March Madness

March madness, the time for basketball fans to gather around as we watch 65 teams compete for that top spot. We watch teams like Portland State compete against Kansas. Okay, maybe that's not such a good game. Still, there are some very intreaging first round matchups. I'll defenitly be watching Kansas State against USC tonight. I got to see O.J. Mayo, and Bill Walker when they were in high school together. It'll be intresting to see if Walker returns to last year's form.

On my tournament bracket I have Memphis winning it all. Sure, they didn't play in a great confrence, but they did play a tough non confrence schedule. Though they lost to Tennessee, games like that help prepare young players for when it counts.

I don't see UCLA doing much this year. They have some great talent, but I believe some is overhyped. If Kevin Love gets his back feeling good for the later rounds, this team still has great potential to be the National champion. I think they'll need somebody to step up, and be another go to guy for them. There seemed to be some indecision the other night, when they nearly lost to Stanford.

I mentioned in my last post about the Bearcats being in the CBI. Now, as the first comment on that story said, there isn't much of a need for the CBI. Still, there are some teams in that tourney that have potential. Also the NIT, which also includes the teams not making the NCAAs, has some teams that really disappointed this year. Teams like Ohio State, Florida, and Washington university, who finished 23-7 in the regular season. I would look for OSU to win the NIT, with Washington winning the CBI.

Bearcats to the CBI

My beloved Cincinnati Bearcats, who's season was believed to be over, will be going dancing. Sure, it's not the NCAA, or even the NIT, but to make the CBI is an excellent step for a team that came from one scholarship player two years ago. Many have dismissed the CBI as a meaningless tournament, but for a group of seniors, that will likely never play big time basketball again, this will be an experience they will never forget.

Let's consider the circumstances. UC came into this year with very low expectations. They had five seniors, but not a single third year, scholarship player. Their best player was a freshman last year, with very little Big East experience. Adam H. hadn't played a single minute of division one basketball in his life, even though he was classified as a senior, but he still managed to stop several Big East centers.

While this team's accomplishments this year won't go down in the books as legendary, the job that Mick Cronin has done with this program is one of the one of the greatest of all time. To come from nothing, in the hardest conference in America, to a team on the verge of contention in just two years is marvelous. Congrats to the Cincinnati Bearcats!