3/15/06
Alyson asked me about my brackets yesterday, and I have to say, I've never felt so topsy-turvy about March Madness, and I've been obsessing about it since about 1985. I will, however, tell you some of my fears and thoughts:
1. dook is so fucking lucky and got such a joke of a bracket that they'll sleepwalk into the Final Four unless someone actually dares to really play them. I'd love to see LSU beat the ever-livin' shit out of them. There is NO WAY the universe is big enough for the unfairness of Koach K getting a fourth ring.
2. Unfortunately, that leaves UCONN as the "best" team, and that means another championship for them, which seems a bit much.
3. That guy from Villanova who got his eye poked out of the socket? It reminded me of the scene in King Lear when they blind the king with a knife, saying "out, vile jelly." It still gives me chills. Still, the dude is out there practicing two days later (Allen Ray, not King Lear, whose jumpshot was terrible even when he had vision).
4. I don't think a 12 will beat a 5 this year. Something more delicious will happen.
5. I have been doing very well in picking brackets over the last three years (and even won a huge pool in 2004). This year, I have a feeling I will tank like a cardigan made of lead. Memphis is a #1 seed, and I have not seen them play - even on SportsCenter - once. Everyone says Iona has a shot, but whatever. This year's pool is of the "monkeys in space writing Hamlet" variety.
6. What to think of our beloved Tar Heels? The millisecond I saw us paired with Boston College in the ACC tournament, I knew we'd lose that game. And unless we can get some momentum in the Dance - while getting jobbed with the hardest 14 seed in memory, along with playing Michigan State as a virtual home game FOR THEM - it's easy to see us go down early.
But sometimes we forget we have Roy, and that means anything can happen. Even another matchup with UCONN, or even those scabies from Durham. It's really anyone's guess, which is as exciting as it is frustrating.
Any last-minute thoughts you'd like to share so that you'll look brilliant a few days hence?
Posted by Ian Williams at March 15, 2006 11:08 PMThis week's Sports Illustrated should be titled Tar Heel Illustrated. First article is about how team efficiency per possession is the key to tournament success and is basically an article about Dean and Roy. Second article is about Carolina Women's basketball and how they are going to win the tournament. Third article is about Felton, May, McCants and Williams in the NBA. Get a copy. It is worth it just for Pomeroy's graph on Page 43 [I think] about team efficiency.
I have us losing to UConn. But I have a bad feeling we could go out much earlier.
Question: In the men's tournament the overall top seed gets the easiest bracket overall, this year Duke. Sports Illustrated says that in the women's tournament, Carolina has the toughest bracket even though they were #1 overall. They have to beat Tennessee and some other good teams to get out of their region Not a huge women's basketball fan but I like seeing any national champoinship for Carolina. And apparently this team is unbelievable. But why give them the toughest road?
The Lady Tar Heels got jobbed more than any other #1 seed EVER with their bracket. Not only do they play Tennessee in their home state, they play Vanderbilt on their home court. Bullshit.
As I told my friends, however, I'm not worried if Miss Latta isn't worried.
As for the SI issue, Ivory Latta, Tyler Hansbrough and Raymond Felton are featured in the montage on the cover. I also think one of Carolina's male cheerleaders might be on the cover, but his flag and shirt are sufficiently obscured to make it questionable.
And, though my subscription space covers it up, I believe the dook blue devil mascot has something disparaging on it about Carolina.
I would like to win, but anything Carolina does this year will be a bonus. I am, however, going to wish that dook loses.
Early.
That will make my Spring.
I've got Carolina in the Elite Eight and then I'll still probably pick them to win it all, though UCONN is tough. I haven't completed the brackets yet.
"That guy from Villanova who got his eye poked out of the socket? It reminded me of the scene in King Lear when they blind the king with a knife, saying 'out, vile jelly.' It still gives me chills."
Shakespeare being too high brow for me, I was reminded of the scene in Kill Bill where Uma Thurman plucks out Daryl Hannah's remaining eye and squishes it between her toes.
My Final Four: Duke, Kansas, Ohio State and, oh, I don't know... UNC. Iowa will fall to Duke in the Elite Eight.
Anything can happen -- and it probably will.
You can quote me on that.
Go Heels!
Not following College hoops here, but DH does and is betting on Syracuse to go all the way.
And talk about anyone being "fucking lucky," it's my husband, who, without even trying, scores box seats to tonight's tournament games in Jax.
I am placing here my mad prediction that #1 seed Memphis goes down to the God-fearin' players of Oral Roberts.
I'll vote for Winthrop to pull an upset just because my mama went there...back then it was an all girls schools where you had to wear white dresses and gloves and the school song referred to the students as "fairest flowers of the South." Surely they need a new chapter in their history.
I don't generally follow womens bball, but our women are too good not to watch. They did get screwed. Playing in TN instead of Norfolk, which is closer and avoids a second round "away" game. But Dook's women, should things progress, would face UCONN in CT to go to the Final Four, so sucks for them. On top of ole TENN as the 2 seed, the 3 seed in our region is Rutgers who won the Big East regular season. But our men won in '93 with the women right behind in '94, so shouldn't they pick one up this year to follow suit?
I would love for Roy's boys to make it through this weekend.
I am backing Syracuse as the team blessed by elves - at least they don't have to face Vermont. And am I ever frigging happy I have never seen Kill Bill. That is just gross.
I don't think Duke has the easiest bracket - Atlanta also has Texas, Iowa, LSU, and West Virginia, which are all pretty good teams. Still, I see Duke making the Final 4. GW got screwed with an 8 seed despite the fewest losses in the entire tournament and a good ranking, but I guess their schedule hurt them bad. I think they'll fall to Duke in round 2.
The easiest region is probably Oakland. Memphis, UCLA, Gonzaga, Kansas, Pitt and Indiana are the top teams. I've got Memphis in the final 4.
The Heels got completely screwed. The hardest region is clearly Washington in my opinion. UConn is arguably the best # 1, Tennessee is seeded too high (and is slumping) but is still a good team, UNC as # 3, Illinois as # 4, Washington at # 5, and Michigan State...
I think UNC and Tennessee should swap seeds. UNC goes to Greensboro as a # 2, Tenn goes to Dayton as a # 3. It will suck playing MSU when they have a home court advantage by virtue of playing in Dayton. I have the Heels making it to the Elite 8 but falling to UConn.
I don't know as much about the teams in Minneapolis, but I'm picking BC to come out of that region. When they are playing well, they can manhandle people inside.
It was tempting to pick UConn-Duke for the final, but I went with BC and Memphis, with Memphis winning it all. Probably foolish.
I just don't think Duke can do it this year. If JJ isn't hitting (and he's been off lately), Sheldon's only gonna give you 25, and that's not enough to beat a good team that's playing hard. Then again, a lot depends on how many foul shots JJ gets - he can have an off shooting night and still end up with 20 points from the line. But maybe tourney refs won't be as generous with the level of scrutiny a bit higher. Memphis almost beat them early in the season, and I think they can win the rematch. So Duke goes down in the Final 4.
Then I like BC over UConn for some reason, but I don't see BC winning it all. Thus, Memphis over BC for the title.
UConn over Texas, 68-62. And I think McNamara will have the game of his life against LSU, and Duke will beat Syracuse to face - and lose to - Texas in the Final 4. My bracket gamble is Georgetown (7) beating Villanova to play UConn in the Final 4. Oh, and watch for S. Illinois to upset WVU and Iowa in the first 2 rounds. Enjoy the games all!!
Stunner, I agree with Matt. I have UNC, Duke, Ohio St. & UCLA in the F4. So I guess I 3/4 agree with Matt. I also feel like my brackets are the completely full of shit and that I'm just donating my money to the pool, but that's nothing new.
you hear it here first: University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa in the final! The Highway 218 Tournament!
Oh wait, are we supposed to, like, watch basketball games and stuff in order to have opinions?
I JUST filled out my bracket before i read your blog. stupid stupid stupid. i opted for heart over head decisions, so i have duke losing to unc-wilmington right before the sweet 16. final four: texas, kansas, unc and boston college. unc and kansas in the finals, because i'm a drama queen. i have florida getting into the final 8, as well as gonzaga and syracuse, because i like their scrappiness. what can i say? i'm a romantic.
Although I'm UCONN all the way, the Heels match up against anyone in that bracket.
I think they'll live throught the weekend, and IF they survive UCONN in the elite 8, they could go all the way...that big Freshman amazes me. Although I hate to admit it: UCONN's backcourt is a step too slow and inconsistent for my tastes...
As we all know, Duke can be beat by anybody but that big guy McMasters is playing well lately.
B2
I had no idea about this years brackets, so i just had Carolina to win it all. When you have no knowledge, might as go with foolish blind faith.
I've learned over the years that picking the teams you think will win is nowhere near as good as picking the teams you WANT to win. Whenever I picked dook to go deep, I thought I was doing it because it was a smart pick, but in close games I was still *screaming* for them to lose, so why pick against that?
I have, in all honesty, Iowa and Carolina in the championship game. There's very little chance of that happening, but this year it's more possible than any year I can remember.
It's the only game that I voted with my brain, and picked Carolina. I'm sorry, we won it all last year, if we make it to the final against Iowa, it will be the only time in my life I will hope the heels falter down the stretch.
final four - lsu, pitt, uconn and bc.
and what about the "ladies" brackets? go maryland.
Somewhere, a village is missing an idiot...I went with Carolina over dook in the finals.
I swear I reworked my brackets over and over and I still kept coming to that conclusion.
Heart over head. Can't help it.
Side question for anyone still paying attention. JJE brings up an interesting scenario that pops into my head up from time to time. If Carolina ever beat Dook to win the nat'l champ, I think I could depart this earth there and then. However, to play them in the title game and LOSE would be unbearable. Just the stress of the game itself might be too much too handle. So, would one rather us not even be in that situation of being in the title game, just because if the result goes the other way, the earth would start spinning the other way? Or, do you trust the Heels would take care of business?
Well, Scruggs, one could avoid all the pain of life by never being born, all the heartache of love, by never offering your heart...
I say bring the bastards on!
I'm not a sports fan, but I had to declare my appreciation of this Scruggs/Warrior exchange--lovely!
It is physically painful to think of life after a dook win over Carolina in the finals. I'm not sure my heart could take it.
I still think I'm going to do okay in the pool I'm running for my mommies group. At least two of the women have NC State in the final game against Carolina, while another decided South Alabama could go all the way.
Scruggs,
To answer your question, no one on either side of our hated rivalry wants to play THAT game for the championship. Unfortunately for our beloved coach, he DID lose (with Kansas, though) to Rat Bastard in 1991.
A win over dook in the national championship would be so very damn close to the textbook description of nirvana that I cannot even fathom it.
Such a victory would bring me such sweet joy that I daresay I would have to get the final score tattooed on my ass and I'd spend the rest of my days "mooning" dookies to remind them of the night Carolina ended the rivalry.
And, let there be no doubt, that WOULD be the ned of the rivalry because that would be too big a dagger to wield for the winner and too big of a sore spot for the loser.
If dook beat Carolina in the title game, I would be frickin' inconsolable for months and I would not be able to take ANY teasing from dookies. As it is, I can endure taunting from dookies about an hour after a loss.
Not so with that fantasy matchup. I would warn them in advance, but if provoked, I would likely go postal.
Justifiable homicide.
Given my druthers, I'd never wish for that game.
Scruggs: "So, would one rather us not even be in that situation of being in the title game, just because if the result goes the other way, the earth would start spinning the other way?"
There's a framed poster -- one of those sometimes cheesy motivational statements below a cool photograph -- in one of our halls that says it pretty well: "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for."
wow. you guys sure like your basketball. and hate duke like I hate the yankees. (go mets!)
unfortunately I think duke (er, sorry, dook) has a very good shot at winning this year's dance. please take solace in the fact that duke players never do much of anything in the pros, while tar heels (j.r. reid and eric montross notwithstanding), though not necessarily my team, are pretty much the bomb.
my final four: duke, UCLA, UCONN, florida.
(I'm pulling for adopted hometown favorite UCLA.)
in other basketball news, as much as I enjoy march madness and am disgusted by the shameless commercialism of pro sports and often egregious behavior by everyone from the players to the owners to the officials to marv albert, I still prefer the NBA. that said, the knicks need to GET RID of stephon marbury and ideally find themselves a marquee veteran power forward/center around whom to rebuild.
larry brown is the bomb (see above) and a UNC guy.
he is also a short man like myself.
It is really something else to see my name as the first word of your blog.
And now onto sports . . .
Good grief, today was hard on my bracket. I thought Tennessee so little deserved the 2 seed that I picked Winthrop in the first round, and they lost because of a crazy, lucky shot. I have BC in the final four and they had a hell of a time against Pacific. I went against my gut and picked Nevada, and of course they lost to Montana. Eventually I had to close the ESPN window at work. It was too much to bear.
On the question of a Tobacco Road title game, I would really have to think about it. I wanted so badly for these freshmen with this national title legacy to win their game against dook in the Kameron Krazy Korner that I nearly couldn't watch it. I spent most of the game catching up on email, listening to my friends scream downstairs. When it sounded like pure chaos, I joined them and watched the last bit. When they won and we went to Franklin Street, and I held my phone up to the crowd so my sobbing, Tarheel sister all the way in California could hear it, I thought I would have a stroke. So maybe a national title game would be too much for my system.
In the meantime, go Texas! Take down K and his pact with the devil!