Albuquerque
Though I was pondering
the idea of UW getting a 1 seed, I didn't
think they'd take it from Wake Forest. SO
I guess it's perfect that Wake Forest sits
in the same bracket as their 1 seed thieves.
This region is stocked full of Elite Eight
possibilities. As far down as 9 and 8 the
Pittsburgh Panthers or Pacific have the
juice to give UW a game. Pittsburgh is tough.
I can't believe they're a 9 seed. They beat
UConn, Syracuse, and Boston College. Pacific
will give them a run. Georgia Tech has a
lot of haters claiming they're ranked too
high, but maybe the Selection Committee
realized they're the same team they were
last year. Will they make it as far? Down
on the other side of the bracket, Gonzaga
and Wake Forest are Final Four possibilities.
Wake might have gotten a one seed had Chris
Paul left Julius Hodge's jewels alone. Former
Cinderella, Gonzaga, beat UW earlier in
the year, and played pretty well throughout.
Rounds one, two, and three should be as
exciting here, as any bracket in the Dance.
Games To Watch
RD1
Pacific vs. Pittsburgh:
How Pittsburgh slipped this far stuns me.
It seems to have had the same effect on
the odds makers. (Pitt favored by 3.5) Pacific
is no slouch though. Anytime a team from
the Big West gets an at large bid, they
should be respected. Pacific lost in the
championship game of their tournament, but
was nationally ranked as high as 18. Carl
Krauser will be at his best; the Panthers
will be tough to beat here.
Georgia Tech vs.
George Washington: Georgia Tech got
a 5 seed because they're good enough to
play with any team in the land. They are
being labeled overrated because they lost
11 games. But whom did they lose to? North
Carolina, Gonzaga, Kansas, NC State twice,
Duke thrice, Wake Forest, Maryland and Virginia
Tech. Most of those were close losses; none
of those are bad losses. Georgia Tech is
a real good ball club that might be playing
their best ball all year. Tune in to see
how dominant they can be.
Louisville vs. LA-Lafayette:
Louisville, I don't know why I think this
team is primed for an upset. Call it a hunch,
but don't call it reasonable. They lost
4 games, only 1 by more than 4 points. They
won close games, destroyed teams, and walked
through their conference, winning their
last 9 games, including a championship win
(barely) over the Memphis Tigers. Taquan
Dean has mono, which could pose a problem,
but his team has dealt well with that. I
can't really back up my feeling, except
that Louisville's had more close games against
bad opponents than their final scores insist.
Louisville has problematic games, and if
they take it easy in this first one, a 4
seed could get eliminated.
Texas Tech vs. UCLA:
Texas Tech is overrated, though they did
play tough in their conference tournament.
Bobby Knight's squad looks to me like a
first or second round flopper. The early
game against a talented and underrated UCLA
team, with a good Big Dance history, could
mark an early end, another one, for Bob.
Gonzaga vs. Winthrop:
Gonzaga has quality wins, and a couple of
poor losses. They have a 2 seed resume but
will never get that again after last years
showing. Their 3 spot matches them up against
Winthrop, a team they should beat, but Gonzaga
has a bad habit of making games, with lesser
opponents, interesting. Ronny Turiaf could
help his team if he plays to his potential.
West Virginia vs.
Creighton: As all 7-10 seed games are,
this one will be worth watching. West Virginia
got in with a big win in the Big East Tournament
(Boston College). They didn't do much besides
that. Their next best win was against George
Washington. A 7 seed is too high for the
Mountaineers, especially with Pittsburgh
as a 9 in the same bracket. Creighton will
be up to the task of proving their worth
against WV. After a so-so year, the Bluejays,
ended the season on an 8 game win streak
that ended with an automatic bid from the
MVC. Will they stay hot? WV hopes not.
RD2
Washington vs. Pittsburgh:
Washington says they're looking forward
to proving they're a worthy number 1 seed,
which I believe they are. Unfortunately,
that will happen as soon as game 2 when
they go up against Pacific or an even tougher
Pittsburgh. Pitt has good history in this
thing. They play hard every game, play tough
defense, and win close games. UW will have
to bury numerous threes to stay in. This
game is huge for both teams, though UW has
more to lose as far as expectations are
concerned. I like Nate Robinson as the Tourney
MVP. This guy makes every Husky game fun
to watch. Whatever happens, the Huskies
deserved a 1 seed.
Georgia Tech vs.
Louisville: Louisville will have a tough
match-up with Georgia Tech, if both teams
advance. Georgia Tech might be labeled overrated,
but who will be favored in this match-up?
Yes, Georgia Tech. Jarrett Jack, and a team
full of stellar athletes that always seem
to prime themselves for this part of the
year should give Patino's crew a run for
their money. This game should be a good
one!
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