After my glorious victory in 2010 (1 nice jackpot win out of 3 entered, raising my career total to 1 nice jackpot win out of about 100 entered), it's only fair that I point my loyal readers in the right direction.
I certainly haven't filled out my brackets yet. No matter, as I wasn't going to spoon-feed you the correct answers anyway. I'm just going to provide some brilliant insight. Do with it what you will.
I'm following roughly the same strategy I followed last year, as it was a new one for me and it worked. That strategy is: ignore all basketball which I have watched this season, and go strictly by the numbers.
First up, the local teams.
My Kentucky Wildcats stack up a lot better than I thought. In fact, according to the numbers I use (secret stats available only to myself and the select few others with access to ESPN.com or CBSsports.com or NCAA.com or a USA Today, or presumably USAtoday.com), Kentucky looks fantastic. Like a borderline #1 or #2 seed. But noooo, apparently the NCAA selection committee uses silly things like wins and losses to determine seeding. Be that as it may, Kentucky looks good. I don't expect them to fall the first weekend, and I can't say I believed that most of the year. I can't predict they'll get past Ohio State, but I haven't ruled it out yet.
Louisville, too, looks good to make the 2nd weekend. I actually think they got a lousy draw with Morehead State in the first round, but they'll squeak by. And Vandy is a good 5 seed match up for the Cards. Then Kansas.
Three potential Cinderellas
Utah State
Washington
Florida State
Five likely to bow out earlier than seeding indicates:
Notre Dame
BYU
Wisconsin
San Diego State
Cincinnati
Four good first round games:
7 Texas A&M vs 10 Florida State
6 St. John's vs 11 Gonzaga
6 Cincinnati vs 11 Missouri
5 Kansas State vs 12 Utah State
Conference most likely to disappoint: Easy, it's the Big East. I say they'll have 4 or 5 of the Sweet 16. Not bad at all, but when you start with 11 teams, and 10 of the top 36 seeds, and you are supposedly the best conference in the history of anywhere ever in the known galaxy, you should probably do better.
There. That was long-winded and fun (for me, if not for you).
1 comment:
This is the first year in probably 40 years I may not fill out a bracket. Mainly because I don't care. I'm not looking for a jackpot, but if someone makes it very simple for me to do, I may enter one.
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