Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
All around the US and abroad, people are examining the 64 men’s college basketball teams which will compete beginning Thursday in this year’s annual tournament. The search to become the world’s very first perfect bracket (no mistakes all the way through the final game) will continue as no one has achieved that statistical milestone yet.
Though I played basketball beginning in the fifth grade through high school and then in adult leagues into my mid-30’s, you might believe that that someone with a long-time knowledge of the game would have won at least one NCAA March Madness bracket tournament at work or elsewhere.
You would be wrong. I’m still “Zero-for-Life” entering these 2022 college basketball championship games!
That does, indeed, make me sad.
However, I am always more than willing to give my thoughts to co-workers when asked such things as, “What is a Zag?” or “Do they still make Boilers at Purdue?” When you are a former hoops player and sports junkie, you may be asked to provide helpful tips to friends asking such important questions such as “What color is Colgate’s uniform (red)” or “Which team does Sister Jean root for (Loyola Chicago)?”
Though I may be quite knowledgeable about college basketball, my losing streak at failing to pick the winning team in any employer’s office contest remains a sore subject. To say that I might overanalyze the teams in the field is probably an understatement.
Not this time, though!
This year will be different (cough, cough)! Well, perhaps. Maybe. OK, you’re right – probably not!
I will publish my complete picks sometime this week prior to Thursday morning’s tip-offs. There are four so-called “play-in” basketball games to be played Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but I will not have any of those teams will be advancing out of their first round games this season. This year’s play-in teams aren’t very impressive.
Let’s cover a few of the most likely questions you have about this year’s March Madness tournament.
Q: With this being the final season for Duke’s coach Mike Krzyzewski, shouldn’t I pick them to win it all?
A: A month ago, I might have agreed with you. However, this year’s Blue Devils team looked dazed and confused at Coach K’s final home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a lopsided loss to North Carolina less than two few weeks ago. Duke also got blasted in the final game of the ACC Tournament last weekend against a rising Virginia Tech squad, too.
Duke is the #2 seed in the West region. This year’s Duke squad lacks a take-charge floor-leader point guard to insure that their big men get their shots down low. The traditionally highly-disciplined Blue Devils team has looked dazed and confused during second half meltdowns against both North Carolina and Virginia Tech. This Duke team (while talented on paper) seems to lack “heart” (a recurring issue when recruiting so-called one-and-done players) and may be overrated as a #2 seed. It would make for a great story line if Duke should advance into the Final Four one last time for Coach K, but I just don’t see it happening.
Q: LSU’s head coach Will Wade and his top assistant was fired the next day after the NCAA advised the university about likely sanctions for the men’s basketball program. Will the LSU basketball team rise-up and play well or slink home early?
A: I still don’t know how the NCAA Tournament committee awarded #6 Midwest seed LSU (22-11) with a spot in this field at all. Texas A&M (23-12) had the same conference record (9-9) as LSU and then won three straight games to make it into the finals of last weekend’s SEC Conference tournament (losing to Tennessee).
LSU plays solid defense, but the team’s offense has been quite inconsistent. They play an equally hard-to-figure #11 seed Iowa State (20-12) on Friday night. Though LSU is playing in a relatively soft first weekend bracket (Wisconsin vs. Colgate being the other game on Friday), they are unlikely to advance past the first weekend of games being played in Milwaukee.
Q: Sister Jean’s Loyola Chicago team is back in the field. Are they any good this year?
A: You bet they are!
At the spry age of 102, the nationally-famous Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt is excited about her Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, too. After learning that her beloved team will face Ohio State on Friday at 11AM in the first round, she exclaimed, “I’m just so excited! Ohio State? We’ll take ‘em. We’ll work on ’em. I believe our young men will do it.”
The #10 South seed Ramblers of Loyola Chicago are 25-7 this year and grabbed the trophy for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament two weeks ago. Their first round opponent (Ohio State) was somehow given a #7 seed despite a record of 19-11. It is apparent that the NCAA Committee fell in love with the Big Ten this year. The conference received a highly questionable total of nine teams into the field this year. Ohio State is ripe for the picking.
The crowd in Pittsburgh will likely be pulling for Loyola, too. I expect Loyola will beat Ohio State. In the second round with an expected match-up with #2 seed Villanova, Sister Jean may need to ask for a little more divine intervention in order for her team to advance.
Q: Will Gonzaga finally win their first national championship this year?
A: The country’s overall #1 ranked team (26-3) has been in this position a few times before. Each time, they have come up a little bit short. The #1 West seeded Zags will play Round 1 in Portland and Round 2 in San Francisco, so they should have plenty of crowd support from their fans on the West Coast.
The twin towers of forward Drew Timme and freshman 7’0” center Chet Homgren helped Gonzaga become the fourth best rebounding team in the nation this season. If the guard play remains solid, they look to be your best bet to make it into the Final Four in New Orleans at the end of this month. They are the favorite to win the championship this season.
Q: Tennessee just won the SEC Tournament last weekend. How far can they go?
A: Tennessee was given the #3 seed in a very difficult South bracket. The region features #1 seed Arizona, #2 Villanova, #4 Illinois, and #5 Houston. Tennessee faces a sneaky-good #14 seed Longwood (26-6 and on an 8-game winning streak) in Round 1 on Thursday afternoon.
The guard play for Tennessee has been outstanding as the Volunteers looked every part of a championship caliber team last weekend in winning the SEC Tournament title. This is a team which can beat anyone in the country right now. If Tennessee can make it into next weekend’s Sweet Sixteen in San Antonio, there will be thousands of orange-clad Vol fans taking over the Alamo City. I really like Tennessee’s chances of making the Final Four.
Q: How about a few underdog teams I should consider for the first weekend?
A: If you’re looking for hot teams, try #7 East seed Murray State (30-2 and winners of 20 games in a row).
The Racers play #10 San Francisco in the nightcap Thursday in Indianapolis. A win may set-up David vs. Goliath match-up against #2 seed University of Kentucky for the Bluegrass state basketball supremacy on Saturday evening.
Another streaking team (21 straight wins) is South Dakota State.
The #8 seed in the Midwest Region, the Jackrabbits won every conference game played this season and are the nation’s best 3-point shooting team in making nearly 45% of their attempts. They play Thursday afternoon in Buffalo against #4 seed Providence. This should be a fun match-up!
Midwest region #14 seeded 23-11 Colgate (the Raiders – not the toothpaste) have won 15 straight games coming into their first round match-up against #3 seeded Wisconsin (24-7).
With this game being played in Milwaukee (the Badgers’ home state), Colgate will need to brush-up on their season-average 40% of 3-point shots to stay close. With a win, though, Colgate might just make floss its way into the Sweet Sixteen in Chicago next weekend.
Q: What teams should I avoid picking this year?
A: Don’t be fooled by the seedings for Midwest #6 LSU (as discussed earlier), East #6 Texas (21-11), West #6 Alabama (18-13), or a quartet of South region woofers – #7 Ohio State, #8 Seton Hall, #9 TCU, or #11 Michigan. If any of these teams are still hanging around after the first weekend of play, it will be a big surprise.
Q: So, when are your SwampSwamiSports.com brackets coming out?
A: I’m hoping to have that posted on Wednesday. Come back and check it out!