Yesterday, I received my weekly copy of Sports Illustrated Magazine just as I do every Wednesday. Just one day before the start of the Sweet 16, I was reminded of all of the stories that make the tournament so exciting.

Which team will have an opportunity to redeem itself - from past tournaments or even this year. During the regular season, Duke lost twice to North Carolina. Now, they sit 2 games away from possibly facing them again. Similarly, there is a chance that #1 seed UConn could end up facing #1 seeded Pittsburgh in the Championship game - the team who knocked them out of the #1 spot in the rankings twice during the regular season.The lowest remaining seed, #12 Arizona faced skepticism for being invited to the Big Dance. Now, they have an opportunity to advance with the best of the best (despite 13 losses during the regular season).

In reading the article by Kelli Anderson (SI 3/09), I was reminded that it was as recently as 1995 when coach Dan Monson began each press conference by announcing “it’s pronounced gone-zag-ah.” Now, the Bulldogs are a legitimate contender. So, here we find ourselves with the final 16 consisting of the 14 top teams. We have the dynamic duo from Carolina - Tyler and Hansbrough; several coaches with rings and those looking for their first (among those being John Calipari of Memphis - who lost last year’s title game to Kansas).

So, while it doesn’t look like there will be a “Cinderella Story” this year, it looks like we can expect some in your face, do or die, basketball with some great matchups. Will Calipari get his ring? Will Senior, A.J. Price get his? I anticipate some very close games and the likelihood of another historic buzzer beater. Which team will be sent home with hopes shattered? Who will make history and fulfill their dreams as the next champ?

Be sure to check out our March Madness Predict-a-thon to get your picks in and see how well you do against others. Let the excitement begin!

Uncategorized basketball tournament, college hoops, March Madness, NCAAB, Sweet 16

Okay, college hoops fans, we’re just days away from the start of the Conference Championships followed by The Big Dance! The Big East and ACC take claim to 6 of the top 10 in rankings at this time and will be bringing plenty of excitement to their tournaments. This weekend will give us another glimpse of the upcoming action when #3 Pitt hosts #1 UConn. The Huskies will be looking to avenge one of their only two losses against the Panthers. Of course, this will be no easy task against a team that is undefeated at home. Georgetown, Florida, and Maryland have had high hopes but have been inconsistent. Each appears to be on the bubble, with much to prove for a shot to advance. So, we know who the top teams are, but what makes up the Madness of the NCAA tournament is the excitement and tradition of filling out your brackets and trying to find those upsets and Cinderella teams! How about some picks for this years tourney: VCU has established themselves as a team that is always a threat (they lead the Colonial Athletic with a 21-9 record overall); The MAAC, a 1 bid conference, which should produce Siena, a team with 3 players averaging more than 13ppg. Davidson has both tournament experience and strong shooter, Stephen Curry. Of course I can’t resist slipping in my hopes for Florida State, who could get their first tournament bid in 11 years. They’ve played well in what could be argued to be the toughest conference in college basketball and have either upset or had close calls with some of the top teams.

Having said all of this, perhaps I should include a disclaimer - or at least point out the results of a 2001 study by Edward Kaplan and Stanley Garstka of Yale Univesity: (http://mansci.journal.informs.org/cgi/content/abstract/47/3/369). Using mathematical formulas and probabilities that would make my head spin, they looked at regular season performance, rankings, Vegas odds, and other measures compared to the outcomes of past tournaments. Their findings? …..an overall prediction reliability of about 58%!! I guess this explains why it’s usually the person you least expect that ends up winning the office pool.

Hubdub has something special in store for this year’s Tournament, while we are certain we can out-predict those Yale guys and their measly 58%!!!

Sport basketball tournament, college hoops, March Madness, NCAAB