The problem is that they are playing each other and I don’t know who to pick. I decided to settle this, I would just pick the better conference, and that is the Big 12 (slightly). Pick – Texas A&M

(2) Notre Dame vs. (15) Akron – Unless LeBron is playing for Akron, I’m going with Little Brother Hansbrough and the Irish. Especially so close to St. Patrick’s day. Pick – Notre Dame


Round of 32


(1) Kansas vs. (9) Illinois – I will take pleasure in seeing Bill Self beat the shit out of Bruce Weber and the Illini. Weber is still living off the glory of Self’s players, so run up the score if at all possible Mr. Self. Pick – Kansas

(4) Louisville vs. (12) Richmond – Not crazy about Richmond. I couldn’t believe they beat Temple in the A-10 Tournament. They got their win over Vandy, now they will lose to the Cardinals. Pick – Louisville

(3) Purdue vs. (6) Georgetown - Here is Purdue’s test. I think they pass it. Moore and Johnson can’t let their careers end without a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Pick – Purdue

(2) Notre Dame vs. (7) Texas A&M – How the Irish have become one of the top two #2 seeds in this tournament is beyond me. Ben Hansbrough and the other seniors have played great this year. Could Ben join Tyler in Indy next year? Why not? First, he will have to get the Irish past A&M. Drink some Guinness Irish fans. It will happen. Pick – Notre Dame


Sweet Sixteen

(1) Kansas vs. (4) Louisville – This could be a real slobber-knocker. Louisville has out-toughed teams all year. They have worn down teams and won on toughness. This won’t be enough against Kansas. The Morris brothers won’t let Kansas be upset early again. No UNI this year (not that losing to a #4 seed is anything like losing to the Panthers last year, just remembering fondly). Pick – Kansas

(2) Notre Dame vs. (3) Purdue – Battle of two Indiana teams. What a state for basketball. I think JaJuan Johnson takes this game over. Notre Dame has lived off expirence this year. That is something that is not foreign to Purdue. Just think if Robbie Hummel wasn’t injured. Boilermakers represent the Big 10 in the Elite Eight. Pick – Purdue


Elite Eight

(1) Kansas vs. (3) Purdue – Here is where the Boilers could use Hummel. Too much athleticism for Purdue to deal with without Robbie. Kansas wins and makes the Final Four after the disappointment of last year. Pick – Kansas



Southeast

(1) Pittsburgh vs. (16) UNC Ashville/Arkansas-Little Rock – Arkansas-Little Rock’s game to get here was awesome. (Note: They just lost to Ashville. There goes my upset special). I love Championship week. Pick - Pittsburgh

(8) Butler vs. (9) Old Dominion – I mentioned this Sunday, but I just read Underdawgs, a book by David Woods about Butler’s run last season. Really makes you appreciate Butler basketball and the amazing journey last year. But, a lot of those guys are gone. Butler hasn’t been the same this year, and Old Dominion is a really good team. Plus, the Monarchs is a sweet name. Pick – Old Dominion

(5) Kansas State vs. (12) Utah State – Hasn’t Utah State been the trendy upset pick for like 10 years in a row now? I always avoid the hype of Utah State, and it has served me well. One of these years they are going to bite me in the butt, but hopefully that bite waits at least another year. Pick – Kansas State

(4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Belmont – I don’t really know what to make of Wisconsin. I always think Bo Ryan teams are capable of beating anybody due to their style of play. They slow you down, and grind out wins. This is a strange team this year. If the Tournament was being played at the Kohl Center, I would pencil them in as national champions right away. But, it is not being played in Madison. Jon Leuer and Aaron Taylor are both underrated players. They can take over games, as was shown against #1 seed Ohio State. I think Wisconsin will win a game or two, but I wouldn’t be surprised by an upset either. Pick - Wisconsin

(6) St. Johns vs. (11) Gonzaga – I don’t like St. Johns. I am sick of hearing how “St. John’s being good is good for college basketball”. Is it really? People in New York have Syracuse. The Big East has enough history-rich programs that are good to be so concerned about the Johnnies. I think Gonzaga wins this game. I don’t know why, maybe it is because this is the year many people thought Gonzaga really dropped off. It has the feeling of an old-school Gonzaga upset. Maybe I am just picking with my heart. Lets just hope the refs decide to work the last two seconds of the game. Pick - Gonzaga

(3) BYU vs. (14) Wofford – BYU reminds me of Steph Curry’s Davidson teams, except possibly a little better. That are really a one man team. The dismissal of Kyle Davies hurts a lot. Defenses will throw everything they have at Jimmer, which they have done all year, but now he has less options to take some heat off him. I think BYU has a nice draw here, but they are not the title contenders that they were a couple weeks ago. Pick - BYU

(7) UCLA vs. (10) Michigan State – I loved Michigan State coming into this year. They let me down all year, but still snuck into the tournament. I really thought that after they beat Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament that Izzo had worked his magic again, but then they laid a turd against Penn State. I just don’t know what to think of Michigan State. Will they be the team that beat Purdue last week, or the team that lost by 20 in Iowa City a month or two ago? Who knows. I am scared to pick them. Pick - UCLA

(2) Florida vs. (15) UC Santa Barbara – I said Sunday that this is the worst batch of #2 seeds ever in the NCAA Tournament. They could all make the Final Four and prove me wrong, but I am just not sold on any of them. I think Florida is one of the worst #2 seeds ever. They are not a bad team, but they deserve a #4 or #5 seed. In a good year, they would be a #6 or #7. Just a strange team on the two line. With that being said, they have a great draw. They could make some moves because of the other teams in their region. We will see. Let’s just hope if they do win, nobody dances like Joakim Noah. Pick - Florida


Round of 32


(1) Pittsburgh vs. (9) Old Dominion – ODU is a solid mid-major, but not solid enough to beat Pitt. Too much strength for the Panthers. Pick – Pittsburgh

(4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Kansas State – Man, have I went back and forth on this game. If either team had been consistent this season I would pick them. But Wisconsin has looked awful in their last two games. Kansas State hasn’t looked much better, after looking like they have righted the ship. I got to the point where I decided which team was more likely to be upset in the first round (Kansas State) and picked Wisconsin as insurance. Then I changed my mind. Pick – Kansas State

(3) BYU vs. (11) Gonzaga – West Coast battle here. I like the Mormons to win, but again, I am not sold on them. Gonzaga got their win, now they can go home. The one thing that could sway my position is if John Stockton’s son comes out and announces he will honor his dad by wearing nut-hugger shorts. Then I’m going with Gonzaga. Pick – BYU

(2) Florida vs. (7) UCLA – This reminds me a lot of the Washington vs. North Carolina potential matchup. I could defiantly see UCLA knocking off Florida, I just don’t have faith in the Pac 10. Gotta stick with the worst #2 seed ever. Pick – Florida


Sweet Sixteen

(1) Pittsburgh vs. (4) Wisconsin – Wisconsin is a team capable of knocking off the Panthers, but I don’t think they will. Wisconsin beats teams with discipline. Pittsburgh is also a disciplined team. They can match Wisconsin’s discipline, and beat them with athleticism. Pick – Pittsburgh

(3) BYU vs. (2) Florida – I wish I didn’t have to pick either of these teams. I guess I go with Florida because they have the better team. But I hate to do that. Pick – Florida


Elite Eight

(1) Pittsburgh vs. (2) Florida – I told myself when I first saw the four #1 seeds “I will advance three of them and leave Pittsburgh out”. Well, I didn’t know Pittsburgh would have the worst region ever. Maybe I don’t mean the worst region “ever”, but I do think this is the worst #1 vs. #2 matchup for the Final Four birth ever. I will go with the Panthers because I just don’t like Florida enough. That’s right, I am going boring. I am going “chalk”. After such a crazy season, I think the cream rises to the top and all four #1 seeds advance. That is so lame now that I think about it, but I don’t care. Pick – Pittsburgh



Final Four


(1) Ohio State vs. (1) Duke – Finally, a team that can match Duke man for man. The Buckeyes have five players that are as good or better than Duke’s five best. I have to stick with the Buckeyes to finally reward me for picking them, unlike they did last year with Evan Turner. OSU is dancing to the title game. Pick – Ohio State


(1) Kansas vs. (1) Pittsburgh – About time I can pick against Pitt. Didn’t like them coming into the tournament, but they got a nice draw. Now, Kansas exploits them and wins. Just force the Panthers to switch on defense, and perhaps their big men will fall down. Pick – Kansas



Championship Game


(1) Ohio State vs. (1) Kansas – You could make an argument for Duke, but most people would agree that this is a matchup of the best two teams in the nation. Can Sullinger do what Greg Oden couldn’t? I am going to say “yes”. David Lighty, the old man, will have a big title game in his college finale, and the Buckeyes will cut down the nets in Houston. Bringing the title back to the Big Ten. Trivia Question: Are they in the Legends or Leaders division? Answer: Who gives a shit. It is the Big Ten. First Big Ten champion since Michigan State.

Champion – Ohio State

Dancing Time

Every year I do at least two brackets. I fill one out right after Selection Sunday. I call this my “gut” bracket. It is the one that I do without analysis or thinking. I just go with whatever sounds right to me moments after the bracket is revealed. Then I fill out my “serious” bracket on Monday or Tuesday. This is the bracket I submit to websites and in any pool I am in. In my years of doing this, it is about 50/50 as to which bracket is better. That makes me wonder how much I really learn from the two days of analysis. Anyway, the “serious” bracket will be up in a couple days, in much the same format as last year, except, hopefully, with less incorrect picks. Today, I just want to focus on my snap judgments of the bracket and the individual regional. Bring it on Greg Gumbel.

East Region

Player to watch –

Harrison Barnes. The kid has brought it recently. He finally missed a big shot today against Duke that would have cut the Blue Devils lead to seven, but played a great ACC Tournament regardless. Barnes was a pre-season All-American. I felt he was a little over-hyped, coming from playing the likes of Pella, Davenport Schools, Muscatine, and other awful teams in Iowa throughout his college career (He might not have played any of those schools, just making a point that Iowa High School basketball isn't typically great). But, he has grown accustomed to the ACC competition and has grown as the season has gone on. Shoulda been a Hawkeye.

Overrated Team – Georgia. I would like to say West Virginia or Xavier, but I have to say Georgia. A 10 seed isn’t exactly high, but they shouldn’t be in the tournament at all as far as I am concerned. SEC sucks.

Upset possibility In First Round – Marquette. Marquette plays a style that can beat anybody. Xavier isn’t a great team, and a far worse than last year when they still had Jordan Crawford. Not sure who I will pick in this one, but Marquette is enticing.

Upset Possibility Second Round – Villanova over Ohio State and Washington over North Carolina. Both Nova and Washington were highly seeded teams coming into the year. Both have shown they can play with the best teams in the nation, and both have shown they can lose to any team in the nation. Villanova is playing bad, but Jay Wright is a good coach. Washington is coming off an emotional Pac 10 Tournament run. UNC and OSU better look out.

Sleeper Team – Washington. This is essentially the same team who went on a run last year in the NCAA tournament. Isiah Thomas is playing good, and they could make the elite eight with a upset over North Carolina.

Best Nickname – Long Island Blackbirds. That is awesome.

Best Coach – Jim Boeheim. I know everybody loves Ol' Roy, and I am a Thad Matta fan, but Boeheim always gets his team in the Tournament, always gets a high seed, and always has his team playing well in March.

Best First Round Game – Villanova vs. George Mason. The CAA got three teams in. That is wild. Like I said earlier, Nova can beat anybody, they can also lose to anybody. That includes George Mason. The winner takes on the overall #1 seed Ohio State. Very interesting game.

Best Potential Second Round Game – Kentucky vs. West Virginia. While I said Washington and UNC could provide a great game, this West Virginia against Kentucky matchup is also a great one. Both coaches are either loved or hated. More often, hated. West Virginia upset the Wildcats last year when John Wall was running the point for Kentucky. Coach Cal will be out for revenge.

Dream Game – Ohio State vs. North Carolina. This is reminiscent of the Kansas State vs. USC game from a couple years ago. The nation’s two top freshman, Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo (or so the media thought, ignoring Derrick Rose) squared off in the tournament for freshman supremacy. This is the same story, except is not a first round game. Sullinger vs. Barnes. Argue Barnes’s side all you want, but Sullinger has the better team around him. Will be an epic elite eight matchup.

Team I Will Be Pulling For – Ohio State. I have been riding the bandwagon all year. I hope to ride it to the final four.

Team to Win – Ohio State.

West Region

Player to watch

– Kemba Walker. I’m biased. I admit it. But, damn, did Kemba put on a show in MSG. If he plays well, and makes the young Huskies play better around him, they can be a potential final four team. Maybe the key for UConn is to play every day with no rest in between. Worked in Maui and New York.

Overrated Team – Cincinnati. Not really feeling the Bearcats as a six seed. They look more like a seven, eight, or nine to me. With that being said, they could knock off UConn in the second round. Just have to get by Missouri first.

Upset Possibility First Round – Bucknell over UConn. Like I said, I am biased. I love UConn, and with that love comes fear that they will be upset. I think if Kemba plays his game, they will handle Bucknell easily, but if he doesn’t, the rest of the Huskies may be shell shocked and lose to a very talented Bucknell team.

Upset Possibility Second Round – Michigan over Duke. Duke has trouble with overly athletic teams. Not a lot of trouble, because Duke doesn’t have a lot of trouble with many teams, but some trouble. Michigan has shown they can compete with the best in the business. Tim Hardaway Jr. could ignite an offensive explosion that could stun Duke and the nation.

Sleeper Team – Arizona. The Wildcats are playing very good ball. Derrick Williams is a stud. Sean Miller is a good coach. The Wildcats could surprise some people.

Best Nickname – Oakland Golden Grizzlies. I want one as a pet.

Best Coach – Coach K. I don’t want to spell his name. In a short time, he will be the all-time winningest coach ever in Division 1. Gotta give it to Coach K.

Best First Round Game – Michigan vs. Tennessee. Both athletic teams that have a chance to knock off the Dukies. Great eight/nine matchup.

Best Potential Second Round Game – Arizona vs. Texas. Both teams were runners up in their respective conference tournaments. Both could make some noise.

Dream Game – UConn vs. Duke. Kemba leading his young Huskies against the defending champions. What a game that could be.

Team I Will Be Pulling For – UConn. Duh.

Team to Win – Duke. The Blue Devils looked really good in the ACC Torunament.

Southwest Region

Player to watch

– JaJuan Johnson. The Boilermakers were in the running for a number one seed a week ago. Now, after a loss to Iowa and a Big Ten Tournament one and done, they are a three seed and reeling. If Johnson and Moore get it going, Purdue could knock off the top seeds and see a final four.

Overrated Team – Vanderbilt. Vandy should be in the tournament for sure, but not as a five seed. If they beat Richmond, who I am not crazy about, I think Louisville will roll them easily.

Upset Possibility First Round – Richmond over Vanderbilt. Like I said, I don’t love Richmond, but they have the talent to hang with a Vandy team that isn’t great.

Upset Possibility Second Round – Illinois over Kansas. The beauty of the NCAA tournament is that it gives teams a second chance. Illinois should not have made the tournament as a nine seed. They didn’t earn it the way other teams did, however, they have had the talent all season to be a top 20 team. Kansas does not want to see the Illini and Demitri McCamey in the second round.

Sleeper Team – Louisville. I feel like Louisville has been a sleeper team all year. I doubt many people will pick them for the final four, but with the backcourt of Knowels and Siva, and that draining press, they could beat anybody.

Best Nickname – Richmond Spiders. Always liked that one.

Best Coach – Rick Pitino. He doesn’t get the recruits he used to at Kentucky, but he still wins year in and year out.

Best First Round Game – Vanderbilt vs. Richmond. Classic five vs. twelve matchup.

Best Potential Second Round Game – Purdue vs. Georgetown. The Hoyas have Chris Wright back, and could be very dangerous is they get by the Boilermakers.

Dream Game – Louisville vs. Kansas. Without Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins anymore, Kansas’s backcourt is largely unknown. Unknown doesn’t mean bad, but usually doesn’t mean real good either. They could spell doom against Louisville’s press.

Team I Will Be Pulling For –Morehead St? In reality, probably Purdue or Kansas, but that is by default because I don’t like any of the other real threats to come out of the Southwest.

Team to Win – Kansas. That is three for three on #1 seeds. Pittsburgh, you’re on notice.

Southeast Region

Player to watch

– Jimmer Ferdette. Of course all eyes will be on Jimmer. His last go round with BYU could end early if they play like they did in the Mountain West Final against San Diego St.

Overrated Team – Florida. A #2 seed for Florida?!?! Are you fucking kidding me?

Upset Possibility First Round – Wofford over BYU. This region is chalk full of upset possibilities. I could see Utah St., Belmont, Gonzaga, Michigan St, and Wofford all winning. I just don’t like BYU since dismissing Davies.

Upset Possibility Second Round – Michigan St. over Florida. Does anybody else remember when Ohio State went INTO Florida and demolished the Gators? Or when Kentucky kept them as a distance for the entire SEC championship game? They could make a sweet sixteen or elite run, but that is because of the easy road due to over seeding. Stupid SEC.

Sleeper Team – Wisconsin. Everybody is doing what they always do in March. Looking past the Badgers. Wisconsin could beat anybody, and that includes Pittsburgh.

Best Nickname – Old Dominion Monarchs. It was much cooler before the WNBA came along. Still sweet though.

Best Coach – Tom Izzo. I could have said Bo Ryan, but I love Izzo. I understand MSU has issues this year, but he still got them into the tournament, and one year of problems out of how every many he has been there ain’t bad.

Best First Round Game – St. Johns vs. Gonzaga. St. Johns plays to their competition. Gonzaga hasn’t had a real upset in years. They might be due.

Best Potential Second Round Game –Kansas St. vs. Wisconsin. Kansas St is playing really good at the right time. Wisconsin is always disciplined, and I am guessing they will score more than the 33 points they put in the Big 10 Tournament.

Dream Game – St. John’s vs. BYU. NYC vs. Mormons. Intriguing.

Team I Will Be Pulling For – Butler. I like Michigan State and Wisconsin to represent the Big 10, but am currently reading the book Underdawgs about the 2010 Butler team and am pulling for them because of Brad Stevens.

Team to Win – Wisconsin. My upset pick. (as of Sunday, this could change by Monday. Or by the next commercial break on Bracketology.)

Read Your Heart Out

I feel like there is two things that separate the die-hard sports fans from the “Sportscenter” sports fans. This is a common theme of mine, because one of my all time pet peeves is what I like to call “fake fans”. These are the guys who don’t really watch games. They watch Sportscenter and PTI, and their “favorite” teams when they are good, but would rather be out drinking or watching movies when their team is not a title contender. They don’t really watch the games. Don’t know what the team is doing unless it is national news. That leads me to my point, which is that there are two things that real, die-hard sports guys do: they watch the games no matter who is playing, or how good or bad their team is and develop an opinion on those games, and they read books. They actually read The Yankee Years by Joe Torre to develop their own opinion on the book. Or they read Juiced to see what Conseco had to say. Reading books isn’t just for college classes. It helps us understand sports and our favorite players like nothing else does. This is why I read books. That, and girls like a guy who reads books.

The reason I am so worked up about reading (I apoligize for the previous rant, fakers) is that I just read one of the best books I have ever read. I didn’t say “sports books”, I just said books. Play Their Hearts Out by George Dohrmann is an absolutely fantastic book. Dohrmann exposes a firsthand account of the AAU system that up and coming basketball players participate in. To describe it in one word, I would say “haunting”.

The story follows a coach named Joe Keller and his star players he has assembled on his AAU team, including child phenom Demetrius Walker. Keller was known in AAU circles as the guy who had Tyson Chandler, only to lose him to a more high profile AAU coach. He retired for a few years, and then decided the way to get back into the AAU game would be to get the prospects at a young age. He went for kids as young as 11 or 12, which is how he came across Walker. Keller quickly put together a great team that he referred to as a “family” led by Walker. The players develop over the years, some stayed on the team and others werepushed out by Keller, who shows no loyalty to anybody except Walker, who he treats as a son. Walker became a national story. He was rated as the #1 prospect in his age range, which was 6th graders. This all put enormous pressure on the kids, especially Walker, who was under a spotlight from age 12 and on.

To make a long story short, the team led by Keller, Team Cal, went through many changes, won a national title at one point, and began to break up by high school. Keller found he could make money by marketing his players and getting deals and swag from shoe companies, and eventually signed with Adidas. He then went on to create the “Junior Phenom Camp” which was for kids that were not yet in high school. Keller could make enough to live comfortably off one of these camps. He was always driven by personal glory and the quest for money, but this camp only reinforced it. By high school, Demetrius Walker and some of the other star players from Team Cal (Aaron More, Roberto Nelson, Justin Hawkins) had all gone their separate ways, and while some succeeded (Nelson and Hawkins), others (Walker and Moore) fell into problems both on and off the court. By the end of high school, Keller had abandoned Walker, who went to four different high schools. Moore was in trouble off the court, and quit all together after being ranked as one of the top prospects in his class at one point. Hawkins committed to UNLV and Nelson to Oregon State. Keller was painted as a villain, as was other AAU coaches and the shoe companies, while the players were all looked at as victims.

There is much more to this book than I have said in the last two paragraphs, but I don’t want to give an entire book report. The point of it, is how these kids are handled in the AAU circuit. They are looked at as investments. They can make an AAU coach a lot of money, and gain him notoriety if they move on to success. If they fail to perform, the coaches will drop them like a bad habit. The coaches are vultures. They hype these kids up at such young ages, that the kids are under more pressure than most child stars. We, as a society, always worry about child stars. “Will Miley Cyrus adjust to life as a grown up celebrity?” Who gives a shit. Most of these child stars get enough money as a kid to live comfortably for life. These young phenom basketball players are carrying the weight of their team, their family, their coach, and sometimes their community on their shoulders from grade school. It takes a rare kid to handle these expectations, and most of the coaches and recruiters on the AAU circuit don’t do them any favors.

A theme of the book is “how young is too young?”. This includes the ranking of players, the hyping of player, the exposure of nationwide travel for basketball, the abundance of goods given to these kids by shoe companies. The coaches profit on these players by cutting endorsement deals. The kids get free gear, but don’t really make any money. Then, as they get older and begin to attend the high profile camps, they are forced to play 5-on-5 games with the other top prospects in the nation, all vying for the same scholarships, so each kid is essentially playing with the competition. Nobody looks for someone who plays team basketball, because all the kids are looking out for #1. And why wouldn’t they? It is an incredibly flawed system.

The kids on Team Cal were once rated extremely high. Four of them were ranked as top 10 players in their class. Now, of the four I named, Aaron Moore is nowhere to be found, Justin Hawkins is playing sparingly for UNLV, Roberto Nelson is a role player for Oregon State, and Demetrius Walker, former number one player in his class, is sitting out a year after transferring from Arizona State to New Mexico. What he does next year is anybody’s guess. The AAU circuit took a toll on this kids like nothing else could have. It drained them of an innocent childhood and a chance to realize their potential on their own without recruiters, coaches and agents breathing down their necks 24/7 when they were just trying to pass Algebra.

The sad part (among the many other sad parts of this book), is that Joe Keller is far from an outlier. This system of AAU basketball and rankings beginning at an incredible young age is continuing all over the country. These kids are facing pressure like nobody their age should ever face. The youth basketball system in this country is extremely harmful to more players than it benefits. There is a right way to have AAU basketball be successful in recruiting and developing basketball players, but many programs don’t do it the right way. They do it the way that benefits the coaches and backers, but not the kids. I feel like I could rant about different aspects of this book for pages and pages, but I’d rather you read the book. Read the book, then wait a week like I did. It will sit with you, tugging at your heartstrings and nagging at your thoughts. You will love the kids, and hate the kids sometimes. You will almost always hate the coaches. But read the book. It may be the catalyst that starts a change in the way we treat our young athletes. Probably not, but we can hope.