Well, these are coming out a little late, please forgive me. I wanted to see the UT-Vandy Game before i updated these. There are a few big games tonight, but these are coming out before the games play.
Let me hit you with the rankings, first of all.
- Tennessee (25-3) - Yes, I am aware Tennessee just lost to Vanderbilt. Keep in mind, they just beat the #1 team in the nation on the road and their recent loss is to a Top 15 team, at their stadium, by a basket.
- North Carolina (26-2) - These guys will be a unanimous #1 Next weekend, barring any embarassing upsets, but I don't believe they have proved themselves superior to Tennessee yet. Beat Duke, and I'll be more than happy.
- Memphis (27-1) - They may have just lost, but it was close, and they sure as hell won't have another loss until Tournament.
- UCLA (24-3) - Right behind Memphis. UCLA has fully rebounded from that embarassing WU loss, but they are strong and they're stroming right back. Have they been out of the top 8 all season?
- Kansas (25-3) - You're probably thinking Texas should go here. They beat KU, they're leading the conference. I just don't believe they are the better team. KU knows when to turn it on.
- Texas (24-4) - No disrespect to these guys. D.J. Augustin should finish Top 5 in Wooden and Naismith voting, and these guys are a solid 1/2 seeder.
- Xavier (24-4) - A team with this record not hailing from a major conference shouldn't be this high, right? Well, they are in a major conference now, so they stay here. The A-10 is the Most Improved Conference by far, and Xavier is leading the pack of it all.
- Stanford (22-4) - The Lopez twins are a force. But this team's record should not be overlooked. They swept Arizona and Oregon and beat Wazzu. Now, UCLA is their only obstacle.
- Duke (24-3) - A couple recent losses have dropped this team. But seriously, Greg Paulus, Coach K, Duke. NCAA Tournament. They're gonna be good.
- Vanderbilt (24-4) - Vanderbilt doesn't shoot up this high just for beating #1. They're a damn good team and will be the biggest sleeper in the tourney. That is, if they don't snag a 2 or 3 seed.
- Georgetown (23-4) - As of late, G-Town hasn't seemed as to be the Big East clear-cut champ now. But they are a experienced team that has the ingredients of a champion now.
- Louisville (22-6) - L'ville is in gear at the exact right time, and winning out could equal a #2 seed. Watch out for the Irish tonight.
- Notre Dame (21-5) - Three BIGE teams in a row is weird looking, but ND, with a win at U of L tonight, would be in the definite three seed placing, and with winning out, a #2 seed is a strong possibility. Louisville is far, far, far, far from a given though.
- UCONN (22-6) - FOUR IN A ROW FROM THE BIG EAST? Yeah, and UConn isn't bad. The loss at Villanova was a little blemish, this team beat Indiana. AT INDIANA.
- Indiana (24-4) - I felt forced to put a big 10 team in here, it's such an over-juiced conference. But the state of Indiana is legit, and this team is a strong contender.
Moving on to...
UPSET CALLS: Only one right from last week, that being 'Nova over Connecticut. Whatever. I did say Drake and Tennessee would prevail in the two biggest games of the week. Lets go with KState over Ku, Marquette over G-Town, ND over L'Ville, and Vandy at Arkansas for this week.
No Bold Predictions sorry. I would have put Vandy over UT though.
Coach of the Year:
My Candidates (top 5)
- Roy Williams, UNC
- Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
- Rick Barnes, Texas
- Mike Brey, Notre Dame
- Sean Miller, Xavier
Okay, lets not forget the slate of games tonight.
- ND at L'ville
- MSU at Wisconsin
- UCLA at ASU
- Wazzu at Cal
- Heat at Lakers... oh wait, nevermind. Shaq vs. Kobe no more.Okay, The Final Game: Tennessee 75, Xavier, 66 Tennessee is the best team, right now, and I believe it will stay that way in April. Props to Xavier for making it this far. VCU on their cindy run too. Give me some input, let me know what you think. I'm making another bracket prediciton on selection sunday too. Well, right before, so I can see how close I am.
And the moment you all have been waiting for. The Championship game analysis from my Bracket Predictions. Check the Link, http://www.sportsline.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6304543/6640052