Tennessee (8-5) is looking for a big win in their home conference opener and should be able to get it against a Vanderbilt (10-4) team that has yet to win a road game. Look for the Vols to come out firing and make a statement with a big win over their in state rival.


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Ye who hates the Pac-10...

Well, those Grizzlies are so cute and cuddly. And those woofers are always sticking their nose somewhere where they aren't appreciated. I ought to root for Montana, but the conference needs some love.

Sadly, I have no tickets for Boise, or I could watch both games. Too busy saving up for soccer season.

I want to pick that game for so many reasons...Utah State not being included in last year's tournament, the Boise location, Arizona's unexpected first round losses in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, and the second round loss in 2000...but then, I would need to place either UAB or Utah State in the Sweet 16, and I just can't bring myself to do it...

Personally I'm rooting for fewer upsets early on this year. So many storybook match-ups to be had in the middle rounds: UNC vs Kansas, Perennial mid-major darling Gonzaga vs The General, Illinois vs Oklahoma St. This could be a whopper of a tournament.

The ACC is 5-0 so far this year, and some, if not all, of those schools voted for conference expansion...

Sounds like the Big East bit the bad karma bug... save for West Virginia. Give them their props.

I don't punish the ACC for greed, because it's not as if the Big East would have made a more noble decision.

Washington and Arizona are still standing. I'm beginning to develop a hunch that Arizona will live to see St. Louie. If Washington beats Louisville (and that's a tough one), they're there.

Gonzaga... d**n. Not a big Bobby Knight fan, so I wanted to see a drubbing.

Yeah, I am a lifer on the Anti-Knight team and was sorry to see the Zags fall apart in the second half like that. But props to Knight for what he's done with TT. I know I never considered the school a hotbed for hoops till now.

My brakcets look like peg- boards right now, so many d@mn holes! Half my Elite Eight and Final Four are already off for Spring Break! Some random notes:

Wake Forest: It's called defense! You should try it some time!

WVU: If Mike Gansey ever has to pay for a drink in Morgantown again, then something is terribly wrong. BTW, regardless of the above observation, WVU was the better team and played like a national champion, IMO. Props to them.

Most impressive teams so far: Utah, Villanova, Louisville and WVU. I'm not saying the champ will come from this bunch, per se, but each has team has handled pressure with poise and performed at least as well as advertised. Even Illinois struggled early against FDU.

Huh?: I called NCSU for their style match-up against UConn, and WVU and Vermont had upset specials all over them, but Oklahoma, Kansas and BC losing as early as they did cought me completely by surprise. It's not as if they're opponents were complete unknowns and certainly each of these sides was battle tested. I just don't get it. BC takes the reigns (from GT) for most enigmtaic team.

GT note: On another thread I offered my analysis of the Jackets thusly:


Schensher was ineffective in both games and Louisville was exactly the kind of athletic defensive side to give Tech fits. The Jackets outside game never clicked and their turnovers this season killed them. But at least they made it back to the dance and though five seniors are leaving the squad all four freshman were integral players throughout the year and another deep class is coming back. I'm hopeful the new frontcourt will prove more athletic than Big Luke and better compliment Coach Hewitt's style of play. If so they can replicate the model Pitino is running at Louisville.

After dubbing Wake Forest the "Stanford of the ACC" (in terms of the NCAA Tournament), I remembered that Stanford had, in fact, been to a Final Four in the last forty years (1998)...

........well, the SEC is down to one (too bad the selection committee always sticks it to Mississippi State---remember the early pairing in DALLAS two years ago vs lower seeded Texas; then, this year, a second round game in CHARLOTTE vs Duke).

Oh forbid, any ref call go against Duke! thingy Vitaly, oh baby, needs to move to North Carolina and be PR rep for the NC 4.

Go Kentucky!!!!!!

That reminds me... I'm watching Andrew Bogut dissect Oklahoma on Saturday (without scoring in his game, no less), and I actually yelled "slap some red hair on that guy and give him a stutter." That really did take me back to my '77 Blazers.

So much for hiding my age here. ;D

The seeding and location cards are being overplayed, IMO. When teams used to travel to far flung places people griped about the trip times and the idea of going across the country to play a school one hour away. I think the fans are happier being able to reach the games. Besides, the next time it might be your favorite team that gets the "favorable" locations.

As far as griping about a seed, teams have to win against tough opponents eventually. If you want your team to be rated higher there must be another team that is then moved down, and often people ignore that fact.

Bottom line: Just win.

1-seed Duke deserved to play in Charlotte; that 6-seed Texas team definitely didn't deserve to play a higher-seeded, non-Texas team in that game (2002)...

Oh man, did anyone hear Billy F. Packer yesterday when Mississippi State called the timeout at half-court late in the game with the Duke guy stealing the ball after the whistle was blown..."NO SIR!"