Jay Bilas. Seth Davis. Digger Phelps. Dick Vitale. They all have their opinions and predictions about March Madness…and a lot of the time they’re wrong. Instead of boring you with 63 different picks, we thought we’d add a little edge to March Madness by giving you the first ever “Musings on March Madness by 4 Morons.” Agree. Disagree. Hate us. Love us. It doesn’t matter. But when you hear the words to “One Shining Moment” on a Monday in April…you may find out we weren’t so far off…
Final Four Picks
Ryan Akers:
(1) Kansas, (1) Kentucky, (2) Kansas St., (3) Baylor
David Jones:
(1) Kansas, (1) Kentucky, (1) Syracuse, (2) Villanova
Only 1 time in history have all 4 #1 seeds made it to the Final Four (2008). It won’t be happening this year. Despite being handed a cakewalk to Indianapolis, I don’t see Duke making an appearance. Villanova was too much for them last year, and they’ll be too much for them this year too. It really wouldn’t surprise me to see Duke struggle or even lose against a Louisville team that beat Syracuse twice or a hot Texas A&M squad. Look for Kansas to dominate much like UNC did last year. Kentucky will have a tough road with possible matchups against Texas, Temple, and West Virginia. If Kentucky can stop Butler of WVU, they’ll be in Indy. Syracuse’s potential 2nd round matchup with Gonzaga scares me, especially if Onuaku is out. But the game is in Buffalo so the Orange should survive. Other than the Zags, Syracuse shouldn’t have another difficult game until Kansas State.
Ryan Lewis:
(1) Kansas, (1) Kentucky, (1) Duke, (1) Syracuse
With 3 of the 4 tournament #1 seeds being ranked #1 nationally at some point during the season, not much will change in the tournament.
Ben Wheeler:
(1) Kansas, (2) Kansas St, (1) Duke, (1) Kentucky
I think probably pretty much everyone has Kansas and Kentucky advancing, and I see a great chance for Kansas State in the West (lots of potential upsets to clear out the higher seeds); and Duke by far has the easiest path of any one seed. They have been playing great as of late, with their only loss coming against a hot Maryland team playing on senior night in college park. Greg Zoubek and the Plumlee brothers have really stepped up their games, at least in the games I’ve been able to watch; so I can see them definitely advancing from their region.
National Championship Game
Ryan Akers:
(1) Kansas vs. (1) Kentucky
David Jones:
(1) Kansas vs. (1) Kentucky
Talent, talent, talent. John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Sherron Collins. Cole Aldrich. These are the two most-talented teams in the country. You’ll be seeing them on Monday night.
Ryan Lewis:
(1) Kansas vs. (1) Kentucky
Both teams have the same record, both teams with similar talent. John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins have been phenomenal freshmen throughout the year, but they’ve yet to be on a stage this big. Kansas, although going through the season with very little recognition, has been in this situation before. They’ve got the coach, the talent, and the experience. They breezed through the Big 12 tournament with little trouble, and that momentum will carry them to their 6th National title.
Ben Wheeler:
(1)Kansas vs. (1)Kentucky
By far the two best teams in the country.
National Champion
Ryan Akers:
Kentucky
I’m a homer….I think their youth will hurt them, but I can’t say Kansas…
David Jones:
Kansas
As much as I hate Kansas, they are the best and most dominant team in college basketball this year. Barring a crazy injury, I expect them to hoist the trophy as we hear “One Shining Moment.”
Ryan Lewis:
UConn Huskies
They’re unbeatable. They come into the tournament with a 72-game winning streak, and they haven’t beaten anyone by less than double digits this season. What? Oh. Sorry. Ahem. For the men’s tournament, Kansas comes out on top. It was written up that way. They’ve been there before. They have the talent, the coach, and the experience. The bright lights cause too big of a glare for Calipari’s freshmen and Sherron Collins goes out a champion.
Ben Wheeler:
Kansas
They will be just too good against a young Kentucky (maybe Calipari will at least have his team ready to shoot free throws against Kansas this time around)
Biggest 1st Round Upset
Ryan Akers:
I have two – either (13) Houston over (4) Maryland – yes, I know all year long we’ve heard about Vasquez, but I don’t have much respect for the ACC this year. Good players but not great teams and I think we’ll see this possibility.
Or (11) Washington over (6) Marquette. I watched Washington play back in November and was very impressed by their speed and skill. Face it, everyone loves the Big East, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Marquette get rocked if Washington is aggressive and on.
David Jones:
(12) UTEP over (5) Butler
3-point shooting verses the big guys. Which one will prevail? Teams like Butler have the potential to get hot and win a few guys. However, all it takes is one bad shooting night and you’re gone. Even if Butler is hitting, I expect UTEP to make a strong physical presence known in this game and upset the Bulldogs. UTEP ended the regular season as a Top 25 team. A loss to Houston the C-USA Finals knocked them down to an underseeded 12 seed. This game has upset written all over it!
Ryan Lewis:
(13) Murray State over (4) Vanderbilt
Sorry Nashvillians: I like Vandy too. However, they finished the season with some inconsistent play by their bigs, and that could prove devastating against a quick Racers squad. Murray State is outsized, but their consistent defense has kept them in close games this year, holding opponents to 60 points per game. They’ve also got 5 players averaging double digits, and their balanced scoring attack averaged 77 points per game. Brad Tinsley (Vandy) finally found his stroke against Mississippi State in the SEC tournament, but Jermaine Beal and Jeffrey Taylor better have it going against the guards of Murray State. The variable will be A.J. Ogilvy. He’ll be matched up against Tony Easley, who is a bruiser down low. Ogilvy has tended to play weak against tough opponents, which may prove to be the Commodores’ downfall
Ben Wheeler:
(14) Oakland over (3) Pittsburgh
Yes I know it’s a long shot but I have not been impressed at all with Pittsburgh this year and I could really see this one happening
(12) New Mexico St over (5) Michigan St
Not saying 100% this will happen but MSU just hasn’t been the same team over last month. Even if they win in the first round I dont see them advancing after that.
(12) Cornell over (5) Temple
This one’s for Andy Bernard.
Cinderella Team Most Likely to Make it to the Sweet 16
Ryan Akers:
Honestly, anything out of the South (Duke) bracket. I could rant about Duke getting everything going their way, but the fact is, Duke is an overrated team this year (1-3 vs. top 25 teams). In the South there is Sienna, Richmond, St. Mary’s, Louisville, and Robert Morris (just making sure you’re paying attention…) Any of those first four teams mentioned could pull some big upsets and make a run against some very overrated higher seeds.
David Jones:
(11) Washington
The Washington Huskies are hot! They’ve won their last 7 games. Even though they’re coming out of an unusually weak Pac-10, they have the firepower to break some hearts and wear a glass slipper through the first weekend. Don’t be surprised if they upset a very athletic Marquette team and take down New Mexico in the 2nd round.
Ryan Lewis:
None
I don’t see any Cinderellas in this year’s field of 64. Cornell (12 in the East) may make a run, but they’ll have to get past a tough Wisconsin team with a now-healthy Jon Leuer, Trevon Hughes, and Jason Bohannon. Not likely. Doesn’t look to me like we’ll have a George Mason or Davidson this year. My apologies to Lehigh. (Isn’t that a grape soda?)
Ben Wheeler:
If Old Dominion had any other 1st round match up they would definitely be my pick but I don’t see them getting past a hot Notre Dame team. I would have to say (13) Siena has the best chance of advancing past Purdue and then Texas A&M or Utah St. Another low seed with a good shot of advancing is (11) Washington in the East. Sure they play in the maybe the worst big conference in basketball, but I could really see them making some noise in this tournament by beating Washington and New Mexico.
I can see Georgia Tech, who is finally starting to look like the team everyone thought they would be, taking out Ohio St in the second round to make it to the sweet 16.
Trendy 1st Round Upset Pick that WON’T Happen
Ryan Akers:
(11) San Diego St. over (6) Tennessee
Face it, I hate UT but this isn’t going to happen. UT can pull it together whenever they need to win. They won’t go far, but I don’t see this one going down.
And as a side note to Jay Bilas – get off the Cornell bandwagon – Temple will DESTROY Cornell in the first round and Cornell will not go on to beat Wisconsin and Kentucky. Analyst? I think not.
David Jones:
(12) Cornell over (5) Temple
Is Cornell underseeded? Absolutely! Do they have the potential to win this game? Yes. Will they? No! While Cornell is underseeded, so is Temple. The Owls probably deserve to be a 3 or 4 seed in the tournament. They have one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the entire country. At the end of the day, that defense will be too much for the Ivy League school. Sorry Andy Bernard…and Jay Bilas. Not happening! Also, don’t expect San Diego St. to beat Tennessee.
Ryan Lewis:
(13) Siena over (4) Purdue
Yes, Robbie Hummel’s injury will affect Purdue. Yes, they got embarrassed by Minnesota in the Big Ten semifinals. They’ve also got E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, one of the best inside-out combinations in the game. They’ve also got Chris Kramer who is a major spark plug on both ends. Siena has their own scoring threats, boasting four guys averaging over 13 points a game. However, the up-tempo style that has surprised teams all season plays right into the Boilermakers’ hands, who boast a fast-paced offense of their own. Don’t place your bets on #13 in the South.
Ben Wheeler:
(11) Old Dominion over (6) Notre Dame- I mentioned this above and I just don’t see it happening, Notre Dame has been playing too good as of late to lose this one.
(11) San Diego St over (6) Tennessee- Sorry I just don’t see this one. UT is way too talented and well-coached to lose in the first round, plus I believe they were a little upset about their seed, so that could light a fire under them.
Best 1st Round Match Up
Ryan Akers:
(13) Siena over (4) Purdue. Yeah, everyone is calling this. The only reason I think this will be a good first round match up is because Siena will have a huge chance to win this game, so we’ll be able to see their top-notch playing.
For a more “good game” type of match up, there’s not a lot out there. Possibly the Maryland/Houston game. I also think the Mizzou vs. Clemson game could be a good game.
David Jones:
(6) Marquette vs (11) Washington
I mentioned Washington earlier, but Marquette is also a team that has great potential. They might be the most athletic team pound for pound in the tournament. Problem is, those pounds are limited. It’s a shame both these teams have to play each other in the first round because they both have the capabilities to make some noise in this tournament.
Ryan Lewis:
(5) Butler vs. (12) UTEP
This is exactly why the 12 seed over 5 seed upset has happened seven times in the last 5 years: it’s a game of two evenly-matched teams. Butler comes in on a 20-game win streak, breezing through their conference and finishing with a 6 game lead. UTEP lost once in the last 2 months of the season. Both teams excel on the defensive end, and each team features a premiere big man: Matt Howard for Butler and Derrick Caracter for UTEP. Butler has a balanced scoring attack while UTEP looks to Gordon Heyward’s inside and outside game for their points. While UTEP was still biting their nails on Selection Sunday due to a conference title upset by Houston, don’t look for them to bow out quietly. People continue to look at Butler as a possible Cinderella every year, but their carriage seems to always turn back into a pumpkin a little too early.
Ben Wheeler:
(7) Oklahoma St vs (10) Georgia Tech
Great frontcourt (GT) vs great backcourt (Ok St) . I see the Yellow Jackets taking this one
Also (7) Richmond vs (10) St Marys should be a great game.
Star Player You Need to Know
Ryan Akers:
John Wall (Kentucky)
Everyone has the love fest going on with him this year. Why? Because he’s stinkin’ good. Yes, you can be critical that he turns the ball over a bit too much or whatnot, but when Kentucky is behind, Wall takes over. That’s a star-caliber player. Yes, I’m a huge Kentucky fan, but that just means I have watched him play all year long. He takes over games, makes big shots, shares the ball better than any guard I’ve seen in a long time. If Kentucky is going to return back to the Final Four, it’s going to be on the shoulders of John Wall.
I feel like I have to add that DeMarcus Cousins is going to have to stay emotionally sound during the tournament for Kentucky to go anywhere, too. Cuz gets out of sync, then the whole ball club suffers (see Kentucky vs. Tennessee).
David Jones:
Da’Sean Butler (West Virginia)
As a 6’7 senior, Butler averaged 17.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg. He’s a dynamic player who has the ability to take over a game. He can also hit the outside shot. He’s fun to watch, and should be fun to watch all the way until the Elite 8. Also, don’t miss Wesley Johnson of Syracuse.
Ryan Lewis:
Evan Turner (Ohio State)
Have you seen this guy? The Big Ten player of the year could step on an NBA floor today and be a difference-maker for any team. He was a star among standouts in the Big Ten, and he raised eyebrows in nearly every statistical category. When he went down for 6 games in December with an injury, his team went 3-3, the 3 wins coming against D-1 nobodies. He averaged nearly a double-double per game as a guard, with 20.3 points and 9.2 rebounds, shooting 54% from the field and dishing nearly 6 assists. There was no one better in clutch situations, and his 37% shooting from the 3-point line only complemented his slashing skills. After hitting a 37-foot buzzer beater in the Big Ten quarterfinals against Michigan, Turner hit a shot to force overtime against Illinois in the semis. He went on to score 12 of his 31 points after regulation to lead the Buckeyes to a double overtime win. He finished up the tournament with a 31 point, 11 rebound, 6 assist performance in a rout of Minnesota for the Big Ten title, all the while being named most outstanding player of the tournament and setting the record for most points in a championship game. He’s been on the big stage, and he’s proven that the bright lights can’t cast a shadow on his talent.
Ben Wheeler:
Greivis Vasquez (Maryland)
He may be my least favorite player from the last ten years not named Hansbrough but I respect his game and he brings it every night. He is the key to Maryland going anywhere in this tournament and I believe he will lead Maryland to at least the sweet 16
Unknown Player You Need to Know
Ryan Akers:
Quincy Pondexter (Washington)
Pondexter is going to make a lot of noise against Marquette. If Washington gets rolling, watch out. The guy is averaging 20 points a game, mostly from inside the arc…but he can pop outside and drain the three. Teamed with Isaiah Thomas who is averaging 17 points a game at guard, I’m just saying, I could easily see this team creating a buzz.
David Jones:
James Anderson (Oklahoma St.)
If Anderson played at a school like Kansas, Kentucky, or Duke, you would know his name right now. Much like Evan Turner at Ohio St., Anderson has the ability to win a game on his own. This 6’6 Guard averaged 22.6 ppg and 5.8 rpg this year. You can’t matchup with him. Don’t be surprised to see him drop 30 in the first game against a very talented Georgia Tech team. If Oklahoma St. can survive against Tech, we could see something special when Ohio State and Oklahoma State play in the second round. Also, keep Darington Hobson from New Mexico on your radar. Steve Alford has done a tremendous job with that program. It will be great to see how far they can actually go!
Ryan Lewis:
Darington Hobson (New Mexico)
Although they do have a #3 seed, New Mexico may end up as a surprise team to some people. They haven’t had much tournament success in the past, but they’re coming off a season capped by a Mountain West regular season title. Leading their surge is a guy in his third year of eligibility playing his first year in Division 1 basketball (played 2 years in junior college). He proved he was ready for the big show. He lead his team in scoring (16.2), rebounds (9.2), and assists (4.6). He was held to single digits in scoring only 5 times in 33 games and he averaged nearly 34 minutes on the floor. In a 2 point victory over San Diego State (Mountain West tournament champs) in February, he had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Look for Hobson to make a splash in his first year in the dance. His team may not meet the criteria of a Cinderella, but I wouldn’t qualify Darington Hobson as Sleeping Beauty either
Ben Wheeler:
Edwin Ubiles (Siena)
The star of the Saints should wreck some havoc agianst Purdue and the rest of the South Region
Sidenotes:
Ryan Akers:
Top Overrated Teams:
Duke – yes, they’re good. And who else fills the number one? But, they haven’t played a high caliber competition in the ACC. I look for the Blue Devils to drop out, possibly in the second round vs. Louisville.
West Virginia – Big East lovers are questioning me. Yes, West Virginia has the one little offense they run called “Give Butler The Ball” but for all year, they’ve played from behind. Most of their games were victories of less than about 6 points. I’m just not impressed.
Nova – Failed at the end of the year. 2nd round upset by Richmond or St. Mary’s? You saw it here!
Ben Wheeler:
Worst Matchup: (8) Texas vs (9) Wake Forest, Texas has just collapsed towards the end of the season and I’m still not sure how Wake made it in the Big Dance
