The two best tournaments in sports, aside from the juggernaut that is the NFL Playoffs, are the World Cup and the NCAA Tournament. Even if you don't know anything about the teams and don't really care about who wins, it is still exciting to follow. That is how you know a tournament is a success or not.
NCAA's plan to expand the 64 team tournament to 96 teams is the worst idea I've heard in years. Only baseball would do something so stupid. Leave it to the NCAA to try and change what is working brilliantly right now but purposely turn a blind eye to what desperately needs fixing: College football postseason. Does anyone really believe there are more than 35-40 non mid-major, big conference teams that deserve to play for the title? Ridiculous. Its perfect right now - 3 weekends of games. The NCAA really is just about the money.
This year's tourney just feels different, doesn't it? No UCLA, no UNC, no UConn, no Arizona, no Indiana - its missing a lot of big time schools. Also, doesn't it seem like the top 5-6 teams are heads and shoulders above everyone else? Only Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Ohio State, West Virginia or Duke can conceivably win it all.
So I've got those 6 plus Kansas St and Baylor in my Elite 8. I went out on a limb and picked Baylor as the only non #1 to reach the final four cause I just think Duke is not athletic enough (ie too white) and Villanova is overrated. Yeah, so its Baylor but whatever.
Everyone loves Kansas as the prohibitive favorite but I'm taking Kentucky. John Wall will be the first pick in the NBA draft this year and freshmen center, Cousins, will be top 5. Their senior, Patterson, will be top 10. That's 3 NBA guys there. I'm reminded of how Syracuse rode freshmen sensation Carmelo Anthony to the title over Kansas' seniors all over again. Plus the chances of winning any brackets goes down big time if I take Kansas since everyone's got them. We'll see.
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