Time For Madness

With the calendar now on March and the regular season over it's time for College Basketball to enter its second season.  

All of this week we will be entertained with conference tournaments, this of course is just the appetizer for March Madness.  These conference tournaments are usually incredible, they are the perfect start to the Madness as we see teams that must win it all just to get an invitation to the dance.  We see the tears of teams whose bubbles burst and the joy of teams who prove to the country that they deserve their ticket punched.  These are the tournaments that we find those special players who will not allow their team to loose.  They give everything they can for 3,4 or 5 straight games.  It is when we start taking players who are known and start attaching the nickname of legend.

And most importantly during the conference tournament we find out what teams and players are overrated and which ones aren't:

As everyone starts to debate which teams will be heading to the dance and which teams bubble's have burst and now have them in the NIT, I thought I would give my own predictions of the 64/65 teams that will partake in tourny time.  For those who don't know 31 teams get an automatic bid for winning their conference tournament and then there are 34 At large bids.  Here are the 31 at large bids as I see them playing out:

American East: Binghamton

ACC: UNC

Atlantic 10: Rhode Island (an upset that will end up bursting some one's bubble)

Big East: Pitt

Big Sky: Portland St.

Big Ten: Michigan State

Big 12: Oklahoma

Big West: Long Beach St

Colonial: VCU

Conference USA: Memphis

Horizon League: Butler

Metro Atlantic: Rider (a home state pick)

Mid American: Buffalo

Mid-Eastern: Morgan State

Mountain West: UNLV

Northeast: Robert Morris

Pac-10: Arizona State (this team is going to be dangerous in the tournament)

Patriot: American

SEC: Auburn (another bubble is bursting with this win, this team has the talent to put a run together like Georgia did last year.  They are quick and physical and can erase deficits very quickly.  I hope we see another magic run from an SEC team like last year..4 games in 3 days thanks to a tornado and just in case you forgot about it watch below)

Southern: Davidson

Southland: Stephen F. Austin

Southwestern: Jackson State

Summit: IUPUI

Sun Belt: Western Kentucky

West Coast: Gonzaga

Western: Utah State

Teams already going dancing:

Norther Iowa

East Tenn. State

Moores Head State

Radford

Cornell

After all these conference tournaments we will have 34 at large bids.  Here are my predictions:

Connecticut

Purdue

Clemson

LSU

Kansas

West Virginia

Duke

Boston College

Marquette

Washington

Tennessee

Villanova

Wisconsin

Texas

FSU

Xavier

Syracuse

Texas A&M

Wake Forest

Utah

Oklahoma State

Illinois

UCLA

Missouri

Louisville

California

Ohio State

Butler

Siena

Penn State

Minnesota

Michigan

Providence

South Carolina

The last four teams into the tournament are: Michigan, Providence, South Carolina and Minnesota.  These teams come Selection Sunday are going to be biting their nails pretty short waiting to hear their names called.  Out of the group Minnesota is on the safer side even with a loss to Michigan this past weekend.  They have done the most from start to finish, while Michigan tremendously helped their cause with a win in Minnesota this weekend.  This is a team that can win games come tournament time if they are given the chance.  The same goes for Providence who can beat many teams that will be dancing.  Being in the Big East makes them tough and able to compete against anyone in the country.  South Carolina is a one and done team even if they make it to the dance, I don't buy into them at all this year.

Bubble Bursted:

Maryland, New Mexico, Arizona, Kentucky, San Diego State, V-Tech, Miami and St. Mary's.

I am a fan of Maryland and Gary Williams, but give me a break.  This team should not be on the bubble, yea the beat Michigan State and UNC but two wins do not get you into the tournament.  Especially when you can help your cause on the last day of the season and you loose at Virginia a team that has 3 conference wins this year.  UNC isn't even the best team in the country so stop putting a win over them as the end all be all.  Maryland fans you know better than this, you already know the heartache as you have been part of it for the last few years.  The best team of this group is Kentucky, when they are clicking on all cylinders they are tough to beat.  I just think they have lost too many games this year that they should have won.  NIT is calling and Maryland and Kentucky are answering the phone.  

There are a handful of teams that have the depth and talent this year to make a run deep into the tournament and throughout the week and next week I will be giving my predictions on who will make that run to Detroit and get that One Shinning Moment.  But if you are a betting man/woman take anyone in the Big East because they have the toughness to make a run and cut down the nets at the end of the year.

For those who need a little more to get excited for the Dance take a look at the video below. 

And Anyone who wants to join a March Madness pool let me know as I will be setting it up on Selection Sunday.  I will also include it in my post that night.

Few things before I go:

Hope you all enjoyed Mos Jef's post on Lost.

Movie quote was from: Bull Durham.

Today's Quote: "I rode the bench for two years. Thought I wasn't being played because of my color, I got filled up with a lotta attitude. So I quit. Still not a week goes by I don't regret it. And I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out, letting them get the best of ya. You hear me clear enough?"

Question of the day:  Before the question, I was told that I should be answering these questions if I want you guys to post so I will from now on. 

If you could go back in time and go to one sporting event what would it be?

My answer would have to be the Miracle on Ice.  I would love to be in Lake Placid and watch a bunch of kids beat the Russians at their game.  It would be something magical.

That's it for me, sign up to be a follower.

Giddy UP!!!